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Individualist/Collectivist
Individualist Cultures:
- Focus on oneself and one's individual identity.
- Value is put on being self-sufficient.
- Independence is greatly stressed and valued.
- In general, people tend to distance themselves psychologically and emotionally from each other.
- One may choose to join groups, but group membership is not essential to one's identity or success.
Example: The U.S. has an individualist culture.
Collectivist Cultures:
- Sense of self comes from one's membership and role in a group, such as one's family or work team.
- Belief that the survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the individual, so that by considering the needs and feelings of others, one protects oneself.
- Harmony and the interdependence of group members are stressed and valued.
- Group members are relatively close psychologically and emotionally, but distant toward non-group members.
Example: China and India are both collectivist societies.
*While no culture is exclusively individualist or collective-not to mention individuals within each type-most tend to be more one than the other.
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