Collectivism vs. Individualism

Individualism and collectivism are conflicting views of the nature of humans, society

and the relationship between them.

1. Definitions How would you define individualism? How would you define collectivism? Give examples to show your understanding

of individualism and collectivism How to understand the term “in-group”? Distinguish between collectivism and

egalitarianism

Individualism: Gould and Kolb: belief that the individual is an

end in himself/herself, and as such ought to realize his/her self and cultivate his/her own judgment, notwithstanding the weight of pervasive social pressures in the direction of conformity.

Individualism holds that the individual is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value. This view does not deny that societies exist or that people benefit from living in them, but it sees society as a collection of individuals, not something over and above them.

Collectivism: great emphasis on The views, needs, and goals of the in-group

rather than of oneself Social norms and duty defined by the in-

group rather than behavior to get pleasure Beliefs shared with in-group rather than on

beliefs that distinguish oneself from the in-group

Great readiness to cooperate with in-group members

Extreme/basic individualism Extreme/basic collectivism

Collectivism holds that the group--the nation, the community, the proletariat, the race, etc.--is the primary unit of reality and the ultimate standard of value.

This view does not deny the reality of the individual. But ultimately, collectivism holds that one's identity is determined by the groups one interacts with, that one's identity is constituted essentially of relationships with others.

In-group ( 内集团） It’s seen as group of people about whose welfare one

is concerned, with whom one is willing to cooperate without demanding equitable returns, and separation from whom leads to discomfort or even pain.

Who is included in one’s in-group is quite variable: the nuclear family, Asians, Americans, neighbors, fellow nationals.

In extremely collectivist societies: the in-group dominates all aspects of a person’s life. In individualist societies, only certain aspects of a person’s life are influenced by in-groups.

Comparison: Collectivism and Individualism Individualists see people dealing primarily with reality; other

people are just one aspect of reality. Collectivists see people dealing primarily with other people; reality is dealt with through the mediator of the group; the group, not the individual, is what directly confronts reality.

Individualism holds that every person is an end in himself and that no person should be sacrificed for the sake of another. Collectivism holds that the needs and goals of the individual are subordinate to those of the larger group and should be sacrificed when the collective good so requires.

Individualism holds that the individual is the unit of achievement. While not denying that one person can build on the achievements of others, individualism points out that achievement goes beyond what has already been done; it is something new that is created by the individual.

Collectivism, on the other hand, holds that achievement is a product of society. In this view, an individual is a temporary spokesman for the underlying, collective process of progress.

Case 1 The musical director appointed to the

PHILADELPHIA Orchestra, one of the top ten orchestras in the world, in 1982 was Italian Ricardo Muti. In an interview with the French magazine L’Express he was asked why Italy has produced such a large number of great conductors, including himself, and no major orchestras. He said that ‘Italian are too individualistic to play well in an orchestra.’

Case 2 Trandis and Vassiliou collected multi-method data

from interviews, observations, questionnaires and tests, and did experiments to obtain some impression of the cultural differences between Greece and the US. They identified the Greek in-group (family and friends) as relatively narrow, a source of protection, social insurance, and the setting within which one can relax. Relations with out-group members (everybody else) are suspicious, competitive, and uncooperative. In-group authorities are accepted; out-group authorities are rejected, defied, undermined, and resented.

The characteristics of individualism and collectivism can be summarized as follows:

Individualism: Individual autonomy; self-oriented; personal

goals; unique and independent; individual privacy; nuclear family; individual rewards (equity); competition

Collectivisim: Group unity and harmony; group-

oriented; group goals; conforming and interdependent; group belongingness; extended family; equal distribution of reward (equality); cooperation

2. Individualism, isolation & balance

Misconceptions about individualism: 1) Individualism means isolation--being alone, being

outside society The belief that individualism means being alone leads

people to say that individualism is incompatible with cooperation. the lone cowboy, the fearless gumshoe (cop), and the

isolated prairie family Individualism is called “individualism” not because it

exhorts the individual to seek a life apart from others, but because it asserts that the individual, and not the group, is the primary constituent of society.

2)Balance: Individualism can somehow be mixed with or tempered by collectivism. In this view, neither “extreme” individualism nor “extreme” collectivism are correct. Rather, wisdom and truth lie somewhere in the middle.

Individualism and collectivism are contradictory positions--there is no middle ground between them.

Collectivism maintains that the group is an entity in its own right, a thing that can act upon people. Individualism denies this.

Collectivism sees us being influenced by the group; individualism sees us being influenced by other individuals. Collectivism sees us cooperating with the team; individualism, with other people. Collectivism sees us building on the ideas and achievements of society; individualism, on the ideas and achievements of individuals. These are contradictory positions; it's either-or.

Collectivism is, by its nature, an act of balancing the need of the individual against the need of “society”. Individualism denies that society has any needs, so the issue of balance is not relevant to it.

3. Variables relevant to analysis of individualism-collectivism

Number of in-groups Extent of the sphere of influence of

each in-group Depth of this influence.

Basic individualism Basic collectivism Contextual collectivism Consultative individualism

4. Different kinds of collectivism and individualism

Basic collectivism Consultative

Behavior

No. o

f in-g

roups

Consultative individualism

Basic individualism

Contextual collectivism

Basic collectivism

Extreme basic individualism

Dimensions for analysis of social organization (collectivist/individualist)

How many in-groups influence an individual’s social behavior? (more groups, more individualistic)

How easy is it easy for the individual to become a member of these in-groups? (easier, more individualistic)

What is the size of these in-groups? (small in-groups in affiliate settings—individualistic, any size in achievement settings)

How many behaviors are completely determined by in-group norms? ( more, collectivist)

Is behavior mostly predictable from norms and roles? (yes, collectivist)

Are the majority of the perceived consequences of social behavior other-oriented (collectivist) or self-oriented (individualistic)

5. Main dimensions for analysis of collectivism

Antecedents of Individualism and Collectivism

Consequents (things that follow) of individualism and collectivism

6. Chinese Culture: collectivism Historical roots: Confucianism, Taoism,

Buddhism Doctrines: Avoid extremes; try to be humble

Confucianism: man can’t live in an isolated way and he is being in relationship; harmonious relations with others. Justice, propriety, wisdom, confidence Zhongyong 中庸 ( 意即谨守礼制，不偏不倚，不激不随，

恰当适中。 ) 孝，仁，礼 Taoism: everything has two opposite sides.

Everything will develop into the opposite direction when it becomes extreme.

Buddhism: each individual has the power to relieve the pain and suffering resulted from egos, that the salvation from pain and suffering lies only in our effort, and that only destroying his ego can one achieve happiness and alleviate suffering.