Jake Helder

Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
American Individualist Culture

Despite being around for less than 250 years, the United States
of America has become an incredibly important world power that will
certainly leave a lasting impact on the world. And whether or not that
last statement is true, most Americans would agree and feel compelled
to aggressively argue its validity. America has a lot to say about itself.
This is a characteristic of a highly individualist culture that is woven
into the very fabric of our country. Unfortunately, the great value that
American culture places on individualism is harmful for the well being
of the American people. Unnecessary competitive environments, lack
of allowance for close community, and decreased mental/emotional
health, are the three negative results of individualism that will be
discussed. First, more evidence ought to be provided that shows just
how individualistic American culture is.
The word individualism can be described as The belief that the
needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole
society or group, while its antonym, collectivism can be described as
the valuing the needs of the group over the individuals in it (Smit,
2012). This dimension is one of six cultural dimensions studied by the
Dutch social psychologist, Geert Hofstede. These cultural dimensions
were created to measure similarities and differences between cultures

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
around the world. All cultures can be placed on a theoretical line
between Individualism and collectivism. How often does someone say
I? Is emphasis found on the group or the individual? Is a task more
important than a relationship? All of these questions can reveal where
a culture might fall on the scale between individualism and
collectivism.
Along with the theoretical ideas contributed by Hofstede, a study
has been done that places countries on a quantitative scale to
measure where they fall on a given dimension. The individualism scale
is between 1 and 120, where scoring a 1 would imply a highly
collectivist culture, and scoring a 120 would imply a highly
individualistic culture. Interestingly enough the United States has a
score of 91, which is the highest score of any country studied. To those
who have never considered it, this may be surprising news, but
individualism is deep in the roots of the United States. Think about how
our country was founded. A rebellion against a culture we didnt agree
with, a refusal to put up with the opinion of the group. Think about
the implications of the American dream. If I can work hard enough I
can get anything I want, each individual ought to have that
opportunity. Think about personal belongings, suburban houses, or
vehicle to person ratios. This cultural ideology manifests itself all
around us, and Americans have grown so accustomed to this culture
that we rarely think about whether or not its a good thing for us.

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
Though we value individualism as a culture, and our country is founded
on individualist ideals such as democracy, there are many negative
characteristics of this cultural dimension.
One of the negative characteristics of an individualistic culture is
the highly competitive nature that is created. Everyone is attempting
to get ahead of one another and people are encouraged to value their
own agenda. This is very prominent in both academic environments
and work environments. The American education system clearly
reflects a highly individualistic culture. Professors lecture to a group of
students who diligently consume all of the content. Students are
encouraged to view themselves outside of a group context, so that
they might be wholly developed and self-sustaining. Relying on others
is not something that is encouraged, as we are to do everything for
ourselves. Students are incentivized by being told they will each get
their own degree and get their own car and house with their own
money from their own job where they hopefully dont have to listen to
anyone else accept themselves. Individual efforts are valued more than
group efforts. Ranking systems create anger and tension between
students who strive for perfection. This then translates to the job field.
Efficiency is the name of the game. What works for the individual?
People endlessly search for ways to make themselves stand out,
hoping to take opportunities from others. Knowledge is withheld,
people are let go, and a system is created all for this idea of progress,

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
which is often an illusion. This competition creates unnecessary
barriers between people, which can prove to be harmful for an
individuals sense of community.
Community is important for humans; its how people are
designed. We experience the fullest life when we have close
relationship with those around us. Unfortunately, a culture that highly
values individualism will have a much harder time engaging in close
relationships. This stems from an individualistic view of self. I am the
most important part of my life, my loyalty is first to myself, and I
engage others as long as they are helping me complete a task that I
deem important. These are all highly individualistic statements. Of
course, these are extreme examples, but the ideology not at all as farfetched as it might sound. Of course, people with this mindset are
going to have a much harder time entering into any relationship
without asking the question whats in it for me?. Just like what was
argued earlier, individualistic people view others in competition, as
something to assert dominance over, and ultimately a competitor that
needs to be beaten. We see this a lot with family members.
Competitions between siblings can often leave large rifts between
families, and we can all understand a younger sibling stubbornly
attempting to meet the expectations set by an older brother or sister.
Even with my closest friends I live with, there exist the characteristics
of an individualistic culture. I try my absolute best to maintain myself

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
without their help, and Id much rather they view me as self sufficient,
than ever tell them about what Im struggling with at any given time.
Those are my best friends, and the closest relationships Ive ever
known. Culture clearly has had a large impact on how we behave
around each other, and its not always productive.
Despite all these efforts to point out the problems with an
individualistic culture, one could still argue that the evidence provided
is not actually negative, that its simply side effects that are neither
good nor bad. A response to that requires a distinction in vocabulary.
All of the good characteristics and qualities of individualism can be
defined in the word individuality. The seemingly subtle difference
actually makes a big difference. Viewing yourself as an individual is not
a bad thing. Its actually very good! Learning about all of the unique
characteristics that make up each person is helpful and fun. Thinking
of ways to separate you from a crowd is great too. There are too many
people on earth for everyone to be content playing the same role. But
thats the key. Everyone has roles that work together within a greater
context. Pursuing individuality means figuring out how you fit in with a
greater group of people. Pursuing individualism means attempting to
create a reality where you dont rely on anyone else but yourself. This
is not productive in any way and is simply not how humans are
designed. And sooner or later it begins to take a toll on those living in
highly individualistic culture.

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16
Like I stated earlier, people in an individualistic culture are going
to have a harder time maintaining a close community. This also means
that they will have smaller social support networks, poorer mental
health, and lower intentions to get help when necessary. In fact,
individualistic cultures breed members who have less satisfying
relationships with others, less ability to manage their emotions,
increased feelings of hopelessness, and increased suicidal tendencies
(Scott et al. 2004). Considering those ideas, individualism is not
something to be valued. Its promise is rooted in lies telling us that
building up our own individual kingdoms will bring us peace,
contentment and happiness but it is quite literally bringing the
opposite to people who subscribe to its ideology.
America is founded on a culture of individualism, and as time
goes on, American people are growing more accustomed to its ideals.
Geert Hoftstede has given a good vocabulary to describe the
dimensions that exist in the cultures of the world. Unfortunately, I see
America as becoming too individualistic for its own good. This
contributes to an unnecessarily competitive atmosphere, lack of close
community, and decreased mental health. Individualistic cultural leads
people to believe that they will find contentment in building up their
own metaphorical kingdoms where they wont have to engage with
anyone else unless they want to. In reality, real contentment comes
from being known at an intimate level by others.

Jake Helder
Prof. Johnston
10/12/16

Bibliography
Communication, C. C. (2009, June 9). Individualism. Retrieved October 12, 2016,
from http://www.clearlycultural.com/
Scott, G., Ciarrochi, J., & Deane, F. P. (2004). Disadvantages of being an
individualist in an individualistic culture: Idiocentrism, emotional
competence, stress, and mental health. Australian Psychologist, 39(2),
143-154. doi:10.1080/00050060410001701861
Smit, C. (2012, May 14). Intercultural Management, Organizational Development
& Personal Growth | Culture Matters. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from
https://culturematters.com/