Thursday, February 21, 2013

Chapter four predominantly is about the varying forces between individualism and collectivism. It portrays how individualism, the ability to being able to express yourself in however you want- beliefs, actions, thoughts, realities, etc. And, collectivism, is having that group think and being able to meet in the center and having that collective group. Majority of the things I read, I actually have came across before. But, what struck me is the idea of implementing exlusivism and universalism within individualism and collectivism---essentially, both of them are the same thing except in a more general and a broader aspect. Thinking about individualism and collectivism I started to reflect upon different realities that is implemented upon us because of the culture and country we grew up in. For example, in the United States or in this American culture, it has always been engraved in us that in order to be successful we have to graduate college and earn degrees. While, maybe in some other countries, in order to be successful for women, you have to be married. All of these are cultural norms, different "realities", collective thoughts, that is seeped in our individual thought. It's kind of confusing, but it's interesting to decipher the difference between individualism and collectivism when culture and different realities come into play.

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