Why "Healthy Boundaries" Look Different Across Cultures

"If you've ever struggled to set boundaries with a parent, coworker, or friend whose cultural values differ from yours, you've probably wondered if a mutually agreeable solution is even possible. I know this struggle well, from personal experience and from years of helping clients navigate it as a therapist and coach. It's especially common in relationships where one person is more individualistically oriented and the other more collectivistically oriented."

"While many cultural factors shape boundaries, individualism and collectivism are the most widely studied and consistently predict differences in values and behavior (Roccas & Sagiv, 2010). Defining Individualism and Collectivism Individualism emphasizes personal autonomy, competition, independence, and assertiveness. In these cultures, the needs of the individual are often prioritized over the group. Collectivism, on the other hand, values group loyalty, solidarity, interdependence, and harmony-placing the needs of the group above those of the individual (Comas-Diaz, 2012; Taras et al., 2014)."

"It is important to note that individualism and collectivism are not opposite ends of the same spectrum, but separate continuums. A person may hold individualistic values in some areas of life, and collectivistic values in others. For example, many children of immigrants straddle a home culture where family is central and a school or work culture where independence and assertive self-advocacy are rewarded."

Cultural values determine how people define and maintain personal boundaries. Individualism emphasizes personal autonomy, competition, independence, and assertiveness, often prioritizing individual needs. Collectivism values group loyalty, solidarity, interdependence, and harmony, placing group needs above individual ones. Individualism and collectivism are distinct continuums; people may hold individualistic values in some life domains and collectivistic values in others, such as children of immigrants balancing family-centered home cultures and independence-rewarding school or work cultures. The concept of boundaries, as commonly defined in psychology, is inherently Western. A values-based approach can bridge cultural differences and preserve mutual respect.

Read at Psychology Today