Context | Meaning & Concept [Explained]

We explain what context is, its characteristics and its different types: historical, social, political, linguistic and cultural.

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What is context?

The context is the set of factors and circumstances that frame an event or action . The context, from Latin with (“globally or completely”) and textus (“woven” or “intertwined”) tells us that an event has not occurred in isolation and, therefore, allows us to understand and interpret it in a comprehensive way.

The context can be of character:

Material. They are the tangible aspects.
Symbolic. They are the intangible aspects.

For example, if a person is robbed on the street, the material context of the event includes everything from the time of day to what was stolen; while the symbolic context involves issues such as social needs and lack of public security.

The notions of historical, social, political, linguistic and cultural context are frequently used, which we will develop below.

Historical context

The historical context refers to the set of conditions that existed during the time or era in which an event occurred .

For example:

In the historical context of European feudalism Columbus's voyages to America took place.
In the historical context of World War II The technology that allowed the creation of nuclear weapons was developed.
In the historical context of the England in the 1960s The Beatles emerged.
In the historical context of late 20th century The technology was created for the development of first generation cell phones.

Social context

The social context refers to the influence exerted the characteristics of a certain society on the decisions and actions of the people who are part of it.

For example:

In the social context of the northern European countries Older adults enjoy a higher quality of life than in developing countries.
The social context of poverty It is essential to understand the phenomenon of crime.
The social context of the middle classes favors the idea of education as a mechanism of social mobility.

Political context

The political context refers to the influence exerted government systems, public policies and political ideas about a specific event in a society.

For example:

In the political context of the cold war The Vietnam War occurred.
In the political context of authoritarian or dictatorial regimes The use of social networks and the Internet is very limited.
In the political context of the United States Presidential re-election is limited to a second term.

Linguistic context

The linguistic context involves all the factors surrounding the production of linguistic statements and that affect the meaning or interpretation of such statements. The study of linguistic context is an essential part of what is known as the pragmatics of language.

For example:

If we say “she has short hair” through the linguistic context we can know that it is a woman who has a certain haircut. But if we change the context of the word “hair” it acquires a very different meaning: “she was saved by a hair.” In this case the context tells us that it is a woman who survived a dangerous situation.
A word like “key” can have multiple meanings and its interpretation depends on the context: it can be the water key, the key that opens a door or the key with which a mechanic repairs a car.

Cultural context

The cultural context refers to the values, customs and beliefs of a social group that influence a given event.

For example:

In the cultural context of Arabian Gulf It is offensive to show the soles of your shoes.
In the cultural context of the European Middle Ages Some conditions that today we consider to be of psychological origin were considered the result of witchcraft.
In the cultural context of the native peoples of America We find the belief that the earth is a living being that must be respected and protected.