Society & Culture
Welcome to Conversation With Katherine and my podcast "I" versus "We" Cultural NarrativesIn my getting to know people from various cultural backgrounds, I am struck by the common factors and the differences. One of the major differences is whether an "individual" comes from a community based culture versus and individual based cultureThe broader American cultural context is an individual based context. What do I mean? Think about the narratives that are used in this country. The climbing up the ladder of success by your bootstraps. The value of independence versus a collective decision. The freedoms of making your own individual decisions about who you marry, where you live, your profession and any other "I" decision that comes to mind. That is an intellectual way of stating, in this country we value choice and the freedom to make independent decisions.