Individualism vs Collectivism

Individualism and collectivism are very important issues to discuss considering we in America are very much form an individualistic culture. Individualism is the belief that people should do things for themselves as far as their lifestyle, their problems and their possessions. This way of thinking is very much promoted in American society through the media and cultural norms. Thinking for yourself and being your own person is constantly pushed in American culture. I agree with what the book said about individualistic cultures using horizontal relationships. I find in my own social circle that most of my friends are from the same social class and mostly the same sort of family relationships. While individualism can be discussed as it applies to American cultures, the opposite can be applied to collectivist cultures.
Collectivism uses the mindset that personal decisions should benefit the group as a whole. This is very much opposite of an American mentality and really puts emphasis on the strength of the group. The example in the book illustrates this in a good way by referring to the fact that Chinese people use their family name first, emphasizing the importance of the group. Collectivist cultures utilize vertical relationships where some people may have a higher social status than other members of the group. Collectivist cultures are interesting to look at when you are used to an individualist culture.