10 minutes with Geert Hofstede on Individualisme versus Collectivisme 10112014

Summary

The transcript explores the concepts of individualism and collectivism, historically rooted in political ideologies of the 19th century. It delves into how these terms describe societal structures, with individualistic societies valuing personal independence and collectivist societies emphasizing group identity and harmony. The speaker discusses the implications of these values on various aspects of society, such as communication styles, family dynamics, and social media usage. The video also touches on the correlation between individualism and wealth, suggesting that wealthier countries tend to be more individualistic. Additionally, it mentions that individualism scores have increased over time but the relative positions of countries have remained stable.

Takeaways

• 📚 The terms 'individualism' and 'collectivism' were first used in the 19th century for political ideologies and later in the 1960s for personality psychology.
• 🌍 Individualism is characterized by loose ties between individuals, where people are expected to look after themselves and their immediate family, while collectivism involves strong group affiliations from birth.
• 🏡 In collectivist societies, there is a 'we' identity and a tendency to classify others as in-group or out-group, whereas individualist societies emphasize an 'I' identity and universalism.
• 🏆 Competition in collectivist societies is between groups, whereas in individualist societies, it is between individuals.
• 🤝 In collectivist societies, relationships come first, and tasks come second, whereas in individualist societies, tasks take precedence, and relationships may form afterward.
• 💬 High-context communication is typical in collectivist societies, where much is implied and communication is brief, while low-context communication is found in individualist societies, requiring more explicitness.
• 🎎 The key word in collectivist societies is 'harmony,' even when disagreements occur, superficial harmony is maintained to prevent the in-group from weakening.
• 📊 Individualism can be measured relative to other societies, with scores ranging from 0 to 100, and is correlated with wealth, press freedom, and human rights.
• 🌐 Wealthier countries tend to be more individualistic, while poorer countries are more collectivist, but wealth is the precursor to individualism, not the other way around.
• 📈 Over time, individualism scores have increased, but the relative order of countries has remained stable, indicating that these values are transferred across generations and are relatively stable.

Q & A

What do the terms 'individualism' and 'collectivism' originally suggest and how were they first used?

The terms 'individualism' and 'collectivism' originally suggest political ideologies and were first used in the 19th century. They were felt to be either good or evil from the beginning.

In what decade did the term 'individualism' emerge in the field of personality psychology?

The term 'individualism' emerged in personality psychology in the 1960s.

What is the definition of individualism in the context of societal structure?

Individualism is defined as a society where ties between individuals are loose, and everyone is expected to look after themselves and their immediate family.

How is collectivism defined in societal terms?

Collectivism is a societal structure where individuals from birth onwards are part of strong in-groups, such as the family, extended family, village, society, or tribe.

What is the 'we' identity in collectivist societies, and how does it differ from the 'I' identity in individualist societies?

In collectivist societies, people identify with a 'we' identity, emphasizing group cohesion, whereas in individualist societies, there is an 'I' identity, focusing on individuality.

How does competition manifest in collectivist societies compared to individualist societies?

In collectivist societies, competition is between groups, such as tribes, whereas in individualist societies, competition is between individuals.

What is the primary focus when carrying out a task together in collectivist societies, and how does it differ in individualist societies?

In collectivist societies, the relationship comes first, and the task comes second, whereas in individualist societies, the task comes first, and the relationship may develop afterward.

What is the difference between high context communication and low context communication as it relates to individualism and collectivism?

High context communication is typical of collectivist societies where many things are implicit, and communication can be brief. Low context communication is typical of individualist societies where everything must be specified, and communication is more extensive.

What is the key word associated with collectivist societies in terms of group dynamics?

The key word associated with collectivist societies is 'harmony,' emphasizing the maintenance of superficial harmony within the in-group even if there are disagreements.

How can the position of a country on the individualism-collectivism dimension be measured?

The position of a country on the individualism-collectivism dimension can be measured relative to other societies using a scale from zero to a hundred, with scores close to zero indicating collectivist societies and scores close to 100 indicating individualist societies.

What are some significant correlations between a country's individualism score and various social and economic factors?

Countries with higher individualism scores tend to be wealthier, have more press freedom, higher human rights indexes, higher divorce rates, and faster paces of life. Additionally, languages in individualist societies use the word 'I' more frequently.

How do individualism and power distance relate, and do individualism scores change over time?

Countries with lower power distance tend to be more individualist, but this correlation is mainly an effect of wealth. Research shows that individualism scores have increased over time but have not changed the order of countries, suggesting that the scores can be assumed to be stable over time.