Reflecting on "The Individual & Society"

Various internet sources define "individual" and "society" in the following ways:

Individual:

• being or characteristic of a single thing or person
  
• separate and distinct from others of the same kind
• a single and distinct entity who exists in their own right. The opposite of the individual is the crowd, and a person can either exist as an individual or merely be a member of the crowd.
• Individualism is the belief in the primacy of the importance of the individual and his or her autonomy. Individualism is true humanism.

While many of the readings promote these ideals, why is it that conformity is the expectation of so-called "civilized" society? Why must individuals give up their individuality in order to gain membership and acceptance in American society? Why is "English only" being pushed? Why aren't the ideals of religious freedom being supported and encouraged when it comes to non-Christians in post-9/11 America? Why were individuals being harassed and criticized for speaking out against the war when it is an individual right outlined in the Constitution? Are individual rights violated because they are too limiting? Should our rights be expressly and specifically clarified in detail, like the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights?" Does tolerance imply compromising one's own culture? Who has the right to define which culture is dominant?

Society:

• A long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms
• A group of people who meet from time to time to engage in a common interest
  
• The sum total of all voluntary interrelations between individuals
• an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
• club: a formal association of people with similar interests
  
• company: the state of being with someone
• the fashionable elite
  
• A society is a grouping of individuals which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions. Members of a society may be from different ethnic groups.

How is society being defined in HHB? Is society the whole world (global community)? Is it the national community (America)? Or is it local communities (state, county, city)? If we are speaking of American society, conformity and assimilation are the norm. Tragedy brings out patriotism and maybe national security is the "common interest" spoken of above. Does our history of separating, categorizing, labeling and segregating society down into individual factions negate our claim to be a true society? Who determines how people are grouped? When tolerance or intolerance is determined by an elite what are the effects on society as a whole? Is it possible for society to evolve if its individuals don't desire change?

We know that individuals make up a society and that a society would not be such without individuals, but if everyone in a society doesn't receive the same rights, privileges and responsibilities how can society survive? Revolutions would be inevitable. Societal decay and decadence would become the norm. What does it say about today's society when an individual's skin color is seen as more important than knowing they are a decent, productive human being? With all of our advancements and technologies, are we really that far removed from the animals we consider ourselves superior to? Or, like the Bear, should we look to Nature for solutions to the problems we have created?