Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one’s own culture. Part of ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own race, ethnic or cultural group is the most important or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. Some people will simply call it cultural ignorance.
Ethnocentrism often leads to incorrect assumptions about others’ behavior based on your own norms, values, and beliefs. In extreme cases, a group of individuals may see another culture as wrong or immoral and because of this may try to convert, sometimes forcibly, the group to their own ways of living. War and genocide could be the devastating result if a group is unwilling to change their ways of living or cultural practices.
Ethnocentrism may not, in some circumstances, be avoidable. We often have involuntary reactions toward another person or culture’s practices or beliefs but these reactions do not have to result in horrible events such as genocide or war. In order to avoid conflict over culture practices and beliefs, we must all try to be more culturally relative.
Cultural relativism is the principle of regarding and valuing the practices of a culture from the point of view of that culture and to avoid making hasty judgments. Cultural relativism tries to counter ethnocentrism by promoting the understanding of cultural practices that are unfamiliar to other cultures such as eating insects, genocides or genital cutting. Take for example, the common practice of same-sex friends in India walking in public while holding hands. This is a common behavior and a sign of connectedness between two people. In England, by contrast, holding hands is largely limited to romantically involved couples, and often suggests a sexual relationship. These are simply two different ways of understanding the meaning of holding hands. Someone who does not take a relativistic view might be tempted to see their own understanding of this behavior as superior and, perhaps, the foreign practice as being immoral.
Despite the fact that cultural relativism promotes the appreciation for cultural differences, it can also be problematic. At its most extreme, cultural relativism leaves no room for criticism of other cultures, even if certain cultural practices are horrific or harmful. Many practices have drawn criticism over the years. In Madagascar, for example, the famahidana funeral tradition includes bringing bodies out from tombs once every seven years, wrapping them in cloth, and dancing with them. Some people view this practice disrespectful to the body of the deceased person. Today, a debate rages about the ritual cutting of genitals of girls in several Middle Eastern and African cultures. To a lesser extent, this same debate arises around the circumcision of baby boys in Western hospitals. When considering harmful cultural traditions, it can be patronizing to use cultural relativism as an excuse for avoiding debate. To assume that people from other cultures are neither mature enough nor responsible enough to consider criticism from the outside is demeaning.
The concept of cross-cultural relationship is the idea that people from different cultures can have relationships that acknowledge, respect and begin to understand each other’s diverse lives. People with different backgrounds can help each other see possibilities that they never thought were there because of limitations, or cultural proscriptions, posed by their own traditions. Becoming aware of these new possibilities will ultimately change the people who are exposed to the new ideas. This cross-cultural relationship provides hope that new opportunities will be discovered, but at the same time it is threatening. The threat is that once the relationship occurs, one can no longer claim that any single culture is the absolute truth.
The main difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism is the way in which you evaluate or assess foreign culture. Ethnocentrism involves looking at another culture from the perspective of one’s own culture, while cultural relativism involves looking at another culture by its own
perspective instead of one’s own culture.
Culture is the beliefs, values, social forms, and material traits of a particular social group. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two ways in which we assess a culture that is not our own. Ethnocentrism is the act of judging other cultures according to the preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture. Cultural relativism, on the other hand, is the concept that cultural norms and values of people have to be understood with their own cultural context.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Ethnocentrism
– Definition, Features, Examples
2.
What is Cultural Relativism
– Definition, Features
3. What is the Difference Between
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Culture, Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism, Values
Ethnocentrism is the act of judging other cultures based on the preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture. In other words, an ethnocentric assesses another culture from the standards of his own culture. He is concerned with the similarities between his culture and others. If the beliefs and customs of another culture are different from his culture, he’ll feel that culture is barbaric or savage. This happens because an ethnocentric person feels that his or her culture is the ‘correct’ or ‘normal’ way of living. For example, a Westerner might find East Asians’ habit of eating with chopsticks a silly practice. Similarly, some people may also show reluctance to eat the food of another culture.
Ethnocentrism stems from the notion that one’s own culture is far superior to others. This notion is also associated with colonialism. It was because of this superiority stemming from ethnocentrism that most colonizers viewed colonized cultures as savage. While it’s natural to appreciate one’s own culture, seeing other cultures as inferior or savage can lead to hatred and aggression, causing violence and conflicts.
What is Cultural Relativism
Cultural relativism is the notion that cultural norms and values derive their meaning within a specific social context. According to this postulate, values, beliefs, practices and behaviours of people should be understood within their own cultural context, and they should not be judged against the criteria of another culture. This is based on the concept that no culture is better or superior to another.
Furthermore, cultural relativism is one of the most fundamental concepts of sociology. Moreover, this concept was introduced by Franz Boas and popularized by his students although they did not use the term cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is actually a popular notion in modern society.
Difference Between Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
Definition
Ethnocentrism is judging other cultures based on the preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture. In contrast, cultural relativism is the notion that a culture should be understood on its own terms, not using standards of another culture.
Nature
While ethnocentrism involves looking at another culture from the perspective of one’s own culture, cultural relativism involves looking at another culture by its own perspective instead of one’s own culture.
Own Culture
An ethnocentric individual will believe that his culture is ‘correct’ and ‘normal’, but a person who believes in cultural relativism understands that one culture is not better than another.
Conclusion
The main difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism is the way in which you evaluate or assess foreign culture. Ethnocentrism involves looking at another culture from the perspective of one’s own culture while cultural relativism involves looking at a foreign culture by its own perspective instead of one’s own culture.
Reference:1. Cole, Nicki Lisa. “Definition of Cultural Relativism in Sociology.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 17 Aug. 2019, Available here.
2. Evans, Tracy.
“Ethnocentrism – .” Lumen – Cultural Anthropology, Available here.
1. “Person Eating Sushi” By Isabella Mendes (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Photo of People in Traditional Wear” By Nishant Aneja (CC0) via
Pexels
About the Author: Hasa
Hasa has a BA degree in English, French and Translation studies. She is currently reading for a Masters degree in English. Her areas of interests include literature, language, linguistics and also food.