Individualism and collectivity among Swedes
- 1 January 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Ethnos
- Vol. 56 (3-4) , 165-172
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00141844.1991.9981433
Abstract
Swedish mentality seems to have two opposing tendencies: one towards individualism and the other towards collectivity. The explanation for this is the different meaning that can be given to the concept of individualism. Swedes seem to need social autonomy strongly and not to be dependent on other individuals, such as neighbors, relatives, employers, and so on. At the same time, Swedes seem to need collective support for their opinions. Collective solutions are a hallmark of Swedish society and dominate Swedish politics. Survey data are used to illustrate this theme empirically.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Small Facts and Large Issues: The Anthropology of Contemporary Scandinavian SocietyAnnual Review of Anthropology, 1989