Individualistic and Collectivistic Culture

Individualistic and Collectivistic Culture

Hello, and welcome to this presentation about the differences between Individualistic and Collectivistic Cultures and how cultural differences can affect expressions of personality

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Here is an outline of the presentation. We will begin by understanding the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. We shall then discuss the subgroup- Asian Americans as a collectivistic cultural sub-group. In the future, we will examine how differences in culture type and Asian Americans can affect expressions of personality and then discuss the impact of all this knowledge on my personal and career interactions. The last slide will summarize the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures.

According to Guess (2004), individualism refers to a culture where an individual’s goals are prioritized over a group’s. On the other hand, collectivistic culture refers to a culture where the group’s goals are a priority over an individual’s goals. The differences between the two lie in how various cultures promote an individual’s values over a group’s. Regarding a sense of self, individualistic cultures are separate from others, whereas collectivist cultures are linked with others (Guess, 2004). According to Triandis & Suh (2002), individualistic cultures perceive motivation as a push gathered only by an individual and as an achievement attributed to an individual.

In contrast, collectivistic cultures perceive motivation from the point of indebtedness or a group. Triandis & Suh (2002) attest that most collectivistic cultures are poorer, whereas most individualistic cultures are economically prosperous. In an individualistic culture, a group is not involved; its members only care about themselves and their immediate families, whereas in a collectivistic culture, members care about other group members. As a result, the measure of success is based on an individual who stands out from others in an individualistic culture. In a collective culture, success is measured by members’ contributions to the group.

While individualistic cultures such as Western Europe and the U.S. emphasize individual achievement at the cost of a group, collectivistic cultures emphasize group development or achievement (Olson, Favero & Hergenhahn, 2019). As a result, there is a lot of competition in individualistic cultures. Members of individualistic cultures are vulnerable to loneliness, whereas members from collectivist cultures are vulnerable to fear of rejection. This is because the members of a collectivist culture are used to being connected, whereas members of individualistic cultures are often self-dependent and lonely. According to Guess (2004), every person in a collectivist culture is expected to conform to the norms of the society and not openly share beliefs or opinions that are against the society. This is the opposite of individualistic cultures, where individuals can express their views, beliefs, and ideas even when they are against society’s beliefs. Cooperation is widely embraced in collectivist cultures, while in individualistic cultures, an individual can work independently without depending on others. There are more confrontations and casual or temporary relationships in individualistic cultures because people focus on their own needs rather than the other party. In collectivistic cultures, relationships will likely be harmonious, sustainable, and deep since individuals work together. Additionally, in a collectivist culture, the individuals’ behaviors portray the social roles and norms because they are shared in the group (Olson, Favero & Hergenhahn, 2019). On the other hand, in an individualistic culture, the behavior of individuals portrays the individual’s attitudes and personality.

According to Zhang & Tsang (2014), Asian Americans can be categorized into integrated, separated, assimilated, and marginalized groups. They posit that in an integrated Asian-American group, members tend to join Asian organizations and clubs while simultaneously engaging in the American culture through spending time with American and European friends and even voting. On the other hand, a marginalized group tends not to participate in either their culture or the American culture. Additionally, assimilated groups tend to loosen the connection with their Asian community and wholly engage in the behaviors and values of the American culture. The separated Asian Americans tend to keep away from American culture and embrace their Asian behaviors and values by living in segregated places like Chinatowns (Zhang & Tsai, 2014). However, marginalized Asian Americans do not do well because they engage in deviant behaviors, and according to Chung (2002), they show depressive symptoms compared to non-marginalized Asian Americans. This is because their culture is collective, where interdependence is valued. When marginalized, they fail to work well because they are used to working as a group and not being alone, which pushes them to be susceptible to loneliness and depressive thoughts. Since they have familial ties even in their achievements, they tend to exercise humility as they hold the needs of others more than their personal needs (Chung, 2002). This character trait also shows they can easily control their emotions and have others higher than them. As a result, their relationships are primarily hierarchical.

Individuals high on the agreeable level are more likely to migrate and live near friends and family. In contrast, one who is open would prefer living in an innovative and diverse place (Triandis & Suh, 2002). In a sub-group such as Asian Americans, the group’s values are likely to be group needs, respectfulness, and social harmony. Therefore, it is expected that these attributes would be reflected in the personalities of the group members. The sub-group members will likely have ease of embarrassment and lower self-esteem, empathy, and sociability because of their collective environment.

On the other hand, since individualistic culture values an individual’s goals, competition is high as individuals strive to stand out from a crowd. Everyone in an individualistic culture aims to be independent and develop themselves. This is why most people in the U.S. tend to live away from their immediate families after they grow up and would probably even live in another country.

On the contrary, a collective culture like Asian American culture would live with their families and relatives because they value social circles. In that case, members of individualistic cultures such as the U.S. tend to be aggressive and assertive in their personalities. This means that members from an individualist culture show more personally-oriented traits, whereas members from a collectivist culture show more socially-based personality characteristics.

Since people from individualistic cultures are self-motivated to develop themselves, they build in the process (Olson, Favero & Hergenhahn, 2019). This is why most people from the U.S. tend to be bold and confident in themselves even though they do not know everything. Compared to a collectivist culture, members lack self-motivation. They are highly dependent on the support of others, such as family, friends, or teachers, to build their self-esteem. Other people’s opinions affect people from a collectivist culture, affecting their self-esteem. As a result, they are likely to have an ease of embarrassment and low self-esteem personality. Most Asian Americans still hold on to their cultural values, including traditional medicine, and even though conventional medicine may work for them, it is hardly heard that they confidently share the medicine with the rest of the cultures.

Furthermore, the communication style of using ‘we’ in a collectivistic culture also affects the members’ personalities (Triandis & Suh, 2002). For instance, Chung (2002) reported that an Asian American is likely to accept Western therapy or mental treatment if it is offered by a healthcare provider who is also Asian American. This is because they tend to find their group relatable and more acceptable. Besides their hierarchical nature, the family sees others above them; in other words, they have embraced humility. Therefore, an Asian American patient is likely to see a physician as an authoritarian or an expert and expect them to have a treatment plan. If the treatment plan or recommendation is delayed delivery, they will likely lose confidence in the healthcare provider (Chung, 2002). This is contrary to the ideal American patient, who is expected to partner with the healthcare personnel in their care to assist the physicians in prioritizing their tasks.

This knowledge will help me understand why cooperation may work effectively in specific teams and not in others or why  different strategies may be used for different teams. I have learned to be keen on socializing with others, engaging others in workplaces, or presenting an idea to a team to implement. For instance, if I were to propose a concept of change to an individualistic cultural environment, I would make sure that I understand their interests and goals in the company and align them with the idea. This will help both the team and myself come to a consensus. Besides, I have also learned that personalities are reflected in teams’ behaviors, and proper communication would save the team a lot of trouble. For example, if a team has members from individualistic and collectivistic cultures, I would prefer to acknowledge both the efforts of individuals and those of the team. This knowledge has also helped me understand that culture influences people’s decisions, especially regarding the kind of treatment they would prefer. Forcing Western treatment on different cultural groups may only draw them further from accepting essential treatments such as therapy and medical treatment for mental illnesses such as depression, stress, and PTSD, among others. Therefore, I have learned that mainstreaming the factor of culture in decisions and policies is essential.

In conclusion, we find that personality is affected by environmental factors such as culture. The significant cultures discussed above are individualistic and collectivistic. The difference between the two is that the former is more concerned about the affairs of an individual, even if it is at the expense of a group. In contrast, the latter is concerned about the affairs of the group as opposed to an individual. Asian Americans are categorized as a collectivistic culture whose personality characteristics involve interdependence, sociability, low self-esteem, sustainable relationships, respect, harmony, and more focus on community development. This differs from individualistic cultures with personality traits: confidence, strong self-esteem, independence, temporary relationships, and competition. In the U.S., assertiveness and aggressiveness are the most common personality traits because they focus on self-development. At the same time, Asian Americans, among other collectivists, are likely to be submissive and less aggressive in pursuing their personal goals unless the goal would benefit their society as a whole.

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Create a PowerPoint presentation to describe the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Discuss one sub-group, such as ethnicity or religion, and explain how those differences can affect expressions of personality and how your understanding of them can improve your interactions with others.

After reading the articles for this week, create a presentation that is at least 8 slides long, not including the title and reference slides. Your slides should consist of the following:

Introduction (let the audience know the purpose of the presentation) [1 slide].
Describe the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures [2-3 slides].
Discuss a sub-group of one of these cultures (ethnic, religious) [1-2 slides].
Explain how the differences in culture type and the sub-group can affect expressions of personality [2-3 slides].
Describe how this knowledge and understanding can positively impact your personal and career interactions with others [1-2 slides].
Conclusion [1 slide].
Your Assignment should be at least 8 slides, not including the Title and Reference slides, and should include the following elements:

Title slide: Provide your name, title of Assignment, course and unit number, and date
Body: At least 8 slides answering the questions provided in the Assignment directions
If images are used, they should be properly referenced.
Reference slide: With a minimum of 3 sources in APA format
Use APA Formatting and Citation style