ThemajordifferencesbetweenindividualismandcollectivismPartA:TheabstractoftextB•ThetitleoftextB:TheBasicUnitofSociety:TheIndividualortheCollective?•FromtheJapaneseproverb“Thenailthatsticksupwillbepoundeddown”,wecanlearnthatinJapananindividualisafractionofaunit,thegroupisthefundamentalunit.•IndividualisminJapanistantamount(相等的,相当的)toselfishness.Itistheoppositeofself-denialforthegoodofthegroup,whichishighlyvaluedinJapan.•IndividualsinWesternculturesmakecareerchoicesonthebasisofpersonalneedsandgoals.However,noneofthesesituationsisreasonforamoveinJapan.•Inculturewheretheindividualisaunitofsociety,asinglepersoncanearncreditorblamefortheoutcomeofanorganizationalproject.Inculturewherethecollectiveisimportant,creditorblamegoestoagroup.•InIndia,friendshipmeansawillingnesstobeindebted.Nowordsarenecessary.Nordoesonehesitatetorequestafavorofafriend;that’swhatfriendshipmeans.Inaculturethatvaluesindividualachievement,independence,andcontrolovereventsbypersonalaction,arequestthatputssomeoneinanother’sdebtisalmostanadmissionoffailure.PartB:IndividualismVSCollectivismDefinitionofIndividualismandCollectivism•Individualism:Individualismreferstothedoctrine(教条,教义,声明)thattherightsoftheindividualarethemostimportantonesinasociety.•Collectivism:Collectivismisatermusedtodescribeanymoral,political,orsocialoutlook,thatstresseshumaninterdependenceandtheimportanceofacollective,ratherthantheimportanceofseparateindividualsFocus•Individualistsfocusonthepursuitofpersonalachievements.•Collectivistsfocusoncommunityandsociety,andseektogiveprioritytogroupgoalsoverindividualgoals.Specify•Individualismisanideologicalandtheoreticalpointofviewtowardssocietyandotherswiththeindividualasthecenter,itappearsasaformofegoism(自我主义),liberalismandanarchism(无政府主义)•Personshouldbeindependent,havetherighttomaketheirowndecisionsandtherighttointerfereinothers;menarecreatedequally;personhasthehighestvalue;Personalinterests,values,wills,aspirationsanddemandsaresupreme•Collectiveinterestsareinthefirstplace.Maintain,careanddeveloppersonalinterestsinthecaseofensuringcollectivefundamentalinterests.Whentheindividualandcollectiveinterestscomeintoconflicts,Subordinateindividualintereststotheinterestsofthecollective.Itisnecessarytosacrificesomepersonalintereststosafeguardtheinterestsofthecollective.Differences•Individualismtakestheinterestsofeveryindividualasthemostimportant.Itstressesthateveryonewasbornequalandhasitsuniquevalue.•Collectivismputsitsemphasisonthestrengthofthecollective.Itholdsthattheinterestsofeveryindividualdependsonthatofthecollective.•TaketheWenchuanearthquakeforexample,theearthquaketellsusthatunityisstrength.Itisthecollectivespiritofthepeoplereliefdisasterthatwecanquell(平息)thisdisaster.Anotherexample•Wecanseethedifferencesofindividualismandcollectivismfromthesoldier.•ForanAmericansoldier,itisnaturalandunderstandabletoyieldwhenhefightstothebitterendandhasnobullet.•ButforaChinesesoldier,tolaydownhisarmsandsurrenderseemsmoredisgracedthantodie.•Collectivespiritplaysagreatroleinsomegames.ButinNBA,greatplayersoftenplayadecisiveroleinthegame.IndividualistCulturePKCollectivistCulture•AsthemainstreamvaluesofEasternandWesterncultures,Collectivismandindividualismhasbeeninoppositetrendforalongtime.•Individualismandcollectivismisthekeytounderstandthedifferencesofeasternandwesternculture.ThedifferencescanbeseeninseveralaspectsTakingChinaandAmericaforexample:•Idiomsandphrases•Marriage•Family•Education•Dailylife•TraditionalfestivalsIdiomsandphrasesareanaccumulationoftheculture,whichreflectstheideology(思想意识)ofthepeople.Wecangetsomedifferencesbetweenindividualismandcollectivismfromtheidioms.America:Godhelpthosewhohelpthemselves.Allmenarecreatedequal.Self-absorptionSelf-admirationSelf-centeredChina:Everyoneisresponsibleforhiscountry.Toworrybeforethecommonpeopleworries;toenjoyonlyafterthepeoplecanenjoy.Idiomsandphrases:AnaccumulationofthecultureDifferentOpinionsonmarriageAmericansbelievethatmarriageisaveryprivatethingandoncetwopeoplefallinlovewitheachothertheywilltrytoovercomedifficultiestopursuethetruelove.Parentshavenorightstodecidetheirchildren’smarriagepartnerandit’sallupontheirchildren.Andchildrenalsodon’tinterfereintotheirparents’marriage.Soit’scommontosee:“Heismymother’sboyfriend”.InChina,achild’smarriageisnotonlyhis/herownthingbutthewholefamily’sthing.Childrenalsocanfreelychoosetheirboyfriend/girlfriend,butoncetheymentionmarriageitmustbeagreedbyparentsofeachfamily.Theparentswillconsideralotoffactorstomakesurethattheirchildrenwillleadahappylife.ChinesefamiliesaremuchmorestablethanAmericanfamilies.DifferentOpinionsonFamilyTheAmericanfamilyisanuclearfamily,consistingusuallyofparentsandtheirunmarriedchildren.Andeveryfamilymemberhastheirownequalrights.Afterthechildrengettingmarried,theyshouldmoveouttorentorbuyahouse.Whenthechildrenreacheighteenyearsold,theyshouldbeeconomic-independent.Buttheyalsohavenodutytosupporttheirparentswhentheybecomeold.InChinesefamily,theyoungandtheoldalwayslivetogether.It’stheyoung’sdutytorespecttheseniorityandtosupportthem.Differentopin