High-Context and Low-Context Cultures

Dr. Edward Hall

Comparison of Characteristics

The Joy Luck Club Connections

Dr. Edward Hall

Anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher Distinguished cultures on the basis of the

role of context in communication Context: the whole situation, background, or

environment connected to an event, a situation, or an individual.

“It was taken out of context”: without the words or circumstances and so not fully understandable.

Contexts: High and LowLow-Context High-Context

Information and meaning are explicitly stated in the message

Individual “internalizes” meaning and information, so that less is explicitly stated

Values Individualism Values Group Sense

Values direct verbal interaction and is less able to read nonverbal expressions

Values indirect verbal interaction and is more able to read nonverbal expressions

Contexts: High and LowLow-Context High-Context

Tends to use “logic” to present ideas

Tends to use more “feeling” in expressions

Tends to emphasize highly structured messages, give details, and place great stress on words

Tends to give simple, ambiguous, non-contexting messages

Emphasizes linear logic Emphasizes spiral logic

Low-Context Ideas

In a low-context culture, Hall argues, “Most of the information must be in the transmitted message in order to make up for what is missing in the context.”

To members of a low-context culture, speakers in a high-context culture seem to talk around a subject and never get to the point.

Clash or Low and High in The Joy Luck Club

Mothers expect daughters to learn from and obey their elders (as they did).

Mothers do not feel they need to “explain.” Mother’s fears, warnings, instructions or

examples are not fully supported by the context of American culture, and so the daughters have difficulty understanding.

Daughters feel they do not understand their mothers because information is omitted; mothers think information can be inferred and does not need explanation.

Journal: Context Problems Brainstorm examples of this conflict between

high and low-context cultures in The Joy Luck Club. You may:

1. Focus on one Mother / Daughter relationship

2. Start with a quote from a mother or daughter, and then explain how this fits into the high or low.

3. Think about how the important themes relate to this conflict.