Edward Hall's High-Context and Low-Context Cultures

Edward Hall's concept of high-context and low-context cultures describes how people communicate. In high-context cultures, much of the meaning is conveyed through implicit messages, shared experiences, and nonverbal cues, so less is said directly. Examples include Japan and Arab countries. In low-context cultures, communication is more explicit and direct, relying on clear, spoken words, such as in the United States and Germany. Understanding these differences helps improve cross-cultural communication by recognizing whether messages depend more on context or explicit detail.