2. Some Background
■ 1959, EdwardT. Hall wrote the book “The Silent
Language”
■ Founded the field of intercultural
communications
■ First mention of “high and low context cultures”
3. ■ Low context cultures- mainly cultures withWestern European
roots (North America, Austrailia etc.)
■ High context cultures- everywhere else
■ Can also exist within companies, social groups etc.
■ Both can exist simultaneously within a group
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4. High context cultures
■ Communication is implicit; nonverbal cues (body language, facial expressions) and
other factors (tone of voice, relationship to one another etc.) take precedence
■ More emphasis on word choice
■ Many things are left unsaid, is only understood by members of the culture/group
■ Relationships are formed slowly and are built to last
■ More focus on collectivism and togetherness
■ Responsibility to understand falls upon the reciever
5. Low context cultures
■ Communication is explicit; mainly relies on written or spoken word
■ Less emphasis on word choice
■ Relationships are formed quickly and can be ended quickly
■ Information freely available
■ More focus on the individual
■ Responsibility falls upon the sender
6. Further differences
High context culture
■ Small, close-knit groups built on
trust
■ Groups are to be relied upon;
difficult to find support outside of
the group
■ Personal and professional life deeply
interconnected
Low context culture
■ Large groups that can be split up
into smaller groups; boundaries not
clear
■ Individuality and independence are
more important
■ More relationships, yet fewer
intimate ones
