BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES

Community psychology studies the individual’s contexts within communities and the wider society, and their relationship with it. It helps to understand the quality of life of individuals within groups, organizations , institutions, communities and society.

INDIVIDUALISM: The Psychology of ME

A Brief History of American Individualism

Alexis de Tocqueville’s (1835/2003) Democracy in America, has been known as the land of the “rugged individualist.” The essence of this view is that any person with a good idea, through hard work, can succeed in the pursuit of personal goals. This rugged individualism has metamorphosed into the “Me generation” that held sway from the 1960s through the early 1990s.

Core Emphases

1. The term core emphases and the secondary emphases capture the more and less central aspects of individualistic and collectivistic societies.

3. A third core emphasis of individualism is that the explanations of events are likely to involve the person rather than the group.

To sum up the individualistic perspective, focus on the three core elements, i.e. independence, uniqueness, and the self as the unit of analysis.

Emphases in Collectivism

When the concern is greater towards the society than the individual, it is known as a -Collectivistic society. When the average person in a society is disposed towards group interdependence, then the society is labeled “Collectivist”.

1. First, the dependency within collectivism reflects a genuine tendency to draw one’s very meaning and existence from being part of an important group of people.

3. The third core emphasis is on the social patterns of the collectivist societies as it reflects close linkages in which people see themselves as part of a larger and more important whole.

Collectivists are more likely to give their unconditional support to their group and think first and foremost in terms of their duties to the group. Collectivist people obviously become very involved in People within the collectivist perspective are characterized by mutual generosity and equity.

Demographics related to Collectivism

Positive psychologists must consider what the future will bring in regard to collectivism.

ME/WE Balance: The positive Psychology of US

Individualism and collectivism as opposites also has the potential to provoke disputes, in which the members of each camp attempt to demonstrate the superiority of their approach. Cultures are extremely diverse; each has dynamic and changing social systems.

Through this, other peoples perspective and their considerations play an important role in personal goals. Just as the high-hoper's think of ME goals, they simultaneously can envision the WE goals of other people.

Collectivist should not be shocked when individualist do not seem impressed with group successes that are based in large part on lineage, family name, age, or gender.

Suggestions for Me people (Individualists)

We offer advice for individualists to interact more effectively with collectivists. It will help them derive the sense of status from their membership in the group.

The need for Uniqueness

The pursuit of individualistic goals to produce a sense of specialness has been termed the need for uniqueness. The most people have some desire to be special relative to others. This human motive is called the need of uniqueness and others have termed it the motive for distinctiveness.

Development of the need for Uniqueness Scale

An average score is around 100. scores higher than this reflect increasingly elevated levels of need for uniqueness, and scores lower than this reflect increasingly diminished levels.

Uniqueness Attributes

Each society has some acceptable attributes whereby its citizens can show their differences, and these are called as Uniqueness attributes.

Names as Uniqueness Attributes

Our name singles out our individuality in a sea of other people.

Performances as Uniqueness Attributes

Our performances in society also can serve as uniqueness attributes.
A first type of performance is what we call Individualistic normal competition, or "Playing the game".