The Collectivist Society and Its Impact on Us
Via The Borgen Project.
In such a homogenous country as South Korea, where a majority of the people have a very similar vision for success–go through 12 years of school, go to college, get a good job in the city–people are more vulnerable to losing themselves, trying to assimilate to others and match what society expects of them at every points in their lives. From a young age, many Koreans are raised very similarly because in Korea, a country without many natural resources, people become the country’s primary resource, and the best way to foster intelligent people is through good education. As a result, many Korean children develop very similar ideals on what success is and study very hard throughout their school life to get a good job later on in life. As seen in the children and the likeness in their upbringings, Korean society as a whole tends to focus on being identical, where everyone fits together in the same mold. In a country that developed very rapidly in such a short amount of time, people’s desire for success drove them to follow a similar path and as a result, a collectivist society developed in Korea.
But what is a collectivist society? A collectivist society places the goals of the group over the individual. In these societies, each person is expected to play a certain role in society and live in harmony with others. This may be similar to many other East Asian societies with confucianist values, which puts a lot of emphasis on the relationships between people, such as friends or family. Koreans are much more sensitive about their relationships with other people, meaning that the fear of missing out is much greater in Koreans than people from other countries. Since togetherness and being compatible with others is often viewed as an important trait, people prefer to show traits that are similar to others. For example, when going to a restaurant, a person might ask the other person what they would like to eat first before saying his or her preference first. Furthermore, your preference of food may change according to the people you are with. In other words, within a collectivist society, what you like and who you are might change based on which group you are with. A person might have multiple options for what he or she likes and choose the one that you think the person you are with at that moment also prefers.
Korea is what we can see as a collectivist society where many are more willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the group. There are expectations that a person should think in a similar way as others think, that everyone should agree and think in the same way. Because of this mindset, the importance of the group and the surrounding people you are similar to is amplified as people try to do everything together as a group and fit everyone into the same mold. However, this kind of thinking and living may be detrimental to an individual’s mental health. There can be two detrimental effects. One is that people may become more vulnerable to being manipulated by others. Having other people constantly may lead to people not being able to express their true opinions. Second, once you surround yourself with certain types of people who all think in a similar manner, it may become very difficult to accept new ideas.
In this kind of environment, many people are in a constant struggle to feel like they belong in a group. The belief is that if they are not part of a group, they feel useless. With the increased need to follow rules and strict social hierarchies in everyday life, such as within their workplace, it is getting increasingly harder for people to find places where they can exert their influence. As a result, people voice their opinions strongly in their close relationships, and want to change others to agree with their views.
Many Koreans are dependent on relationships. Compared to Western cultures where the emphasis is put on the individual, Korea puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship and harmony between people. While this allowed Korea to rapidly develop after the Korean War, the generation that helped rebuild Korea became so sure of themselves that they wanted future generations doing things in ways that they think will help them succeed. This results in a lot of tension between the older and younger generation because high self subjectivity, or the belief one that he or she is right based on his or her own perceptions and experiences, is often masked behind the message of everyone needing to be as one.
Once people get used to this kind of social interaction from such a young age, they may develop what is called the Good Child Syndrome. In order to please their parents, these children pretend that they are okay, don’t express their true feelings, and are not willing to share their emotions with others. Not only does this not result in self - directing children, it also makes them more vulnerable to be swayed more easily by what others say. These children become overly dependent on pleasing others to achieve their own happiness.
So how can one overcome the Good Child Syndrome? Understand that your own opinions are valuable as well and don’t be afraid to express how you feel. Be more open and accepting to new ideas and different kinds of people. Don’t be afraid to get mad at someone for something that you didn’t want them to do. Realize that not everyone can like you, and that you don’t have to try to mold yourself in a way that another person likes.