Individualism and Collectivism: What Differences between Portuguese and Romanian Adolescents?

Abstract

This article presents the results of a series of preliminary comparisons, between the Portuguese and Romanian cultural contexts, on the individualism-collectivism (IND/COL) cultural dimension. The IND/COL was evaluated with the Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire -ICQ -, constructed in New Zealand by Shulruf, Hattie and Dixon (2003, Anonymous Questionnaire of Self-Attitudes -AQSA), and adapted to the Portuguese and Romanian contexts by Ciochină and Faria (2007), using studies of confirmatory factor analysis. The ICQ composed by 26 items, 15 evaluating the IND scale -with three subscales (Uniqueness, Competition and Responsibility) -, and 11 evaluating the COL scale -with two subscales (Harmony and Advice) -, was administered to 395 subjects, 200 Portuguese and 195 Romanian, 10 th and 12 th graders. On the whole, in the Portuguese and Romanian samples, the multivariate and univariate statistical analyses evidenced the existence of two independent variables -gender and cultural context -, with significant effects, main and of interaction, on the scales and subscales of the ICQ. The results were discussed taking into consideration the specificities of the educational systems in the two cultural contexts, which are inevitably shaped by socio-cultural factors characteristic of the two countries considered in the present study -Portugal and Romania.Este artículo expone los resultados de una serie de comparaciones preliminares entre los contextos culturales portugués y rumano en la dimensión cultural individualismo-colectivismo (IND/COL). IND/COL se evaluó con el Individualism-Collectivism Questionnaire -ICQ -construido en Nueva Zelanda por Shulruf, Hattie y Dixon (2003, el Anonymous Questionnaire of Self-Attitudes -AQSA) -adaptado a los contextos portugués y rumano por Ciochina y Faria (2007), empleando estudios de análisis factorial confirmatorio. El ICQ se compone de 26 ítems, 15 que evalúan la escala IND -con tres subescalas (Unicidad, Competición y Responsabilidad)-y 11 que evalúan la escala COL -con dos subescalas (Armonía y Consejo) -se administró a 395 sujetos, 200 portugueses y 195 rumanos, alumnos de 10 a y 12 a . En general, en las muestras portuguesa y rumana, los análisis estadísticos multivariados y univariados revelaron la existencia de dos variables independientes -género y contexto cultural -, con efectos significativos, tanto principal como de interacción, en las escalas y subescalas del ICQ. Se comentan los resultados considerando las especificidades de los sistemas educativos en los dos contextos culturales, inevitablemente moldeados por factores socioculturales característicos de los dos países considerados en este estudio -Portugal and Rumania. Palabras clave: contexto cultural, individualismo-colectivismo, género.

Student Well-being pada Remaja Jawa

“…Jawa yang hidup dalam masyarakat dengan budaya kolektivis mempunyai ciri sendiri dalam interaksi sosial jika dibanding dengan masyarakat dalam budaya individualis (Ciochinã & Faria, 2009). Masyarakat Jawa merasa dirinya bukanlah persekutuan individuindividu, melainkan suatu kesatuan bentuk "satu untuk semua dan semua untuk satu" (Herusatoto, 2008).…”

Cross-Cultural Investigation of Compliance Without Pressure

“…In the case of Romania, even if the Hofstede (1980) Figure 1. Rate of acceptance of the target request (filling out a questionnaire) contingent on the country and the formulation used (Ciochină & Faria, 2009;Heintz, 2002;Shulruf et al, 2011). For example, using Hofstede's measure of individualism, Romania scored 30 in past time (Hofstede, 1980) but 65 nowadays (Van den Berg, 2011).…”

“…Recently, Grossmann and Varnum (2011) found that Russians endorse more interdependent self-views than Americans. In the case of Romania, even if the Hofstede (1980) classification clearly identified it as being a collectivist country, it seems that is no longer the situation today (Ciochină & Faria, 2009; Heintz, 2002; Shulruf et al, 2011). For example, using Hofstede’s measure of individualism, Romania scored 30 in past time (Hofstede, 1980) but 65 nowadays (Van den Berg, 2011).…”

“…Individualism is most notably present in countries that are considered to be democratic and the European Union is essentially composed of individualist cultures. Romania has therefore most likely gone from a collectivist orientation to an individualist orientation (Ciochină & Faria, 2009). The analysis of the annual Freedom House reports since 1972 indicate that Romania was classified among nonfree countries from 1972 until 1990, then among partially free countries until 1995 and finally as a free country up until today.2…”

Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Relational Interdependent Self –Construal scale

“…The change from collectivism to individualism is, in fact, a trend that has been observed in many countries characterized by a framework of economic enrichment (Ciochină & Faria, 2006;Triandis, McCusker, & Hui, 1990). Thus, with this gradual approach to individualism, especially in younger generations (e.g., Ciochină & Faria, 2009), it is expected that gender differences in relational interdependent self-construal become more salient over time.…”