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. Low-context cultures are less stable than high-context cultures as they are not founded upon any shared background. Most of the contexting categories simply have not been researched enough to make firm conclusions. Many low context cultures are individualist so people openly express their views, and tend to make important information obvious to others. Ramos, D. C. (2014). Remember that culture is dynamic, and that every individual within a culture is unique and may not conform exactly to the general characteristics of that culture. An understanding of external cultures also leads to a better acceptance of diversity, a reduction in confusion and anxiety from misinterpreted communications, and a more effective means of intercultural collaboration. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. . 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). Establishing relationships is an important part of communicating and interacting. A first step in achieving this goal is to identify one's own culture before delving into the rigors of another. 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 . 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. succeed. The terms "high context culture" and "low context culture" are used to define how people in various cultures communicate messages to each other. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Guffey, D. Lowey, K. Rhodes, K., & P. Rogin. Order now. They assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything. High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. Sourabh Yadav (MA) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), Bureaucratization (Sociology): Definition, Features, Origins, Stereotype Content Model: Examples and Definition. In addition, Hall identified countries such as Japan, Arabic countries and some Latin American Countries to practice high-context culture; "High context communication carries most of its information within physical acts and features such as avoiding eye contact or even the shrug of a shoulder. Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. 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. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? But the fact that contexting has not been empirically validated should not necessarily be construed as a failure of the theory. 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. Having a firm grasp on what constitutes high- and low-context, particularly in a communication setting, will truly help you better understand each . 9. 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. Sage Publications. 3. Meanwhile, in a high-context culture, nonverbal cues and unspoken background . [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. 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. On one side of the dimension, we have high context cultures, which depend on greater context when communicating. 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. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. Intercultural Business Communication by Confederation College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. - Definition & Assessment, Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder, Atypical Antipsychotics: Effects & Mechanism of Action, What Is a Mood Stabilizer? You can find his work on The Print, Live Wire, and YouTube. In these cultures, people may rely on body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to convey meaning, and may not always say exactly what they mean directly. (The pedestrians example) Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. Because directness may be thought of as disrespectful, discussions in high-context cultures can be circuitous, circling key issues rather than addressing them head-on. There are smaller communities and specific settings within national/linguistic cultures, and they may exhibit different communication patterns. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. The following high-context culture examples are a few global cultures where these rules, as well as other characteristics of high-context cultures, apply predominantly: For additional context, a few examples of low-context cultures beyond the United States include Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark. 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. Verbal message is explicit. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. This makes high-context cultures difficult to navigate for those who do not understand the culture's unwritten rules. 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. High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. ), Hall, E. T.; Hall, M. R. (1990). Low context cultures rely on the spoken word to communicate. The USA and Australia are typically low-context, highly individualistic cultures, where transparency and competition in business are prized. Answer (1 of 2): Examples of high context countries include: Japan, China, and the Arab countries. [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. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. High-context cultures are collectivist cultures. Low-context cultures also want these communications to revolve around basic questions, like: What's happening? Want to create or adapt books like this? https://helpfulprofessor.com/low-context-culture-examples/. [25] Pleasure, affection and inclusion were the highest motives for communication in both cultures, and control was the lowest for both cultures. Routledge. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. 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. [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. Trust High context cultures and situations may extend significant trust to members. 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. This is in contrast to lower-context cultures in which the shared experiences upon which communication is built can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children, as in the United States.[18].
Josh Martin Barney,
Mitzen Family Foundation,
Belly Dance Classes Near Me With Fees,
Articles H