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high and low context cultures examples
High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. What is high and low context culture examples? A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. London: Routledge. [2], Website design among cross-cultural barriers include factoring in decisions about culture-sensitive color meanings, layout preferences, animation and sounds. 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. In high-context cultures, there are often many opportunities for social and cultural context to explain speech, which reduces the need for words in all instances. High Context Culture And Its Importance "Understanding cultural differences. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. 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. We also make strong distinctions between those who are a part of our family and those who are not. Data was gathered in India, Ireland, Thailand, and the United States where the results confirm that "high-context nations (India and Thailand) prefer the avoiding and obliging conflict styles more than low-context nations (Ireland and the United States), whereas low-context nations prefer the uncompromising and dominating communication style more than high-context nations."[16]. Intercultural communication. High-context cultures promote the development of ingroups. High-context cultures rely heavily on non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? Interaction. Neuliup, J. W. (2011). These rules of communication are understood without being explicitly stated. In contrast, take a look at the ads on the front page of Weibo, which is considered China's version of Facebook. The Nine Competencies that Characterize an IEP, Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Obstacles, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, Additional Resources to Help you Format your Paper in APA Style. High context cultures include Japanese, Arabs and French. They tend to use more slangs, idioms and are generally high pace speakers. Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Cultures and communication in which the context of the message is of great importance to structuring actions are referred to as high context. The answer is simple. 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. In S. Thompson (ed. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. 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.) 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. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. Communication Research Reports. Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. The most prominent characteristics of high context culture is non-verbal communication, while for low context culture, it is obvious to have verbal and written communication. 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. Writing Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs, 38. This also means that low-context communication may fail due to the overload of information, which makes culture lose its screening[definition needed] function. [33] 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. 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. These experiences inclu. Yolanda has taught college Psychology and Ethics, and has a doctorate of philosophy in counselor education and supervision. Not only is the page itself busier . They also are AT-CTI certified. What is culture? People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. 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. Unlike low-context cultures, high-context cultures prioritize the group over the individual (Hofstede, 1984). A few predominantly high-context cultures include Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. Published: 2020/12/03. In a low-context culture, you would not expect to give or receive gifts . Low-context cultures tend to focus more on the individual than the group, which is why they value individualism and autonomy. (2014, December 10). In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. Once again we return to the differences between high-context and low-context cultures. The Self in a Social Context: Help and Review, Figure-Ground Perception: Definition & Examples, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, High Context vs. Low Context Characteristics, Introduction to Social Psychology: Help and Review, Research Methods and Ethics: Help and Review, Social Cognition & Perception: Help and Review, The Self: Executive and Organizational Functions & Gender and Cultural Differences, Introspection and Self-Awareness Theory in Psychology: Definition & Examples, Self-Perception Theory: Definition and Examples, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Education: Definition & Examples, Two-Factor Theory of Emotions: Definition and Relation to the Misattribution of Arousal, Social-Comparison Theory: Upward vs. [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. 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]. In low-context cultures, communication tends to be more direct and to the point. A low-context culture is a culture in which people communicate explicitly. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. In high-context cultures, language may be used to assist and maintain relationship-building and to focus on process. The author states that Japan is a high context culture because they have every decision based on their culture and France is both a high and low mixture finally low context example is America. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. What is low context cultural communication? What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? [1] In low context, communication members' communication must be more explicit, direct, and elaborate because individuals are not expected to have knowledge of each other's histories or background, and communication is not necessarily shaped by long-standing relationships between speakers. For example, a low-context communicator can say, "I am unhappy with this outcome and . The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. Examples of High Context Small religious gatherings, party with close friends, family functions, dining out with family or friends, and sleep over at friend's place, etc. 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. A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code.". [30] Many singular cultures that are large have subcultures inside of them, making communication and defining them more complicated than the low-context and high-context culture scale. - Uses & Side Effects, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, Japan, China, Korea, and many other countries in Asia, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and some other countries in South America, Tribal groups and most nations in Africa, such as Kenya, Iraq, Iran, and other countries located in the Middle East. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. This can be quite confusing to an outsider, especially someone from a low-context culture who is used to communicating via explicit messages. 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. 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. (1971). Hofstede, G. (1984). From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). Hall, E. T. (1976). Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. When individuals from high-context and low-context cultures collaborate, there are often difficulties that occur during the exchange of information. Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. Unlike the linear communication style preferred in low-context cultures, high-context communicators may use spiral logic, circling around a topic indirectly and looking at it from many tangential or divergent viewpoints. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. High-context cultures: Much of the society's communication takes place through . Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. 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. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. 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. This allows individuals of different generations to communicate through a shared set of values, which, in turn, provides stability to the culture. Culture and Interpersonal Communication. However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. Hall and Hall proposed a "spectrum" of national cultures from "High-Context cultures" to "Low-Context Cultures. For the processing of complex messages, the perspective of context theory is very relevant. 231 lessons. (2014, May 9). Settings and cultures where people come together from a wider diversity of backgrounds such as international airports, large cities, or multi-national firms, tend to use lower-context communication forms. [42] Low-context websites had less animation and more stagnant images, with more details on information. Want to create or adapt books like this? [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. The following chart will compare the main differences between high-context vs. low-context cultures and a discussion of example cultures will follow: While nations such as the United States have many low-context situations, it is important to recall that all societies experience high-context events as well. 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. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. Learn what high context culture is. 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. All rights reserved. Information has to be explicit and detailed for the message to be conveyed without distortion. Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Examples of high-context cultures include Asian, African, Latin American, and some European countries. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Ramos, D. C. (2014). The high and low context cultures in this concept refers to how important contextual cues are in interpreting a message. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. Their communication is often indirect and requires a nuanced understanding, so outsiders might find it more difficult to enter their culture. By contrast, a low-context culture is characterized by information being communicated primarily through spoken language, as well as rules being explicitly and directly stated. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. 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 communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. - Uses & Side Effects, What is Amitriptyline? Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. She found out that in high-context countries, the advertising campaigns used more colors, movements, and sounds to provide context. 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. "High context". Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. On the other hand, certain intercultural communication skills are unique for each culture and it is significant to note that these overlaps in communication techniques are represented subgroups within social interactions or family settings. So the poor cow's life depends on the country, where it was born: whether it is going to be worshipped or to end up on someone's . They are not simply complementary but are often used as the primary means of conveying a message and require the members to have greater cultural understanding. Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. Low use of nonverbal elements. They assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything. Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). ", "Communication: intercultural communication. One approach to gaining such an insight is through the use of the high and low context culture framework, which was established by anthropologist Edward T. Examples of low context cultures are countries such as China, Brazil or Saudi Arabia. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. ; it is the way we communicate, do business and see the world. 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. Cultures and languages are defined as higher or lower context on a spectrum. As a result of these years of interacting with one another, the members know what the rules are, how to think, and how to behave, so the rules do not have to be explicitly stated. Low context communication is more common in the English speaking world, whereas high context communication is more common in Eastern cultures such as Japan and China. [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. Meanwhile, in low-context cultures, more explicit speech is needed in order to allow the listener to fully understand the message. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. 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. It is important to note that no culture is completely high-context or low-context, since all societies contain at least some parts that are both high and low. Overall, this study provides further evidence to support the high versus low-context culture concepts with Chinese, Korean, and American participants. These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." [37] Because individualistic cultures may value cultural diversity, a more explicit way of communicating is often required to avoid misunderstanding. Order now. (The pedestrians example) The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. Having a firm grasp on what constitutes high- and low-context, particularly in a communication setting, will truly help you better understand each . In other words, the relationship between directness and contexting based on traditional classifications of [high-context] and [low-context] cultures is particularly tenuous. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. - Definition & Assessment, Bipolar vs. Borderline Personality Disorder, Atypical Antipsychotics: Effects & Mechanism of Action, What Is a Mood Stabilizer? Due to this shared understanding, high-context cultures are slightly more informal. [42] The images found on the websites used in the study promoted individualistic and collectivist characteristics within the low-context and high-context websites, respectively. Words: 825. Devon has tutored for almost two years. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. Intercultural Business Communication by Confederation College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet have many relationships. Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. Culture and Interpersonal Communication. They place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close-knit community. 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. A person's identity in a high context society tends to be based on one's roles and experiences within the group. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. For example, it could be argued that the Canadian French language is higher context than Canadian English, but lower context than Spanish or French French. [38] By contrast, low-context cultures tend to change more rapidly and drastically, allowing extension[definition needed] to happen at faster rates. Carolyn Meyer (2017)[4]discusses the prototypes for communication in low-context and high-context cultures: Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in Germany, Scandinavia, and North America) convey their meaning exclusive of the context of a situation. [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. [39][40] 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. 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. Examples of a low context communication cultures include The United States, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Germany. Body language, tone of voice, and personal status are a few notable characteristics that are valued in a high-context culture. Hofstede, G. (1984). What is a high-context culture and how does this communication culture differ from a low-context culture? [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. 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). [41] One study on McDonald's online advertising compared Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the United States, and found that in high-context countries, the advertising used more colors, movements, and sounds to give context, while in low-context cultures the advertising focused more on verbal information and linear processes. For example, Hall describes how Japanese culture has both low- and high-context situations. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. 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. Beyond Culture. Conclusions are explicitly stated. (2013)[2]explain the concept of cultural context: Cultural context is a concept developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall. For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. Trust must be developed before business transactions can begin. 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. They are considered less direct, and they put a lot of weight on gestures and body language to draw significance from messages. 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. - Effects & Types, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Definition, effects & Types, Trepanning: Tools, Specialties & Definition, What is Pseudoephedrine? It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. The results show significant differences between the American, Chinese, and Korean samples on 15 out of 16 items, with 11 items significant at the .01 level, one at the .05 level, and three at the .10 level. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. Negotiators basically say what they mean. 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. [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. ), Hall, E. T.; Hall, M. R. (1990). [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. Low-context cultures rely on explicit communication. [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. We'll also look at how they're different and what that means for your work in global business. Three samples were gathered from the US, China, and Korea, three different cultures. Examples of low- and high-context cultures are those based in the following culture clusters: High-context cultures The Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster The Middle East Cluster The Latin Europe Cluster The Eastern Europe Cluster The Latin America Cluster The Southern Asia Cluster The Confucian Asia Cluster Low-context cultures The Anglo Cluster 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. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . Relationships: The components of these cultures tend to value long-term relationships. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. succeed. Relationships are easy to build, can start very quickly but end just as soon. 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. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many Western countries. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. 1. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. Identify your style Before implementing effective communication practices across cultures, identify your own style: [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.
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