The lowest score is Individuality. I can definitely see this in my studies so far. Sofia and I were talking about romantic relationships in Afghanistan. They definitely show how collectivist the society is (admittedly I'm not talking about Iran here, but the analysis I read suggests its scores may look more like other Muslimcountries now). The discussion arose when I asked her what the word for "partner" was. She gave me the word for "spouse." I asked, "What if you're not married?" It turns out, there isn't a word for dating someone, or any kind of romantic relationship outside of marriage short of prostitution. Almost everyone dates, but it's always a secret. You would only tell you're most trusted friend, and definitely not you're family.
When the couple decides to get married, it is a family affair. The man goes to his family and tells them he wants to marry the woman. The women of his family go visit the women of her family and ask when the man's father can meet with the woman's father to discuss the man and women getting married. The woman's family then asks around to make sure the man's family is respectable.
If a couple didn't follow this procedure, the consequences would fall on the woman's family. The woman would be seen as a prostitute. The father would be seen as not having control over his family. The mother would be seen as not raising her child morally. It's clear the relationships are all about loyalty and family honour - signs of collectivism.
Gender dynamics are very different in Afghanistan, but I will write more about that in my learning blog!
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