Building better communities

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BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES Community psychology studies the individual’s contexts within communities and the wider society, and their relationship with it. It helps to understand the quality of life of individuals within groups, organizations , institutions, communities and society.	Where We are Going: From ME to WE to US Two important human motives have been used as a framework. We first explore the individualistic focus on the one – the ME – followed by the collectivistic focus on the many – the WE. Last, we propose a blend of the one and the many – the WE/ME, or, more simply, US.
INDIVIDUALISM: The Psychology of ME A Brief History of American Individualism Alexis de Tocqueville’s (1835/2003) Democracy in America, has been known as the land of the “rugged individualist.” The essence of this view is that any person with a good idea, through hard work, can succeed in the pursuit of personal goals. This rugged individualism has metamorphosed into the “Me generation” that held sway from the 1960s through the early 1990s.	Emphases in Individualism When concern for the individual is greater than concern for the group, then the culture is said to be individualistic; however, when each person is very concerned about the group, then the society is collectivistic.
Core Emphases 1. The term core emphases and the secondary emphases capture the more and less central aspects of individualistic and collectivistic societies.	2. A second core emphasis within individualism is that of a high need of uniqueness relative to the population as a whole. Individualistic follow their own motives and preferences instead of adjusting their desire to accommodate those of the group – sometimes is called Conforming.
3. A third core emphasis of individualism is that the explanations of events are likely to involve the person rather than the group.	Secondary Emphases The individualistic person pursues what is enjoyable to him or her, focus upon pleasure and their own self-esteem in interpersonal relationships after weighing the disadvantages and advantages of it. The individualist at times may follow group norms, but only if it is personally advantageous to do so.
To sum up the individualistic perspective, focus on the three core elements, i.e. independence, uniqueness, and the self as the unit of analysis.	COLLECTIVISM: The Psychology of WE A brief history on collectivism According to social psychologist Elliot Aronson (2003) human beings have a shared characteristic, and so are called “Social animal”. Social psychologists Roy Baumeister et al, have argued that people prosper when they join together into social units to pursue shared goals.
Emphases in Collectivism When the concern is greater towards the society than the individual, it is known as a -Collectivistic society. When the average person in a society is disposed towards group interdependence, then the society is labeled “Collectivist”.	Core Emphases The three core emphases of collectivism are dependence; conformity, or the desire to fit in; and perception of the group as the fundamental unit of analysis.
1. First, the dependency within collectivism reflects a genuine tendency to draw one’s very meaning and existence from being part of an important group of people.	2. Regarding the desire to fit in, “The core element of collectivism is the assumption that groups bind and mutually obligate individuals.”
3. The third core emphasis is on the social patterns of the collectivist societies as it reflects close linkages in which people see themselves as part of a larger and more important whole.	Secondary Emphases The collectivist is defines in terms of the characteristics of the groups to which she or he belongs. Success and satisfaction stem from the group’s reaching its desired goals and from feeling that one has fulfilled the socially prescribed duties as a member of that effective, goal – directed, group effort.
Collectivists are more likely to give their unconditional support to their group and think first and foremost in terms of their duties to the group. Collectivist people obviously become very involved in People within the collectivist perspective are characterized by mutual generosity and equity.	The person within the collectivistic perspective monitor the social context carefully to form impressions of others and to make decisions.
Demographics related to Collectivism Positive psychologists must consider what the future will bring in regard to collectivism.	The role of aging as yet another demographic issue pertaining to collectivism, it appears that people become more collectivist as they grow older.
ME/WE Balance: The positive Psychology of US Individualism and collectivism as opposites also has the potential to provoke disputes, in which the members of each camp attempt to demonstrate the superiority of their approach. Cultures are extremely diverse; each has dynamic and changing social systems.	One characteristic of a happy and productive life is a sense of balance in one’s views and actions. Positive psychology approach, would equate the ME and the WE emphases. Through ME/WE perspective, both the person and the group can be attended equally which helps the people with high hopes in their lives and interaction with others .
Through this, other peoples perspective and their considerations play an important role in personal goals. Just as the high-hoper's think of ME goals, they simultaneously can envision the WE goals of other people.	Suggestions for We people (Collectivists) Collectivists often see individualists as too competitive. One useful lesson here is to understand that individualists see their status as based on their personal accomplishments rather than on their memberships in groups.
Collectivist should not be shocked when individualist do not seem impressed with group successes that are based in large part on lineage, family name, age, or gender.	Collectivists dependence on cooperative solutions to dilemmas may not work when they are dealing with individualists.
Suggestions for Me people (Individualists) We offer advice for individualists to interact more effectively with collectivists. It will help them derive the sense of status from their membership in the group.	When the individualist negotiates with the collectivists, it leads to respect and patience between them. There are subtle differences, including important nonverbal gestures and cues, that must be honored when individualists and collectivists interact.
The need for Uniqueness The pursuit of individualistic goals to produce a sense of specialness has been termed the need for uniqueness. The most people have some desire to be special relative to others. This human motive is called the need of uniqueness and others have termed it the motive for distinctiveness.	Encoding of Similarity information People define themselves along a variety of identity dimensions. An identity dimension is defines as "a set of person attributes which have a common core of meaning".
Development of the need for Uniqueness Scale An average score is around 100. scores higher than this reflect increasingly elevated levels of need for uniqueness, and scores lower than this reflect increasingly diminished levels.	People who score higher on the need for uniqueness scale also have higher self - esteem and less anxiety, especially relative to interpersonal matters.
Uniqueness Attributes Each society has some acceptable attributes whereby its citizens can show their differences, and these are called as Uniqueness attributes.	Commodities as uniqueness attributes A variety of commodities can be used to define a person as unique as clothes, cars, houses, jewelry, vacations, even special mates. Uniqueness appeals to persuade people to buy products, and then, by making yearly changes in their products, motivates customers to purchase the latest version.
Names as Uniqueness Attributes Our name singles out our individuality in a sea of other people.	Attitudes and beliefs as Uniqueness Attributes Attitudes and beliefs provide a, means for defining a person's special self. The more we want our attitudes to be different, the more we actually thin k these attitudes are different.
Performances as Uniqueness Attributes Our performances in society also can serve as uniqueness attributes. A first type of performance is what we call Individualistic normal competition, or "Playing the game".	A second type of performance is individualistic successful differentiation, or "Changing the game". A third type of performance is individualistic deviance, or "You Cannot Play the Game".

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	Created by Ashna Mulgund about 6 years ago