Collectivism, in vocational psychology dictionary

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Dictionary of Vocational Psychology

Collectivism

In psychology, an emphasis on psychological aspects of the group or collective, such as a qualities of relationshiops, collective behavior, role expectations, and the means of communication of in-group norms or taboos. Such a focus on group-level constructs may be contrasted with a focus on intrapersonal or individual-level constructs, such individual thoughts, interests, and preferences.

One may further distinguish psychological from philosophical collectivism. The latter presupposes that the claims and needs of the group outweigh the particular desires and motives of the individual, and that the moral requirements to meet some minimal needs or demands of the group ought to be the priority when a conflict exists with the possible desire- or motive-based claims of the individual.

Typically, advocates of the importance of collective needs argue for tilting the balance in the direction of collectivism and away from individualism. Such a philosophy may advocate in favor of such social practices as affirmative action and closed shops for labor unions, for example. According to Peterson and Gonzales (2005), such a collectivist perspective is strongly influenced by culture, which may also be a way of saying that it is philsophical in nature.

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