5/30/19, W06 'Individualism vs. Collectivism'

The video by Brother Ivers https://video.byui.edu/media/05+Individualism+vs+Collectivism/0_ojon0rjc

and the two readings; Part III – Continuum of Individualistic and Collectivistic Values and The Myth of Chinese Super Schools; which was very enlightening, were packed with information on how cultures view the way individuals fit into society. I understand the terms individualism and collectivism a little better as well as cultures’ varied behaviors due to their orientations. 

As an American I agree that our culture is individual oriented. Although there are many positives and negatives in all cultural orientations, I feel that a balance would be most beneficial. However, it’s difficult to change patterns, behaviors and values after many generations. For example, the youth in America are encouraged from the time they’re in middle school to advocate for themselves and to work towards their individual goals. As a parent I feel that a child is still young and dependent and needs guidance, but teachers and doctors push parents away and want the child to work through the issue or talk about the problem without the parents’ involvement. It’s handled that way in the name of ‘helping the child to become an independent adult.’ And then on the other hand, there are many Native American Tribes in the States whose cultures are group oriented. My husband is employed as a counselor for one of the Tribes, and their culture bands together as families, and are very interdependent. The youth are also expected to be respectful to their elders, although the American society at large is very disrespectful. This is especially apparent in the public-school system. So how do TESOL teachers in America help their students who are from a collectivistic culture learn to navigate in an individualistic culture?

It is true than in our individualistic culture in America there is always competition to be the best, to stand out, and to climb the ladder, I just didn’t realize that in many parts of the world, that isn’t the case. That pattern of competition begins with parents when their children are quite young. “My daughter learned to walk or talk before she was one. My little boy was born to play baseball, he has been playing on teams since he was four.” And the expectation is that she will continue ahead of her class through school, and that they will both earn scholarships to college. We fall somewhere along the continuum depending on how closely we identify with our culture due to our values. For example, for those Americans who don’t want to stand out or aren’t so competitive, perhaps they gravitate toward groups of people who think about issues or topics the way they do, or perhaps they become involved in clubs so that they’re part of a group and don’t stand alone.

As I assess the behavior and needs of my future students, I need to take into consideration acculturation. What culture did they immigrate from? Where are they on the continuum of individualistic and collectivistic values? I believe this will help me be more understanding of various behaviors and values that are different from my own.