8.5: How Scholars Study Intercultural Communication

Learning Objectives

• Define high and low context cultures
• Understand speech styles in different cultures
• Explain collectivist vs individualist cultures

If you decide to take a class on intercultural communication you will learn a great deal about the similarities and differences across cultural groups. Since this chapter is meant to give you an overview or taste of this exciting field of study we will discuss four important concepts for understanding communication practices among cultures.

High and Low Context

Think about someone you are very close to—a best friend, romantic partner, or sibling. Have there been times when you began a sentence and the other person knew exactly what you were going to say before you said it? For example, in a situation between two sisters, one sister might exclaim, “Get off!” (which is short for “get off my wavelength”). This phenomenon of being on someone’s wavelength is similar to what Hall describes as high context. In high context communication the meaning is in the people, or more specifically, the relationship between the people as opposed to just the words. When we have to rely on the translation of the words to decipher a person’s meaning then this is said to be low context communication. The American legal system, for example, relies on low context communication.

While some cultures are low or high context, in general terms, there can also be individual or contextual differences within cultures. In the example above between the two sisters, they are using high context communication, however, America is considered a low context culture. Countries such as Germany and Sweden are also low context while Japan and China are high context.

Speech Styles

When we think about communication, it’s easy to imagine that everyone says things the same way we do. But in reality, people and cultures have many different ways of expressing themselves. Gudykunst and Ting-Toomey describe four communication style continuums—ways of thinking about how messages can vary. These are not fixed categories but flexible options. Depending on the context—who you’re speaking to, where you are, or what you want to achieve—you might shift along these continuums.

Direct vs. Indirect

This first continuum looks at how clearly people state their meaning. Direct speakers say exactly what they want (e.g., “Close the window”). Indirect speakers drop hints (e.g., “It’s cold in here”). In the U.S., where directness is common, people may find indirectness frustrating. But in more formal or respectful situations—say, speaking to a university president—an indirect request may sound more polite and appropriate.

Elaborate, Exact, and Succinct

Think of Goldilocks: too much, too little, or just right. Elaborate speakers use many words, details, or stories. Exact speakers give enough information to be clear without overdoing it. Succinct speakers prefer short, simple statements—and sometimes silence. For example, while an American might say, “That garden is beautiful,” an Egyptian speaker might describe the colors, flowers, and memories they inspire.

Personal vs. Contextual

Some languages and cultures emphasize the speaker as an individual (personal style). Others emphasize the relationship between speaker and listener (contextual style). English leans personal—we don’t change sentence structure based on status. But in languages like French or Spanish, the formal and informal “you” signals how close or distant the relationship is.

Instrumental vs. Affective

Finally, this continuum asks: who is responsible for making sure a message is understood? In instrumental styles (like in the U.S.), the speaker carries the burden of clarity. In affective styles (common in parts of Asia and in Native American cultures), listeners are expected to pay close attention to words, tone, and context to figure out meaning. In an American classroom, students might blame the professor for not explaining clearly. In a Chinese classroom, students may instead take responsibility, saying they need to study harder.

Collectivist versus Individualistic

In addition to the four speaking styles that characterize cultures so do value systems. One of particular importance to intercultural communication is whether the culture has a collectivistic or individualistic orientation. When a person or culture has a collective orientation they place the needs and interests of the group above individual desires or motivations. In contrast, the self or one’s own personal goals motivate those cultures with individualistic orientations. Thus, each person is viewed as responsible for their own success or failure in life.

When looking at Hofstede’s research and that of others on individualism and collectivism, it is important to remember is that no culture is purely one or the other. Again, think of these qualities as points along a continuum rather than fixed positions. Individuals and co-cultures may exhibit differences in individualism/collectivism from the dominant culture and certain contexts may highlight one or the other. Also remember that it can be very difficult to change one’s orientation and interaction with those with different value orientations can prove challenging. In some of your classes, for example, does the Professor require a group project as part of the final grade? How do students respond to such an assignment? In our experience we find that some students enjoy and benefit from the collective and collaborative process and seem to learn better in such an environment. These students have more of a collective orientation. Other students, usually the majority, are resistant to such assignments citing reasons such as “it’s difficult to coordinate schedules with four other people” or “I don’t want my grade resting on someone else’s performance.” These statements reflect an individual orientation.

Figure 8.5.1 Collectivism vs Individualism Worldwide

Countries colored with green have cultures that are more individualistic than the world average. Countries colored in red have relatively collectivistic cultures.