Feb. 21, Chapter 4 response

One concept that was stressed in the chapter was the notion “power of the group” .This refers to the idea that certain groups of people take greater precedence than others in our lives. This idea in particular is expressed though the notions of individualism and collectivism. The individualists are the ones who detach themselves from the family early on and become more independent. This idea remains dominant in more developed countries like the United States, especially since it is considered normal for the offspring to leave home at age 18. This is because this is the age when they are considered to be an adult. Conversely, there are many other countries that relate more to the collectivist concept. This idea means that people retain close contacts to other groups of people, particularly their family. I noticed that this idea seems prominent in less developed countries in Latin America and Middle Eastern where families tend to be large. In addition, it is considered normal for the offspring to live with the parents even after they reach adulthood (pg. 92).
Another idea that interested me was the rivalry between universalism and exclusionism. Exclusionism happens when people perceive their group as the most important while excluding others because of their differences. Conversely, people who engage in universalism overlook the differences in other people and try to live in harmony. Universalism is clearly a better way of living since it makes way for less conflict in our lives. Furthermore, everyone in this world is special and unique in his or her way. Instead of resenting our differences we should celebrate them (pg. 98).