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HIGH-CONTEXT AND LOW - CONTEXT CULTURE STYLES
Context is probably the most important cultural dimension—and the most difficult to define. Cultures vary dramatically as to how much of the total environment, or context, is meaningful in communication.
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theory of high- and low-context culture helps us better understand the powerful effect culture has on communication. A key factor in his theory is context. This relates to the framework, background, and surrounding circumstances in which communication or an event takes place.
High-context cultures (including much of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America) are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. This means that people in these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships. Developing trust is an important first step to any business transaction. These cultures prefer group harmony and consensus to individual achievement. And people in these cultures are less governed by reason than by intuition or feelings. Words are not so important as context, which might include the speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, posture—and even the person’s family history and status. A Japanese manager explained his culture’s communication style to an American: “We are a homogeneous people and don’t have to speak as much as you do here. When we say one word, we understand ten, but here you have to say ten to understand one.” High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical.
Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. Solving a problem means lining up the facts and evaluating one after another. Decisions are based on fact rather than intuition. Discussions end with actions. And communicators are expected to be straightforward, concise, and efficient in telling what action is expected. To be absolutely clear, they strive to use precise words and intend them to be taken literally. Explicit contracts conclude negotiations. This is very different from communicators in high-context cultures who depend less on language precision and legal documents. High-context business people may even distrust contracts and be offended by the lack of trust they suggest.
Task II. The list below shows the kind of behavior that is generally found in high and low context cultures within five categories: how people relate to each other, how they communicate with each other, how they treat space, how they treat time, and how they learn. One thing to remember is that few cultures, and the people in them, are totally at one end of the spectrum or the other. They usually fall somewhere in between and may have a combination of high and low context characteristics. Work in pairs. Study the information and identify the features typical of Belorussian culture.
| HIGH CONTEXT (HC) | LOW CONTEXT (LC) |
| Association · Relationships depend on trust, build up slowly, are stable. One distinguishes between people inside and people outside one's circle. · How things get done depends on relationships with people and attention to group process. · One's identity is rooted in groups (family, culture, work). · Social structure and authority are centralized; responsibility is at the top. Person at top works for the good of the group. | Association · Relationships begin and end quickly. Many people can be inside one's circle; circle's boundary is not clear. · Things get done by following procedures and paying attention to the goal. · One's identity is rooted in oneself and one's accomplishments. · Social structure is decentralized; responsibility goes further down (is not concentrated at the top). |
| Interaction · High use of nonverbal elements; voice tone, facial expression, gestures, and eye movement carry significant parts of conversation. · Verbal message is implicit; context (situation, people, nonverbal elements) is more important than words. · Verbal message is indirect; one talks around the point and embellishes it. · Communication is seen as an art form—a way of engaging someone. · Disagreement is personalized. One is sensitive to conflict expressed in another's nonverbal communication. Conflict either must be solved before work can progress or must be avoided because it is personally threatening. | Interaction · Low use of nonverbal elements. Message is carried more by words than by nonverbal means. · Verbal message is explicit. Context is less important than words. · Verbal message is direct; one spells things out exactly. · Communication is seen as a way of exchanging information, ideas, and opinions. · Disagreement is depersonalized. One withdraws from conflict with another and gets on with the task. Focus is on rational solutions, not personal ones. One can be explicit about another's bothersome behavior. |
| Territoriality · Space is communal; people stand close to each other, share the same space. | Territoriality · Space is compartmentalized and privately owned; privacy is important, so people are farther apart. |
| Temporality · Everything has its own time. Time is not easily scheduled; needs of people may interfere with keeping to a set time. What is important is that activity gets done. · Change is slow. Things are rooted in the past, slow to change, and stable. · Time is a process; it belongs to others and to nature. | Temporality · Things are scheduled to be done at particular times, one thing at a time. What is important is that activity is done efficiently. · Change is fast. One can make change and see immediate results. · Time is a commodity to be spent or saved. One’s time is one’s own. |
| Learning · Knowledge is embedded in the situation; things are connected, synthesized, and global. Multiple sources of information are used. Thinking is deductive, proceeds from general to specific. · Learning occurs by first observing others as they model or demonstrate and then practicing. · Groups are preferred for learning and problem solving. · Accuracy is valued. How well something is learned is important. | Learning · Reality is fragmented and compartmentalized. One source of information is used to develop knowledge. Thinking is inductive, proceeds from specific to general. Focus is on detail. · Learning occurs by following explicit directions and explanations of others. · An individual orientation is preferred for learning and problem solving. · Speed is valued. How efficiently something is learned is important. |
Task III. Work in pairs. Categorize the following characteristics into two groups: low-context and high-context. Don’t forget about the conversational formulas from File Useful Language.
Practicality, fate, tradition, past or present orientation, change, human equality, youth, group welfare, cooperation, competition, formality, elders, self-help, individualism, privacy, idealism, theory, harmony with nature,, being, doing, future orientation, hierarchy, time dominates, informality, mastery over nature, personal control over the Environment, directness, openness, indirectness, focus on relationships, rank, status, ritual, “face”.
| Low-Context (Individualistic) | High-Context (Collective) |
Task IV. Work in pairs or in small groups. Discuss the following questions. Be ready to present your ideas to the rest of the class. Don’t forget about the conversational formulas from File Useful Language.
1. What do you think are the most difficult aspects of the culture of your country for foreigners to understand?
2. What do you feel is important for other people to understand about your culture?
3. What do you find it difficult to understand about other people’s culture?
4. Are there expressions in your language or aspects of your culture that cannot be translated into English?
5. Read the following proverbs:
-- The nail that sticks up gets hammered down (Japan)
-- When spiders unite, they can halt a lion (Ethiopia)
-- The man who is a mirror in front of you is a dagger behind your back (Egypt)
-- You cannot pull a fish out of a pond without effort (Russia)
What do these proverbs say about people and cultures? What Belarusian proverbs can you offer to demonstrate characteristic features of Belarusian culture?
Task V. Work with a partner or in groups. Prepare some information for someone from a different culture who is coming to work in your country (company). Think about the things below and explain how aspects of your culture influence expected behavior. Present your recommendations to the rest of the class. Don’t forget to use the conversational formulas from File Useful Language.
- how people behave in offices, meetings, streets, cafes (dress code, office/working hours, etc.)
- relationships between different members of staff - shopping
- individual efforts and teamwork - public transport
- responsibility - company policy
- social events - sports
- eating (popular dishes, meal times) - entertainment, etc
Task VI. Study the following diagram and consider the most important strategies for effective cross-cultural communication. Explain your choice.
TEXT 6
Read the text and summarize it in 5-7 sentences.
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