name in large, bold letters, with organizational position under the name in smaller
type. These illustrations offer insight into how collective cultures stress identity
through group membership, and individualistic cultures emphasize individual identity.
The examples also demonstrate how hierarchy is emphasized in Japan and egalitarian-
ism is stressed in the United States. In other words, among the Japanese the school
you attended and the company you work for are indicators of your personal status.
Although there are, of course, some status differentials among U.S. schools and cor-
porations, they exert far less influence than in Japan.Personal Identity
As noted earlier, your personal identity arises from those characteristics that set you
apart from others in your in-group—those things that make you unique and influence
how you see yourself. Scholars typically use the term“self-construal”to denote how
individuals view themselves in relation to others.^37 Research by social and cultural psy-
chologists has disclosed that an individual possesses an independent, an interdependent,
and a relational self-construal and that“cultural differences in self-definition arise
through differences in the relative strength or elaboration of these self-construals.”^38
People from individualistic cultures, such as in the United States and Western Europe,
with a high level of independent self-construal are likely to be self-promoting and favor
direct communication. Conversely, someone of a collectivistic-oriented culture, such as
those in Northeast Asia, may tend to emphasize their group membership and prefer
indirect communication. Relational self-construal, according to Cross and her collea-
gues, can be considered a global dimension that expresses the degree to which people
define themselves by their close, dyadic relationships (e.g., relationship with spouse,
child, sibling, close friend, etc.).^39 Someone motivated by relational self-construal can
be expected to engage in efforts to enhance that relationship.There are many
identities that play
significant roles in the
daily lives of people–
identities they share in
a very personal way.
Courtesy of Edwin McDaniel254 CHAPTER 7•Culture and Identity: Situating the Individual
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