52 pages • 1 hour read
Edward T. HallBeyond Culture
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1976A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Ideological Context: Cultural Relativism and Freudian Psychology
Franz Boas, often regarded as the “father of American anthropology,” significantly influenced the perspectives Hall puts forward in Beyond Culture. Boas pioneered the concept of cultural relativism, emphasizing the importance of understanding different cultures in their own terms rather than through the lens of one’s own cultural biases, or ethnocentrism. More specifically, ethnocentric perspectives refer to the tendency of individuals to judge other cultures based on the standards of their own culture, often (but not always) considering their own culture as superior. This can lead to a biased and narrow understanding of other societies, overlooking the diversity and complexity of different cultural contexts. Boas’s emphasis on fieldwork and the holistic study of cultures contributed to Hall’s interpretive approach in exploring the intricacies of human behavior and communication in his various academic and professional posts.
Hall’s work in Beyond Culture challenges ethnocentric perspectives by advocating for cultural relativity and promoting an appreciation of diverse cultural insights. He encourages individuals to move beyond their own cultural biases and recognize that different societies may have unique ways of thinking, communicating, and organizing social structures. By introducing concepts such as high-context and low-context cultures, action chains, and contexting, Hall provides frameworks that help individuals understand and interpret cultural differences without imposing their own cultural norms.
Hall also synthesizes the psychoanalytical perspective, particularly Freudian concepts, with his own anthropological framework, providing a more nuanced understanding of how unconscious processes, shaped by culture, contribute to the complexity of human interactions. Hall draws on Freud’s legacy by acknowledging the role of unconscious processes, yet he expands the discussion beyond individual psychology to explore how cultural unconsciousness influences actions and communication. Hall incorporates Freud’s idea of the unconscious, particularly the impact of hidden cultural assumptions and axioms, into his analysis of cultural irrationality and the need to expose these hidden structures for cross-cultural understanding. While both Freud and Hall delve into the interplay between individual psychology and societal structures, Hall differentiates himself from Freud in Beyond Culture by offering a distinct perspective on culture, communication, and human behavior. Unlike Freud’s emphasis on the innate psychological struggles and the id-superego dynamic, Hall focuses on cultural relativity, cross-cultural understanding, and the impact of unconscious differences on behavior.
Critical Context: Beyond Culture’s Legacy in Communication Studies
Beyond Culture was initially well received among academics, who lauded Hall’s call for a “cultural literacy moment” (7) and his insight that culture is often confused for personality “with tragic consequences,” as communication academic Richard Lanigan appended (Lanigan, Richard. “General and Theoretical: Beyond Culture. Edward T. Hall.” American Anthropologist, vol. 80, no. 2, 1978). Lanigan, among others, considered Hall essential for those seeking an accessible read on intercultural communication. Hall’s original notion of high-context and low-context cultures, introduced in Chapter 7, has become a foundational framework in anthropology and communication studies. This dichotomy, illuminating the role of implicit communication and contextual understanding, has guided scholars in comprehending the intricacies of intercultural interactions. The concept of “contexting,” threaded through several chapters, has spurred discussions and research on the significance of context in shaping human behavior. Hall’s emphasis on the interplay between internal and external contexting has influenced studies on language, nonverbal communication, and the broader cultural dimensions that impact societal events.
Beyond the academic realm, Hall’s work has found resonance in practical settings, particularly in the fields of cross-cultural communication, business, and diplomacy. Professionals seeking to navigate global contexts have turned to Hall’s insights to enhance their cultural competence. The book’s impact is evident in cross-cultural training programs, where individuals learn to decipher implicit cultural cues, ultimately fostering more effective communication and collaboration across diverse settings. Moreover, Hall’s endorsement of cultural relativism has propelled it to a position as a cornerstone in the discourse on cultural awareness and sensitivity. As organizations and institutions grapple with the challenges of diversity and globalization, Hall’s perspectives on moving beyond one’s own cultural bind on personal identity and bias offer guidance.
Recent scholarship, however, has called into question Hall’s ideologies, which critics argue are rarely supported by clear methodology in Beyond Culture. Certain scholars take issue with the generalizing discussion of high-context and low-context culture classifications in Beyond Culture that don’t appear to be rooted in “rigorous substantiated findings” (Kittler, Markus G., et al. “Special Review Article: Beyond Culture or Beyond Control? Reviewing the Use of Hall’s High-/Low-Context Concept.” International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, vol. 11, no. 1, 2011, pp. 63-82). As Cardon points out, Hall’s data collection relies entirely on “qualitative data collection” that would not meet today’s standard for academic rigor and integrity. Readers, Cardon surmises, will likely recognize the unfavorable terms in which Hall repeatedly characterizes the United States, which contrasts with his favorable discussion of high-context cultures (Cardon, Peter. “A Critique of Hall’s Contexting Model: A Meta-Analysis of Literature on Intercultural Business and Technical Communication.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication, vol. 22, no. 4, 2008, p. 402). By this critique, Hall himself fails to transcend the grip of ethnocentrism he sought to demolish with Beyond Culture, as his critical lens implicitly establishes the United States as the default against which other cultures and countries should be measured.
