What is collectivistic consciousness?

I am studying for an exam and I ran into a term “collectivistic consciousness” (my own translation. I admit my mistake if it’s grammatically incorrect). I tried to find it on Google (even in the original) and I got nothing. I did find something about collectivism vs individualism, but it all seems so vague. I find it hard to grasp.
Can anyone explain what exactly is it? How does it work? How does a collectivistic person think? What is important, and what is not? Can anyone describe it?
How am I supposed to describe it in a simplest way, in a few words, if asked? (I’m trying to avoid “sounding like a textbook” and trying to explain it in a simple way, so even someone completely ignorant on the subject may understand it. )

Btw, the exam is in folk literature, and “collectivistic consciousness” is listed as one of the social factors that influence birth and development of oral/folk literature…Just in case it may help someone.