Culture is a combination of our thoughts, roles, manners, values, etc. [12] Typically a low-context culture will be less close-knit, and so individuals communicating will have fewer relational cues when interpreting messages. For an outsider, it is easier to enter into low-context cultures because one does not need to be aware of the shared history/values of the group. The Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice states that, "high context defines cultures that are relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. In high cultures, much of the communication is understood by the group either by non-verbal coding, which refers to common body language; distinct in-groups and out-group's, which refers to the cohesiveness of the group; and covert and implicit messages, which refers to what we refer . Typically a high-context culture will be relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. Both the speaker and listener act under the assumption that all relevant information has been explicitly stated. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? Leaders in high-context cultures, such as Ethiopia, tend to communicate more implicitly, using more nonverbal communication and expressing more vague verbal messages (at least from the viewpoint of a low-context culture). The High Context / Low Context cultural dimension is a broad and far reaching theory which touches on many aspects of cultural communication including verbal and non-verbal messaging, internal and external locus of control, inward and outward reaction, cohesion of groups, people's bonds and commitments, as well . classifications are discussed below. Moving from high-context communication to low-context communication or vice versa is challenging for students. Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. High-context cultures are related to connotation. Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. For a communicator to successfully interact with others from a different culture he must know whether his own culture is high or low context and which context is the culture in the interaction. - Definition & Assessment, Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder, Atypical Antipsychotics: Effects & Mechanism of Action, What Is a Mood Stabilizer? In, Meyer, C. (2017). An experiment performed by the University of Glasgow shows that different cultures have different understanding of the facial expression signals of the six basic emotions, which are the so-called "universal language of emotion"happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger and sadness. The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. For example, resemblance is a significant trait in cultures with a high level of context. [42] In a case study conducted by the IT University of Copenhagen, it was found that websites catering to high-context cultures tended to have more detailed and advanced designs, including various images and animations. ), Hall, E. T.; Hall, M. R. (1990). According to Hall's theory, the Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents a lower context culture. [32] Awareness of miscommunication between high- and low-context cultures within the workplace or intercultural communication settings advocates for collected unification within a group through the flexibility and ability to understand one another. Amount of Detail Expected - High-context cultures such as Japan, China, and France provide little details in their writing. [14] However, understanding the broad tendencies of predominant cultures can help inform and educate individuals on how to better facilitate communication between individuals of differing cultural backgrounds. If you want to appear polite, you need to be willing to greet strangers and thank . The United States, on the other hand, is considered a low-context culture, relying largely on explicit verbal explanations to keep everyone on the same page. Emphasis on verbal vs. non-verbal communications, the existence of close personal space, emphasis on collectivism and ingroup learning and achievements, and the importance of interpersonal relationships are but a few of the most significant distinguishing factors. Intercultural communication. High context cultures tend to build relationships slowly, and they are generally stable for a long time and are based on trust and loyalty. [5]:4223, Characteristics of high-context and low-context cultures, Examples of higher- and lower-context cultures, Overlap and contrast between context cultures, How higher context relates to other cultural metrics. For high-context cultures, language is a kind of social lubricant, easing and harmonizing relations that are defined according to a group or collectivist orientation where we rather than I is the key to identity. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many Western countries. In anthropology, high-context culture and low-context culture are ends of a continuum of how explicit the messages exchanged in a culture are and how important the context is in communication. High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. 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. A few examples of high-context cultures include China, Japan, South Africa, Argentina, and Spain; While low-context cultures are found more dominantly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Meaning is determined not by what is said but by how it is said and by how social implications such as the communicators status and position come into play. Individuals in such cultures must hear or read a direct order, point, etc for it to be taken as valid. The ways by which humans communicate are based heavily on the context of what is being spoken, the individuals involved, and the setting in which the communication takes place. What is high and low context culture examples? For example, families typically engage in high context communication whereby they can communicate much with subtleties such as a glace. High vs. Low Power Distance Cultural Communications | What are High and Low Power Distance Cultural Communications? When a part of these groups, a low-context individual may be more drawn to interpersonal relationships with others than focusing on their own accomplishments and do not require information to be elaborated because they maintain an understanding of group behaviors. Low-context cultures also want these communications to revolve around basic questions, like: What's happening? Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. High context is where the groups of people or societies in which individuals have had close links in the course of a long period. The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. 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. High-context cultures: Much of the society's communication takes place through . 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. [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. We will write a custom Report on Communication Culture: Hall's High and Low-Context Model of Culture specifically for you. [24] The table shows the major differences and similarities between individual queries. Rules are not directly or explicitly written or stated. Many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit because most members know what . The Nine Competencies that Characterize an IEP, Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Obstacles, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, Additional Resources to Help you Format your Paper in APA Style. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. The answer is simple. Relationships are easy to build, can start very quickly but end just as soon. [32] Since all sets of cultures differ, especially from a global standpoint where language also creates a barrier for communication, social interactions specific to a culture normally require a range of appropriate communication abilities that an opposing culture may not understand or know about. Low-context cultures are less stable than high-context cultures as they are not founded upon any shared background. Bernstein, B. Cultures and communication in which the context of the message is of great importance to structuring actions are referred to as high context. [42] The images found on the websites used in the study promoted individualistic and collectivist characteristics within the low-context and high-context websites, respectively. Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on January 24, 2023 by Chris Drew, PhD.