The Individual and the Group

Philosophers and social scientists have long pondered the master problem of social life: What is the connection between the individual and society, including groups, organizations, and communities?
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Image from NICHCY

In his essay on Self-reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: do not tell me of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor?

Issues
How social an animal is mankind? Is homo sapiens communal or individualistic? Is the self a private, personal quality?

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Do Humans Prefer Solitude or Membership in Groups? There was a real Robison Crusoe, named Alexander Selkirk, who was marooned for 4 years Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe: I am cast upon a horrible, desolate island; void of all hope of recovery. I am singled out and separated, as it were, from all the world, to be miserable. I am divided from mankind, a solitary; one banished from human society. I have no soul to speak to or to relieve me. BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM

Do Humans Prefer Solitude or Membership in Groups?

Rubin, Hurricane Carter: I had nothing, absolutely nothing. I was trapped at the bottom, the lowest point at which a human being can exist without being dead: solitary confinement. I had nothing to hold on to, no family, nobody to do BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM anything for me.

Studies of in various contexts

Solitary confinement Solitary adventurers Studies of people who agree to isolation

All find strong negative reactions to isolation

Do Humans Prefer Solitude or Membership in Groups?

Walt Whitman wrote I think I could turn and live with the animals but he also wrote I demand the most copious and close companionship of men.
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Alone versus together

Isolation can be positive, but prolonged isolation is stressful People respond negatively if they expect to be alone
increased aggression take risks reduced cognitive capacity

Do Humans Prefer Solitude or Membership in Groups? Exclusion is aversive and avoided

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Do Humans Prefer Solitude or Membership in Groups?

Mark Leary: We need to think about ourselves occasionally, but none of us needs to think about ourselves as much as we do.

Learys sociometer theory: self-esteem warns of possible exclusion Self-esteem is not the evaluation of your worthit is an indicator of how well you are accepted into social groups

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Loneliness Types of loneliness: emotional and social Membership in groups can reduce both types of loneliness

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Need to belong (Baumeist er & Leary)

Evoluti onary psychology suggests this instinct resulted from natural selection

Persons and Genes

A's gene type: Affiliation B's gene type: Solitary C's gene ty e: Affiliation p D's gene type: Affiliation E's gene type: Solitary F's gene type: Solitary G's gene type: Solitary H's gene type: Affiliation I's gene type: Affiliation J's gene type: Solitary

Action
Joins Stays apart Joins Joins Stays apart Stays apart Stays apart Joins Stays apart Stays apart

Environmental Challenges

M ating Pool
Joiner

Joiner

Loner

Joiner

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The Individual or the Group

Living in groups requires pragmatic compromise: One must sometimes give priority to the needs and concerns of the group and put ones own interests on hold BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM (Hewitt, 1989)

When alone, you are free to act any way that you like But join a group, and you must tailor your actions to the demands of the group situation

Are homo sapiens communal or individualistic? How involved are you in the community? Volunteering Political action Social change Nationalism

The balance between the individuals rights and the groups rights Can the group insist on compliance? Force the member to obey rules? Can members insist that the group satisfy their needs? Put them first?

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Individualism
The individual is primary, first. His or her rights must be recognized and put above the right of the group as a whole. If the groups goals arent compatible with the individuals goals, then the individual is free to go his BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM or her own way.

Collectivism
The group is primary, first. Its rights must be recognized and put above the right of the individual. The individual belongs to the group.

The I-C Continuum

Individualism and collectivism differ in their relative emphasis on individuals and groups. Interpersonal relations Collectivism: greater loyalty to the ingroup and less concern for the outgroup Interpersonal Individualism foster exchange relations relationships rather than communal Norms and relationships roles Norms and roles Collectivism: stresses hierarchy and reacts Motivations more negatively to nonconformity The self Individualism: stresses individuality and independence BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM

Four aspects Of I-C:

The I-C Continuum

Individualism and collectivism differ in their Four aspects relative emphasis on individuals and groups Of I-C: (cont). Interpersonal Motivations relations Collectivism: group-serving tendencies, Norms and reliance on the equality norm roles Individualism: self-serving tendencies, Motivations reliance on the equity norm The self Self-conception Collectivism: emphasis on collective, social identity Individualism: emphasis on personal BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM identity

Cultures, groups, and individuals vary in their relative emphasis of individualism and collectivism
Cultures: East vs. West Subcultures: Some ethnic groups, such as Asian Americans and Latinos, are more collectivistic than individualistic BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM

Variations in I-C
Levels of I-C: Cultural differences Individual differences Sex differences
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Personality: independents are individualistic and interdependent putting their groups' goals and needs above their own. Sex differences: In Western cultures women are more interdependent, men more independent.

Does Membership in a Group Change a Person's Self-Concept and Social Identity?

Social identity theory: the self-concept is determined by group memberships

Social categorization: Individuals automatically classify people, including themselves, into groups. Social identification: accepting as self-descriptive (selfstereotyping) the qualities attributed to ones group (depersonalization)

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Does Membership in a Group Change a Person's Self-Concept and Social Identity? Self-esteem depends on an individuals personal qualities and the value of the groups to which they belong. Ingroup-outgroup bias: by rating ones own group positively self-esteem is enhanced If a member of a prestigious collective self-esteem will increase Members of stigmatized group may nonetheless take pride in their groups and reject nonmembers evaluations of their groups (social creativity) Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRG): stressing BJH.OBII.IMCOST.MHRDM association with successful groups.

Does Membership in a Group Change a Person's Self-Concept and Social Identity?

Self-protective strategies
Denying connections to groups that are performing poorly (CORF, or cutting off reflected failure) Leaving the group (individual mobility).

Who are you? Is a complex, hard-to-answer, question.

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