INDIVIDUALISTIC AND COLLECTIVISTIC ORIENTED. VALUES AND EDUCATION

 

I am inclined to write about my particular way of thinking about Individualism and collectivism. But before that, let me ponder what  I understand about individual-oriented such as the ordinary American people. They tend to be individualistic, struggling for themselves, and positive achievements like self proficiency, self-determination, self-reliance, self-independent living, etc.

All of it comes from a family environment with the same attitude, motivating their children to be so since they are little in the belief that it will lead them to be successful in the future, therefore beneficial for society.  

IT is opposed to collective-oriented, who work on behalf of a group, such as family, party, team, etc. Here the expectations to succeed are not individual as far as it influences or aids the group goal. They would never change to another group.  They have a strong belief in unity and elderly or paternal guidance, protection, or control. So failure will be the group shame and guilty.

On the other hand, individualistic tend to change ways of thinking or follow differently streams, especially in politics, where the individual interests can domain despite the group goal or even the whole nation, changing the t-shirt as convenient.

I dare to say that values change from one way to another according to the cultures, the belief system, ancestral customs, and worldwide influences due to technical communications, music, art, fashion, politics, economic issues, and even natural disasters.

In this educational systems take place and reveal that collectively oriented countries have much better performance in this field, having the best scores in tests. They are bringing American individualistic oriented country in a law scale. Presidents of the USA wanted to change this percentage and adequate some programs such as NCLB or NAEP or the last one Race to the Top, which is the selfish goal of every Self-commitment of an individualistic oriented country. Still, it also embraces the collective individualistic oriented part.

So my particular point of view is this; if we take our body as an example or mirror these orientations, we see that we have significant organs that work in a very individualistic way, such as the heart, the libber, the lungs. Etc. They are busy with their tasks; nevertheless, they help; they work for each other and the whole body. Similarly, a person is part of a group of people, family, friends, society, and humanity.  And humans live I on the Earth, where each part of it, such, oceans, mountains, clouds, rivers, etc.works individually, but at the same time work united as a group   Moreover, the Earth fulfills its presence in the cosmos alone but together with the other planets, stars and so on. We can continue up to the infinite where everything is united and separated by time and space.

So I wonder if it might not be the answer for the separation and unity, mixed thinking and acting ways. If we could only think that we are a part of the whole creation, part of the All-Mighty, children of our Heavenly Father, we are one soul and part of His Spirit.  Then why don't we learn to be altruists, loving, generous, working together as a whole, and individually for the benefit of each one of us?  Thus learning, knowledge, teaching, students, improvements, tests, success will come true forever and ever. 

The question is: Would have it been part of the plan?