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Food is an expression of social identity. The food we eat identifies us as members of a social group, distinguishes us from other groups, and binds us together through a process of self-categorization and social identification. This research extends the theory of collectivism versus individualism as basic dimensions of culture and personality to research on food and identity. We tested 2 hypotheses among 402 university students in Korea and the U.S. 1) Americans assume relatively individualistic orientation while Koreans relatively collectivistic in orientation. 2) Koreans and Americans differ in their orientation toward food, with Americans assuming an individualistic orientation and Koreans assuming a collectivistic approach. The level of collectivism versus individualism was measured by using Hui's INCOL Scale. We initially hypothesized that the Americans would be strongly individualistic and Koreans strongly collectivistic, however our results did not prove this. The two groups showed collectivistic social identity with the Americans being a bit more collectivistic, so little support was found. In order to test the second hypothesis, we devised a new set of questions based on a idea by Hui and Fischer. It was found that this hypothesis was strongly supported. In conclusion, it is difficult to find overall differences in collectivism versus individualism between the two groups. But in the area of attitude toward food, we found clear differences. For Koreans, food is an expression of collectivistic identity, whereas Americans assume a more individualistic approach.
