Exploring Collectivism 1.8 – examine collectivism as a foundation of ideology (collective responsibility, collective interest, cooperation, economic equality, adherence to collective norms, public property) Chapter 3

Should the values of collectivism shape an identity? Collectivism: when one considers the needs of a group to further the common good, rather than focusing on the needs of any of the group’s individual members Should we live in a society whose values focus more on collectivism?

Collectivism Collectivists emphasize the role of human interdependence in society – that individuals depend on each other in many ways

E.I. – a good thing? In Canada, all people of working age contribute a portion of their wages towards Employment Insurance An individualist might say that this is unfair, pointing out that many people who contribute to the program will never receive anything from it A collectivist might argue that everyone at least has the possibility of benefitting from the program

Have you ever done something because you knew that it would benefit everyone else in the group and not just you alone? Do you feel a sense of obligation towards the rest of society by doing things like recycling or obeying the law? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you may have been influenced by a sense of collectivism!

Political, social, economic perspectives of collectivism Like individualism, collectivism can be represented politically, socially, and economically

Political expressions of collectivism Remember how we talked about Rousseau? His idea of the social contract meant that each individual voluntarily gives up their own self-interests to follow the collective will of society These basic ideas have become the political foundations for many collectivist values – including the ideologies of socialism and communism

Hobbes was also collectivist – he argued that people need to give power to a strong government who rules in everyone’s best interests Karl Marx – his Communist Manifesto became one of the most influential political documents in the world. He proposed a classless society, which could be achieved if all workers united and took collective control of industries and property

Value #1 of collectivism: Collective interest A goal or ideal that all members of a group pursue that benefits the group as a whole, rather than benefiting any one individual in the group. Individual excellence is encouraged only if it benefits or does not harm the group Examples: human rights groups or organizations such as L’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Assembly of First Nations

Value #2: Collective responsibility Has two different aspects: Involves the group’s responsibility for the actions of all its individual members Individuals have a responsibility to the group rather than to themselves Example: labour unions A collectivist might point to environmental policies as an example of the positive impact of collective responsibility

Economic expressions of collectivism In Canada, there is not much economic equality. However, there is some sharing of the wealth in the form of gov’t taxation that pays for social programs In Cuba, how much $ people make and the price of food and other necessities are controlled by the government. To promote equality, there is not a great difference between the wages of the highest paid and lowest paid people. People get free health care, education, retirement benefits

Value #3 – Public property While individualists promote private property, collectivists promote public property. It is generally owned by the state and used according to the best interests of society Marx argued that workers should profit from their own labour, and therefore the workers should collectively own factories and businesses. Since every worker has a stake, they will have a greater interest in its success Examples in Canada: Crown land & Crown corporations. Utilities, parks, schools, hospitals, roads Hutterites: members of a colony work together, and all of the money earned belongs to the colony as a collective. Land, houses, and vehicles are owned by the colony

Co-operatives (Co-ops) An example of an economic collective. It’s an enterprise that’s owned and operated by a group of people for their mutual benefit. Examples: daycare centres, health care centres, stores, credit unions

Social expressions of collectivism Value #4: Cooperation Working together to achieve common goals. Ex: Food banks Value #5: Adherence to collective norms A devotion, support, or attachment to certain rules and traditions in society

Your task: Read the segment on health care in Canada on page 90 and answer questions #1-4