Question

The distinction between what two types of societies may explain cultural differences in behavior?

Answer 1

• The main two types of societies that can explain cultural differences in behaviour would be individualistic society and collectivist society.
• Individualistic cultures are those that stress the needs of the individual over the needs of the group as a whole.
• In this type of culture, people are seen as independent and autonomous. Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences of individuals. Cultures in North America and Western Europe tend to be individualistic.
• People behave more self reliant and assertive in this kind of culture and fight for their rights and stand up for others and themselves.
• Whereas in a collectivist society,people are more dependent on each other.Where collectivism stresses the importance of the group and social cooperation, individualism prizes uniqueness, independence, and self-sufficiency.
• Where people in collectivist cultures might be more likely to turn to family and friends for support during difficult times, those living in more individualist cultures are more likely to go it alone.
• For example,Asian cultures expecially India,Japan etc. are collectivist cultures wherein groups and working together as a team is far more important than working alone.Families are extermely important in India and people behave and take decisions keeping the family members in mind.
• The tendency to focus on personal identity and autonomy is a pervasive part of a culture that can have a profound influence on how a society functions. For example, workers in an individualist culture are more likely to value their own well-being over the good of the group.
• Contrast this with a collectivist culture where people might sacrifice their own comfort for the greater good of everyone else. Such differences can influence nearly every aspect of behavior ranging from the career a person chooses, the products they buy, and the social issues that they care about.
• Approaches to health care, for example, are influenced by these tendencies. Individualist cultures stress the importance of each person taking care of his or her self without depending on others for assistance. Those in collectivist cultures may instead stress sharing the burden of care with the group as a whole.
• People from individualist society have self-concepts that are more focused on independence rather than interdependence. As a result, they tend to describe themselves in terms of their unique personal characteristics and traits. A person from this type of culture might say that "I am analytical, sarcastic, and athletic."
• This can be contrasted with self-descriptions from people living in collectivist societies, who would be more likely to say something like, "I am a good husband and loyal friend."
• Collectivist cultures are also associated with low relational mobility, a term to describe how many opportunities individuals in a society have in forming relationships with people of their choosing.
• Low relational mobility means that the relationships people have are stable, strong, and long-lasting. These relationships are usually formed due to factors such as family and geographical area rather than personal choice.
• Cultural differences also influence the motivation to either stand out or fit in with the rest of the group. In one experiment, participants from American and Japanese cultures were asked to select a pen. Most of the pens were the same color, with a few options in different colors.
• Most American participants chose the rarer colored pens. The Japanese participants, on the other hand, were much more likely to choose the most common colored pen, even though they preferred the minority pens.
• Another reason for this may have been because, coming from a collectivistic culture, the Japanese participants instinctively valued interpersonal harmony above personal preference and thus chose the unoffensive behavior of leaving the rarer pens for others who might want them.