Understand high and low cultures

- Have you ever shared a tried and true joke or a funny phrase in front of a new audience who looked at you as if you were an alien? If your answer is yes, then you have experienced differences in cultural context. Anthropologist Edward Hall first discussed the concept of high and low context culture in his book Beyond Culture. The theory that Hall described was simple: intact, close knit groups tend to not need many words to explain a complicated message, because everyone in this in group shares common references. As with the close knit group, this concept holds true with an entire culture that shares a rich past in history. In this case, a lot more is left unsaid, and messages are implicit. If you've been to a family gathering or school reunion, then you will have experienced being part of a high context subculture. Stories, sayings, and even gestures are understood by everyone in the room. So a newcomer would be lost in that setting. The findings of Edward Hall's theory have been applied to national cultures, which have been categorized by countries across the spectrum, going from low to high context. Low context cultures tend to focus on individual accomplishments. They follow the rules, and focus on fairness and quality, and use many words to communicate messages in mostly a forward, direct manner. On the other side of the spectrum, high context cultures tend to be more team oriented, relationship based, flexible on how rules apply to individual circumstances, and finally implicit and indirect when it comes to communication. With all this being said, if context grows out of a shared past and common experience, a high context in group can exist in a low context culture. For example, a multi generational family in the United States. In contrast, a low context unfamiliar group can also arise in a high context culture setting. For example, a new group of employees in an Indian company. The best way I can describe the differences in the spectrum is to tell you of all the things I noticed when I first came to the United States, a low context culture, from Greece, a relatively high context culture. It started with the welcome mats. Now, if you notice, many mats on the door step of a house actually say the word welcome. I thought that was strange, isn't that implied? Restaurants had detailed and well visualized menu items, instead of the waiter telling you the specials or even inviting you back in the kitchen to see what's cooking. Predictability is expected in a low context culture, and something impossible to manage in a high context culture where seasonal items change, and every customer pretty much knows the staple dishes of a local restaurant. I notice restaurants and even workplaces with plaques on the wall, celebrating employee award winners. Initially I thought those were the owners of each location. How could it possibly be that one employee would be singled out for best performance? Collectivist, high context cultures are much more team oriented. Finally, the one low context culture example I noticed often were bumper stickers. The fact that people would post statements about their kids, their pets, their political affiliations or social justice issues on the back of their car was completely foreign to me. You would rarely if ever see that in a high context culture. What you see more is likely that people are being careful on what fashion brands to parade on their clothes, accessories, and homes, to show their trendy and chic style. In chapter two, we will dissect all the pieces of the high and low context culture puzzle. For now, I want you to understand that the differences exist, and depending on which part of the spectrum you come from, to consider adapting your style in order to fit in and be an effective communicator. In my academic classes, I like to use commercials to bring some points home. The first ad mentions the name of the company several times, literally shows the animal mascot handing money back to the insurance holder and clearly demonstrates the benefits of having coverage. If you thought this ad was meant to be shown in a low context culture, you are correct. The second ad is also selling insurance. In the short segment you see a private grandparent moment, that the mischievous grandson takes advantage of in order to make some more pocket money. The multi generational family is evident. The secret information and its negative effects are implied, and the commercial goes on to involve the father of the family telling grandma that she doesn't have anything to worry about. Throughout the entire clip, the company name is only mentioned with a single tagline at the end of the commercial. Benefits, return on investment, and the company's credible coverage are also implied. Obviously this ad is intended for a high context culture. So as we wrap up discussion on low and high context culture, it's important not to conclude that one approach is better than the other. They're just different. And as foreign as it all seemed to me at first, I learned to adapt and flex in order to be effective. The concept of high and low context culture is the most important aspect of you developing your cross cultural intelligence.