Individualism vs Collectivism

individuation and communism Culture Abstract This essay discusses opposite aspects of individuality and collectivism close. Although e very(prenominal) finish is contrastive, laissez-faire(a) and collectivism stupefy a different suggestion for social validation. In this essay I able-bodied use my personal experience as a foreigner to help the readers understand the subject. In addendum to the investigate I have d whiz I was able to find information to help me full understand how the cardinal concepts impacted different countries such as the U. S.A, China and Burkina Faso. There ar nearly a hundred and nighty-six countries on this planet, each one of them has a variety of cultures and traditions. Cultures be typically servingd out into two categories left-winger and singleicic. Individualist cultures, such as those of the join Sates and westbound Europe, value personal exploit resulting in a strong sense of competition. collectivistic cultures, such as t hose of China, Korea, and Japan, emphasize family and work class goals above individual needs or desires.From a personal preference I would prefer a collectivist society but orders of social manner change from culture to culture. I willing nowadays explain my experience coming in the United States to study. Being an international student from Burkina Faso, a field that has more than than sixty ethnic groups with all different languages and dialects. I myself speak three languages, Moore my kickoff and cut second. The Western cultures are more individualist than collectivist eastern cultures. The United States is con viewred to be an individualist ground, so when I first got here, the transfer was very sturdy.I met Ameri muckle friends at U. G. A, despite been very nice it was hard sometimes to understand each other, as our cultures are different. The terms individuality and collectivism are normally used to express different cultures. An individualistic culture is wher e individuals are said to be bounded, autonomous, distinct from others, and accentuation ones avow goals and agency rather than those of others (Mascolo M. F. & Li J. , 2004, p. 27). As it was stated in the first paragraph the United States is listed as having an individualist society.Some masses would offer themselves, their family and friend as an anecdotal sound reflection model to American individuality, but both(prenominal) individualist and collectivist orientations may coexist indoors individuals cultures (Kim U. & Trandis H. C. & Choi S. C. , 1994, p. 123). For guinea pig my best friend in Burkina Faso, born(p) and raise there grew up to become an individualist. She say it herself, I do non same(p) to share. A person may live in a traditionally collectivistic culture and may lock in express individualistic behaviors within that culture, well(p) like my friend.The culture in Burkina is known for being contradictory and as for myself being born there, and hav ing a native nine siblings, we all shared everything, such as cloth, food, toys and many other things. So growing in this milieu I have learned to share not only with brother and sisters but sometimes cousins. The traditional views of individualism and collectivism suggest that Eastern countries will exhibit collectivistic drawencies while Western countries will exhibit individualistic tendencies (Parker R. S. , Haytko D. L. , & Hermans C. M. , 2009). According Sen L. H. (2004).Being raise in a collectivist environment, the transition at UGA was a bit complicated. Many of my friends at UGA were born and raised in Georgia some of them have a different way of approaching this subject. For pillow slip one of them had a total different occurrence than mine. He has 2 sisters and was t ancient by his parents that if they each guide something each of them have the full not to share. Since both individualist and collectivist orientations may coexist within the two cultures, it is pr actically impossible to say that everyone in western countries is an individualist or that everyone in eastern countries and Africa is a collectivist.As a within the communities it might be possible. For example most of the time in my coarse if someone is getting married everyone is pretty lots invited. One will have thousands of nation at their wedding to show support to the newlyweds. Studies suggest the nearly educated are more individualistic than the little educated. City dwellers are more individualistic than rural residents. Men are more individualistic than women, and early more than old. Thus, we need to consider peoples experiences when interacting with them (Kanchier C. , 2007).The same individualism that has led to disaster, such as the mortgage crisis, because it was move to excess will also be the denotation of Americas eventual resurgence. At its best, American individualism embraces the tactual sensation that every person matters. Increasingly, in American c ities oddly on the coasts, you will find that social categories are less important than individual histories. The U. S media will rather gossip almost bill Clinton mathematical function and Paris Hiltons sex tapes than talk about important subjects that actually affects peoples manners like the increasing dangerousness of tuberculosis as it becomes more immune to anti biotic.By contrast, collectivist are committed and interdependent, stressing roles and relationship, more than individual uniqueness they are in the first place motivated to pure group goals rather than their own (Mascolo M. F. & Li J. , 2004, p. 27). Like individualism, within every culture there will be both individualist and collectivist people. Now lets take a impression at the aspect of collectivism in China. Chinese culture is indeed more collectivist than individualist, and individualist values such as self-interest tend not to be present. (Kim U. & Trandis H.C. & Choi S. C. , 1994, p. 154). Hui in 1988 de veloped the individualism-collectivism dental plate (INDOL scale) it comprises six subscales purporting to measure a persons collectivism orientation toward target groups (Kim U. & Trandis H. C. & Choi S. C. , 1994, p. 149). In his research Hui compared the scores of Chinese university students to those of American university students. Taken together, these results express that Chinese culture may be characterized as predominantly collectivist as well as anti-individualist. (Kim U. & Trandis H.C. & Choi S. C. , 1994, p. 154) For example the Chinese culture divide is considered be dishonorable they believe that the marriage of two people is the union of two families. According to Luke Metcalfe, 2013, the divorce ordinate in china is 0. 79 per 1000people. As compared to the U. S. it is very common and some areas considered the norm. Luke Metcalfe, 2013 stated that The U. S divorce rate is at 4. 95 per 1000 people, which is the highest country with divorce rate. Individualist and collectivism have a different implication for social organization.The components of social organization presented in the book Individualism and Collectivism are very important they are combined into more inclusive major components, of which there are quintette values, autonomy/conformity, responsibility, achievement and self-reliance/interdependence. As an example of autonomy/conformity, an my best friend from Burkina Faso would want the right to hiding she believe that everyone should mind their own credit line. Their privacy should be respected. While on the other side I would believe that ones business is also the business of the group friends should be concerned with each others personal matters.Individualism and Collectivism are both needed in a society, inside every cultures will exists both concepts. I was raised in a collectivist environment but could decide to become an individualist it may be an unconscious choice, but it happens very frequently. The two concepts have their advantages and disadvantages. When I was a kid I wanted to learn how to rollerblade because my friends knew how to. I was too proud to ask for their help, so I have distinct to teach myself how to uses the rollerblades. I certainly did, but at what cost? Multiple injuries and it took forever before I could really get the hint of it.I now carry out that it would have been less painful if I just asked my friends help. Because I believe that collective work can make one attain greater success. Because together we are stronger. It is important for us readers to remember that individualism and collectivism each serve their own purposes, they are part of the reasons why our society is the way it is today. References Kanchier, C. (2007, may 12). Are you part of collective? we are not all individualism. How you view your-self influences how you relate to others at work. The Gazette, p. . Kim U. & Trandis H. C. & Choi S. C. (1994). Individualism and collectivism. United States of America SAGE. Mascolo M. F. & Li J. (2004). Culture and breeding selves beyond dichotomization. San Francisco Wiley company. NationMaste. (2003-2013). Luke Metcalfe. Retrieved from http//www. nationmaster. com/graph/peo_div_rat-people-divorce-rate Parker R. S. , Haytko D. L. , & Hermans C. M. , (2009). Individualism and Collectivism Reconsidering old Assumptions. Sen, L. H. (2004, May 7). Society needs individualism. The Straits Times, p.