INDIVIDUALISTIC /COLLECTIVISTIC CULTURES AND PARENTING

BACKGROUND Theory: Individualism-Collectivism Model  Used to explain large amounts of variation seen in human behavior, social interaction, and personality  Explain differences in people and/or groups How?  Collectivist Cultures: individual needs, desires, etc. are secondary to those of the group (Asia)  Individualistic Cultures: Higher value on the needs and accomplishments of the individual rather than the group (United States)

CULTURE INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT  Individualist cultures value independence. They promote personal ideals, strengths, and goals, pursued in competition with others, leading to individual achievement and finding a unique identity.  Collectivist cultures value interdependence. They promote group and societal goals and duties, and blending in with group identity, with achievement attributed to mutual support. Individualist and Collectivist Cultures Compared Culture and the self: individualism and collectivism

CHILD-REARING: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES  People in individualist cultures might raise children to be self- reliant and independent.  People in collectivist cultures might raise children to be compliant, obedient, and integrated into webs of mutual support.  People in Asian and African cultures might raise children to be more emotionally and physically close to others than in western European cultures.

COLLECTIVIST-INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURAL CONTINUUM

Interdependence Learn to depend on others Read nonverbal cues Listen to authority Be responsible for others Personal goals secondary to goals of the group Motivated by the norms of, and duties imposed by, the group Relationships more important than tasks Social and cognitive skills integrated Westby (2009) Independence Develop early independence Express yourself Responsible for self Live on one’s own One’s own goals take priority  Motivated by own  preferences, needs,  rights Tasks more important than relationships Cognitive skills independent of social skil ls The Difference Between West and East West and East

HOW IS A CHILD TAKEN CARE OF? Individualistic VS. Collaborative The Difference Between West and East West and East Lilly Cheng, San Diego State University

RESEARCH DIFFERENCES Comparing Anglo-American parents with Chinese-American parents  64% of the Anglo-American parents mentioned building children’s self-esteem as a childrearing goal while only 8% of the Chinese-American parents agreed.  40% of the Anglo-American mothers considered helping the child to be aware of his/her feelings and encouraging the child to be honest to be important while none of the Chinese-American mothers did In Asian cultures, doing well academically may be fueled more by desires to fulfill family expectations rather than by individualistic desires to achieve Chinese-American mothers show significantly higher levels of verbosity and agree that it is important for children to understand why their behavior is problematic. European-American mothers are less lax than Chinese-American East Asian parents downplay children’s success and highlight children’s failure. Americans do the opposite.

CAUTIONS IN DEFINING “INDIVIDUALISTIC & COLLECTIVISTIC “Conclusions about collectivist and individualistic cultures shouldn’t be overly sweeping and must be carefully applied to selective, specific behaviors, situations, and cultures”(Triandis, 1988)

 After reading the articles that were provided to you and reading pages ( & ) in the Myers text, divide into groups of four and answer the following questions:  Identify three values and/or attitudes about child rearing and family that are similar to what you read in the articles and what you know about child rearing and family in the United States.  Identify three values and/or attitudes that are different in India and/or China vs. the United States.  What might be some reasons for such differences? Are there cultural points of view we discussed in this chapter that might be contributing to how India vs. the United States view the issue of child rearing or family?  If you had the opportunity to ask a father or mother from India any questions about how they raise their children, what might they be, and why?  Do you think that your view about child rearing / family is better or worse than what you have read about India? Why? DISCUSSION EXERCISE:

Write a reflection paper after the class activity and respond to the following questions: 1. From a psychological frame of reference, what might be some of the reasons there is a variance between expectations for parenting in India and China vs. the United States? 2. How might our view of such cultural differences (individualistic /collectivistic) impact our judgment of those families and the society of which they are part? Construction Specifics: Format: This paper is designed to reflect your thinking process and should be 3 pages in length, typed, double-spaced and in a 12- point Times New Roman (TNR) font with one-inch margins. Grammar and spelling will be evaluated. This reflection paper is to be used as proof of meeting a level of understanding about variant parenting practices and expectations in other global cultures and how they compare to the United States. I expect your writing to be thoughtful and meaningful. Due Date: Your reflection paper is due one week after the completion of our in-class discussion. (see grading rubric in next slide) REFLECTION PAPER

Reflection Paper Rubric Points Possible Exceeds Standards Meets Standards Unsatisfactory Score Format5 Paper is neatly typed, double-spaced, 12-point TNR font, one-inch margins, and 3 pages in length. (5) Paper is neatly typed, double-spaced, 12- TNR font, one-inch margins and 2 pages in length. (4) Formatting rules ignored, shorter than 2.5 pages in length. (1-3) Grammar and Spelling 5No errors. (5)1-2 minor errors. (3-4) Lacks basic proofreading or contains major errors. (1-2) Organization 5 Well-organized, well written, easy to read and understand. (5) Well-organized but “flow” could be improved. (3-4) Organization lacking and difficult or impossible to follow. (1-2) Reflection 15 Shows strong evidence of reasoned reflection and depth. (14-15) Shows evidence of reasoned reflection. (11- 13) Lacks reflection and depth. (1-10) Completeness 10Addresses all elements contained within the two stated questions of assignment and extends beyond. (10) Addresses all elements contained within the two stated questions of assignment. (7-9) Fails to address all the elements contained within the two stated questions of assignment. (1-6)

“I may not be able to give my kids everything they want but I give them what they need. Love, time, and attention. You can’t buy those things.” – Nishan Panwar Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of the parent. —Carl Gustav Jung Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all. Erik Erikson