Collectivist Cultures and Societies in the Arab World
By: Lindsey Penn/Arab America Contributing Writer
There are many differences between Arab culture and the culture in the United States. One piece to those differences is the longer history of the Arab world, from which more traditions and cultural norms have formed. Of course, there are also the standard differences: music, food, religions, language, and more. Even beyond that, though, and on a more subtle level, cultures in the Arab world are more collectivist in nature, where the U.S. is more individualistic. This article points out that difference between the two cultures and how that manifests in everyday life.
What Does Collectivist and Individualist Mean?
When referring to cultures, collectivist means that the society places more importance on the need of the whole group. People feel obligated to work together, valuing kinship and relationships with families, as well as the community as a whole. Interdependency is more common in these societies; a person is a part of the larger group rather than just the individual. In collectivist societies, someone is a “good person” when they put the needs of others at equal or higher importance than their own needs. People are more willing to inconvenience themselves if it helps someone else, such as wearing masks.
A few examples of collectivist cultures are Korea and Japan, in addition to the Arab world.
On the other hand, there are the individualistic cultures. Individualistic cultures find more importance in the individual’s needs. People are independent and self-sufficient, and if they are not, it brings shame and embarrassment. For that reason, a person is “accomplished” when they are not dependent on others and made a life for themselves.
Some examples of individualistic cultures are Germany, Australia, South Africa, and of course, the United States.
Collectivist Cultures in Action
In the Arab world, the collectivist culture shows through many expectations and aspects of society. On university campuses, a student who is blind usually has a fellow student helping them out, whether they are walking with them to class, helping with notes or lectures, and more. This student typically doesn’t go without a friend or an aide, and that is the goal. Or, another example is when people living in poverty are on the streets asking for help. Those passing by will most likely lend a helping hand, whether that is a meal, money, or something else. In a collectivist culture, no one should ever ask for help and not receive it.
A few examples more specific to the Arab world include the rising unemployment and Syrian refugees. The issue of rising unemployment was one of the many factors contributing to the Arab Spring. After students graduated, instead of finding opportunities, they had the choice to take a job below their education level or no job at all. With many graduates frustrated, other people became frustrated as well because they believed that society failed those students. According to collectivist cultures, people in need (in this case, students) should be helped and lifted up so that they can also contribute to the good of the group. As for the situation with Syrian refugees, you’ll find that some of the countries with the most refugees are in the Arab world. Helping others and interdependency is a staple of collectivist cultures.
That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a downside to collectivist cultures. For example, collectivist cultures place a lot of pressure on people to “fit in” with the group because the group identity is so important. Instead of describing themselves with personal adjectives, they are more likely to describe themselves based on their roles within their groups.
Individualist Cultures in Practice
Individualist cultures act almost completely opposite from collectivist cultures in those same situations. When seeing a homeless person on the street, many people (not all) would continue walking. If someone needs help, some people may stop to help, but many others would not. This is part of the mentality of an individualist culture: stopping to help may result in a loss of time, money, or something else that is important to the person. Instead, the person in need may be expected to fix the problem themselves.
In true opposite fashion, individualist cultures are more focused on uniqueness and individuality because the group identity isn’t as important. When someone gives facts or adjectives that describe them, they are more likely to include personal adjectives.
Whichever way the society goes-collectivist or individualist, it contributes pretty heavily to their culture. Collectivism is at the core of Arab culture. It is important to understand what that means for the rest of society, the expectations, traditions, and more.
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