Differences between High Context and Low Context Societies

Differences between High Context and Low Context Societies

Context is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as either being “the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning” or “the situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens” (Merriam-Webster). These definitions refer to the way a word or phrase is said or to the place in which an action or group of actions occur which help define something and give it meaning to others. Edward T. Hall in his book Beyond Culture then used these definitions to formulate a theory for developing a basis upon which others could use to describe different cultures and features of those within (Hall, 1976). High context cultures are those in which the population tends to use many subtle actions and the environment to convey messages to others whilst low context cultures depend mainly on written and verbal communication that is explicitly stated. Much of the meaning is thought to be associated with the relationships that the people have who are in contact with one another. The stronger the bond, the easier it is to develop a relationship where context can be used to relate ideas, thoughts or meanings without a word being said. Take for example when friends talk to each other. Not everything has to be explicitly stated because prior experiences between the two or more allows for subtleness to be used. In comparison, when two strangers are discussing an issue they are a lot more prone to use explicit ways in which they can both convey and understand each other. Imagine this example on a large scale. Here we have the development of high and low context cultures. This idea is especially apparent when...

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...lectivist culture can also influence the decision making process of the parties involved. Once a mutual understanding is achieved between parties and a respect for both cultures initiated, trade can occur.

Works Cited

Adair, Wendi L., Tetsushi Okumura, and Jeanne M. Brett. "Negotiation Behavior When Cultures Collide: The United States and Japan." Journal of Applied Psychology 86.3 (2001): 371-85. Print.

"Context." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014

DeVito, Joseph A. The Interpersonal Communication Book. New York: Pearson Education, 2007. Print.

Hall, Edward T. Beyond Culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor, 1976. Print.

Ting-Toomey, Stella. 1985. “Toward a Theory of Conflict and Culture. “ In Communication, Culture, and Organizational Processes, eds. William B. Gudykunst, Leah B. Stewart, and Stella Ting-Toomey. pp. 71-86. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.