If we have been following the world news I'm sure that you've noticed whats been happening with North Korea and how its especially been irritating the USA.
Its understandable that the USA is a highly individualist type of society and north Korea being a collectivist society.
Now the definition of what it means to be individualist and collectivist.
Characteristics of a collectivist society:
– High interdependence
– Interpersonal sensitivity
– Conformity
– Readiness to be influenced by others
– Mutual sympathy
– Self sacrifice for ingroup members
– External control
– One or two ingroups
Individualist cultures
– Social behaviour is largely determined by personal goals, attitudes and values of collectivities
– People create their own ingroups, rather than tradition
– Many ingroups; low dependency
– Only specific aspects of a person’s life is influenced by ingroups
Ok so now you know this think about the bigger picture of what is going on between north Korea and the USA.
Dont you think its a reversal of roles in such that north Korea is acting very individualistic by not caring what the US or the world thinks. There's definitely no conformity to the world in their actions.
Then you have the US playing a collectivist type role saying, follow the rules be like the rest of us.
Its a bit of a mind )@#$ but i hope you understand where I'm coming from but what I'm trying to say is that maybe there is miss communication in the approach that both parties are attempting. Korea is taking the direct approach, where as America is leading the collectivistic approach.
To catch up on current affairs on this situation here is the link that sparked my writing in this blog.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8098993.stm
Do you think i'm correct to assume what i have interpreted?
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You have a point (: however, i think being collectivist means serving the interest of the own ingroups you are in, in this case meaning n-koreans doing things to protect n-koreans (themselves). US can also be said to be serving their own interests with not wanting n-koreans to develop these nuclear weapons. it depends on how you see it i guess (: however, i do see where you're coming from! (:
ReplyDeleteI think you are viewing N Korea and the US as two individuals and the UN as the in-group. The whole world being the society we live in. Right? Perhaps your taking a macro view on this entire thing.. Maybe we would need a new topic for this idea your trying to put across.. macro-intercultural-communications??
ReplyDeletei feel that you should pick a better example other than Nkorea and US. Should use Singapore as an example. It'll be better. People are able to relate to it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input block 135. I guess I was applying too much thought into the whole political communication process of it all
ReplyDeleteinteresting point Justin, but as Long long pointed out, The collective culture that North koreans, which is typical of all other asian countries, relates to characteristics of individuals within the culture itself, and not in relation to the diplomatic stand of a particular country towards others.
ReplyDeleteIf it is only as simple as that, we would not have much internal conflict within Asia as all the Asian countries conforming to the collective culture would display self sacrifices for the sake of the ingroup.
But all asian's are conforming to the collective cutlure that is asian but become part of the west individualistic culture. so could you say that N.Korea is the last bastion of collectivism untouched by the west influences?
ReplyDeleteI can see where you are coming from here and I think you have raised a very interesting and thought provoking point.
ReplyDeleteIndeed if you were referring to N Koreans and Americans as individuals, they would be collectivist and individualist respectively.
But to see them as two entire entities on their own, it does indeed show the individualistic characteristics in N. Korea. And yes, what with US Cultural Imperialism and all, the US has taken for granted that everyone is going to be influenced by them, and so they expect N. Korea to be just the same as well. This sameness can only demonstrate the conformity of other countries to US culture so well. And yet N. Korea is not conforming at all. This does indeed show individualism in a rather unique way.
I agree along the lines of Esther's opinions. I think the terms 'collectivist' and 'individualist' are just two groups created to help us see the communication patterns across different cultures more easily. There are many people who live in collectivistic cultures like us and still adopt individualistic characteristics and vice versa. So that in itself is something we cannot put into solely separate categories.
ReplyDeleteI guess their respective stand comes from their approach and attitude to the world too. N. Korea had always closed itself off from the world, having it's citizens live in the world the government 'creates'. The government there have always come across to me as being 'King', where their word is the only thing that counts, So, it doesn't come as a surprise to me to know they are ignoring the US and just going on what they want to do.
ReplyDeleteThe US on the otherhand are being viewed and scruitinize by the world and in a way, they have to show some 'correct' actions.
i was just discussing how i imagined north korea with my bro yesterday, and whether they had huge, metropolitan cities, and how i'd never heard about trade with north korean and businesses from that territory. how do they live and are its citizens just like the rest of us? we know how industrialized the single-state territory is, seeing how they are able to create and own nuclear armaments. but what is it like living their society?
ReplyDelete