Presleigh Keplinger- reflection #2

As I read through Chapter 5, one question that caught my attention was how we come to understand who we are.  With the potential solution to this question being that who we are depends heavily on our cultural background, I realized how much growing up in a dominantly individualistic culture has impacted me and who I am.  From as young as I can remember, I have always been encouraged to be self-reliant and to “know who I am,” two aspects of American culture that are greatly valued.  Attending dominantly white elementary, middle, and high schools, I was never exposed to other cultures, especially ones in which interdependence rather that independence is the core focus.  I guess what I’ve been questioning as I read is what the purpose of being completely self-reliant serves.  It bothers me how much emphasis is put on personal growth and success in western cultures and little emphasis on communal growth and reliance.  During one of the conversations I had had with the African students, we were talking about the marriage process in their specific culture.  After they had said that cattle are used as a sort of “payment,” I asked what would happen if I didn’t have any cattle.  In response to this question, one of the African students replied that there is no “I”, that cattle is always “ours.”  They explained that cattle aren’t a single person’s, but rather cattle belonged to families as a whole.  I love the selflessness that they all seemed to possess.  I think selflessness is definitely something that the American culture in general lacks.  Like I said before, personal success is greatly valued and strived for here.  This isn’t always negative, however, as it promotes more competitiveness, which in turn creates more and more improvement.  I definitely think a good balance between independence and interdependence is something to strive for.

Questions:
Is being independent viewed as being selfish?
Are individualistic cultures or collectivist cultures more economically successful?