10.18.21 Week 6 Collectivism vs. Individualism

 

Collectivism vs. Individualism

Collectivism is known as the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it. Individualism refers to the principle of being independent and self-reliant. When someone is viewed as being collectivist, they tend to value group effort, group instruction, group creditability and success, group nonperformance, etc. Those who view people individually tend to praise those for having self-reliance, self-advocacy, self-direction, and self-responsibility to name a few. 

    The most important thing in comparing these two views and learning about each one is this:

 One is not better than the other. 

    This is very important to know and recognize. In different parts of the world, the society may be viewed as a collectivism society or an individualism society. I grew up in the United States of America and According to Ava Rosenbaum, author of Personal Space and American Individualism, "The United States has one of the most individualist cultures in the world. Americans are more likely to prioritize themselves over a group of people and they value independence and autonomy." A few other countries that are considered individualist include: The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Australia. 

    When it comes to Collectivism, nearly three-fourths of the world's cultures can be described as collectivistic (Triandis, 1989). Some of these countries include: Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, Guatemala, Indonesia, India, and Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Pakistan. People are considered collectivistic when they are generous, helpful, and interdependent on each other. 

    It is important to remember that although specific countries may portray themselves as being more individualistic or collectivistic, there may very well be individuals within that specific country who does not follow the status quo. Although it may be seen as "good" to be selfless and generous to those in their community, it is also not wrong to want to work hard for something and want to be able to reap the joys of their labors. We must always strive to do our best and be our best for ourselves and our community and we should be free to choose which is best for our own circumstances. 

References: 

http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/diversity/partIII.asp

Brown Political Review https://brownpoliticalreview.org/2018/10/personal-space-american-individualism/