The experiences of travelling abroad give us new inspirations to shift our fixed mindsets toward the concept of society. When categorizing the types of society on a large scale, I suppose that there are two parallel societies existing in this world. One is a society that prioritizes the community and another type of society puts greater values on individual freedom and one’s right. Both of these societies sometimes conflict with each other. This is the reason why there has been controversial debate regarding the theory of collectivism and individualism. However, I believe that this discussion is essential as it enhances the understandings of people from different social backgrounds.
London is known as a multicultural city. It accommodates people from various backgrounds, and the whole city and people respect individual differences. When I first arrived in this city, I was impressed with the multicultural traits that the city has. I could find various people of colour; can hear different languages, and people were wearing unique clothes as they wish. No matter where they were born, which nationality they have, what racial or ethnic backgrounds they have, I felt that all of them are the member of society: those who are typically called Londoners. Although I temporarily resided in this city, I also felt that I was a part of this society as one Londner. This was my first experience in my life living in a place in which prioritizes the value of individualism and I felt comfortable, yet I found it disappointing to see people having fewer interactions with each other.
In contrast, my home country, Japan, consists of a collectivist society. There are loads of strong communities sharing key norms existing in each region nationwide. Therefore, it is commonly seen that the majority of Japanese people respect the shared values more than individual values. This characteristic is beneficial to maintain the safety of the community. Moreover, a collectivist society can provide concrete belongings to oneself as the members form a close human relationship. This relationship, however, sometimes creates peer pressure that may result in unfavourable outcomes such as tensions among the members since each of them is different in nature.
After experiencing these two different types of society in my life, I felt that both of these societies have pros and cons. Therefore, I believe that when we discuss the matters of society, we have to keep in mind that there are no right or wrong conceptions of society. Instead, knowing the different characteristics of society may help us to broaden our perspectives and it helps us to avoid creating tensions from people from different types of society. Becoming a person who can avoid absolutizing one’s way of thinking is a crucial skill in this globalizing world.
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