The difference between individualism and collectivism is that individualism prioritizes personal rights and freedoms, while collectivism prioritizes group harmony and coherence.

This difference can be felt across entire cultures and even the politics of a society. Whereas an individualist society might more highly value autonomy and free expression, it often also lacks social supports for people in need.

By contrast, collectivist cultures often prioritize the needs of the group, but individual expression and autonomy is suppressed (Oyserman, Coon, & Kemmelmeier, 2002).

This article will highlight the definitions, similarities, and differences between these two socio-cultural orientations.

Individualism is a cultural worldview and political ideology that emphasizes personal rights, freedoms, and individual achievement (Cohen, Wu & Miller, 2016).

Individualistic societies value independence, personal autonomy, and self-expression. Individuals are encouraged to stand out, express their personal opinions, and pursue their personal goals (Potter, 2019). The roots of individualism can be found in enlightenment philosophy from characters like John Locke, David Hume, and Adam Smith.

From the individualistic perspective, the individual (i.e. the ‘self’) is perceived as an autonomous entity with natural rights and freedoms (Triandis, 2018).

Collectivism is a worldview that places high importance on the group or community as a whole. It tends to prioritize collective goals and responsibilities at the expense of individual rights and freedoms (Cohen, Wu & Miller, 2016).

In collectivist societies, the group (often, the family) is very important. Individuals therefore tend to identify strongly with their in-group, such as family or tribe, and tend to value cooperation and social harmony over self-interest.

As a result, individuality and standing out from the crowd is often frowned upon.

From this worldview, the self is often conceptualized in relation to others rather than as an autonomous being (Triandis, 2018).

While individualism and collectivism are fundamentally philosophically different, both worldviews at their core concern themselves with upholding certain social norms and values (Oyserman et al., 2002).

For example, both perspectives uphold a sense of duty and responsibility, although this is directed somewhat differently. Collectivists uphold the idea that you have a responsibility to look after your community, while individualist uphold that you have responsibility to look after yourself.

Additionally, both individualism and collectivism can help to foster a strong sense of belonging to a culture or group, giving people the social connections that we desire as human beings (Cohen, Wu & Miller, 2016).

There are certainly more differences than similarities between collectivism and individualism. The key area of contention centers on whether the individual or the group holds higher priority (Oyserman et al., 2002).

Whereas individualism values personal autonomy, freedom, and self-expression, collectivism endorses values directed at harmony, interdependence, and shared responsibilities (Cohen, Wu & Miller, 2016).

The United States is often cited as an epitome of individualistic culture (Potter, 2019).

This individualistic ethos emerged from the very early days of the nation, which was settled and built upon enlightenment principles and desire for freedom from tyranny. This is reflected in the country’s constitution, which heavily emphasizes personal freedoms and rights and the pursuit of (personal) happiness.

To a greater extent than most other democracies (that often have strong safety nets), American society encourages self-reliance and competition, often referred to by the term ‘rugged individualism’. Personal achievement is celebrated and encouraged, with wealthy people idolized (Takano, & Osaka, 2018).

The entrepreneurial spirit and the “American Dream” further embody the individualistic values, wherein there is a dominant cultural belief that anyone can succeed so long as they work hard enough to push through the barriers they face in their lives (Potter, 2019; Triandis, 2018).

While many of these values have underpinned America’s amazing success story, it’s also seen as a reason why American society has a great deal of social inequality.

See More Examples of Individualistic Societies Here

Japan represents a predominantly collectivist culture (Takano, & Osaka, 2018). Japanese society highly values group harmony, cooperation, and loyalty to the group.

These values are reflected in various aspects of Japanese culture, including its very strong work culture, where many people are put under a lot of pressure to work extremely hard so as not to shame their families, leading to burnout (Takano, & Osaka, 2018).

Additionally, Japan’s unique societal practice, such as “Wa” (harmony), underscores the significance of maintaining social harmony, often at the expense of individual preferences or desires.

Furthermore, the significance of in-group harmony is echoed in their very high context communication style, where criticism is subtle and indirect in order to sustain a veneer of politeness (Takano, & Osaka, 2018).

See More Examples of Collectivist Societies Here

While both individualism and collectivism aim to foster societal order and harmony, they diverge significantly in their emphasis on the individual versus the group. This divergent emphasis underlies the manifold socio-cultural differences observed across individualistic and collectivist societies, such as the United States and Japan, respectively. Understanding these concepts and their implications is integral to navigating our increasingly global and interconnected world.

Cohen, A. B., Wu, M. S., & Miller, J. (2016). Religion and culture: Individualism and collectivism in the East and West. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(9), 1236-1249.

Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128(1), 3-72.

Potter, D. M. (2019). American individualism in the twentieth century. In American Social Character (pp. 159-179). Routledge.

Takano, Y., & Osaka, E. (2018). Comparing Japan and the United States on individualism/collectivism: A follow‐up review. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 21(4), 301-316.

Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism & collectivism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Triandis, H. C. (2018). Individualism and collectivism. New York: Routledge.

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]