Distinction between self and nonself

Sampson (1988) described the distinction between the ensembled or relational sel more common in collectivistic cultures such as those found in China, Africa, and Latin America—and the autonomous self, which is more common in individualistic cultures, such as those found in North America and Western Europe. Autonomous or self-contained views of the person construct the boundary between the self and others as firm, consider control over behavior and experience to reside solely in the person, and typically define self and nonself as mutually exclusive (Sampson, 1988). In contrast, ensembled views of the self construct the boundaries between self and nonself as more fluid, and even as overlapping, and consider that power and control over one s behavior does not fully reside in the individual but rather in the relationship of the individual and his or her environment (which includes important others). 

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