Collectivism -- "Collectivism Is the Key to Reshaping the American Workplace" by Rainesford Stauffer by ALANA HEALY https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2 en-us 2023-04-06 16:11:36 UTC 2025-09-30 13:29:06 UTC hello@padlet.com Key Terms abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546430350 1.) collectivism — the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it.
2.) ) individualism – the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant
3.) capitalism — an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit
4.) labor — work
5.) social safety net – non-contributory assistance existing to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution

]]> 2023-04-06 16:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546430350 Overarching Problem abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546437623 A focus on the individual in American labor structures creates and reinforces inequities.]]> 2023-04-06 16:21:43 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546437623 Work, Identity, and Overtime abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546439861 2023-04-06 16:24:20 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546439861 Social Safety Net abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546445405 - Social Security
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Unemployment
- Welfare Programs]]> 2023-04-06 16:30:23 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546445405 Superficial Employer Responsibility abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546459997 - bare-minimum seen as benevolence
- unions codify employer and employee responsibility relationship]]> 2023-04-06 16:46:21 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546459997 Background Info abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546479497 Overall, the ideology of collectivism is that everyone contributes to the general good of a society. Examples of these community and family efforts are found embedded in both the culture and laws of these countries. It’s not looked down upon to live with one's family as a young adult or to provide elders in one's family a place in their home rather than a retirement home. Although onlookers categorize these concepts as indolent, this interwoven framework of community growth urges contributed effort from all ends. An adolescent living with family can contribute through cooking, child care, or cleaning. Carpooling, marriage longevity, and religiosity are other ways of social integration and connectedness found in collectivistic cultures (Minkov et al., 2017). There's not only community support provided, but through integral political means of shaping society: voter turnout, unions, codified social welfare (Stauffer, 2022). Doing one's part to help a larger whole is a theme in collectivistic cultures. So, there is no wonder that when one person or group needs help, the rest join together in unity with them. Specifically, a collectivistic foundation in the workplace fosters safety nets for workers (Stauffer, 2022). People deserve security, and they deserve for security to be clearly outlined for them to negate the possibility of manipulation or broken contracts. In contrast, the individualistic core of economic capitalism is cultivated in notions of self-interest. By way of a quick, surface overview of American history, self-interest is prevalent throughout it, including the greed-ridden conditions that business owners and corporations extended to their workers during the Industrial Revolution. Therefore, although capitalism touts the idea of an individualistic dream–-the “American Dream”--one can easily step back and observe how the system serves the few rather than the many, or rather, the work of the many is taken advantage of by the few to keep those at the top in power.]]> 2023-04-06 17:10:41 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2546479497 Reflection abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2549548039 To reflect, the direction of my research so far on collectivism and individualism in the world has led me into the niche of the American workplace. Although this argument map follows a very specific part of how collectivistic policies and ideologies impact people, it still covers many of the original themes that I planned on researching when I chose this topic. Themes such as identity, family, work, life priorities, and political/economic frameworks that correlate with collectivism versus those that connect with individualism have been explored thus far. In recognition of this past week, the prevalence of choosing an article on collectivism's benefits in the American workplace has of course not slipped my mind, and in fact reinforces, with real life examples, the significance of people uniting for a common shared goal--what is right. Learning more about unions, social safety nets, and workers' rights is something that has interested me and equipped me with some knowledge to spread to those around me who are worried about the current state of their Rutgers education. It's pushed me to advocate even better and to be a stronger ally to those who deserve to have their rights and needs honored. I am only concerned that I don't have the full, complete knowledge it will take to cover such a broad topic, or the specifics of work and labor. I want to honor workers and the people who made these resources possible, so I'm worried that I'll be overwhelmed in Project 4 because of how highly accurate and sensitive I want to be with handling all this information. Would the whole project be on collectivism versus individualism in the workplace? Or would I write about collectivism versus individualism in different aspects of life, including the workplace? I think the second approach is more appealing to me, however, it is a very broad approach and will likely require an extreme amount of effort/concentration to a multitude of different social phenomena and structures that I'm not completely familiar with. ]]> 2023-04-11 02:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2549548039 Collectivism is the key to reshaping the American workplace. abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552194288 2023-04-12 22:36:22 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552194288 Counter Argument: People will pay more taxes for benefits they do not need at that time. abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552431773 2023-04-13 02:34:03 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552431773 Work has become worship abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499285 From taking overtime to employee of the month, ultimate loyalty to one's job has become viewed as honorable, and even virtuous. This frame is structured by demanding all that workers can give employers, rather than what employers must provide workers. Moreover, there has been a shift in the meaning of work itself, as it has been defined not as labor, but the extent to which employees enjoy and express gratitude for the opportunity. ]]> 2023-04-13 03:31:15 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499285 Work/life balance steamrolled by the grind of capitalism abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499692 2023-04-13 03:31:41 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499692 Capitalism can condition an identity solely centered on work abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499919 2023-04-13 03:31:54 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552499919 Collective safety nets help everyone in the long run. abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552796480 Even though an individual may be wary of their money being spent on something that will not directly help them or their family, they tend to need the aid later. Accidents, illness, and needed care all occur in life. Not just in the work environment, but overall, these benefits in schools or people's lives allow them to stress less and focus more on their vocation and families. On a larger scale, security through healthcare or elder-support services should be a goal that people care about, not just depending on whether or not those safety nets directly benefit their life at that moment.]]> 2023-04-13 08:14:51 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552796480 Solution: Decoupling health care from employment. abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552810396 Every developed country in the world has some sort of universal health care system besides the United States. Further, this reality inextricably ties employment to health care. While nationalizing the healthcare system in the U.S. may not solve every problem created under an individualistic economic framework, it will produce guaranteed safety nets for those who can work, those who cannot, and it will eliminate the powerful tether between working and ability to access basic needs and rights.]]> 2023-04-13 08:29:20 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552810396 Places of employment that do not have unions threaten the rights of workers. abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552819070 - employers often shame the employee desire to establish a union
- unions ensure a collectively enforced accountability to ensure equal pay, labor protections, and safe workplace environment]]> 2023-04-13 08:38:20 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552819070 Problems that arise quickly without the presence of unions abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552821537 Without the pressure of unions to codify employer responsibility,
- unequal pay
- unsafe work environment
- job discrimination
- denied promised resources
- etc.
are all real possibilities]]> 2023-04-13 08:41:11 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552821537 Collectivism in the workplace abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552823611 2023-04-13 08:43:31 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552823611 Counter Argument: Workers' happiness can be increased through work/life balance abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552827999 2023-04-13 08:48:22 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552827999 Unions abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552828807 2023-04-13 08:49:22 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552828807 Short-term Solution abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552832039 While improving work-life balance can have tangible benefits in a person's life, this is an individualized scope that does not cause lasting change at a structural level]]> 2023-04-13 08:52:51 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552832039 Advocating for Disabled Workers and Those Who Can't Work because of Disability abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552837713 2023-04-13 08:59:01 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552837713 Clean, Amicable Evironment abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552838778 2023-04-13 09:00:28 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552838778 Impossible Reality for Many: abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552842838 In one of the richest, most powerful nations in the world, there are still people who are suffering to make it day to day. Based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 400,000 Americans work two full-time jobs (Reed, 2022).]]> 2023-04-13 09:04:48 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552842838 abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552851424 For those with big families, a suggested solution for happiness may be an improved work/life balance. However, if a person has a larger family, they have more mouths to feed and loved ones to take care of. In the individualism-centered economy of America, they likely have to take two or more jobs--making "work life balance" nearly impossible or obsolete as a whole.]]> 2023-04-13 09:14:59 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552851424 Plan for Further Research abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552854903 2023-04-13 09:19:37 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552854903 3 Sources: abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552912774 1.)https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/08/how-universal-are-our-emotions

(Krishnan, 2022)

2.)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1015682121103

(Ahuvia, 2001)

3.) https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-usa/

(Hofstede Insights, 2023)]]> 2023-04-13 10:31:36 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552912774 5 Questions abh83 https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552921516 1.) How do collectivistic versus individualistic cultures react to mental health?

2.) Does religion play a factor in collectivistic oriented societies? (Focus on religious celebrations & worship, how different religions were affected during the height of Covid by not being able to come together, ex: Eid al-Fitr during quarantine and only being able to celebrate with nuclear family)

3.) What are the different ways that personality, or even emotions, are displayed in collectivistic versus individualistic cultures? Do these different routes of expression have an affect on people? Is repression more common in one or the other?

4.) Is there a place in the United States that truly reflects collectivistic ideals? Are there communities? Can collectivism be cultivated within an overall individualistic society? (ex: New York coming together during tragedy, protests, unions, LGBTQ+ community)

5.) Can individualism and self expression be maintained in a collectivistic society?]]> 2023-04-13 10:43:33 UTC https://padlet.com/abh83/1m3pi9v3hephb8f2/wish/2552921516