Counselling and Personal Development
Student Life
Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist (1976), classified cultures on a continuum, ranging from high context to low context according to the way they communicate. A person may engage in either high or low context communication depending on the situation. He emphasised the powerful effect culture has on communication. Context refers to the framework, background, and surrounding circumstances in which communication or an event takes place.
A proportion of the international students at Deakin are from a ‘High Context’ culture whereas Deakin, (like most academic institutions in Australia) is ‘Low Context’ in culture. If, according to Hall, ‘How one learns is culturally determined as is what one learns’ (1976: 166) then the clash between the two types of culture can cause considerable confusion and consternation for students and frustration for the university staff.
Understanding and talking about the differences can help alleviate the confusion and frustration that arises.
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The essential difference between the two types of cultural continuum is that High Context cultures view communication as a social lubricant and a means to develop relationships as they are more group oriented. The accuracy of the information is less important than the immediate social implications. So students may agree to do something (even though they know they will not) for fear of offending the person asking because the relationship is more important. In ‘Low Context’ cultures, communication is seen as having an information function, a neutral tool to convey thoughts. Accuracy, directness and clarity in speech are valued because of informational demands. The emphasis is on transmitting information. ‘Just put it (information) on the web, they can find out about it that way.’ However, students used to being highly supported, where explanations are given by a person in authority, may not understand the meaning of the intended message. Not only because of language difficulties but also because of failure to understand the linear logic and background context of the message. Both High/Low context cultures have informational and social aspects, however the emphasis and recognition of the primary purpose of communication is different. It is therefore useful to be aware of the different mindsets students bring with them in order to facilitate mutual understanding.
Taking
it further
Excerpt from a report titled Identifying and Providing Culturally Relevant Support Serivces to International Students by Wendy Paulusz, Division of Student Life 2004.
