Characteristics of Collectivist Countries:
- Value social harmony, respectfulness, and group needs over individual needs
- Life satisfaction is based on social harmony and relationships
- Carefully observed social hierarchies
- People stand out by being group leaders
- Lower need for positive self-regard
- More sociable
- More time with fewer people
- More other-based emotions (sympathy)
- Emotions are grounded in social worth and relationships
- Emphasizes respect
- More focus on the group's requirements than personal requirements

Characteristics of Collectivist Countries

Characteristics of Individualist Countries:
- Prioritize independence, competition, and personal achievement
- Life satisfaction emphasizes self-esteem
- Less attentive to status differences 
- People stand out by demonstrating independence 
- Higher need for positive self-regard
- Prefer individual activities
- Less time with more people
- More self-focused emotions (anger)
- Emotions are grounded in private experiences and relationship to the self
- More likely to self-enhance
- More likely to value competition
- More likely to focus on personal goals

Characteristics of Individualist Countries

Analyze the differing perspectives of the two managers in the scenario below. Explain how their proposed reward systems reflect two contrasting cultural frameworks for valuing achievement and group dynamics.

Cultural Perspectives on Workplace Motivation

Collectivism and individualism represent two contrasting cultural frameworks that emphasize different core values. Individualist cultures, common in Western nations like the United States, England, and Australia, prioritize independence, competition, and personal achievement. In contrast, collectivist cultures, prevalent in Asia, Africa, and South America, place a higher value on social harmony, respectfulness, and the needs of the group over individual desires.

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New Mexico Highlands University

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Culture encompasses the beliefs, customs, art, and traditions of a society. It is passed down to individuals through language and by modeling behaviors that are deemed culturally acceptable, which are often reinforced through social rewards or punishments.

Culture

Funder, D. C. (2019). The personality puzzle. New York, NY: W. W. Norton &amp; Company.

The Personality Puzzle

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

In an easy culture many goals are attainable and accepted as valuable by society. A tough culture has less less attainable goals and fewer methods of achieving those goals.  

Tough vs. Easy Cultures

Cultures that emphasize achievement tend to promote success at a young age and show high levels of industrialization. For example, in the United States, the common children's, "The Little Engine who Could" promotes achievement. Cultures that promote affiliation place a larger emphasis love and connection throughout the lifespan. 

Achievement vs. Affiliation 

Tight cultures expect small amounts of deviation from typical behaviors/norms. Tight cultures are often seen in areas ethnically homogeneous areas such as Hong Kong. Loose cultures are more accepting of behaviors outside of the norm. Loose cultures are often found in diverse areas such as the US or Australia. 

Tight vs. Loose Cultures

Cultures that place an emphasis on the head promote ideas such as creativity, critical thinking, curiosity, and learning. Examples of a "head" culture include Los Angeles and San Fransisco. "Heart" cultures place a larger emphasis on traits such as gratitude, hope, love, and fairness. An example of a culture with a large emphasis on heart would be Miami. 

Head vs. Heart Cultures

-  Cultures high on dignity tend to emphasize individual values in their own self rather than value from others. Dignity focuses on internal strengths and fits well with market economies. Example: United States


-  Cultures with honor exist in areas with lower government and policing of citizens. Without strong police and laws, citizens must protect themselves and their families. Example: Latin American countries


-  Cultures of face are seen in  areas with hierarchy and cooperation. Citizens protect one another's image and and obey authority figures. Example: Japan or China. 

Honor, Face, and Dignity 

To what extent do people who are less powerful in that society accept the inequality of power?

Power-distance

How strict the gender roles are and what they prescribe.

Gender Roles

The extent to which a culture's attitude towards risky situations is anxious.

Uncertainty avoidance

Awareness and appreciation of the values, norms, and beliefs characteristic of a cultural, ethnic, racial, or another group that is not one’s own, accompanied by a willingness to adapt one’s behavior accordingly. 

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural Studies analyze the political dynamics of contemporary culture, such as "pop culture" and its historical basis. Cultural studies researchers review how cultural practices connect to wider systems of power associated with or operating through, social phenomena, including ideology, class structures, national formations, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and generation.

Cultural Studies

Focuses on investigating cultural variation, beliefs, and social/cognitive organization among humans. Studies how culture organizes and shapes the world and how humans are shaped by their environment.

Cultural Anthropology 

Globalization is a process of economic, political, and cultural integration that is occurring between countries and peoples around the world. It is driven by advancements in technology, communication, transportation, and trade, and is leading to increased interdependence, cross-border transactions, and the spread of ideas and cultures.

Globalization

The cultural perspective considers culture to be one of the most important environmental factors in shaping personality. It explores how both universal and culture-specific elements contribute to personality development and diversity, questioning the universal applicability of theories developed in a single cultural context, such as the West.

Cultural Perspective in Personality

Collectivism vs. Individualism

Read the following scenario and analyze how cultural norms are being transmitted. In your response, identify the specific norm being taught, the method of transmission, and the form of reinforcement used.

Analyzing Cultural Transmission

A child named Kai is at a community gathering and reaches to take food from a shared platter with their hands. Kai's grandmother gently stops them, explaining, 'In our family, we always use the serving utensils first to show respect for others.' She then hands Kai the serving tongs and smiles when Kai uses them. Later, Kai's parent praises them, saying, 'I was so proud to see you using the tongs today.' Which statement best analyzes how culture is being transmitted in this situation?

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