The central principle of individualism is the sovereignty of the individual, its enduring significance. It leads to the derivative nature of society, which does not have an independent existence outside the totality of individual actions and is a consequence of interactions between people. However, individualism does not mean denying the importance of society or decreasing cooperation between people. There are the consistently individualistic states that have reached such a level of collaboration, social interaction, to which countries with collectivist systems and way of life have never even approached.
The adherents of individualism, considering the issue of social cooperation, focus on the need for its voluntary nature, as long as this principle is observed, collaboration in an individualistic society seems not only possible but necessary (Bandinelli & Gandini, 2019). For instance, the individualist, being a self-sufficient person and outside of interaction with other people, nevertheless goes to various forms of social relations, realizing benefits from this kind of action (Bandinelli & Gandini, 2019).
In terms of the educational process, the individualistic values of competition and self-reliance are more conducive to improving student achievement and success than collectivist values. Besides, recognition of one’s importance does not mean rejection of contacts with other people, instead, on the contrary, it leads to the qualitative development of relations that are advancing on a fundamentally new basis.
Concerning the completed collectivist model of social coordination, cooperation becomes problematic because a normatively binding list of needs and goals is established that blocks the possibility of voluntary interactions. That is, the presence of valuable demands for each individual allows the formation of an infinite number of social ties that would be fundamentally impossible within the framework of collectivism.
Individualistic communities are more focused on respect for human rights and the high value of life. Individualistic companies appreciate rationalism, logic, and cognitive consistency. Thus, individualism and collaborative culture are not antagonistic, since cooperation between people is not contrary to human nature. Therefore, the accusations of the theorists of collectivism in the destructive influence of individualism on society seem groundless.
Reference
Bandinelli, C., & Gandini, A. (2019). Hubs vs networks in the creative economy: Towards a ‘collaborative individualism’. In R. Gill, A. C. Pratt, & T. E. Virani (Eds.), Creative hubs in question. Dynamics of virtual work (pp. 89-110). Palgrave Macmillan.