Lecture Notes on Individualism vs. Collectivism

Introduction

• Individualism and Collectivism: Terms first used in the 19th century for political ideologies.
• Political connotation: Both terms had strong value content, perceived as either good or evil.
• 1920s: Used as opposites on a scale.
• 1960s: Emergence of the concept of individualist personalities in psychology.
• Collectivist personalities were not discussed.

Definitions

• Individualism:
  • Society where ties between individuals are loose.
  • Individuals are expected to care for themselves and their immediate family.
• Collectivism:
  • Society where individuals are part of strong in-groups (family, extended family, village, tribe).

Identity and Relationships

• Identity:
  • Collectivist societies: ‘We’ identity.
  • Individualist societies: ‘I’ identity.
• Exclusionism vs. Universalism:
  • Collectivist societies classify others as in-group or out-group (exclusion).
  • Individualist societies view others as individuals based on personal characteristics.
• Competition:
  • Collectivist: Competition between groups.
  • Individualist: Competition between individuals.
  • Relationships vs. tasks:
    • Collectivist: Relationships first, tasks second.
    • Individualist: Tasks first, relationships may follow.

Communication Styles

• High Context Communication:
  • Used in collectivist societies; much is understood without explicit explanation.
• Low Context Communication:
  • Used in individualist societies; requires detailed and explicit communication.

Societal Values

• Key Word in Collectivism: Harmony is emphasized; superficial harmony is maintained despite disagreements.
• Individualist Perspective on Confrontation: Confrontation can be healthy and beneficial.

Measuring Individualism vs. Collectivism

• Measurement: No absolute yardstick; measured relative to other societies.
• Individualism Scores (IDV): Scaled from 0 (most collectivist) to 100 (most individualist).
  • High Individualism Countries: USA, Australia, Britain, Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany.
  • Low Individualism Countries: India, Japan, Russia, Arab countries, Mexico, China.

Correlations with Hard Data

• Wealth vs. Poverty: Wealthier countries tend to be more individualist; wealth precedes individualism.
• Press Freedom: Higher in individualist societies.
• Human Rights:
  • Established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; indexes lower in collectivist societies.
• Marriage Practices:
  • Individualist societies: Higher divorce rates; marriages based on personal choice.
  • Collectivist societies: Lower divorce rates; families play a significant role in marriage arrangements.
• Pace of Life: Slower in collectivist societies.
• Language Use:
  • Individualist societies use 'I' more frequently; English capitalizes 'I'.
  • Collectivist languages may treat 'I' as taboo.
• Social Media Use:
  • Individualists: Active search for information.
  • Collectivists: Use social media for communication within in-groups.

Individualism and Power Distance

• Correlation: Lower power distance associated with individualism; higher power distance with collectivism.
• Effect of Wealth: Correlation exists mainly due to wealth; when comparing similar wealth countries, the correlation weakens.
• Horizontal vs. Vertical Individualism: Combination of individualism and power distance index (PDI).

Stability of Scores Over Time

• Generational Transfer: Individualism and collectivism scores transfer from generation to generation.
• Research indicates a general increase in individualism over 30 years, but the relative order of countries remains stable.