BACKGROUND
Theory: Individualism-Collectivism Model
 Used to explain large amounts of variation seen in
human behavior, social interaction, and personality
 Explain differences in people and/or groups
How?
 Collectivist Cultures: individual needs, desires, etc. are
secondary to those of the group (Asia)
 Individualistic Cultures: Higher value on the needs and
accomplishments of the individual rather than the
group (United States)
CULTURE INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT
Culture and the self: individualism and collectivism
 Individualist cultures value independence. They promote personal
ideals, strengths, and goals, pursued in competition with others,
leading to individual achievement and finding a unique identity.
 Collectivist cultures value interdependence. They promote group
and societal goals and duties, and blending in with group identity,
with achievement attributed to mutual support.
Individualist and Collectivist Cultures Compared
CHILD-REARING: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
 People in individualist cultures
might raise children to be selfreliant and independent.
 People in collectivist cultures
might raise children to be
compliant, obedient, and
integrated into webs of mutual
support.
 People in Asian and African
cultures might raise children to
be more emotionally and
physically close to others than
in western European cultures.
COLLECTIVIST-INDIVIDUALISTIC
CULTURAL CONTINUUM
West
and East
•The Difference
Between
West and East
Independence
Develop early independence
Express yourself
Responsible for self
Live on one’s own
One’s own goals take priority
 Motivated by own
 preferences, needs ,
 rights
Tasks more important than
relationships
Cognitive skills independent
of social skills
Interdependence
Learn to depend on others
Read nonverbal cues
Listen to authority
Be responsible for others
Personal goals secondary to
goals of the group
Motivated by the norms of, and
duties imposed by, the group
Relationships more important
than tasks
Social and cognitive skills
integrated
Westby (2009)
West
and East
•The Difference
Between
West and East
HOW IS A CHILD TAKEN CARE OF?
•Individualistic VS. Collaborative
Lilly Cheng, San Diego State University
RESEARCH DIFFERENCES
Comparing Anglo-American parents with Chinese-American parents
 64% of the Anglo-American parents mentioned building children’s self-esteem as a childrearing goal
while only 8% of the Chinese-American parents agreed.
 40% of the Anglo-American mothers considered helping the child to be aware of his/her feelings and
encouraging the child to be honest to be important while none of the Chinese-American mothers did
In Asian cultures, doing well academically may be fueled more by desires to fulfill family
expectations rather than by individualistic desires to achieve
Chinese-American mothers show significantly higher levels of verbosity and agree that it is
important for children to understand why their behavior is problematic.
European-American mothers are less lax than Chinese-American
East Asian parents downplay children’s success and highlight children’s failure. Americans
do the opposite.
CAUTIONS IN DEFINING “INDIVIDUALISTIC &
COLLECTIVISTIC
“Conclusions about collectivist and individualistic cultures shouldn’t be overly sweeping and
must be carefully applied to selective, specific behaviors, situations, and
cultures”(Triandis, 1988)
DISCUSSION EXERCISE:
 After reading the articles that were
provided to you and reading pages
(138-139 & 450-452) in the Myers
text, divide into groups of four and
answer the following questions:
 Identify three values and/or
attitudes about child rearing and
family that are similar to what you
read in the articles and what you
know about child rearing and
family in the United States.
 Identify three values and/or
attitudes that are different in India
and/or China vs. the United
States.
 What might be some reasons for such
differences? Are there cultural points
of view we discussed in this chapter
that might be contributing to how India
vs. the United States view the issue of
child rearing or family?
 If you had the opportunity to ask a
father or mother from India any
questions about how they raise their
children, what might they be, and why?
 Do you think that your view about child
rearing / family is better or worse than
what you have read about India? Why?
REFLECTION PAPER
Write a reflection paper after the class
activity and respond to the following
questions:
1. From a psychological frame of
reference, what might be some of the
reasons there is a variance between
expectations for parenting in India
and China vs. the United States?
2. How might our view of such cultural
differences (individualistic
/collectivistic) impact our judgment of
those families and the society of
which they are part?
Construction Specifics:
Format: This paper is designed to reflect your
thinking process and should be 3 pages in
length, typed, double-spaced and in a 12point Times New Roman (TNR) font with
one-inch margins. Grammar and spelling
will be evaluated. This reflection paper is to
be used as proof of meeting a level of
understanding about variant parenting
practices and expectations in other global
cultures and how they compare to the
United States. I expect your writing to be
thoughtful and meaningful.
Due Date: Your reflection paper is due one week
after the completion of our in-class
discussion.
(see grading rubric in next slide)
REFLECTION PAPER
Reflection Paper
Rubric
Format
Grammar and
Spelling
Points
Possible
Exceeds Standards
Meets Standards
Unsatisfactory
Paper is neatly typed,
double-spaced, 12-point
TNR font, one-inch margins,
and 3 pages in length. (5)
Paper is neatly typed,
double-spaced, 12- TNR
font, one-inch margins and
2 pages in length. (4)
Formatting rules ignored,
shorter than 2.5 pages in
length. (1-3)
5
No errors. (5)
1-2 minor errors. (3-4)
Lacks basic proofreading
or contains major errors.
(1-2)
5
Well-organized, well written,
easy to read and
understand. (5)
Well-organized but “flow”
could be improved. (3-4)
Organization lacking and
difficult or impossible to
follow. (1-2)
15
Shows strong evidence of
reasoned reflection and
depth. (14-15)
Shows evidence of
reasoned reflection. (1113)
Lacks reflection and
depth. (1-10)
10
Addresses all elements
contained within the two
stated questions of
assignment and extends
beyond. (10)
Addresses all elements
contained within the two
stated questions of
assignment. (7-9)
Fails to address all the
elements contained
within the two stated
questions of assignment.
(1-6)
5
Organization
Reflection
Completeness
Score
Nothing has a stronger
influence psychologically on
their environment and
especially on their children
than the unlived life of the
parent.
“I may not be able to give my
kids everything they want
but I give them what they
need. Love, time, and
attention. You can’t buy
those things.”
– Nishan Panwar
—Carl Gustav Jung
Life doesn't make any sense
without interdependence. We
need each other, and the sooner
we learn that, the better for us
all.
Erik Erikson