Communication Differences Between Eastern and Western Cultures

Chantana Sun
5 min readMay 20, 2021

When there are differences in the communication process, miscommunication and conflict are to be expected. And this will become a lot more common if there is no knowledge and understanding of the different dynamics of each culture.

In every relationship, communication remains to be the single most important module, even more so when it comes to dating overseas where intercultural communication is inevitable.

The cultural identities of each individual will not always agree and will at times even contrast each other. Effective communication mitigates problems caused by the disparity in customs.

Culture and Communication

Communication barriers exist when there is a struggle to communicate using one common language. The world has a wide linguistic diversity. Every country has its own native language and, even within their very own borders, have lots of other local dialects with varying cultural characteristics.

Communication and community have a very complex and intimate relationship. First, cultures are developed by communication; that is, communication is the means of human interaction through which cultural characteristics, whether they be rituals, functions, rules, behaviors, laws, or other patterns, are produced and transmitted.

Individuals do not set out to create cultures as they participate in relationships, families, organizations, or societies; rather, cultures evolve as a natural byproduct of social interaction. Cultures are the “residue” of social interaction in various forms.

Communication develops culture, and culture develops an identity. This can be observed in multilingual individuals where a change in language will also seem to cause a transition in personality, often conforming to the customs of the spoken language.

Differences between the East and West

  • Low Context vs High Context Communication

The two most noticeable distinctions are that the western culture uses low context communication, while eastern societies use high context communication.

Low Context means that Western societies say what they mean and mean what they say. Since Western cultures are very frank and transparent about what they say and how they say it, this is sometimes referred to as direct communication.

In eastern society, high context communication, also known as indirect communication, is the dominant culture. This normally means that the individual keeps more of what they say out loud, preferring to let their behavior and other nonverbal signals convey their message instead.

In this culture, easterners also try to avoid conflicts with one another, often shying away from saying no in order to preserve relationships, or use the term difficult instead of impossible.

  • Proactive vs Passive

There are also variations in how the two cultures engage in communication. Western cultures take a more proactive role in a conversation while easterners tend to be a little more passive, opting instead to listen

Everyone takes steps to be involved in conversations, but how they do so varies from one region to the next.

Maintaining a presence in more individualistic (western) societies means preserving your appearance for other people and yourself. To do so, you can compromise, argue, resolve conflicts, and, most importantly, defend your own point of view.

Collectivists or people from the east may want to avoid confrontation as much as possible in order to protect their reputation. They also don’t only listen to their own opinions, but also to the opinions of their peers.

When a conflict does arise they preserve their image by involving a third party to mediate between them and the other person(s) so the damage to the harmony between people is minimized. The Eastern culture also prefers to keep their opinions to themselves and remain more collective than proactive.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication may also lead to disagreements, especially when it comes to different ways of expressing emotions. Many forms of nonverbal communication are universal, such as sorrow, surprise, anxiety, or rage, but this is not a problem in communication. The point of contention is the actions that are permissible to display and by whom.

Nonverbal communication is not used as often in western, low-context cultures as it is in high-context cultures. These nonverbal gestures are also an essential part of communication in high context communication, so understanding the individual fully requires understanding their nonverbal communication. A misinterpretation of the gestures may result in a dispute.

  • Eye Contact

Take, for example, eye contact. This gesture exudes confidence, which is greatly appreciated in Western cultures, particularly in a professional environment.

Though eye contact is still a good indicator of trust in eastern cultures, it is dependent on the perceived social hierarchy. A “subordinate” making direct eye contact with a superior may be regarded as arrogant.

  • Gestures

We’ve already discussed how Eastern cultures depend on gestures and body language to convey their message. In reality, nonverbal movements of eastern cultures will tell you more than what they say.

The bow is a common gesture in most Asian cultures, and the mano po is a common gesture in the Philippines. These movements are intended to convey respect.

While variants of these gestures can be seen in western societies, they are not as common as in the far east.

  • Personal Space and Touch

Personal space is valued in the majority of eastern cultures. This includes not just the physical space between people, but also everything that bothers them.

Eastern cultures place a high value on causing as little disruption to others as possible. Loud music and discussions are two examples that people in eastern cultures try to avoid.

Western cultures, on the other hand, are more tolerant of personal space. This can be seen in the various greetings they exchange. Western cultures’ very social customs are another clear example of a relaxed attitude toward personal space.

Managing Intercultural Communication Differences

There has been a lot of research done on how to cope with these communication differences. In interviews with Westerners in Asia, it becomes apparent that simply knowing anything is not often enough to collaborate effectively.

All of the cross-cultural communication gaps discussed can lead to confusion, exacerbate a dispute, or even start one. That is why it is important to understand these various modes of communication. As an intercultural communicator, you should be able to use this information to strengthen relationships between cultures and effectively communicate.

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Chantana Sun

Online Dating Top Writer | Relationship Consultant and Blogger for Asian Love Mates https://www.asianlovemates.com/