1.3.7 Individualism as an Ideology

When you think about individualism, what kind of society do you think about?

• Do you think about a perfect world where each person has the chance to live his or her dreams?
• Do you think about a world where everyone competes and many fail with no one to help them ?
• What about a society in which people are free to make the most of their own decisions, but also free to establish rules and programs to help those in need?

All of these societies are based to some extent on the ideology of individualism. Individualism is the foundational ideology on the right hand side of the spectrum.  Any right wing ideology will place varying degrees of importance on the individual in society.  See the spectrum below to identify the ones studied in this course in subsequent units.

Consider the quote on the left:

• Is the ideological perspective more individualist or collectivist?
  
• Do you agree with the perspective that is reflected on the T-shirt?

 

This is a picture of a red T-shirt in which the logo reads "capitalism,"in which the slogan is written in the same font as that of the Coca Cola corporation.
Capitalism is an economic system that takes many forms. It is based on a belief in competition, private property, and the value of obtaining wealth.

Canada, the United States, and most democratic nations believe in capitalism.

The painting of a family sitting down to a traditional dinner.

Conservatism is an ideology based on preserving society as it is, without making change towards greater freedom or equality. Conservatives tend to believe in following traditional values. Within every country, there are individuals who are more conservative than others.

There are many different types of conservatives. Some may call themselves financially (fiscally) conservative, while others would say they are socially conservative. 

Liberalism is studied at length in this course. it is used to describe many ideologies, but its key features are a belief in the value of the individual, including individual freedom in political and economic affairs. Today's liberal governments also work towards creating a better nation for all citizens, and value equality, diversity, and government action to eliminate poverty and crime.

All democratic nations today are liberal to some extent.

Key in liberalism is a belief in individual freedom in political and economic affairs. Today, all democratic nations are liberal to some extent.

Consumerism is a set of values based on accumulating personal possessions with the idea that encouraging spending is good for the economy.

Most capitalist nations support a degree of consumerism.