A BERTopic extraction analysis of Hall’s low-and high-context communication in communication journals

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to examine citation data for Edward T. Hall's works in communications journals from 1990 to 2024. The authors use technologies of Natural Language Processing (NLP), specifically BERTopic extraction to explore how communication journals have framed Edward T. Hall’s theories of culture. The analysis revealed 38 articles referenced Hall’s work 432 times. The Journal of Intercultural Communication Research published the most articles, highlighting its significance in intercultural and cross-cultural communication scholarship. Articles focused primarily on the following frames: 1) Culture and the Impact on Work and Research, 2) Time and the Impact on Work and Research, 3) Smell and Sensory Hierarchies, 4) Proxemics and Cultural Expressions, 5) Cross-cultural communication between American and German students, and 6) Cultural differences in Communication between Japanese and other Cultures. The comparative analysis presented in this study provides insight into how academic discourse has shaped Hall’s conception of culture over time. The results show that Hall’s work has received increased mention in books and monograph chapters, as well as in non-peer-reviewed and non-central publications.