Individualism
Individualism and Collectivism both show the extent to which a society relies on the commitment to the person or to the group. Collectivism is the extent to which individuals are integrated to a group while individualistic societies become increasingly un-integrated, every man for himself societies. A society with a high score for individualism tends to be more collectivistic unlike cultures with a low score which are more individualistic (Hofstede, 1980). In this case, this shows that Mexico is an individualistic society unlike the United States which is a collectivistic culture. This is why the Mexican host family did not pay any attention to Susan Little’s dietary needs and were more loyal to the self rather than to the group. The host family’s mother was also individualistic. This is demonstrated where, when it came to taking Sarah to the airport as she chose not to take her but rather force Sarah to make her own travel arrangements. Also, due to the individualistic nature of this culture, they were thoroughly displeased by the fact that Sarah was a vegetarian and not a meat eater like them. They were, therefore, not so accommodating to her dietary needs.