EDIT : I have been reading about in psychological and cultural studies for many years. One of the most interesting trait I have come across for comparing countries is the opposition between individualism and collectivism. I first wrote about it in 2003 when I was living in Japan. In this thread I will analyse a few national cultures with which I am particularly familiar and explain what makes them individualistic or collectivist.
There are many ways of being an individualist. I will look here at the relation of individualism to 6 major contexts of life :
The Italian case
Italians seem to be very individualistic :
- at work (many small businesses, because they don't like to have a boss)
- in society (they usually don't feel as much Italian as from their own region)
- in their way of thinking (they have quite arrested opinions and don't mind defending them against others)
But they can also be very collectivist when it comes to :
- family (children living with their parents till their 30's or till they get married, then move close to their mama's house :wink: )
- travelling outside Italy (the fact that they stick together when they go abroad or meet in an international community)
The Germans
Germans, who are typically individualistic in most respects, also tend to stick together inside an international group or when travelling abroad. This is not not usually the case of other Europeans, who usually mix more easily with people from other cultures. I wonder if this is because Germany and Italy were only recently unified as a nation, and that people still have a strong sense of regional belonging. The country as a whole is seen as an quasi-international community of its own, a (con)federation of states. It's telling that the Americans and the Japanese behave just like the Germans and the Italians in this regard. Americans are obviously also a young country and a federation of states. Japan was a feudal country with strong regional identities until 1867. If your country is your region/state and your international community is your federation, then you end up seeing the rest of the world as just too foreign and distant.
The British
British people are famous for their exacerbated individualism. It could even be said that they are the most individualistic nation on earth. Young people usually leave their parental home when they turn 16 or 18. People in their twenties that still live with their parents (30ties in just unimaginable !) are considered incapable of taking care of themselves, over-protected or just good-for-nothing. That is why parents also tend to force their children out early so that they have to cope with life. Many of these young people take a gap year (a year off) to travel around the world or start working and get some money before university. They will of course travel on their own and with often no fixed itinerary (contrarily to the Japanese, who always plan everything in the slightest details).
Brits are individualistic to an unequalled extend in their hobbies. As they do not care what other people do (Japanese do almost exclusively what other people do, following the mass trends), and enjoying themselves in their own private little ways. That also means that some have weird or for the least original hobbies, like train-spotting. They are also very individualistic at work, having and caring little about hierarchy as long as people have brilliant and original ideas.
The Americans
Like the British, Americans are famous individualists. However, that does not apply so generally, probably because American society is much more ethically and culturally diverse (only 71% of Caucasians, vs 94% in Britain).
Americans also notoriously travel in group, rather than alone. This is the most obvious difference with British people.
The French
French people are quite individualistic on average. They are especially so at work (don't want to be seen as part of the group or, when Americans ask for it, vehemently refuse to wear company t-shirts or sing the company's anthem), in their behaviour (each person wants to be different from other people just to prove their uniqueness), opinions (love arguing and be righter than others) and way of thinking (almost no influence from other people, and just taking the opposite stance for the sake of the argument).
But they tend to be more collectivist (than the Brits, though not the Italians) when it comes to family, hobbies, activities and even travel, as after all, they do not like very much doing things on their own (there need to be someone to discuss and argue with !)
The Japanese
They usually considered themselves as perfectly collectivist, but they can show signs of unrelenting individualism when they don't have the choice. Who more than the younger generation of Japanese are ready to go and study abroad by themselves for a whole year (or longer) without knowing anybody and without seeing their friends and family during that time ? How many young Japanese backpackers haven't I seen that were travelling alone - even though they often meet other Japanese on the way.
The same is true of their hobbies. Many Japanese do not hesitate to take private English lessons on their own or join some clubs or activities where they do not know anybody first. Maybe is it their sociability, as I know many Europeans (especially in Latin countries) that wouldn't join a new activity (sport, arts...) without a friend.
When it comes to accommodation, Japanese are the most and least individualistic at the same time. It actually depends on the people or period of their lives. On the individualistic side, Millions of Japanese live alone, and sharing a flat/apartment with some friends or even with their boy/girlfriend is extremely unusual in Japan. Striking individualism, beating even the British, for whom sharing a house with 4 or 5 friends (not family) is the most common thing to do among young Londoners. On the other hand, the rest of the Japanese, those that do not live by themselves, typically live with their family. Like in Italy, it is normal for children in Japan to "squat" their parent's house until their thirties or until they get married. It used to be common in Japan (and still regularly happens) that 3, 4 or even 5 generations live under the same roof, sometimes with the uncles, aunts and cousins. This is unheard of in Western countries. Let us say that Japanese society is divided and changing regard "the living place" and family.
The most collectivist attitudes of the Japanese can be found at work and in the society as a whole (Japanese vs foreigners mentality). Japanese tend to be very harmonious in their behaviour and opinions (at least "tatemae") compared to any Western country.
All in all, I'd say that Japanese are individualistic for their hobbies, travelling and their living place, but very collectivist for the rest.
There are many ways of being an individualist. I will look here at the relation of individualism to 6 major contexts of life :
- Style & Opinions : Individualists prefer to be seen as unique, don't want to be like everybody else, have strong opinions which they are ready to defend, are independent-minded, like arguing and are not easily influenced by others. Collectivists are conventional, conformist, follow trends and fashions, want to fit within the group, adapt their style and their opinions to those of the group they belong to.
- Motivation & Interests : Individualists are more interested in things and ideas than in people and relationships. They are motivated by self-improvement and personal goals. They feel rewarded by the sense of having accomplished something by themselves, without anybody's help (personal challenge, for the sake of it). Collectivists care about belonging to a group or community, and feel rewarded by being liked and respected by other members of the group.
- Family & Accommodation : Individualists leave home as soon as they can. they like their freedom and prefer living all by themselves (or possibly with a flat mate for weaker individualists). They don't meet their relatives very often, and don't let their family decide anything for them. They get divorced more easily. Collectivists move out of the parental home late, usually only when they get married. They are more likely to seek the acceptance of the family before choosing a spouse. Strong collectivists even live with their parents (and grandparents) after getting married and may let their family (help them) choose a spouse for them. Divorce is usually taboo or strongly discouraged.
- Travel : Individualists need the freedom to go and see wherever they want whenever they want. They can't stand following a group/guide or having to adjust their pace to others. They travel to see the world, observe other people, meet other travellers, but without ever having to lose their flexibility and freedom. They like having to plan their trips, find their way, surmount difficulties all by themselves. Collectivist can only enjoy travel in the company of others (family, friends, organised tour) with whom they can share their experience, socialise and have fun.
- At work : Individualists like to be able to make their own decisions, even if it means having to argue a point with others until they win, or go against the boss or team's decision. Collectivists respect more easily the authority coming from their group leader, and accept more readily majority ruling.
- Behaviour in international group : Individualists mingle easily with other nationalities because they don't feel a particular attachment to their own group (country, region, ethnicity, language). Collectivists like by and for their own group, and therefore will stick with people of their own nationality or language whenever they can.
The Italian case
Italians seem to be very individualistic :
- at work (many small businesses, because they don't like to have a boss)
- in society (they usually don't feel as much Italian as from their own region)
- in their way of thinking (they have quite arrested opinions and don't mind defending them against others)
But they can also be very collectivist when it comes to :
- family (children living with their parents till their 30's or till they get married, then move close to their mama's house :wink: )
- travelling outside Italy (the fact that they stick together when they go abroad or meet in an international community)
The Germans
Germans, who are typically individualistic in most respects, also tend to stick together inside an international group or when travelling abroad. This is not not usually the case of other Europeans, who usually mix more easily with people from other cultures. I wonder if this is because Germany and Italy were only recently unified as a nation, and that people still have a strong sense of regional belonging. The country as a whole is seen as an quasi-international community of its own, a (con)federation of states. It's telling that the Americans and the Japanese behave just like the Germans and the Italians in this regard. Americans are obviously also a young country and a federation of states. Japan was a feudal country with strong regional identities until 1867. If your country is your region/state and your international community is your federation, then you end up seeing the rest of the world as just too foreign and distant.
The British
British people are famous for their exacerbated individualism. It could even be said that they are the most individualistic nation on earth. Young people usually leave their parental home when they turn 16 or 18. People in their twenties that still live with their parents (30ties in just unimaginable !) are considered incapable of taking care of themselves, over-protected or just good-for-nothing. That is why parents also tend to force their children out early so that they have to cope with life. Many of these young people take a gap year (a year off) to travel around the world or start working and get some money before university. They will of course travel on their own and with often no fixed itinerary (contrarily to the Japanese, who always plan everything in the slightest details).
Brits are individualistic to an unequalled extend in their hobbies. As they do not care what other people do (Japanese do almost exclusively what other people do, following the mass trends), and enjoying themselves in their own private little ways. That also means that some have weird or for the least original hobbies, like train-spotting. They are also very individualistic at work, having and caring little about hierarchy as long as people have brilliant and original ideas.
The Americans
Like the British, Americans are famous individualists. However, that does not apply so generally, probably because American society is much more ethically and culturally diverse (only 71% of Caucasians, vs 94% in Britain).
Americans also notoriously travel in group, rather than alone. This is the most obvious difference with British people.
The French
French people are quite individualistic on average. They are especially so at work (don't want to be seen as part of the group or, when Americans ask for it, vehemently refuse to wear company t-shirts or sing the company's anthem), in their behaviour (each person wants to be different from other people just to prove their uniqueness), opinions (love arguing and be righter than others) and way of thinking (almost no influence from other people, and just taking the opposite stance for the sake of the argument).
But they tend to be more collectivist (than the Brits, though not the Italians) when it comes to family, hobbies, activities and even travel, as after all, they do not like very much doing things on their own (there need to be someone to discuss and argue with !)
The Japanese
They usually considered themselves as perfectly collectivist, but they can show signs of unrelenting individualism when they don't have the choice. Who more than the younger generation of Japanese are ready to go and study abroad by themselves for a whole year (or longer) without knowing anybody and without seeing their friends and family during that time ? How many young Japanese backpackers haven't I seen that were travelling alone - even though they often meet other Japanese on the way.
The same is true of their hobbies. Many Japanese do not hesitate to take private English lessons on their own or join some clubs or activities where they do not know anybody first. Maybe is it their sociability, as I know many Europeans (especially in Latin countries) that wouldn't join a new activity (sport, arts...) without a friend.
When it comes to accommodation, Japanese are the most and least individualistic at the same time. It actually depends on the people or period of their lives. On the individualistic side, Millions of Japanese live alone, and sharing a flat/apartment with some friends or even with their boy/girlfriend is extremely unusual in Japan. Striking individualism, beating even the British, for whom sharing a house with 4 or 5 friends (not family) is the most common thing to do among young Londoners. On the other hand, the rest of the Japanese, those that do not live by themselves, typically live with their family. Like in Italy, it is normal for children in Japan to "squat" their parent's house until their thirties or until they get married. It used to be common in Japan (and still regularly happens) that 3, 4 or even 5 generations live under the same roof, sometimes with the uncles, aunts and cousins. This is unheard of in Western countries. Let us say that Japanese society is divided and changing regard "the living place" and family.
The most collectivist attitudes of the Japanese can be found at work and in the society as a whole (Japanese vs foreigners mentality). Japanese tend to be very harmonious in their behaviour and opinions (at least "tatemae") compared to any Western country.
All in all, I'd say that Japanese are individualistic for their hobbies, travelling and their living place, but very collectivist for the rest.
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