Cultural Plualism Assignment - Essay Example

The people, who migrate from their homelands to work in foreign lands, form minorities and represent their cultures in the presence of other cultures; this creates the concept of cultural pluralism. Following are some of the criteria, on the basis of which different cultures can be described; Individualistic versus collective Masculinity versus femininity Social perspective of different cultures 2. Cultural Patterns The cultural pattern that has been chosen for analysis (with respect to a global context) is ‘individualistic versus collective’ cultures.

Dessler (2007) defined individualism as the extent to which individuals look out for their own betterment instead of acting like a member of a group (or society). The societies that promote such non-conformist point of views are often termed as individualistic cultures. In individualistic cultures, social and family bonds are much looser than the other cultures since they do not value traditional customs and morals to a great extent. Lascu (2003) explained that great stress is laid on the achievement of personal goals and attaining capabilities to fulfill their dreams.

Social norms are not as important as the individual’s own decisions and judgments. Their main aims in life are self satisfaction, achievement of their own objectives and fulfillment of their own desires. People, who follow an individualistic culture, feel unenthusiastic about participating in collective efforts of a group if their own actions are not acknowledged and rewarded. Collectivism can be defined as the extent to which individuals act for the betterment of the whole group (family, social circle etc) rather than self interests.

Hofstede (2001) stated that the social ties and values of individuals are very strong in a collectivist culture. They value the greater benefit of the whole group before their own and are in favor of sharing their rewards with all the group members. There exists a need in the collectivist culture to associate oneself with a certain group since the sense of belonging and dependence is very common. Markus and Kitayama (1991) defined individualism and collectivism as independence and interdependence with the individual’s organization, respectively.

Collectivist culture promotes interdependence with people outside the group and greater associations with people inside the group. Krynke (1998) stated that cultures have been witnessed to transform from collectivist to individualistic ones due to the progression of industrialization. 3. Individualistic and Collective Cultures in a Global Perspective Individualistic culture is usually witnessed in organizations that are present in fully industrialized countries for example, United States, Britain, Australia etc.

The western countries have been known to possess loose social and cultural ties in their societies therefore individualistic culture usually prevails in the respective region. The individual is not dependent on his organization, at any emotional level. The concepts of trust, loyalty and friendship do not bear much relevance in such cultures since greater success and profits overpower all other factors. Individualistic culture promotes the concept of enhancing their own identity on the basis of their unique traits.

On the contrary, Asian and Middle Eastern countries have always treasured the factors of social harmony, religious norms etc. The culture in such regions is strongly influenced by religion and traditions of their past generations, due to which they value