Intercultural Sensitivity Nunez H2 H3.4 H4
Hoofdstuk 2
Hall’s key concepts for more effective intercultural communication:
High and low context communication.
Low context: explicitly, with words. Verbalised explicitly. Clearly structured, direct, more literal, starts
with main point and then details.
High context: most of the message is the persons themselves and in the context of the message.
Flows freely, indirect, is coded, transferred non-verbally is as important as the verbal message.
Monochronic and Polychronic Time
Monochronic cultures: time is experienced linearly. Blocks of time, compartmentalisation,
concentrate at one thing at a time and plan time. Low context.
Polychronic cultures: people live in a sea of time. Time moves spatially, in all directions, rather than
linearly. Do a lot of things on the same time. Time is elastic.
Personal space
An invisible barrier. How large the personal space is differs, depending on the situation, the culture
and the relationship.
Fast and slow messages
Fast messages: those that we can decode very quickly. (TV, headlines, e-mails etc.)
Slow messages: take a longer time for the source to decode. (poetry, art, books etc.)
A stranger is slow message, because it takes time to know a person well.
Fast en slow information flow
Slow information flow: in low context cultures, information is compartmentalised; the information
stays within departments and doesn’t flow freely.
Fast information flow: information has a life on its own, people live in a sea of information.
Action chains
The sequence of events in which people work together to achieve a goal. If one step of the sequence
is omitted, you will not achieve the goal.
Paragraaf 3,4 (differences in cultures on basic assumptions)
Individualism and collectivism
In an individual culture you define yourself with personal achievements and you are concerned with
your own welfare, rather than with the larger group. I-oriented and independent
Collective societies value inter-dependence, a sense of belonging and responsibility towards the
group. In a collective society you define yourself as a member of a community. Your welfare is one
with the group’s welfare. We-oriented and interdependence on each other.
Hoofdstuk 2
Hall’s key concepts for more effective intercultural communication:
High and low context communication.
Low context: explicitly, with words. Verbalised explicitly. Clearly structured, direct, more literal, starts
with main point and then details.
High context: most of the message is the persons themselves and in the context of the message.
Flows freely, indirect, is coded, transferred non-verbally is as important as the verbal message.
Monochronic and Polychronic Time
Monochronic cultures: time is experienced linearly. Blocks of time, compartmentalisation,
concentrate at one thing at a time and plan time. Low context.
Polychronic cultures: people live in a sea of time. Time moves spatially, in all directions, rather than
linearly. Do a lot of things on the same time. Time is elastic.
Personal space
An invisible barrier. How large the personal space is differs, depending on the situation, the culture
and the relationship.
Fast and slow messages
Fast messages: those that we can decode very quickly. (TV, headlines, e-mails etc.)
Slow messages: take a longer time for the source to decode. (poetry, art, books etc.)
A stranger is slow message, because it takes time to know a person well.
Fast en slow information flow
Slow information flow: in low context cultures, information is compartmentalised; the information
stays within departments and doesn’t flow freely.
Fast information flow: information has a life on its own, people live in a sea of information.
Action chains
The sequence of events in which people work together to achieve a goal. If one step of the sequence
is omitted, you will not achieve the goal.
Paragraaf 3,4 (differences in cultures on basic assumptions)
Individualism and collectivism
In an individual culture you define yourself with personal achievements and you are concerned with
your own welfare, rather than with the larger group. I-oriented and independent
Collective societies value inter-dependence, a sense of belonging and responsibility towards the
group. In a collective society you define yourself as a member of a community. Your welfare is one
with the group’s welfare. We-oriented and interdependence on each other.
