User:Lebowire/Individualistic culture

Individualistic Culture

Individualistic Culture is a society that focuses on the "me" perception as opposed to the "we" perception. Individuals do not identify themselves within the group. They are independent and are largely motivated by own personal ambitions, personal freedoms, and individual demands. An individualistic culture places a strong emphasis on personal achievement and personal growth rather than conquering goals of a valued group. North American, Western European, and other European-influenced cultures, such as the United States, Australia, and South Africa, are generally considered individualistic cultures. The United States is ranked highest as an individualistic culture based on their values and important beliefs.

High Power Distance

The individualistic culture is also considered a high power distance culture because of the strict socio-economic statuses and the emphasis on maintaining power differences. The competitive aspect of individualistic cultures contributes to the high power distance characteristics. High power distance cultures are known as vertical cultures because there is a distinct difference between power levels and classes whereas low power distance cultures encourage equal status for everyone and discourage attention to status and power.

Low Context Communication

Individualistic cultures use a low-context style of communication. They engage in conversations that are straightforward and conclusive. There is an emphasis placed on the ability to express one’s own ideas coherently. In low context-cultures, the context of the conversation effectively communicates the explicit meaning of the content. It is common for cultures using low-context style communication to “say what they mean” rather than “reading between the lines.” Conversely, in a high context style, meaning is often implied rather than directly expressed. High-context cultures avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony throughout the group.

Masculine Culture

An individualistic culture follows masculine roles and displays stereotypical traits such as dominance, ambitiousness, and competitiveness. In a masculine culture, traditional gender roles are often entrenched in society. They focus more on developing relationships on a content dimension rather than a relational dimension. Within content dimension, masculine culture try to enhance their esteem by communicating in assertive ways such as interrupting, speaking often, and controlling the conversation. Opposed to feminine cultures, which attempt to enhance their relationships by displaying affection and empathy by becoming involved in active listening.

References

Rothwell, J. Dan. In the Company of Others: an Introduction to Communication. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.