Edward T. Hall was an anthropologist who made early discoveries of key cultural factors. In particular he is known for his high and low context cultural factors.
Context
High context
In a high-context culture, there are many contextual elements that help people to understand the rules. As a result, much is taken for granted.
This can be very confusing for person who does not understand the 'unwritten rules' of the culture.
Low context
In a low-context culture, very little is taken for granted. Whilst this means that more explanation is needed, it also means there is less chance of misunderstanding particularly when visitors are present.
Contrasting the two
French contracts tend to be short (in physical length, not time duration) as much of the information is available within the high-context French culture. American content, on the other hand, is low-context and so contracts tend to be longer in order to explain the detail.
Highly mobile environments where people come and go need lower-context culture. With a stable population, however, a higher context culture may develop.
Note the similarity with Trompenaars' Universalism (low context) and Particularism (high context).