Have you ever thought about how your independence and individuality can make you more dependent on society?
Social scientists have been pondering this fascinating oxymoron for quite some time.
But as we’ve discussed in previous posts, individualistic societies often depend more on social capital, and here’s yet another study to explain why.
When discussing the cause and effect, research by Juri Allik and Anu Realo at the University of Tartu concluded,
“Individualistic values appear to be conducive to social capital and social capital appears to be conducive to individualism (see also Inkeles, 2000).”
But why?
The study, which is a reanalysis of previously published data, delves deeper to find out.
Individualistic States Have High Levels of Social Capital
On one hand, some experts believe that as modernization takes hold, individualism will run rampant, putting the unity of society at risk.
However, others argue that autonomy and independence are necessary for developing cooperation and social solidarity.
Data on individualism and collectivism were reanalyzed in the United States and across 42 countries.
The study found that states in the US with high levels of social capital were also more individualistic.
This capital comes with a higher degree of civic engagement, political activity, and interpersonal trust.
Moreover, these states have a strong system of social networks based on voluntary cooperation and mutual trust, and people in these states prefer to live alone, be self-employed, and vote for the Libertarian political program.
This association held true across many different countries as well.
Except China.
China is an Outlier
China‘s interpersonal dynamics often puzzle outsiders as it defies the stereotype of a collectivist culture.
While China scores low on individualism, it ranks high on trust between individuals, even those outside of the in-group.
This is surprising given the country’s strong emphasis on family and kinship ties.
Scholars attribute this unusual phenomenon to the limitations of simplistic measurement tools and suggest a more nuanced understanding of the Chinese social fabric.
Despite the need for further exploration, China remains an exceptional case that challenges our preconceptions about how culture shapes interpersonal relationships.
Autonomy = Dependence
Although China broke the mold, these results lend support to the theory of Emile Durkheim, who believed that as individuals become more autonomous, they actually become more dependent on society.
So the question remains: how can we balance being our own unique selves while still staying connected to the larger community?
Success Across Cultures 