Marshmallows and Me
Do you rely on
yourself more than others? Would you rather “do your own thing?” You may be an
individualist type of person.
Do you feel good
when you cooperate with others? Do you find meaning and purpose in working with a
group? If so, you might be a collectivist.
Collectivism vs. Individualism
According to the article Essential Tools: Cultural and
Linguistic Diversity, people with collectivistic tendencies value group decision making, fulfill roles within a group and are interdependent. Countries
that are considered collectivistic include Japan, China, Indonesia, Brazil and
India. People that are more individualistic are independent, self-sufficient, and
pursue individual goals and achievements. Americans, Canadians, and Australians generally fall into this category.
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Do you like marshmallows? I don’t! On my first day of school, my
kindergarten teacher assigned me to a team with some other kids and introduced
us to something mysterious called a “group activity”. Strings hung from the
monkey bars on the playground and each string held three huge marshmallows. My
teacher explained that the first team who finished eating its marshmallows
won. I was very shy and had never tasted a marshmallow. The thought of performing
in front of my peers and eating something unfamiliar seemed daunting. I was
doomed! I anxiously watched as each teammate in front of me consumed his marshmallows quickly and happily. When my turn came, I courageously stepped
forward, took a bite of the marshmallow and then promptly spit it out before
bursting into tears. Needless to say, I did not like the taste of
marshmallows…or the idea of working together in a group!
I haven’t changed much since that fateful day on the playground. I
still loathe marshmallows and I prefer working by myself instead of in a group.
I guess you could say I’m an individualist living in a collectivist culture.
A Gospel
Connection
Heavenly Father’s
plan of salvation combines the concepts of individualism and collectivism in a
beautiful and interesting way. On one hand, our church doctrine espouses
individualism. We pursue individual goals, progress individually, and make
individual choices. On the other hand,
the gospel teaches collectivism. We make decisions as a family, have
obligations to family, fulfill roles within the family, and take care of our
families. Also, in order to receive exaltation, we make covenants as individuals but are sealed together as families.
In the Classroom
The concept of individualism and collectivism influences the way
we learn and work with others. As teachers, we should ask “Which students perform
best on their own?” Which students work best in a group?” Knowing more about
these concepts will help us communicate better and understand the behavior of
others. In that way, no one has to eat marshmallows if she doesn’t want to!
Sources:
Leake, D., & Black, R. (2005). Essential Tools: Cultural
and Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Transition Personnel.
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration,
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition.
Individualism vs.
Collectivism Video, John Ivers, March 2015
Oh Jan, my heart goes out to your poor kindergarten self... Oh the challenges of starting new journeys! I enjoyed reading your classroom application!
ReplyDeleteTatiana
Hi Jan, thank you again for illustrating your personal experience. I loved your gospel connection that we make covenants as individuals but are sealed as families. Great example of individualism and collectivism in our religious culture. These questions about how students perform better are really important to create a comfortable environment for our students.
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