Focus Question 1

Perspectives on Ideology

Written Response Focus Question 1

By Amber Copp

Collectivism describes an outlook or philosophy that stresses the interactivity between people. It is often considered the opposite of individualism, though both individualism and collectivism can be important within a single outlook. In a collective philosophy the group or society is seen as having precedence over the individual. Collectivism stresses interdepence and importance of collective over the individual. Individualism essentially is when a person endures individualism, they believe that the person’s rights are far more important than the rights of any collective group (government or society) provided those rights are not exercised in a way that harms others. In the two sources we were given source one displays collectivism and source two displays individualism. As you look further into the two sources you can see that there are similarities between the two.

In source one we hear about how the Inuit tribe has changed over time. From what Mary Anulik Kutsiq has said I believe that the Inuit tribe has gone from collectivism to individualism over time. Collectivism considers the well being of a community at the expense of an individual. The Intuits displayed that at earlier times.  In earlier times the Intuits displayed Economic equality when people with more food or tea divided it up equally with the community/households. They showed co-operation because even if they didn’t have much to share everyone in the community cooperated and shared what they could to make their community work together for the common good for all. They even showed common interest when everyone in the community had the same goal which was to make sure everyone had a little bit to eat so they all could survive. They have collective responsibility, everyone in the community had the same responsibility to help and share with their neighbors and everyone else in their community.  Everyone had the same values and collective norms as one another. They were a collectivist community but as their community became larger and the economy began to change so did their values.  Mary described them as self-centered and involved with their own problems. Everyone went their own ways. The community was no longer the same they were becoming individualist.

In bears source two we see a bear standing on the streets and a guy walks by and says “In my day, worked for their honey.” This statement is an attack on individualist. The cartoon shows economic freedom by implying that if you don’t want to work you don’t have to. You don’t have any but yourself to support. The bear is showing self interest by the fact that he is not thinking for the benefit of his community he is thinking for the benefits for himself. We can see competition displayed because the bear is trying to take away honey from others for himself.  The bear seems to be quite capable of working for his honey but he chooses to beg for it instead and there is no law stopping him from that because more and more societies are becoming more individualist.

The two cartoons are similar because they are both suggesting that as communities become larger and larger and as the years go buy people are becoming more self concerned, they are displaying more individualism which is where classical liberalism came from. The two cartoons are similar to classical liberalism by self interest and economic freedom. In both sources you are free to be concerned only of yourself. You can also see that there are differences between the two sources and there are places were classical liberalism is not displayed and that is when you can see the collective responsibility and economic equality in source one and the colletive interest. In source two there was a hint of completion displayed and none of these are connected to classical liberalism.

There is a little classical liberalism in both collectivism and individualism which make classical liberalism a good balance between the two. We saw that in both sources that most communities are slowly growing into individualist and I don’t believe that this is a good idea because the last thing a community or society needs is lots of self absorbed society members. Communities will not run as smoothly as they did in earlier times.