For example, Hall describes how Japanese culture has both low- and high-context situations. [5]. She found out that in high-context countries, the advertising campaigns used more colors, movements, and sounds to provide context. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. Guffey, M.E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). Some recognized examples include: Higher-context culture: China, India, Korea, Japan, other Asian countries, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Oman, and Yemen, African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, Latin America, the Pacific islands, France, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Russia. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. One approach to gaining such an insight is through the use of the high and low context culture framework, which was established by anthropologist Edward T. Examples of low context cultures are countries such as China, Brazil or Saudi Arabia. Both often take many aspects of the other's cultural communication abilities and strengths into account. 1.4.6 - Context of Cultures: High and Low - University of the Pacific This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). Trust must be developed before business transactions can begin. Messages can be contextualized by assuming that the audience would think in the same manner and will follow the underlying meaning implied in someone's speech or writing as a result of these common experiences. Because low-context communication concerns more direct messages, the meaning of these messages is more dependent on the words being spoken rather than on the interpretation of more subtle or unspoken cues. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Japan is a country with a high-context culture. The differences between high-context and low-context cultures is one of the most challenging things to navigate and one of the most important and distinct differences that exists across cultures. 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. [14] Groups that are able to rely on a common background may not need to use words as explicitly to understand each other. Routledge. Beyond Culture. China A High Context Culture? [Know All The Facts] - TruthFacts Answer (1 of 2): Examples of high context countries include: Japan, China, and the Arab countries. [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. [30], Punctuation marks and emojis are more often used by high-context users than low-context users. Public speaking Flashcards | Quizlet Because of this, many features of cultural behavior in high-context cultures, such as individual roles and expectations, do not need much detailed or thought-out explanation. [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. Language may be used to achieve goals or exchange information. [19] This has been expanded to further countries by Sheposh & Shaista. [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. Lower-context culture: United States, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada and other European nations. 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 . The USA and Australia are typically low-context, highly individualistic cultures, where transparency and competition in business are prized. differentiate between high-context and low context culture examples Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall first discussed high-context culture in his 1976 book titled Beyond Culture. Indeed, Vietnamese communication style has all the characteristics of highcontext cultures, such as indirect and digressive communication, use of few words, reliance on contextual cues, avoidance of the use of personal names, respect for long silences, and waiting politely until the other person has stopped speaking before taking turns. Guffey et al. Writing Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs, 38. Sage Publications. 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. High vs. Low Power Distance Cultural Communications | What are High and Low Power Distance Cultural Communications? Overall, this study provides further evidence to support the high versus low-context culture concepts with Chinese, Korean, and American participants. Information has to be explicit and detailed for the message to be conveyed without distortion. Low-context cultures can seem slightly more formal due to the explicit & precise nature of their messages. The Basic Difference Between High-context and Low-context Cultures [35], The concepts of collectivism and individualism have been applied to high- and low-context cultures by Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede in his Cultural Dimensions Theory. Low-context cultures also want these communications to revolve around basic questions, like: What's happening? Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. Communication Differences in Low-Context vs. High-Context Cultures, Comparing Communication Styles in Low- and High-Context Cultures, Additional Resources for Determining Cultural Contexts, Ethnocentrism and Cross-Cultural Competence, Additional Resources for Understanding Trompenaars Dimensions, Three Prototypes: Dignity, Face, and Honor Cultures, Ethnocentrism, Culture Shock, and Cultural Relativism. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. What are the effects on the communication process? In. In, Meyer, C. (2017). [20][21], Cultural context can also shift and evolve. Your email address will not be published. Sourabh Yadav (MA) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), Bureaucratization (Sociology): Definition, Features, Origins, Stereotype Content Model: Examples and Definition. The theory of High and Low Context Cultures puts how people communicate in a dimension. Listen to business speaker Erin Meyer explain how cultural differences can affect communication. High-context cultures promote the development of ingroups. 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. Low and High Context Culture. High-context cu. How to Live Happily Ever After in Japan's High-Context Culture Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. Eye contact, for example, which is encouraged in North America, may have ambiguous meaning or be considered disrespectful in certain high-context cultures. The GLOBE Project Overview & Behavior Styles | What is the GLOBE Project? Low-context and high-context cultures are the ends of a continuum portraying how cultures communicate. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. France and French Culture - Tufts European Center for only $11.00 $9.35/page. For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. They are considered less direct, and they put a lot of weight on gestures and body language to draw significance from messages. High context communication cultures . Low-context and high-context culture are anthropological concepts that describe the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a cultures communication. Communication Culture: Hall's High and Low-Context Model of Culture [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: Much of the society's communication takes place through . The terms low-context and high-context usually refer to language groups or nationalities. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. 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. References Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. The following chart will compare the main differences between high-context vs. low-context cultures and a discussion of example cultures will follow: While nations such as the United States have many low-context situations, it is important to recall that all societies experience high-context events as well. Cultures and communication in which context is of great importance to structuring actions is referred to as high context. High Context Culture vs Low Context Culture: Communication - TechTello A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code.". It is important to note that while a nation or society may be widely considered a high-context or low-context culture, certain events occur in the opposite context regularly (such as family gatherings in the United States). Focusing on tradition creates opportunities for higher-context messages between individuals of each new generation, and the high-context culture feeds back to the stability hence allows the tradition to be maintained. [7][8] Denotation tends to be attributed to low-context culture[9] People in low-context cultures communicate in a more direct way, with explicitly speaking what they want to communicate. For example, people in traditional high context cultures have been described as developing "shared identities." In direct contrast to low context behavior, in a negotiation, high context cultures communicate in The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. In high context cultures like Native American tribes, Japan, China, and Arabic countries, communication is curvilinear, and often what is left unsaid is just as important than what is, and there is more flexibility with time and looser schedules. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. Most of the cultural behavior aspects are not open for the reason that many of the members are aware of what to do and what thoughts to engage in. High Context vs. Low Context High-context is that "most of the information is either in the physical context or initialized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message." (Hall). In high-context cultures, communication cues are transmitted by posture, voice inflection, gestures, and facial expression. Although the concept of high- and low-context cultures is usually applied in the field of analyzing national cultures, it can also be used to describe scientific or corporate cultures, or specific settings such as airports or law courts. The study collected three samples from different cultures - the US, China, and Korea - with 96 business managers surveyed in the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers in the Korean sample. 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). Information is transmitted not through words alone but also through non-verbal cues such as gestures, voice inflection, and facial expression, which can have different meanings in different cultures. Communication: High- and Low-Context Cultures - Mudita Consultancy Japan and China are some of the best examples of high-context cultures, in addition to Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and many nations throughout Africa and the Middle East. [36], High-context cultures tend to be more stable, as their communication is more economical, fast, efficient and satisfying; but these are gained at a price of devoting time into preprogramming cultural background, and their high stability might come with a price of a high barrier for development. What is low context cultural communication? People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. Devon has tutored for almost two years. It relies on the straightforward use of language, without depending much on nonverbal cues. For instance, a study has argued that both Japan and Finland (high-context cultures) are becoming lower-context with the increased influence of Western European and United States culture.[22]. A 2005 study by Elizabeth Wurtz demonstrates how cultural differences shape marketing and advertising. [13] Not all individuals in a culture can be defined by cultural stereotypes, and there will be variations within a national culture in different settings. Order now. ", 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. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. The scale of high- and low-context cultures helps explain much about how we experience communication across our cultural experiences. If you want to appear polite, you need to be willing to greet strangers and thank . By contrast, a low-context culture enjoys communications that take place most often through written or spoken (verbal) speech and rules are directly and explicitly stated. Trust High context cultures and situations may extend significant trust to members. High- context cultures are often collectivist in nature and largely defined by group communications, as well as the development or promotion of ingroups, or groups that individuals may become loyal to. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. Low-context cultures tend to focus more on the individual than the group, which is why they value individualism and autonomy. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. After you have finished with this lesson, you should be able to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. They rely less on context & non-verbal cues and instead convey meaning more directly. An error occurred trying to load this video. Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. 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Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. However, there are some other characteristics also. Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. But we can also use them to talk about smaller groups, such as corporate cultures or a specific setting like the airport. 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). High-Context vs. Low-Context Cultures. Mind the Gap. - Medium In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet have many relationships. Message is carried more by words than by nonverbal means. 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. 2. Russia is a high context country with a culture that revolves around collectivism and interdependence on group relationships. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. What are the differences between high context and low context cultures? This concept was introduced by Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist back in 1976. Establishing relationships is an important part of communicating and interacting. High Context vs. Low Context Cultures - Mexico Business Associates Communicating With High- and Low-Context Cultures the study of body movement including gestures, hand, arm, and leg movements, facial expressions, eye contact, and stance or posture Low-context message a message where the message is encoded in the words used or in the verbal expression and not as much in the context Masculinity-Femininity High context cultures have a communication style based on body language, tone, and overall context; while low context cultures are more straightforward and explicit in communication. Developing Cultural Intelligence in Corporations, Cultural Perceptions of Time in Organizations: Monochronic and Polychronic Time, Using CRM to Improve Marketing & Customer Acquisition, Comparing Communication in Cultures with High & Low Tolerance for Ambiguity. Monochronic vs. Polychronic Communication Styles | What Are Chronemics? Anchor Press/Doubleday. [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. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. 231 lessons. On the other hand, certain intercultural communication skills are unique for each culture and it is significant to note that these overlaps in communication techniques are represented subgroups within social interactions or family settings. 4.3: Variations in Communication Styles - Social Sci LibreTexts Low and High context countries and their characteristics What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? Want to create or adapt books like this? With this regard, America culture is a low-context . [2], Website design among cross-cultural barriers include factoring in decisions about culture-sensitive color meanings, layout preferences, animation and sounds. Asia, Africa, Latin America, and central Europe are predominantly countries with a high context culture. Not only is the page itself busier . low-context communication is "the mass of information is vested in the explicit code". Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Bernstein, B. - Definition & Assessment, Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder, Atypical Antipsychotics: Effects & Mechanism of Action, What Is a Mood Stabilizer? High Context Marketing & Low Context Marketing on the Internet Guffey, M. E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). The American sample scored the lowest compared to the two "Oriental samples," which aligns with Hall's concept. 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