Our 'modern individuality driven times' are things I'd argue have been around for millenia. Australia and America were both largely formed by "rugged individualists." Consequently individualism is deified. Contrast that to the deification of conformity in say Singapore, which was built on the country pulling together in the face of expulsion from Malaysia.
The collective psychology of a nation can determine how highly regarded individuality or conformity is.
I'm sure the Athenian philosphers highly regarded individuality, whilst the Roman Generals highly regarded conformity.
Look at Tribalism - inherant in, and the seed of undoing for Celtic societies in France and Britain, and later on, African societies. Conforming to a smaller group, yet that group maintaining independence.
We can see it today in Europe. As the continent has been unifying, smaller cultural groups (Flanders, Corsica, Basques, Scots) have been voicing calls for independence and/or greater autonomy.
[ 10-25-2002, 02:59 AM: Message edited by: Yorick ]