Discuss the important cultural variations outlined in the article. (Site 1)

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Cultural Contexts and Values in Communication
A culture does not have to contain an ethnic context, although ethnic groups do form a culture. In terms of communication, culture refers more to explicit forms of communication and expectations of relating within a group. As such, there are high-context cultures and low-context cultures.

Two boys in a Buddhist monastery. There are statues of Buddha along the walls. The two boys are wearing orange robes and are barefoot. They are carrying a jug of water and a tea kettle.
These boys live in a Buddhist monastery, a high-context environment. There, long-term relationships are built, and those who do not live within the monastery are outsiders.
In everyday life, you pass through several different cultures as you move through family situations, work or school situations, and public or private venues. How you communicate within these cultures differs. Communication depends on the formation of the association, how people within the culture interact, shared or private space, time constraints, and information sources.

High-Context Communication Environments
Three diagrams of lines of communication. There are three groups of circles, triangles, and ovals. There is one line that extends between each group. There are multiple lines extending to each circle, triangle, and oval within the individual groups.
The lines of communication in high-context cultures are contained within small groups. There are few lines of communication between members outside each group.
A high-context culture is a small, close-knit group such as a family, a group of friends, a religious congregation, or a handful of people eating together around a table. Often, these cultures are based on long-term relationships. The group has strong boundaries and considers those outside the group as outsiders. Knowledge and ways of imparting knowledge are understood because people within the group share forms of communication. New people are not as easily accepted in high-context cultures. For example, a Buddhist monastery is a closed environment in which all members are easily accepted, but outsiders are not. Monks know the rules, and they have a leader, an abbot, who is the central authority. Monks live and work together in a communal space, communicate face to face, and share common rules and beliefs. The relationships among monks are long term.

Low-Context Communication Environments
A diagram of low-context communication. An oval has lines extending to multiple shapes.
Communication in low-context groups is more public and open to outsiders.
Low-context groups communicate differently from high-context groups. The rules of communication are formalized, open to the public, and general. Rules are set by an external group, such as a sports authority, a public airport commission, or a state agency. There may be smaller, more closely aligned groups within the larger, low-context groups. Communication exists through loose connections over shorter time periods and is more task oriented than person oriented. Knowledge transfer is clearly defined and arranged, such as a set of laws or socially acceptable behaviors. A national football organization would be an example of a low-context communication culture. The group has regulations defined by an authority that all players and coaches must adhere to. The organization may contain many teams, and members of those teams fluctuate season by season. The task of winning a football game is the central focus, and much communication and learning among members revolves around that task.

All cultures contain both high- and low-context modes. A town may be a low-context culture. Within the town's structure, there exists a core governing group, a town council, that formulates regulations. The town has a central figure or leader, the mayor. That mayor communicates between groups of citizens, business representatives, and other authorities or entities in the town, such as a school board or parks and recreation commission. Communication always exists at a variety of levels from highly interpersonal, one-on-one relationships to mass meetings in which a number of speakers provide information and the number of listeners is great.

Keywords: relationship, high-context, low context, communication