This chapter is the longest chapter so far.
The content is a lot but fortunately, there are a number of table help me to
summarize the idea I have read. Or you can first turn your page to 113. Table
4.2 shows the key differences in general norm and family between collectivist
and individualist societies. Go through the difference and say if you are
interested in the point “Adult children live with parents/leave the parental
home”, you can turn to the related page and read. In this way, you may find
this chapter more interesting than you thought. Table 4.3, 4.4 in page 117 and
124 also concluded many meaningful things to me.
This chapter introduces individualism and
collectivism as the dimensions of national culture. The author explained it in
different aspects such as society, family, school, workplace, etc. In a small
paragraph, he argues that are individualism and collectivism one or two
dimensions. I like this very much. “Tests
have shown that a person can score either high on both individualist and collectivist
values, high on one kind and low on the other, or low on both”. Quoted from
page 102. When talking about the values of individuals, they should be treated
as two separate dimensions. This once again supports my thought that A questionnaire
or test should not conclude that one is “Type A” when one got 60% of “Type A”
characteristic and 40% of “Type B”. It should conclude the result in two or
more separate dimensions.
He also used the example of Japanese family
only asks the oldest son to live with the parents to indicate there are always
exceptions which lie somewhere between individualism (nuclear family) and
collectivism (extended family). Many comparisons mentioned in this chapter are
inspiring. Overall, it is a quite interesting chapter to me.
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