Maldives

Edward T Hall

Context

Maldivians would be referred as belonging to a high-context culture. According to Hall (1976), in high-context cultures, people are homogeneous with regard to experiences and communication styles. High-context cultures are formed because of tradition and history which changes little over time. These are cultures in which consistent messages have produced consistent responses. Many aspects of this cultural behaviour are that speeches are not made explicitly because most members know what to do and what to think from years of interaction with each other because of the strong bonds between them (family, close friends) where relationship is actually more important than the task. Meanings exchanged during the encounter do not have to be communicated through words

In Maldives, the message people are trying to convey to each other often depends on other communicative signs such as body language and eye-contact rather than direct words. In this regard, people make assumptions about what is not said. In Maldivian culture particular emphasis is placed on tone of voice, the use of silence, facial cues, and body language as they communication tend to be in an indirect fashion. It is vital to be aware of these non-verbal aspects of communication in any setting in order to avoid misunderstandings (Ashki). For example, during conversations raising eye brows means yes in the Maldivian context. Another instance is that silence is often used as a form of contemplation and a person should not feel obliged to speak during these periods. This indirectness of communication allows the people of this culture to exist as part of a homogenous society while upholding common traditions and values.

Space

A territory is also an area or space around a person that he claims as his own also known as personal space. Each person has his own personal territory, as Hall (1976) discovered. Personal Space is actually culturally determined depending on the type of...