to think that Britain is a high-context culture?

[madamezouzou]

I was looking at this twitter feed of 'very British problems', and chuckling at things like

'Saying "correct me if I'm wrong" to indicate that you know you're right and do not wish to be contradicted'

and

'Becoming so furious that you beg someone for their pardon'

and

'Telling people at the pub to help themselves to chips, and then they do'

AIBU to think that Britain is a pretty high context culture? Especially compared to people from the US.

Or am I woefully ignorant of the heights of context cultures can reach in eg. Asian countries? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

British problems

Wiki page on high-context cultures

As someone from another English-speaking country, I would agree. While broad social norms are similar and the language is the same, I've found it has taken me time to learn what people are really saying...what they really mean. There is a more subtly nuanced social code here compared to where I am from.

I don't know about in comparison to other countries and cultures, though.

England and English culture is notoriously unfathomable, the world over.

Oh come on it's hardly any different to Americans saying, "Excuse me??" or "Pardon me??" when someone's just called them a cunt.

From that link: The overwhelming dread which accompanies the sentence: "Before we start let's just go round the table and say a bit about ourselves"

How true. Is there anywhere in the world where people welcome that sentence?

Yanbu

Reading bits of that Twitter page, I realize I might have some british genes!

Yes, and very different to Ireland, in my experience (although would say that Ireland also is a high-context culture).

I don't know what it's like in other countries, but I noticed in your second link 'English' is put in a list of low-context cultures, not high. Aware it is wiki though....

I recently stumbled across a website designed to help visitors to different countries understand common etiquette at their destinatio. In the main advice was fairly common sense and broad scale across the different countries - 'respect the religion by covering the head', don't insult the host's mother', sort of stuff.

Out of curiosity i clicked on basic English social etiquette. Lordy - i pitied anyone reading this in preparation for a visit to Blighty.

Among other things there was:
Who to kiss, where, and after how long.
Who to shake hands with, when, and who not.
The aviodance of touching in general.
There were questions never to be asked - how much you earn, how old are you, your religion.
Holding open doors - for whom and for how long.
Don't openly admire other women in the room when in the presence of a women.
The importance of proper queuing.
The hiding of bodily noises.
The art of totally ignoring other people's bodily noises.
Appologising for bodily noises.
... and while we're on the subject of appologising:
When in doubt - appologise.
and
Expect to be appologised to allot, even when the fault is yours, for eg: knocking into strangers in the street.

It all made me

Don't you think it is more down to the person than the nationality ...