Independent and Interdependent

Human life today is better and more modern thanks to the development of the economy and the technology. People today are closer and closer, they can learn and adopt other nation's culture they like. However, in sociology department, Makus and Kitayama think that people as culturally shaped shapers. They are shaped by culture as they engage with patterns of meanings and practices, ways of doing everyday life. But they also shape the culture in the way of behaving, in the way of talking to other people, in the way of acting, in the way of making products and putting them into the world. They call this process of shaping and being shaped mutual constitution. They have described 2 of these possible modes of being independent and interdependent.

First of all, independent way means individuals think about themselves as responsible for behavior, as in control. They control their worlds by influencing other people. It is really vital to say what's important to them, they are sure of themselves and make quick decisions. The independent mode of being can be seen most clearly in the United States and Western Europe.

Secondly, the interdependent way is more characteristics of East Asian societies. East Asian people tend to believe that they are contextual, relational, and embedded in context. And then, these individuals are motivated to fit in and adjust to their surroundings, to the attendant relationship or group to which they belong. Besides, they also read other's minds; are sympathetic; occupy and play one's assigned role.

In my opinion, independent people or interdependent people are both beneficial depend on the environment and the culture that they live in. The North Americans can solve their problem quickly and easily by themselves. In contrast, East Asians work as a group to solve problem, they believe that if you help someone and one day, these people can give you a help when you get any troubles.