MethodologicalIndividualismvs.

SocialScience

1.AmericansdrinkcoffeetheBritishdrinktea.
MethodologicalIndividualism
VirtuallyeverycoffeestoreintheU.S.alsoservestea,howeverAmericansprefertoconsumecoffeedueto
itslowerpriceandhighercaffeinecontent.Inversely,teaismorereadilyavailableatlowerpricesinBritain
andcanbeagoodsourceofcaffeineincertainquantitieshoweverpriceisthemaindeterminantofthe
drinkofchoice.
SocialScience
TeaconsumptioninBritaindatesbacktotheeraofcolonialism,asthedrinkwasfirstintroducedfromChina
andIndiaandthenpopularizedinBritishcoffeehousesandhouseholds.Inawaythisistheunderlying
reasonswhyAmericansprefercoffee,seeingasduringtheAmericanindependencemovementteawas
symbolicallyseenasthedrinkoftheenemy,sentimentthatwasexpressedevenbyoneofthefounding
fathers,JohnAdams,whonamedteaatraitorsdrink.

2.Americanwomenwearskirtsanddressestoworkmenweartiesandjackets.

MethodologicalIndividualism
Skirtsanddressesarefarmorepracticalforwomeninasanitarycontext.Astheaveragepersonusesthe
bathroomapproximately67timesaday,wearingtrouserswouldbeinefficientforwomen,whereasmencan
minimizetheirbathroompresenceevenastheyweartrousers.
SocialScience
Duringcombat,menworetrousersastheyaremoreappropriateforphysicalactivity.Astheimageofmen
becamemoreandmoreassociatedwiththatofthewarriorandwomenwereexcludedfrombattle,clothing
becameasymboliccategorizers.Thisviewisalsoreflectedinthebible(Deuteronomy22:5)aswomenare
prohibitedtoweartheclothesofawarrior.Thesegenderedbinarieshavebeenreinforcedovercenturiesto
leadtothecurrentclothingdifferentiation.

3.YoungAmericanswatchbasketballyoungpeopleelsewherewatchfootball(a.k.a.soccer).

MethodologicalIndividualism
Americanspreferbasketballasasportthatusestimeefficiently,asgamesareshorterandmoreactionfilled
thanfootball.Thus,Americanscanenjoytheirfavoritesportwhilehavingmoretimeforotheractivities.
Whereaselsewhereintheworld,thisaspectoffootballispreferredasitmaximizesthesatisfactionyoung
peoplegetfromwatchingjustonegame.
SocialScience
ThepopularizationofbasketballoversoccerinAmericaisagaintiedtohistoricalgrievanceswithGreat
Britain.However,whenwespeakofyoungpeoplethereareaddedsocialcircumstancesthatneedtobe
considered.Suchastheinfrastructureforbasketballisfargreater,thuspeoplecanplaybasketballfroma
youngage.Additionallysincebasketballisbetterfundedattheprofessionallevelaswellitoffershigher
potentialrewardsforyoungsters.
4.PeopleinLondonridesubwaysmorethandopeopleinLosAngeles.
MethodologicalIndividualism
AveragecarpricesinEnglandexceedtheaveragecarpricesintheU.S.,asdothepricesassociatedwith
owingacar,i.e.gasprices.Londonisadenseanddevelopedmetropolitanarea,thusitispositioned
towardsthehigherendofthesecosts.Thus,usingthesubwayinLondonoffershighermarginalsavings
thenusingthesubwayinLosAngeles.
SocialScience
TherailwaysysteminGreatBritainistheoldestintheworld.Londonitself,builtthefirstunderground
railwayin1863.Whereas,LosAngeleswasintroducedtotrainsduringtheearly20th

centuryanditscurrent
subwaysystemwasbuiltintheearly1990s.ThusinLondonthereisamorecommunalrailculturethathas

developedthroughtheyears,butinL.A.individualistvaluesturnpeopletowardscarswhicharerelatively
cheap.