{"id":4814,"date":"2024-05-27T03:14:59","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T10:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/?p=4814"},"modified":"2024-06-02T02:15:49","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T09:15:49","slug":"jiti-zhuyi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/troubadourworks.com\/tiandi\/meotw\/2024\/05\/27\/jiti-zhuyi\/","title":{"rendered":"j\u00edt\u01d0 zh\u01d4y\u00ec"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tj\u00edt\u01d0 zh\u01d4y\u00ec<\/span>\n\t\t\t((j\u00ed\u00b7t\u01d0\n\t\t\tgathered; collected \u00b7 {body [\u2192 [style; form]]} \u2192 [collective]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u96c6\u4f53\n\t\t\t\u96c6\u9ad4<\/span>)\n\t\t\t(zh\u01d4\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\tmaster \u00b7 meaning \u2192 [-ism]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e3b\u4e49\n\t\t\t\u4e3b\u7fa9<\/span>)\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span> [collectivism; community spirit]<\/span>)<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t \u2190 Tap\/click to show\/hide the \u201cflashcard\u201d<\/span>\n<\/h3>\n\n

Generally speaking, Western societies are considered to be relatively individualistic, while Eastern societies, like Chinese ones, are considered to be relatively collectivistic, emphasizing the collective, or group, over the individual. This week\u2019s MEotW, \u201cj\u00edt\u01d0 zh\u01d4y\u00ec<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t((j\u00ed\u00b7t\u01d0\n\t\t\tgathered; collected \u00b7 {body [\u2192 [style; form]]} \u2192 [collective]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u96c6\u4f53\n\t\t\t\u96c6\u9ad4<\/span>)\n\t\t\t(zh\u01d4\u00b7y\u00ec\n\t\t\tmaster \u00b7 meaning \u2192 [-ism]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u4e3b\u4e49\n\t\t\t\u4e3b\u7fa9<\/span>)\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span> [collectivism; community spirit]<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d,<\/i> seems to be the main Mandarin expression referring to such collectivism. (The MEotW post<\/a> on \u201ck\u01d2ngb\u00f9 hu\u00f3d\u00f2ng<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t((k\u01d2ng\u00b7b\u00f9\n\t\t\tfearing \u00b7 terror \u2192 [terrorist]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6050\u6016)\n\t\t\t(hu\u00f3\u00b7d\u00f2ng\n\t\t\tliving \u00b7 moving \u2192 [activities]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u6d3b\u52a8\n\t\t\t\u6d3b\u52d5<\/span>)\n\t\t\t\u2192<\/span> [terrorism; terrorist activities]<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> contains a brief discussion about some other Mandarin -isms.)<\/p>\n

Differences and Possible Causal Factors<\/h4>\n

While researching this post, I came across a scientific paper<\/a> that has some interesting information about individualism and collectivism, including some information about measurable regional variations in collectivism that have been found across the Chinese mainland. Here is a quotation from it, regarding individualism and collectivism in general:<\/p>\n

\nThe distinction between individualism and collectivism captures important differences in how the relationship between self and others is constructed, as well as whether the individual or the group is understood as the basic unit of analysis (Cross et al., 2011; Hofstede, 2001; Markus & Kitayama, 1991, 2010; Oyserman et al., 2002; Triandis, 1995). People living in individualistic cultural contexts (e.g., the United States and the United Kingdom) tend to pay more attention to the achievement of their own goals and their own uniqueness. They have clear boundaries with others and pursue well-being or life satisfaction by sharing feelings and achieving personal success. In contrast, people living in collectivistic cultural contexts (e.g., China, Japan, and Korea) tend to be more concerned about maintaining harmonious relations with in-group members, and the boundaries between themselves and these others are much less firm. This distinction is reflected in cognition, perception, memory, cultural products, and even brain function (Morling, 2016; Nisbett & Masuda, 2003; Oyserman et al., 2002; Zhu et al., 2007). Many explanations for these differences have been proposed, including cultural heritage (Ma et al., 2016), modernity (Inglehart & Baker, 2000), climato-economic theory (Van de Vliert et al., 2013), the subsistence system (Uskul et al., 2008), the historical risk of infectious disease (Fincher et al., 2008), and geographic and relational mobility (Oishi, 2010).\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Later in the paper, the authors divide China into four regions, and present a table listing some factors that may have contributed to the varying degrees of collectivism in those regions.<\/p>\n

\n\"Triple-Line<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

Table 1<\/strong>. Ecological Factor Differences Among the Four Regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nRegion I<\/th>\nRegion II<\/th>\nRegion III<\/th>\nRegion IV<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Collectivism<\/strong><\/td>\nLowest<\/td>\nLower<\/td>\nHigher<\/td>\nHighest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Climate<\/strong><\/td>\nHarsh<\/td>\nHarsh<\/td>\nComfortable<\/td>\nComfortable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Water<\/strong><\/td>\nLess<\/td>\nEnough<\/td>\nLess<\/td>\nEnough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rainfall<\/strong><\/td>\n<400\u2009mm<\/td>\n400\u2013800\u2009mm<\/td>\n400\u2013800\u2009mm<\/td>\n>800\u2009mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Subsistence
system<\/strong><\/td>\n		Herder<\/td>\nWheat or herder\/wheat-blended<\/td>\nWheat<\/td>\nRice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voluntary
settlement<\/strong><\/td>\n		No<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\nNo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Population
density<\/strong><\/td>\n		Low<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pluses and Minuses<\/h4>\n

Collectivistic societies can have certain good aspects, as expressed by this example sentence from the entry for \u201cx\u016bnt\u00e1o<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t(x\u016bn\u00b7t\u00e1o\n\t\t\t{cure (meat\/etc.) with smoke} \u00b7 {mould (as with clay)} \u2192<\/span> [influence positively; nurture; edify; train]<\/span>\n\t\t\t\u718f\u9676\n\t\t\t\u718f\/\u85b0\u9676<\/span>)<\/span>\u201d<\/i> in Pleco<\/a>\u2019s built-in dictionary:<\/p>\n

\nZ\u00e0i j\u00edt\u01d0 zh\u01d4y\u00ec j\u012bngsh\u00e9n de x\u016bnt\u00e1o xi\u00e0, h\u00e1izimen h\u00f9xi\u0101ng gu\u0101nx\u012bn, h\u00f9xi\u0101ng b\u0101ngzh\u00f9.<\/strong> [Word division was edited.]
\n
\nNurtured in the spirit of collectivism, the children care for each other and help each other.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, recently, some research has come out that shows that some negative ways of thinking, feeling, and acting are more likely to be displayed by those in collectivistic societies.<\/p>\n

\n

Studies show collectivists (Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Thai, Ghanians) are more likely to withhold information during negotiations, have frenemies than real friends, hold zero-sum beliefs, compare themselves to others, feel bad about themselves when their friends succeed. 3 pic.twitter.com\/dGSSkk3prx<\/a><\/p>\n

— Kaidi Wu, Ph.D. (@kaidi_wu) April 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n