COLLECTIVISM AND INDIVIDUALISM

Comparison between various aspects of Collectivism and Individualism

Comparison between various aspects of Collectivism and Individualism

Introduction

Cultures may differ in the extent to which competition, cooperation or individualism are emphasized. According to various researches and studies, social behavior can vary due to cultural differences (Kagitcibasi & Berry, 1989). Collectivism and individualism have been identified by Hofstede (1980) as two opposite facets of a dimension which differentiate the world cultures. Discussed below is the contrast and difference between individualism and collectivism.

Discussion

Collectivism can be defined as a phenomenon where the in-group's fate is more important than that of an individual, and where prioritizing the in-group's goals over an individual's goals is a significant characteristic found in the members of this in-group. Other prominent characteristics of collectivism include avoidance of open conflict within the in-group and maintenance of cooperation, harmony and interdependence.

Contrastingly individualism has been characterized by concern for personal over in-group's fate, prioritizing personal goals over those of the in-group, accepting confrontations within the in-group and feeling independent from one's in-group.

Triandis (1995) defined an in-group as a group of individuals with whom a person feels a certain sense of similarity because of a common fate. Families, bands and, tribes are a few examples of in-groups in a collectivist culture. In-groups in individualistic cultures include coworkers, family, clubs and even motorcycle gangs.

The relationship between individuals and the in-group tends to be stable in a collectivist culture. An individual stays with their in-group even when it makes highly costly demands. In comparison, individuals from individualistic cultures are more likely to drop in-groups which make inconvenient demands and form new in-groups.

The concepts of individualism and collectivism include norms, roles, beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors in diverse cultures (Triandis, 1995). Researchers have measured these concepts in various domains including morality, self -construal's, values etc. Various ...