difference-between-low-context-and-high-context-cu

Differencebetweenlow-contextcultureandhigh-contextcultureRecently,Iamworkingonthedifferencesbetweenlow-contextcultureandhigh-contextculture.ItisamazingwhileIamlearningthis.Literally,low-contextculturestandsforthoseculturesthatusedirectspeechtoexpresstheiropinions.Onthecontrary,high-contextculturehidealotofthingsbehindtheirspeech,youhavetothinkmore.Thehigh-contextcountrieshaveChina,Japan,Korea,AmericanIndian,andmostLatinAmericancultures,SouthernandeasternMediterraneanCulturessuchasGreece,TurkeyandArabstates.Thelow-contextcountrieshaveSwitzerland,German,NorthernAmerica,includingtheU.S.Nordicstates.1.Thedifferenceaboutconcept:Thehigh-contextculture:cultureinwhichlesshastobesaidorwrittenbecausemoreofthemeaningisinthephysicalenvironmentoralreadysharedbypeopleislabeledhigh-contextculture.Thelow-contextculture:culturesinwhichlittleofthemeaningisdeterminedbythecontextbecausethemessageisencodedintheexplicitcodearelabeledlow-contextculture.2.Thedifferenceinconnotationanddenotation:Inthehigh-contextculturecountries,peopletendtobeconnotative,consideringmoreaboutothers'opinion,emotionorneedaccordingtonotonlythewordsbutalsothenon-verbalcodesuchasexpressions,actionsandenvironment.Sotheyoftenthinkfirstbeforespeak.Whilepeopleinthecountriesoflow-contextculture,tendtospeakouttheiropiniondirectlybecauseoftheirstraightwayofthinking.Forexample,ifyoucookedameal,andyouaskedaDutchperson,howwasit?Hesaid:“yes,Ilikeit.”Thatmeanshereallylikedit.Butonceyouhadthisanswerfromapersonfromhigh-contextculture,suchasChina,youhavetothink:“Doeshereallylikemymeal?Orjustdon’twantmetoloseface.”Suchandsuch….”3.Thedifferenceinreaction:Thehigh-contextculturalpeopledon'tliketohaveconflictswithothers.Theytendtokeeptheiremotionsinsideorjustremainsilencetoavoidtrouble.However,thelow-contextculturalpeoplehavegenerallygottheconceptthatanyonecanprotecthisrights.Mostofthetimetheywouldnotmindoffendingotherstogettheirrightsofsomething.4.Thedifferenceaboutinterpersonalrelationship:Peopleinhigh-contextcultureusuallyhaveacleardemarcationlinebetweentwodifferentgroups.Theyactpolitelyorevenurbanelytotheonesfromanothergroup,butmuchmorecasuallyandsincerelytotheonesinthesame.Andtotheveryclosefriends,theygotmoreintimateattitude.Whentheyareworriedaboutsomeone,theywouldimmediately,orintheshortesttime,makesurethatheorsheisOK,andthisshowstheircaringforfriends.Theywouldbegladtosharewhattheyhaveknownoreventheirbigsecrets.Inthelow-contextculture,peopleusuallygetaquiteflexiblerelationshipwiththeonesfromdifferentgroups,forthey'vegotaconceptthateveryoneisequalandeveryoneisthesamenomatterwhoyouare,eventhefamilymembers.However,theyhardlygetsuchanintimatefriendlikeapersonfromhigh-contextculture,becausetheyarequiteseriousabouttheirprivacy.Ifonecarestoomuch,itwoulddonohelpormightcauseunpleasantness.5.Thedifferenceabouttheconceptoftime:Peoplehavegotapolychromictimesysteminhigh-contextculture.Theytreattimeasaconstitutionofpoints.Soduringaperiodoftime,theyusuallydoseveralthingsinthesametime.It'stheresultthattheythinkisimportant,butnottheprocess.Aslongastheresultissatisfactory,whetheryouareconcentratedornotintheprocessisnottakeninconsideration.Whenitcomestothelow-contextculture,thingsrunacompletelyadverseway.Monochromictimesystemcontrolsthemaincurrentattitude.Peopletreattimeasastraightline.Onecanconcentrateonlyononethingduringaperiodoftime.Theymakedetailedschedulesforwhattheyaregoingtodo,andtheyareusuallyexquisiteaboutefficiency.6.Thedifferenceaboutstyle:High-contextcultures(includingmuchoftheMiddleEast,Asia,Africa,andSouthAmerica)arerelational,collectivist,intuitive,andcontemplative.Thismeansthatpeopleintheseculturesemphasizeinterpersonalrelationships.Developingtrustisanimportantfirststeptoanybusinesstransaction.AccordingtoHall,theseculturesarecollectivist,preferringgroupharmonyandconsensustoindividualachievement.Andpeopleintheseculturesarelessgovernedbyreasonthanbyintuitionorfeelings.Wordsarenotsoimportantascontext,whichmightincludethespeaker’stoneofvoice,facialexpression,gestures,posture—andeventheperson’sfamilyhistoryandstatus.AJapanesemanagerexplainedhisculture’scommunicationstyletoanAmerican:“Weareahomogeneouspeopleanddon’thavetospeakasmuchasyoudohere.Whenwesayoneword,weunderstandten,buthereyouhavetosaytentounderstandone.”High-contextcommunicationtendstobemoreindirectandmoreformal.Flowerylanguage,humility,andelaborateapologiesaretypical.Low-contextcultures(includingNorthAmericaandmuchofWesternEurope)arelogical,linear,individualistic,andaction-oriented.Peoplefromlow-contextculturesvaluelogic,facts,anddirectness.Solvingaproblemmeansliningupthefactsandevaluatingoneafteranother.Decisionsarebasedonfactratherthanintuition.Discussionsendwithactions.Andcommunicatorsareexpectedtobestraightforward,concise,andefficientintellingwhatactionisexpected.Tobeabsolutelyclear,theystrivetouseprecisewordsandintendthemtobetakenliterally.Explicitcontractsconcludenegotiations.Thisisverydifferentfromcommunicatorsinhigh-contextcultureswhodependlessonlanguageprecisionandlegaldocuments.High-contextbusinesspeoplem