Introduction
This research report is based on my readings of the article entitled "Toward a Theory of Conflict and Culture" in Communication, Culture, and Organizational Processes. In this article, Stella Ting-Toomey writes about her own Face-Negotiation Theory.
Summary
Ting-Toomey starts this article by introducing the concepts of conflict and culture. She states that conflict is regulated by the underlying normative movements of a particular culture. "[It] is conceptually defined as a form of intense interpersonal and/or intrapersonal dissonance ... between two or more interdependent parties based on incompatible goals, needs, desires, values, beliefs, and/or attitudes." She defines culture as "a paternal system of symbols and meanings" (Ting-Toomey, 72).
Ting-Toomey continues by defining the important ideas of high-context and low-context cultures. "High-context cultures refer to groups of cultures that value group identity, ... covert communication codes, ... and maintain a homogeneous normative structure with high cultural [demands and constraints.]" On the other hand, she states that low-context cultures are polar opposites. Low-context cultures value individual orientation and maintain a heterogeneous normative structure with low cultural constraints. Examples that she gives of low-context cultures are the United States, Germany, and others (Ting-Toomey, 76).
At this point in the article, she begins to discuss at length the basis of the conflict between low-context and high-context cultures. She breaks these down into eight of what she refers to as "propositions." Proposition 1 states that "[individuals in LCCs [low-context cultures] are more likely to perceive the causes of conflict as instrumental rather than expressive in nature" (Ting-Toomey, 78). Proposition 2 says that people in high-context cultures (HCCs) perceive the causes of conflict as expressive instead of instrumental like those in LCCs do.
Proposition 3 says that conflicts are more likely to occur in LCCs when individual normal expectations are violated. For HCCs, it's collective expectations that are violated, according to Proposition 4. For number 5, she says that folks in a LCC will tend to be more confrontational and direct attitude when it comes to conflicts. Proposition 6, which is for HCCs, says that those people are usually nonconfrontational and have an indirect attitude toward conflict. Finally, Propositions 7 and 8 deal with how individuals deal with conflict management. Low-context cultures tend to think linearly and factually, while high-context cultures are more intuitive (Ting-Toomey, 79-82).
Finally, on page 82, she gives a table that lists the conflict characteristics of high- and low-context groups. Here is an excerpt from it:
| Key Questions | Low-Context Conflict | High-Context Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Why | analytic, linear logic | synthetic, spiral logic |
| When | individual-oriented | group-oriented |
| What | revealment | concealment |
| How | Explicit communication codes | implicit communications codes |
Evaluation and Conclusion
I found this article to be somewhat easy to read. It was full of many details and information, which made reading a small challenge at times, but overall, it was not totally dry reading. I liked how Ting-Toomey broke things down into short, to-the-point "propositions." This made it easy to pinpoint the major highlights of the article and the theory, and aided in understanding the theory. The table at the end of the article was also useful because it compared high-context and low-context cultures side by side, making it easy to see the differences. For anyone who needs more explanation than our textbook provides, I feel that this article would prove to be a valuable source of additional information. In addition, since it's written by the woman who developed the theory, you don't have to worry about another author misinterpreting something--it comes straight from the horses mouth, so to speak.
Citations
Ting-Toomey, Stella. "Toward a Theory of Conflict and Culture." Communication, Culture, and Organizational Processes. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1991.
Related Web Sites and Other Links
Cross-Cultural Communication Theories - (http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~comm300/mary/cultural/face.html) Student analysis page at the University of Arizona in Tucson. This project appears to be similar--at least in concept--to our own Web assignments for InCo 234. It contains an "HTML-ized" PowerPoint presentation and contains links to several useful and related Web sites.
Return to the Face-Negotiation Title Page
Go to the Winter Quarter 1999 Web Workbook
Go to the main InCo 234 Web Site