Cultural value orientations focused on communication were separated from the other cultural values we looked at in Module 3 because they are an essential component of cultural interactions. It’s almost impossible to communicate without at least some cultural content, whether it’s in the words that are spoken or written, in the way they are said, or in the associated nonverbal signs. Even if we could send a message completely void of cultural meaning, it would still pass through a receiver whose filters and cultural conditioning would interpret and add meaning to the message.
Researchers have investigated numerous differences in communication styles between and even within cultural groups. An important and highly studied area has been indirect and direct communication.
Edward T. Hall expanded on this by focusing on the interplay between culture, communication, and context. In addition to what we might describe as indirect and direct communication, he added low and high context to explain how messages are sent and received.
View of Communication: Direct and Indirect
Exercise
View of Communication: Low and High Context
Exercise
Indirect / High Context
- High-context cultures tend to be homogenous and collectivist.
- High-context communicators carry within them highly developed notions of how most interactions will unfold, and how they and the other person will behave during a specific interaction.
- There are assumptions on both sides regarding the innate understanding each person can be expected to bring to a particular communication situation.
- Certain situational factors (context) are meant to be interpreted by the communication partners rather than explicitly stated.
- People in specific high-context cultures already understand each other quite well, and as such have developed a more indirect style of communication.
- Indirect communicators do not necessarily rely on words to convey meaning — especially on the literal meaning of words.
- Nonverbal communication plays a key role in conveying messages.
- An important goal is to maintain harmony and ‘save face’ during any communication exchange (see Cultural Snapshot below).
Cultural Snapshot
The concept of ‘face’ is found in many Asian cultures, particularly in those with connections to Confucianism. It relates to an individual’s need for respect, acceptance, and harmony, and also the ways that an individual can show respect to others. It is important to maintain ‘face’ in any communication exchange; a breaking down of ‘face’ can have negative consequences for both social and business relationships.
- ‘lose face’ – be ashamed, humiliated, or embarrassed
- ‘save face’ – protect your own dignity
- ‘give face’ – publicly showing respect of appreciation to someone
- ‘tear apart the face’ – publicly humiliate or reprimand someone to the point where their ‘face’ cannot be healed
Direct / Low Context
- Low-context cultures tend to be more heterogeneous and individualistic and accordingly have developed a more direct communication style.
- Less can be assumed about the other person in a heterogeneous and individualistic society - there is generally less known about others in a culture where independence, and greater emotional distance from others is preferred.
- Direct communicators cannot depend merely on utilizing context, or doing or saying something that is always done or said in a particular situation.
- People must rely more on words, and on those words being interpreted literally.
- Getting or giving information is the goal of most communication exchanges.
In high-context cultures, such as those found in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, the physical context of the message carries a great deal of importance. People tend to be more indirect and to expect the person they are communicating with to decode the implicit part of their message. In high-context cultures, body language and the environment are as important and sometimes more important than the actual words spoken.
In low-context cultures such as the US, Canada, Australia and Northern European countries, people tend to be explicit and direct when communicating. Fulfilling individual needs is important. Low-context communication aspires to be efficient with word use, and phrases such as, “make it quick”, “tell me what you want”, and “be concise”, are commonly used in business to relay the need for clarity and concision.
Communication between people from high-context and low-context cultures can be confusing.
- Those from low-context cultures tend to listen only to the words spoken, and not pay much attention to contextual cues. They can get frustrated when speaking with high-context communicators - they want the other person to ‘get to the point’.
- High-context communicators may interpret explicit and direct communication as blunt or aggressive, and as such, perceive a level of interpersonal conflict.
Self-reflection:
Have you ever been confused by an interaction with someone from a different culture. How did high and low-context communication play a role in that interaction?
Cultural Snapshot
‘Ja’, ‘はい’, ‘si’, ‘oui’, 是的…all versions of the English word ‘yes’, but what does this seemingly simple confirmation really mean?
Depending on which cultural setting you’re in, it could mean several things. In Canada, Germany, or the Netherlands, it probably is what it is – a ‘yes’. In these lower-context cultures the word would carry the full meaning of the message.
In higher-context cultures such as Japan, Korea, or Kenya, yes can mean ‘perhaps’, ‘I’m confirming understanding’, or ‘unsure’, but it may not always mean a full agreement. The meaning is in the context, not the word itself.
End of Module Assignment: written submission
Throughout this module, we focused on the importance and uniqueness of communication. For this assignment you will find a short video clip of up to three minutes – a news program, talk show segment, movie trailer, etc.
- Provide background to the clip and why you’ve chosen it.
- View the video and watch for deeper level elements of communication. The following is a list of items you should look for:
- Symbols
- Negotiation (of meaning)
- Language that reflects the cultural experiences of the user(s)
- Body language
- Eye contact
- Distancing
- Touch
- Direct and/or indirect communication
- High and/or low context
- Once completed, go back, and write a short paragraph about each of the items you checked off (you should have at least five). In your write-up, you will describe what the item is, your interpretation of cultural meaning, and why you’ve interpreted it as such.
- When submitting your assignment, make sure to attach the link to the media you used.
End of Module Summary
- Culture is an important element in all behavior and in all interactions. It is symbolic, made up of several components, negotiated, dynamic, not always intentional, and focused on the receiver.
- Understanding how language is used in different contexts is essential to the accurate interpretation of meaning. Language connects strongly to local users’ experiences and the environment in which they interact.
- Nonverbal communication is important when trying to exchange meaning. Nonverbal cues can be given through body language, eye contact, the use of space, (personal) distance, territory, and touch.
- Direct communicators prefer concision and exact words to convey meaning, while indirect communicators rely more on implied meaning and the receiver’s ability to interpret that meaning.
- High-context communicators use subtlety, situational factors, and nonverbal communication when interacting, while low-context communicators prefer to use exact words, and very few nonverbal cues.
References and further reading on concepts in this module:
Check out the following links and references.
www.inc.com
- the concept of face
www.forbes.com
- nonverbal communication
www.communicationtheory.org
- haptics/touch
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu
- proxemics
www.countrynavigator.com
- high and low-context cultures
Martin J and Nakayama T (2022). Intercultural Communication in Contexts, 8th Edition, New York: McGraw Hill