Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. 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. Instead, a comparison between cultures may find communication differences to a greater or lesser degree. Identify your style Before implementing effective communication practices across cultures, identify your own style: Low-context communication is often seen in Western, more individualistic cultures (i.e., U.S., Australia, some European countries) where communication is direct, to the point, and one doesn't have to guess the meaning or intention behind what is being said. Hall identifies high-context cultures as those in which harmony and the well-being of the group is preferred over individual achievement. 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 A simplified example mentioned by Hall is that scientists working in "hard science" fields (like chemistry and physics) tend to have lower-context cultures: because their knowledge and models have fewer variables, they will typically include less context for each event they describe. 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. Members of high-context cultures are relatively comfortable interacting with others because a close-knit community has been formed, such as that of a family or religious congregation. An error occurred trying to load this video. This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). London: Routledge. People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. [2] High-context cultures often exhibit less-direct verbal and nonverbal communication, utilizing small communication gestures and reading more meaning into these less-direct messages. [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. [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. Low context can describe situations, environments and cultures. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. Communication Research Reports. 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). High-Context and Low-Context Cultures: Understanding the Differences May 17, 2022 May 17, 2022 Reading Time: 5 minutes Read More High-Context and Low-Context Cultures: Understanding the Differences Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. 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. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many Western countries. Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. A number of unique characteristics exist to make a clear distinction between high-context vs. low-context cultures and methods of communication. The following are illustrative examples. Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. The answer is simple. Characteristics of Low Context People behave according to rules Preference is given to knowledge sharing and transfer Relationships do not last longer On purpose relationships People have many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. High-context cultures usually do not have rules that are explicitly written or stated. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. 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. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. Low-Context Culture Communication & Examples | What Is Low-Context Culture? Instead, they depend on the explicit code of the words and written rules to convey meaning. The verbal and nonverbal cues of low vs. high-context communication can be . 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. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. (The pedestrians example) Hofstede, G. (1984). High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. In S. Thompson (ed. High-context cultures rely heavily on non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. [33] This significance follows into many situations such as the workplace, which can be prone to diversified cultures and opportunities for collaboration and working together. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. The study tested 16 items, covering various aspects of the high-versus-low context concept, including social orientation, responsibility, confrontation, communication, commitment, and dealing with new situations. Masculine vs. Feminine Cultures: Distinctions & Communication Styles. Edward Hall is a famous theorist and anthropologist who has contributed a renowned theory of high- and low-context cultures to facilitate students, researchers . Meanwhile, in low-context cultures, more explicit speech is needed in order to allow the listener to fully understand the message. 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. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . 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. These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." (2012). classifications are discussed below. "Understanding cultural differences. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? - Definition & Assessment, Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder, Atypical Antipsychotics: Effects & Mechanism of Action, What Is a Mood Stabilizer? Oxford University Press. Conclusion The dynamics of relationships within High and Low context cultures are very different. Teachers can share their own experiences and examples with their students. 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. 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. Amount of Detail Expected - High-context cultures such as Japan, China, and France provide little details in their writing. [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. 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. Meyer defines low-context cultures as cultures where people communicate and receive messages at face value. These include specific forms of body language, the social or familial status of an individual, and the tone of voice employed during speech. A conclusion may be implied but not argued directly. A high-context culture is a culture in which the values, rules, and social norms are primarily communicated through the use of contextual elements (such as body language, a person's status, and tone of voice) and are not explicitly stated. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. You can find his work on The Print, Live Wire, and YouTube. 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. 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. 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. In contrast, low-context websites had lesser animation and images, focusing instead on the information. We will write a custom Report on Communication Culture: Hall's High and Low-Context Model of Culture specifically for you. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. [36], Individualistic cultures promote the development of individual values and independent social groups. In the United States, Native Americans and Hawaiian islanders are also considered high-context. Many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit because most members know what . 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. What is high and low context culture examples? 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. For example, Hall describes how Japanese culture has both low- and high-context situations. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. 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. In comparison, the United States is perhaps the best example of a diverse and low-context culture. The American sample scored the lowest compared to the two "Oriental samples," which aligns with Hall's concept. The use of an elaborated code indicates that speaker and listener do not share significant amounts of common knowledge, and hence they may need to "spell out" their ideas more fully: elaborated codes tend to be more context-independent. Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. High-context cultures: Much of the society's communication takes place through . How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? 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). But the fact that contexting has not been empirically validated should not necessarily be construed as a failure of the theory. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. What are the effects on the communication process? Order now. 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. France is a high-context culture. In contrast, a high-context language like Japanese or Chinese can use a high number of homophones but still be understood by a listener who knows the context. Cultural Perceptions of Communication in Organizations: Low Context and High Context. While in high context cultures, communication is done primarily through nonverbal mediums and gestures, in low context cultures, information is vested explicitly so that there is no risk of confusion. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. [25] There were 225 Mexican participants from three different undergraduate universities in Mexico City and 447 participants from Kent State University in the U.S.[25] The case study looked into culture shock experienced by Mexicans studying in the U.S. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. [6] How does her experience in Japan demonstrate what youve learned so far about the different dimensions of culture? Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. Low use of nonverbal elements. Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. Your email address will not be published.

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