high and low context cultures examples

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 . A number of unique characteristics exist to make a clear distinction between high-context vs. low-context cultures and methods of communication. These rules of communication are understood without being explicitly stated. Bernstein, B. High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. [30], Punctuation marks and emojis are more often used by high-context users than low-context users. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. 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. Sage Publications. High Context Culture And Its Importance High-context and low-context cultures | Detailed Pedia All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. [14] Groups that are able to rely on a common background may not need to use words as explicitly to understand each other. Create your account, 10 chapters | 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. Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in North America, Scandinavia, and Germany) depend little on the context of a situation to convey their meaning. Monochronic vs. Polychronic Communication Styles | What Are Chronemics? Because of this, communication can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children. 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. [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. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. 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. If you want to appear polite, you need to be willing to greet strangers and thank . Resistance in Turkey and India Between World Wars, The Role of Culture & Gender in Listening, The Role of Perception & Bias in Intercultural Communication, Introduction to Educational Psychology: Certificate Program, Educational Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Research Methods in Psychology: Help and Review, Introduction to Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Abnormal Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Social Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Introduction to Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Educational Psychology: Homework Help Resource, UExcel Research Methods in Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Research Methods in Psychology: Certificate Program, Research Methods in Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Create an account to start this course today. 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). Example Of Theory Of High- And Low-Context Cultures Research Paper High-context cu. 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. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. China A High Context Culture? [Know All The Facts] - TruthFacts A person's identity in a high context society tends to be based on one's roles and experiences within the group. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. In a high-context culture, emphasis is placed on interpersonal relationships rather than personal achievement. Your message needs to be clear and precise. For example, the body language and methods of communication experienced by a group of close friends in a casual setting differs greatly from a group of peers presenting at a professional business meeting. Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. When it comes to emails, texts, and online messaging, low-context cultures use it to fire off quick, frequent messages. [37] Because individualistic cultures may value cultural diversity, a more explicit way of communicating is often required to avoid misunderstanding. All rights reserved. People have many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. High Context vs. Low Context. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. The general terms "high context" and "low context" (popularized by Edward Hall) are used to describe broad-brush cultural differences between societies. Due to this shared understanding, high-context cultures are slightly more informal. With this regard, America culture is a low-context . Hall identifies high-context cultures as those in which harmony and the well-being of the group is preferred over individual achievement. classifications are discussed below. In. 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. Free Essay: High and Low Context Cultures, Hofstede's cultural Ramos, D. C. (2014). High and Low Context Cultures - Intercultural Communication Pages: 3. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. The theory of High and Low Context Cultures puts how people communicate in a dimension. For example, while the United States is a low-context culture, family gatherings (which are common in American culture) tend to be high-context. Wurtz studied McDonalds online advertising in various countries such as Japan, Germany, the United States, etc. 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. Low Context Culture: Examples, Definition & Countries (2012). High-context cultures are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. ; it is the way we communicate, do business and see the world. 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, Meyer, C. (2017). High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. Cultural communications are highly important to understand for a number of reasons and the concept of high-context vs. low-context culture was first elaborated by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1976. 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). Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. Both often take many aspects of the other's cultural communication abilities and strengths into account. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. [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. High-context cultures include close-knit groups of people, while low-context cultures are generally more diverse. Family gatherings and interactions with people from high-context cultures are two examples of scenarios in which Americans participate in high-context communications, largely because they are with close-knit groups of people who share similar values, rules, and norms. [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. For example, resemblance is a significant trait in cultures with a high level of context. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. Generally, high-context cultures prefer oral communications, while low-context cultures favor written communications. From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. [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. High-context cultures also value group harmony above individual achievement. [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. High-Context and Low-Context Cultures - OUP Academic succeed. Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. High Context vs. Low Context Cultures - Mexico Business Associates Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. This also means that low-context communication may fail due to the overload of information, which makes culture lose its screening[definition needed] function. Getting the message across. 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 (Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau, 2014). High Context Marketing & Low Context Marketing on the Internet This makes high-context cultures difficult to navigate for those who do not understand the culture's unwritten rules. What are the effects on the communication process? France is a high-context culture. Websites catering to high-context audiences had a lot of animation & images. Low-context and high context cultures. How to deal with them in business. High-context cultures promote the development of ingroups. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. By comparison, low-context cultures refer to cultures whereby most communications take place through verbal language and rules are directly written out or stated for all to view. The aim of this report is to evaluate the concept of different communication cultures through the application of Hall's high and low-context model of culture. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. A first step in achieving this goal is to identify one's own culture before delving into the rigors of another. Yolanda has taught college Psychology and Ethics, and has a doctorate of philosophy in counselor education and supervision. 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. 18 Examples of Low Culture. 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. Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. High context culture is common wherever there is a relationship between people. Since understanding every culture has its level of complexity, it is hard for other country people to determine what is the state of culture of the country they visit as a traveller. 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. High and low context cultures relationships in each - SlideShare Sage Publications. China, Japan, Turkey, and Mexico are some countries that lean towards high-context. Cultures and communication in which the context of the message is of great importance to structuring actions are referred to as high context. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. [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. 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. 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. In a low-context culture, the onus for communication lies with the speaker. Published: 2020/12/03. For example, if you have ever been to a family gathering, then you have experience with a high-context culture. Communicating in High Context vs. Low Context Cultures What is High Context Culture - Culture Matters Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. High- and Low-Context Cultures and Responsibility for Miscommunication Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. 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. [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. 8 Examples of Low Context - Simplicable Context 1. . Some common characteristics of high-context cultures include: Though the United States has a low-context culture, we have all been placed in situations that are considered high-context. Hall, E. T. (1976). 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). High-context communications typically take place in a collectivist setting, or within a large group of people who share similar goals, values, or norms (ingroups). 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. (PDF) COMMUNICATING IN HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES COMMUNICATING IN HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES March 2016 Affiliation: Arizona State University State: In Progress Authors: Jay Klagge. Examples of low context cultures include: Scandinavia; Germany, and the US. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. [34], Restricted codes are commonly used in high-context culture groups, where group members share the same cultural background and can easily understand the implicit meanings "between the lines" without further elaboration. They often use written contracts and agreements to clarify expectations (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1988). Create your account. How Low & High-Context Cultures Influence Communication 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. Hofstede, G. (1984). Members of ingroups usually share many characteristics and experiences. For the processing of complex messages, the perspective of context theory is very relevant. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). Conflict Styles and HighLow Context Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Extension. 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. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. Teachers can illustrate the differences between high- and low- context cultures by providing examples of behaviors. 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 rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. High Context Culture: What Does It Mean and How to Adapt High and Low Culture Report.docx - High and Low Culture 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 According to Hall's theory, Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents lower context. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. The American legal system, for example, relies on low context communication. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. https://helpfulprofessor.com/low-context-culture-examples/. A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code.". Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. [2] Collectivist societies prioritize the group over the individual, and vice versa for individualist ones. References Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). [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. The American sample scored the lowest compared to the two "Oriental samples," which aligns with Hall's concept. 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. High-context and low-context cultures Intercultural Business Communication: High Context vs. Low - HubPages Getting Ready For Work In Chronological Order, Articles H