Individualism vs. Collectivism: Not so well delineated and demarcated

I've just finished reading (for the fourth or more time) "Individual and Collective Processes in the Construction of the Self: Self-Enhancement in the US and Self-Criticism in Japan*," by Kitayama, Matsumoto, Markus, and Norasakkunkit. This article was written in 1997, and it approaches individualism/collectivism (IC) as an integrated yet sometimes (somewhat) convoluted idea that does not involve stereotyping. It addresses somewhat ethereal issues, such as attunement, feeling, and atmosphere, and yet I do not know how we can talk about IC without acknowledging such indefinite ideas. Reading this article by Kitiyama et al. makes it even more difficult to read studies that do not acknowledge such intangibles... and perhaps that is all I am asking for: acknowledgment.

Perhaps it is because of my ESL seminar, where we confronted issues with Kaplan's contrastive rhetoric, or perhaps it is because of my work for nearly eight years with second-language students, or perhaps it is just because I find it so damn difficult to put my thoughts into words for my dissertation writing... and perhaps this is because I am so invested in bringing these issues (addressing/defining/confronting IC, speaking of ESL needs, etc.) to the forefront that my passion blinds my speech... and writing.

* Kitayama, Shinobu, Hazel R. Markus, Hisaya Matsumoto, and Vinai Norasakkunkit. "Individual and Collective Processes in the Construction of the Self: Self-Enhancement in the US and Self-Criticism in Japan." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 72.6 (1997): 1245-67. Print.