Many cultures are interdependent. Areas in South America and Asia value this form of interaction with others. Family and status influence how people act and behave towards and with others. In these cultures, people are more likely to contribute to the welfare of the group, rather than work on independent goals. Such social interactions lead to decisions that are based on how one's group or family will react to a decision.
According to Suzanne LaCombe, a Canadian psychologist, people should strive for interdependency in their close personal relationships. Ideal emotional interdependency exists when partners in the relationship are not so independent that they are unable to appreciate or value their dependence on their partner while at the same time not becoming so dependent that they lose sense of themselves. LaCombe says healthy emotional interdependency is best achieved by staying connected to who we are while also feeling connected to our partner.
According to social scientists D.W. Johnson, R.T. Johnson and E.J. Holubec, establishing positive group interdependence is essential to achieving goals. The three levels of building positive interdependence include identifying a measurable task or goal, structuring positive goal interdependence and mixing it with other types of interdependence. Johnson, Johnson and Holubec maintain that there are nine types of positive interdependence, including environmental, fantasy, identity and role. Positive interdependence results when the group's members realize that the group's success is not a result of individual efforts, but the group's as a whole.
Interdependence takes a different form in America. Compared to other nations, where interdependence is like the law of the land, distinct cultures residing in America may value group social dynamics to varying extents. For example, Latinos living in America may still advocate a collectivistic culture when around their families or others like them, but may still adopt qualities of the dominant, independent culture of America. Such a cultural exchange may mean that a young Latina goes to college to achieve her own goals, but does so to help her family and enhance her family's reputation.