In contrast, high-context cultures use facial expressions, body language, and gestures in a nuanced manner. Low and High Context Culture. What is culture? Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. [30] Many singular cultures that are large have subcultures inside of them, making communication and defining them more complicated than the low-context and high-context culture scale. High-context cultures include close-knit groups of people, while low-context cultures are generally more diverse. A high-context culture is one in which communication may be more unspoken rather than explicit - for example, much attention is paid to body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues in order to discern a speaker's meaning. The theory of High and Low Context Cultures puts how people communicate in a dimension. ; it is the way we communicate, do business and see the world. The results show significant differences between the American, Chinese, and Korean samples on 15 out of 16 items, with 11 items significant at the .01 level, one at the .05 level, and three at the .10 level. The following are illustrative examples. Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. Rules are not directly or explicitly written or stated. [5], These concepts were first introduced by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1959 book The Silent Language. Intercultural Communication on Websites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. A case study was done on 30 Romanian and 30 Russian employees, to compare high- and low-context cultures, and results strongly suggested that Russia and Romania are both high-context cultures. An individual from Texas (a higher-context culture) may communicate with a few words or use of a prolonged silence characteristic of Texan English, where a New Yorker would be very explicit (as typical of New York City English), although both speak the same language (American English) and are part of a nation (the United States of America) which is lower-context relative to other nations. Cultures and languages are defined as higher or lower context on a spectrum. In high-context cultures, there are often many opportunities for social and cultural context to explain speech, which reduces the need for words in all instances. Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. "Understanding cultural differences. Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. ", "Communication: intercultural communication. Remember that culture is dynamic, and that every individual within a culture is unique and may not conform exactly to the general characteristics of that culture. They place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close-knit community. Context 1. . Most notably, members of either culture must recognize and make an effort to understand the values and characteristics of other cultures so that miscommunications may be avoided. In low-context countries, things need to be spelled out a bit more. Data was gathered in India, Ireland, Thailand, and the United States where the results confirm that "high-context nations (India and Thailand) prefer the avoiding and obliging conflict styles more than low-context nations (Ireland and the United States), whereas low-context nations prefer the uncompromising and dominating communication style more than high-context nations."[16]. Table 2 shows a classification of countries in low and high context, their characteristics and the expected role . France. Communication cultures differ societally between high-context and low-context cultures, a concept first described by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1976 publication Beyond Culture. Because a low-context setting cannot rely on shared understanding of potentially ambiguous messages, low-context cultures tend to give more information, or to be precise in their language. It is important to note that no culture is completely high-context or low-context, since all societies contain at least some parts that are both high and low. [41] One study on McDonald's online advertising compared Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the United States, and found that in high-context countries, the advertising used more colors, movements, and sounds to give context, while in low-context cultures the advertising focused more on verbal information and linear processes. This is in contrast to lower-context cultures in which the shared experiences upon which communication is built can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children, as in the United States.[18]. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. [34], Restricted codes are commonly used in high-context culture groups, where group members share the same cultural background and can easily understand the implicit meanings "between the lines" without further elaboration. [3] Low-context cultures do the opposite; direct verbal communication is needed to properly understand a message being communicated and relies heavily on explicit verbal skills. Edward T. Hall describes low-context culture as one in which: most of the information is either in the explicit code or readily available elsewhere (Hall, 1976). 9. "[17] On the other hand, he identified countries such as Germany, the United States and Scandinavia as low-context cultures. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. In contrast, take a look at the ads on the front page of Weibo, which is considered China's version of Facebook. High-context cultures, on the other hand, depend on both the spoken words and the context of the situationincluding the shared values/assumptions of the groupto convey meaning. ", Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 23:13, http://db19.linccweb.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/rowmandasj/high_context/0, "Intercultural Communication on Web sites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Web sites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures", "The Influence of High- and Low-Context Communication Styles On the Design, Content, and Language of Business-To-Business Web Sites", "The Influence of High-/Low-Context Culture on Perceived Ad Complexity and Liking", "Communication Style and Cultural Features in High/Low Context Communication Cultures: A Case Study of Finland, Japan and India", 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199809)15:6<507::AID-MAR2>3.0.CO;2-A, "Communicational Features in High/Low Context Organizational Culture: A Case Study of Romania and Russia", "low-context and high-context communication", https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/dictmedia/communication_intercultural_communication/0, "Communication: intercultural communication", "Managing conflict in global teams: 4 keys to leveraging cultural differences in diverse teams", "International communication 101: staying on the right side of culture", "Individualism, Collectivism, High And Low Context", "Discovering cultural differences (and similarities) in facial expressions of emotion", "The Human Face as a Dynamic Tool for Social Communication", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High-context_and_low-context_cultures&oldid=1141991389, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 23:13. This is in direct contrast to low-context cultures, in which information is communicated primarily through language and rules are explicitly spelled out. Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. In a low-context culture, you would not expect to give or receive gifts . From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. Low context is a communication environment that doesn't heavily rely on common understanding such as shared culture, experiences and norms.This can be contrasted with high context communication that relies on common background or understanding. For example, if you have ever been to a family gathering, then you have experience with a high-context culture. High context culture is common wherever there is a relationship between people. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Relationships: The components of these cultures tend to value long-term relationships. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . Low-context communicators dont need to be provided with much background information, but they do expect messages to be professional, efficient, and linear in their logic. In this context, we will discuss those topics also. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. The American sample scored the lowest compared to the two "Oriental samples," which aligns with Hall's concept. In contrast, low-context websites had lesser animation and images, focusing instead on the information. For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. High Context vs. Low Context (Internet) Example of McDonalds Internet site: High: Families shown, lots of people on the website ads Low: You, your choices, easy to navigate High Context vs. Low Context (Law) High: Traditions are the laws Low: Rules and order are spelled out. Pages: 3. For example, the head wobble (tilting the head from side to side) in India is a gesture that can convey a variety of meanings depending on the situation. Because of this, communication can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children. China, Japan, Turkey, and Mexico are some countries that lean towards high-context. Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. Examples of high-context cultures include China, India, and many non-Western societies. A high-context culture is one in which communication may be more unspoken rather than explicit - for example, much attention is paid to body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues in order to discern a speaker's meaning. They are considered less direct, and they put a lot of weight on gestures and body language to draw significance from messages. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. They also displayed pictures of individuals, while high-context websites foregrounded group pictures. In other words, high-context communicators attach great importance to everything that surrounds the explicit message, including interpersonal relationships, non-verbal cues, and physical and social settings. Hall identifies high-context cultures as those in which harmony and the well-being of the group is preferred over individual achievement. For example, a low-context communicator can say, "I am unhappy with this outcome and . So the poor cow's life depends on the country, where it was born: whether it is going to be worshipped or to end up on someone's . Sage Publications. In the United States, Native Americans and Hawaiian islanders are also considered high-context. [37] Because individualistic cultures may value cultural diversity, a more explicit way of communicating is often required to avoid misunderstanding. Unlike the linear communication style preferred in low-context cultures, high-context communicators may use spiral logic, circling around a topic indirectly and looking at it from many tangential or divergent viewpoints. Eye contact, for example, which is encouraged in North America, may have ambiguous meaning or be considered disrespectful in certain high-context cultures. How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? 1. Same as low context communication high context do have its own peculiarities like they talk in hidden meanings and often double meanings or coded information. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. In addition, Hall identified countries such as Japan, Arabic countries and some Latin American Countries to practice high-context culture; "High context communication carries most of its information within physical acts and features such as avoiding eye contact or even the shrug of a shoulder. As such, what is said is what is meant, and further analysis of the message is usually unnecessary. All rights reserved. There are smaller communities and specific settings within national/linguistic cultures, and they may exhibit different communication patterns. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. Low-context cultures rely on explicit communication. By comparison, low-context cultures refer to cultures whereby most communications take place through verbal language and rules are directly written out or stated for all to view. The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language, verbal messages, or non-verbal messages. High Context Culture And Its Importance However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. Your email address will not be published. High-context cultures usually do not have rules that are explicitly written or stated. For example, for someone who is older and more experienced within a society, the need for social cues may be higher or lower depending on the communication style. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. Language may be used to achieve goals or exchange information. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Routledge. [23] For example, Native Americans in the United States have higher-context cultures with a strong sense of tradition and history, compared to general American culture. Downward, Self-Monitoring, Ingratiation, and Self-Handicapping: Definition & Examples, Impression Management: Festinger's Study of Cognitive Dissonance, Post-Decision Dissonance & Counterattitudinal Advocacy, Attributions and the Correspondence Bias in Psychology: Definition & Dispositions vs. Situational Behavior, Effort Justification: Aronson & Mills Study, Examples & Applications, Self-Serving Attributions: Definition, Bias & Examples, Self-Regulation Theory: Definition & Strategies, High-Context Culture: Definition & Examples, Overjustification Effect: Definition & Examples, Social Epidemiology: Definition & Methods, Self-Promotion in Psychology: Definition & Examples, Mark Snyder's Self-Monitoring System: Definition & Scale, Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder: Symptoms & Treatment, Attitudes and Persuasion: Help and Review, Attraction & Close Relationships: Help and Review, Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination: Help and Review, Applied Social Psychology: Help and Review, UExcel Psychology of Adulthood & Aging: Study Guide & Test Prep, Psychology of Adulthood & Aging for Teachers: Professional Development, Abnormal Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Life Span Developmental Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Research Methods in Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Social Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Human Growth & Development Studies for Teachers: Professional Development, What is Suicidal Ideation? [33] Conversely, in cultural groups with low context, where people share less common knowledge or 'value individuality above group identification', elaborated codes are necessary to avoid misunderstanding. Low-context cultures tend to focus more on the individual than the group, which is why they value individualism and autonomy. [18] A trade language will typically need to explicitly explain more of the context than a dialect which can assume a high level of shared context. This study is a result of a cross-cultural examination between students from the United States, a low-context culture, and Mexico, a high-context culture, to study the reasons people communicate in each culture. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures.