Low-Content Culture

Low-Content Culture

A culture in which a great deal of emphasis is placed upon the words one uses, rather than their context, tone or circumstance. For example, suppose one says, "I am fine," in response to the question, "How are you?" In a low-context culture, it is assumed that one is doing fine and that no further query needs to be made. Confusing cultural signals between a low-context and a high-content culture can create significant misunderstandings in both business and politics.