Verbal Communication and Culture

¶ … High Context And Low Context Cultures High-context cultures are the type of cultures where their rules of communication are transmitted through the elements such as body language, the tone of voice and person's status. (Guffey, 2009). Contrarily, low context cultures communicate information through rules and languages, which are explicitly spelled out. However, no culture is entirely low context or high context, nevertheless, cultures contain some elements of low context and high context.

In the United States, low context cultures are predominant in the American culture, however, family gathering tends to be characterized with high culture context. The objective of this study is to compare and contrast high culture context and low culture context in term of verbal communication and individualism and collectivism. High Culture Context vs. Low Culture Context with Reference to Verbal Communication One of the fundamental features of high culture context is its low level of verbal communication where many things are left unsaid, and allow culture to explain itself.

People in the high context culture use few words to explain themselves making word choices becoming critical in the verbal communication. In the high context communication, few words are used to communicate complex words. However, a communicator in a low-context culture tends to be much more explicit in their verbal communication. For example, people in the Middle East, South America, Asia and Africa use the high context communication to emphasize on interpersonal relationships.

Typically, words are not important in conveying their messages, rather, they use gestures, facial expressions to convey messages. A Japanese manager in the United States asserts that Japanese are homogenous people, they do not need to speak many words to convey their messages, rather, Japanese use one word to understand ten words. Thus, in the high-context communication, few words can be used to elaborate complex message.

On the other hand, people in Western Europe and North America are low context communicators and they value directness, and straightforward in the level of communication. While communicators in high context culture use an indirect and allusive method to communicate, however, communicators in low context culture use the direct and explicit methods to communicate, and the meaning of their communication are entrusted in words. For example, Germans are low context culture because they spell out words clearly, fully and entirely.

However, Japanese are high context culture where communicators use the ambiguous message to convey messages and the meaning of the messages is implied in contexts. Members of low context culture express their thoughts in words thinking that thoughts are not the same as words and will not be understood completely or correctly if used thoughts to replace words. However, members of low context culture do not trust in words they lay emphasize on contexts to clarify their complete messages.

There may be a conflict in communication by members of high context culture and low context culture. For example, a Turkish student sharing a room with an American student found that the American had shaved his head after entering the bathroom and found the hair everywhere. The Turkish student asked the American "You have shaved your hair." The American replied, Yes. However, the American does not understand the message of the Turkish's student.

The Turkish is using few words to tell the American students that his hair is everywhere in the bathroom, which should be cleaned. However, the American does not understand the message. Relations of the Context with Individualism or Collectivism Different cultures embody thoughts, values and ideas in their way of life. Typically, values play a critical role in determining if a culture is collectivistic or individualistic. While an individualistic society relies on values of independence and freedom, on the other hand, collectivistic society relies on group consensus and harmony.

The value of collectivistic or individualistic determines their level of communications style as well as the business message that are focused on targeted audience. The United States is an example of an individualistic culture where people view individuals as being independent and able to succeed without the help of others. Typically, the audience in the individualistic society reacts positively to personal achievement. Thus, individualistic culture embraces tenants of individualism, self-reliance and freedom. The basic feature of individualistic culture is privacy, and self-reliance.

On the other hand, collectivistic culture believes in social network and interest in the group is fundamental in achieving their goals. Thus, social harmony is valued in the collectivistic culture, and people in this culture believes in shared responsibility, and interdependence. For example, Japanese culture is an example of a collectivistic culture that believes in social harmony to achieve their goals. (Mesquita, 2001). Reflection on how the differences might affect.