Which of these values predominate in our society and among our co-cultures?

The aim of this activity is to do web-based research to discern how the values of individualism and collectivism affect your views on issues, as well as to identify how members of various co-cultural groups experience these values.

 Steps for the Activity

1       Choose your favorite web-based research tool and do a search on the following key terms: Geert Hofstede AND individualistic values, collectivistic values, individualism, and collectivism. Select at least three of these sources and briefly summarize how Hofstede’s concepts of individualism and collectivism differ from one another.

2       Next, reflect on your own personal value system.  Are your more or less inclined to identify with individualistic values, collectivist values or some combination of the two?

3       Describe the co-cultural group that you belong to in your own words.  As defined in our text, a co-cultures are groups that are similar to the larger culture but are distinguished by background, beliefs and behavior. (p. 76). Examples could be ethnic such as Filipino Americans, or geographic as in Midwesterner. As you reflect on your co-culture as a whole, how does membership in the group influence values of individualism and collectivism?

4       Develop a list of at least five issues in which you think the values of individualism or collectivism would influence attitudes toward the issue.