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High/Low Contact Cultures
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High/Low Contact Cultures
Edward Hall; 1959
- High Contact Culture: People stand closer together while talking, make more direct eye contact, touch frequently, and speak in louder voices.
- Low Contact Culture: People stand farther apart when conversing, maintain less eye contact, and touch less often.
Distance
Intimate Distance (0-18 Inches)
Personal Distance (18 inches-4 feet)
Social Distance (4-10 feet)
Public Distance (10 feet-beyond)
Greece (High Contact)
Eye Contact
Japan (Low Contact)
Direct eye contact (high contact)
Less eye contact (low contact)
Distance: Generally close proximity (Intimate to Personal)
Eye Contact: Highly valued; sign of personal empowerment; sign of seeking communication with others.
Touch: Firm handshakes and patting of the shoulder (male to male), and kiss on both cheeks (male to female or female to female).
Voice: Generally friendly and peaceful. Will speak out if they feel they are mistreated and voice may rise, but violence rarely occurs.
Distance: In uncrowded spaces, they value larger personal space. In crowded areas (trains), they have no problem with frequent, prolonged body contact with strangers. Family members commonly sleep in same room (intimate-personal).
Eye Contact: Sustained, direct eye contact is seen as rude, threatening, and disrespectful. Taught to avert their gaze and avoid eye contact.
Touch: Children receive large amounts of touch from mother, but after childhood they are expected to conform to non-touch standards, including avoiding public displays of physical expressive. Acceptable to touch in “in-group” settings, especially when alcohol is involved.
Voice: Silence is valued
Influencing Factors
- Topic of conversation
- The environment
- Age
- Status
- Co-cultural group
- Personal disposition toward contact
- Relationship
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