High and low context cultures differ in how relationships form and are maintained. In high context cultures, relationships develop slowly through building trust over long periods of time within close-knit social groups. Communication is implicit and understanding depends on cultural context. Low context cultures value independence and compartmentalization, so relationships can form quickly but also end quickly as people have many acquaintances rather than intimate friends. Formality and hierarchy in relationships differ, with high context cultures using honorifics to show authority and status between individuals.

1. High and Low Context Cultures
Krystal Kelly
And relationships in each.

2. The Question
• How do relationships differ between high and
low context cultures?
• How do relationships in each start?
• What are the overall differences between high
and low context dealing with the concept of
relationships?

3. What does High and Low context
Culture mean?
• Saying a culture is High Context or low Context
is a way to describe the communication
patterns within the culture.

4. What is High Context Culture?
• Many things are left
unsaid within the
communication, the
meaning of the message
is only understood
through the filter of the
speakers culture.
• Relational, collectivist,
intuitive, and
contemplative.
• Word choice, tone and
facial expressions have
great impact on the
meaning of the message.
• A few words can
communicate a very
complex message
effectively, but may only
be understood by people
within the speakers own
culture.

5. Examples of High context Cultures
• African
• Arab
• Brazilian
• Chinese
• Filipinos
• French Canadian
• French
• Greek
• Hawaiian
• Hungarian
• Indian
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Latin Americans
• Persian
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Southern United States
• Spanish
• Thai
• Turkish
• Vietnamese

6. What is Low Context Culture?
• Communication is explicit
and straight forward.
• Less importance is placed
on word choice.
• Individualism and
independence are valued.
Examples–
• Australian
• English Canadian
• English
• Finnish
• German
• Irish
• New Zealand
• Scandinavia
• Switzerland
• United States (excluding the
Southern United States)

7. Main Cultural Differences
High Context
• How things get done depends
on relationships with people
and attention to group
process.
• One's identity is rooted in the
groups they are in i.e.
family, work, culture.
• Social structure and authority
are centralized; responsibility
is at the top. Person at top
works for the good of the
group
• Space is communal; people
stand close to each
other, share the same space.
Low Context
• 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).
• Space is compartmentalized
and privately owned; privacy is
important, so people are
farther apart.

8. Relationships
High Context
• Relationships depend on trust,
build up slowly, and are stable.
• One distinguishes between
people inside and people
outside one's circle.
• Small, close-knit groups, and
reliance on that group.
• Groups are heavily relied on
for support, it may be difficult
to get support outside of your
group.
• Professional and personal lives
often intertwine
Low Context
• Interpersonal relationships can
be intense but short term.
• Relationships begin and end
quickly.
• Many people can be inside
one's circle. The circles
boundary is often not clear.
• A lower context culture
demands more independence.
• Expects many relationships,
but fewer intimate ones.

9. •In high context culture the coming
together stage takes quite a long time to
happen.
•Once a relationship reaches the bonding
stage it will often stay in relational
maintenance for a very long time.
•Relationships do not often reach the
coming apart.
•In low context culture the coming
together stage can happen very
quickly and can reach the bonding
stage shortly after meeting.
•A relationship can go through the
whole cycle of coming together,
bonding, and coming apart in a
short amount of time.

10. First Impressions
Korea – High Context
• When meeting someone for
the first time one
immediately asks the other
person their age and marital
status.
• This information tells you
how to proceed with you
interactions.
United States – Low Context
• When you first meet
someone it is common to
introduce yourself casually.
• A simple introduction may
only consist of your name
depending on the situation.
• Immediate inquiries about
age and marital status may
seem too forward and
perhaps rude.

11. Age Differences in Relationships
Korea – High Context
• If someone is older than
you by even one year you
must refer to them with the
proper honorific.
• This shows the power and
authority the other person
has over you.
• Even if you become close
with this person and
become able to use a more
casual honorific it is still
always there.
United States – Low Context
• Age differences are not as
important.
• People often interact and
build friendships with
people who are both older
and younger than them.
• There are no honorifics to
signify age difference.
• One may not find out
another's age till later in
their friendship if they don’t
explicitly ask or care.

12. Korean Honorifics

13. “First name basis”
High Context Culture
• In high context cultures people
are often referred to by their
last name as well as the
appropriate honorific.
• To address someone by their
first name would suggest you
are very close.
• It is possible to offend
someone by using their first
name if they do not like you,
or perhaps felt you just were
not close enough to make it
appropriate.
Low Context Culture
• In low context culture it is
common to refer to people
mostly by their first name, you
may be close friends or have
just met, in both situations it is
completely appropriate.
• It is not uncommon to address
those older than you by first
name.
• People of authority such as
bosses and teachers may ask
you to refer to them by their
first name, the “Mr.” or “Mrs.”
might make them feel
uncomfortable due to the
superiority the pre-fixes imply.

14. Conclusion
• The dynamics of relationships within High and Low context
cultures are very different.
• In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet
have many relationships. Relationships are easy to build,
can start very quickly but end just as soon. People have
many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. The feel
of these relationships and the communication with in them
tends to be very casual.
• In High Context Culture general interactions with people
until they become close is very formal. People have more of
a collective mindset and rely on their groups of friends
heavily. They have fewer relationships than individuals from
Low context culture but High Context relationships take
longer to solidify and are much more stable and long
lasting.