The cultural context. [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. The composite score also indicates a significant difference among the three samples at the .01 level. Generally, high-context cultures prefer oral communications, while low-context cultures favor written communications. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? Beyond Culture. Oxford University Press. 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. Not only is the page itself busier . What are the effects on the communication process? Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? France is a high-context culture. China, Japan, Turkey, and Mexico are some countries that lean towards high-context. Guffey, M. E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). The hypotheses tested indicated the high-context culture in Mexico would provide different motives for communication when compared with the low-context culture of the U.S. It further attempts to draw parallels between face-to-face communication and communication on the web by looking at communication rules and patterns in high-context cultures and comparing and contrasting them to the . 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 Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. [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. Conflict Styles and HighLow Context Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Extension. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. In high-context cultures, language may be used to assist and maintain relationship-building and to focus on process. According to Watson, "the influence of cultural variables interplays with other key factors for example, social identities, those of age, gender, social class and ethnicity; this may include a stronger or weaker influence. 3. When it comes to emails, texts, and online messaging, low-context cultures use it to fire off quick, frequent messages. They tend to use more slangs, idioms and are generally high pace speakers. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. 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). People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. You can find his work on The Print, Live Wire, and YouTube. Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. Low-context cultures can seem slightly more formal due to the explicit & precise nature of their messages. 3. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall first discussed high-context culture in his 1976 book titled Beyond 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 . The high and low context cultures in this concept refers to how important contextual cues are in interpreting a message. In high-context cultures, communication cues are transmitted by posture, voice inflection, gestures, and facial expression. Interaction. (The pedestrians example) Order now. 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). For example, families typically engage in high context communication whereby they can communicate much with subtleties such as a glace. Identify your style Before implementing effective communication practices across cultures, identify your own style: 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. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. [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. A 2008 meta-analysis concluded that the model was "unsubstantiated and underdeveloped".[5]. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). High Context Culture And Its Importance 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. Trust High context cultures and situations may extend significant trust to members. 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. Information has to be explicit and detailed for the message to be conveyed without distortion. In the 1970's, anthropologist Edward T. Hall coined the phrases "high-context culture" and "low- context culture.". Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. Meanwhile, in low-context cultures, more explicit speech is needed in order to allow the listener to fully understand the message. This makes high-context cultures difficult to navigate for those who do not understand the culture's unwritten rules. This allows individuals of different generations to communicate through a shared set of values, which, in turn, provides stability to the culture. High-context cultures promote the development of ingroups. Sage Publications. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. A 2005 study by Elizabeth Wurtz demonstrates how cultural differences shape marketing and advertising. It describes the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a given culture, indicating the range of communicative abilities (verbal messages, gestures, etc.) A high-context culture is a culture or society that communicates dominantly through the use of contextual elements, such as specific forms of body language, the status of an individual, and the tone of voice employed during speech. 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. Conclusions are explicitly stated. succeed. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. Low context cultures rely on the spoken word to communicate. Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. Create your account. 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. What is culture? They are considered less direct, and they put a lot of weight on gestures and body language to draw significance from messages. 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 conclusion may be implied but not argued directly. Overall, this study provides further evidence to support the high versus low-context culture concepts with Chinese, Korean, and American participants. When individuals from high-context and low-context cultures collaborate, there are often difficulties that occur during the exchange of information. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote. Create your account, 10 chapters | Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. Examples of high-context cultures include China, India, and many non-Western societies. Low context implies that a lot of information is exchanged explicitly through the message itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden.People in low context cultures such as the UK tend to have short-term relationships, follow rules and standards closely and are generally very task-oriented. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. In contrast, low-context websites had lesser animation and images, focusing instead on the information. 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. The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . Context is less important than words. "Understanding cultural differences. All rights reserved. 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. I feel like its a lifeline. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. High-context cultures also value group harmony above individual achievement.