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. In these cultures people pay more attention to behaviors and . Russia is a high context country with a culture that revolves around collectivism and interdependence on group relationships. Of course, Probably the best example is a person The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. High context communication:- High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? The table shows the major differences and similarities between individual queries. People within high-context cultures tend to be more aware and observant of facial expressions, body language, changes in tone, and other aspects of communication that are not directly spoken. 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. This also applies to most African countries. [31], Between each type of culture context, there will be forms of miscommunication because of the difference in gestures, social cues, and intercultural adjustments; however, it is important to recognize these differences and learn how to avoid miscommunication to benefit certain situations. This sort of blunt [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. 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. The table shows the major differences and similarities between individual queries. They tend to be What is unique about . Is Russia a low context culture? In a 2008 meta-analysis of 224 articles published between 1990 and 2006, Peter W. Cardon wrote: [T]he theory was never described by Hall with any empirical rigor, and no known research involving any instrument or measure of contexting validates it. Cultural contexts are not absolutely "high" or "low". Train and bus is the most used way of getting around in [6] On the other hand, he identified countries such as Germany, the United States and Scandinavia as low-context cultures. Is Germany a tight or loose culture? [2], Website design among cross-cultural barriers include factoring in decisions about culture-sensitive color meanings, layout preferences, animation and sounds. [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. High-context cultures are related to connotation. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Perhaps the most well-known cultural continuum is Hall's (1976) discussion of high-context and low-context cultures. According to Hall's theory, Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents lower context. High-context & Low-context. What conclusion can you draw about Doris Lessing after reading Through the Tunnel? Is America high or low context? Spain has a high context culture because any verbal interaction occurs through the lens of who said it, where they come from, how they're saying it, and the emotions and motives behind the words. Russians employ a communication style that relies on environmental, non-verbal, traditional, and symbolic cues when communicating. Language may be used to achieve goals or exchange information. At the risk of still greater over-simplification, the image above . Individualism may lead to communicating to all people in a group in the same way, rather than offering hierarchical respect to certain members. People in high-context cultures tend to have an implicit or indirect style of communication. Two Types of Reflective Writing Assignments, Additional Resources for Improving Writing, Consistency in comparatives and listed elements: Parallelism, Hofstede Insights country comparison tool, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oYfhTC9lIQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvqDv4vbEg, https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/42958_2_The_Cultural_Context.pdf, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Tend to prefer indirect verbal interaction, Tend to understand meaning at one level only, Tend to understand meanings embedded at many sociocultural levels, Are generally less proficient in reading nonverbal cues, Are generally more proficient in reading nonverbal cues, Communication in highly structured messages, provide details, stress literal meaning, Communication is simple, sometimes ambiguous, messages; understand visual messages readily, Define cultural context (Guffey et al., 2013, p. 64), Contrast communicate styles for low-context and high-context cultures (Meyer, 2017, p. 59), Explain how cultural differences can affect workplace communication (Meyer, 2014). The results found that U.S. participants used communication for pleasure more often than Mexican participants. These rules of communication are understood without being explicitly stated. By contrast, low-context cultures tend to change more rapidly and drastically, allowing extension[definition needed] to happen at faster rates. (I would say that, if placed on a continuum, Russia is at a Neuliup, J. W. (2011). [25] Pleasure, affection and inclusion were the highest motives for communication in both cultures, and control was the lowest for both cultures. Mexico and the U.S. [19] This has been expanded to further countries by Sheposh & Shaista. In contrast, the use of restricted codes indicates that speakers and listeners do share a great deal of common background and perspectives, and hence much more can be taken for granted, and thus expressed implicitly or through nuance: restricted codes tend to be more context-dependent. They place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close-knit community. Brazil, along with other Latin American countries, has a high context culture with collectivist societies. Russia is considered a high-context culture (Hall, 1976), where face-to-face communication and the closeness of human relationships are emphasized . Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. 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. [5]: 422–3. 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. The influence of high/low-context culture and power distance on choice of communication media: Students' media choice to communicate with professors in Japan and America. Pleasure, affection and inclusion were the highest motives for communication in both cultures, and control was the lowest for both cultures. [37] Because individualistic cultures may value cultural diversity, a more explicit way of communicating is often required to avoid misunderstanding. In high-context cultures, language may be used to assist and maintain relationship-building and to focus on process. Culture also affects how individuals interpret other people's facial expressions. Each of them covers different aspects of the high-versus low-context concept including "social orientation, responsibility, confrontation, communication, commitment, and dealing with new situations". Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. ", 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", Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, Social (pragmatic) communication disorder, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High-context_and_low-context_cultures&oldid=1131789119, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2019, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from June 2021, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from February 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 19:38. [22], This study, done by Kim Dunghoon, was to test the major aspects the high versus low-context culture concepts. 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. Italian culture has a collectivist view that emphasizes emotions, family, and group relationships. Hall views meaning and context as "inextricably bound up with each other" (1982, p. 18). are high-context in general but be aware that they can sometimes Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions if the intent is not clear or the message sounds confusing. While Brazilians are very friendly with foreigners, they'll typically not include them in their inner circle because they won't understand the conversational nuances. Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. High-context defines cultures that are usually relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. 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. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. "The results show that American, Chinese, and Korean samples were significantly different on 15 of the 16 items. [20][21], Cultural context can also shift and evolve. A 2008 meta-analysis concluded that the model was "unsubstantiated and underdeveloped". based on what For instance, it's important to know which side to start with when kissing on the cheek. [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. This implies that communication is quite direct and detailed because members of the culture are not expected to have knowledge of each other's histories, past experience or background. In terms of communication, Russia is considered a high-context culture ( Hall, 1976 ), where face-to-face communication and the closeness of human relationships are emphasized. The tools are used to establish context by adding additional information as personal and social cues are not as presentable as they are in face-to-face negotiations. The tools we will examine here relate to communication and ways of seeing the self in relation to others. : 422–3. Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. Working among Russian colleagues is an. This also means that low-context communication may fail due to the overload of information, which makes culture lose its screening[definition needed] function. This country, full of contradictory images, can bring the best and, unfortunately, the worst. According to Hall's theory, Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents lower context. 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 communication type is the opposite of low context culture — it's expected to be less direct, vague and implicit. Individualistic cultures promote the development of individual values and independent social groups. High-context cultures are related to connotation. High-context cultures are collectivist, magnitude interpersonal relationships, and feature individuals that form stable, near relationships. Like with most high context countries, the people in France communicate formally and diplomatically. ), Hall, E. T.; Hall, M. R. (1990). Moreover, the rejection of ERL may be underpinned, also in part, by some deep cultural characteristics of Russian learners explicated in terms of Hall's high/low context cultures theory [26 . This is supported by the Japanese culture of Ba no Kuuki wa Yomu (shortened to Kuki O Yomu), which means reading the air. Want to create or adapt books like this? Low-context communicators don’t need to be provided with much background information, but they do expect messages to be professional, efficient, and linear in their logic. What is low context culture and high context culture? 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. saying, "I need to...", Russians say the equivalent of "it is [5], These concepts were first introduced by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1959 book The Silent Language. As such, what is said is what is meant, and further analysis of the message is usually unnecessary. But the fact that contexting has not been empirically validated should not necessarily be construed as a failure of the theory. Learn more. The country's northerly latitude ensures that these are cold continental regimes—only southwestern . However, the concept may also apply to corporations, professions and other cultural groups, as well as to settings such as online and offline communication. They are: High-context and low-context communication, and. It is still a high context culture and you are just (alas), ignorant. though it is generally high-context, you will often encounter very Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. 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. 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. Updated: 03/01/2022 Table of Contents Most Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, are very high context countries. Low-context cultures are cultures in which directness and individual expression make the most sense. A low-context culture relies on explicit communication. 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. People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. 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. Russia is the world's largest energy exporter which should mean that its economy is strong and that its people prosper. Is Iran high context culture or low context culture? [30] The diversity within a main culture shows how the high and low scale differs depending on social settings such as school, work, home, and in other countries; variation is what allows the scale to fluctuate even if a large culture is categorized as primarily one or the other. This page was last updated at 2023-01-25 16:51 UTC. In these high context cultures, they're usually defined as a collective society. High-context cultures are people that talk in ways that are implicit and be counted seriously on context. to manipulate his or her surrounding environment. In high-context cultures, facial expressions and gestures take on greater importance in conveying and understanding a message, and the receiver may require more cultural context to understand "basic" displays of emotions. 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. Hall.,We globally found more examples of high context than low context, but also of "hybrid . Which countries are high and low context? Groups that are able to rely on a common background may not need to use words as explicitly to understand each other. People within high-context cultures tend to be more aware and observant of facial expressions, body language, changes in tone, and other aspects of communication that are not directly spoken. One is not better than the other. Saving face is an important concept in Chinese society as it allows one to retain honor. Before talking about Argentinian business communication style it is important to say that although Spanish is the language of Argentina, many Argentines speak good English, having been educated internationally. Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. 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. 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. "High context". Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. They place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close-knit community. [24] The table shows the major differences and similarities between individual queries. Meyer defines low-context cultures as cultures where people communicate and receive messages at face value. 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. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication . [4] The model of high-context and low-context cultures offers a popular framework in intercultural-communication studies, but has been criticized as lacking empirical validation. Working with people from low context culture . 11. [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. Communicating: explicit vs. implicit Dutch people are among the most explicit or low-context culture (low-context meaning their conversation assumes relatively little intuitive understanding). This article reports a meta-analysis of 224 articles in business and technical communication journals between 1990 and 2006 and addresses two primary issues: (a) the degree to which contexting is embedded in intercultural communication theory and (b) the degree to which the contexting model has been empirically validated. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. However, this type of segregation is not rigid, but takes the form of a gradient since the contextual . Cultural contexts are not absolutely "high" or "low". High-context culture and low-context culture are extremes in a continuum of how explicit or implicit communication is in a culture. Low-context websites had less animation and more stagnant images, with more details on information. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. conveys movement towards a thing or person. 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. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. Thai people do not always reveal their thought and emotion. A low-context culture is described as open, rule-oriented, individualized, detail-oriented in communication, problem-oriented, proactive and productive. These rules of communication are understood without being explicitly stated. Writing the Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs, 39. England, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, Russia etc. Westerners can find Japanese to be secretive, devious and bafflingly unforthcoming . [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. Low context is a communication environment that doesn't heavily rely on common understanding such as shared culture, experiences and norms. If you are from a high context culture and working with someone from a low context culture, focus on the content of the message without looking for hidden meaning. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school. The categories of context cultures are not totally separate. 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.
Pia Sarpei,