Even the most culturally relativist people from egalitarian societiesones in which women have political rights and control over their own bodieswould question whether the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan should be accepted as a part of cultural tradition. Xenocentrism a tendency to evaluate other people, activities, cultures, etc. People with a strong sense of ethnocentrism tend to dislike this sort of change, even where it has many advantages. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology, 240. Most cultures have been found to identify laughter as a sign of humor, joy, or pleasure. Sanai had been forced to flee war-torn Bosnia with her family when she was fifteen. To the Inuit people, winning was enjoyable, but their culture valued survival skills essential to their environment: how hard someone tried could mean the difference between life and death. Read the full article Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrismhere, https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/3-1-what-is-culture, Describe and give examples of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Some people will simply call it cultural ignorance. Cultural relativismis the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of ones own culture. In the airport, she heard rapid, musical Spanish being spoken all around her. Perhaps the greatest challenge for sociologists studying different cultures is the matter of keeping a perspective. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. Hence, no theory is strictly enforced during cultural studies, therefore allowing one to understand another culture without the need to approve or disapprove of it. The belief that ones culture is inferior to another culture is called: 2. Despite how much humans have in common, cultural differences are far more prevalent than cultural universals. People with the best intentions sometimes travel to a society to help its people, because they see them as uneducated or backwardessentially inferior. And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. Her imposing father kept his distance. [reveal-answer q=436227]Show Answer[/reveal-answer], [reveal-answer q=248899]Show Answer[/reveal-answer]. Perhaps the greatest challenge for sociologists studying different cultures is the matter of keeping a perspective. Reading: Socialization Across the Life Course, 68. Marias mother kissed Caitlin on both cheeks when she greeted her. One example is the romanticization of the noble savage in the 18th-century primitivism movement in European art, philosophy and ethnography. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Sex, 133. (Photo courtesy of OledSidorenko/flickr). During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. But the tribal members congratulated him, saying, You really tried! In Bargers own culture, he had learned to value victory. The way cuisines vary across cultures fascinates many people. Compare and contrast ethnocentrism and cultural relativism - eNotes Reading: Theoretical Perspectives of Race and Ethnicity, 111. Sociologists attempting to engage in cultural relativism, then, may struggle to reconcile aspects of their own culture with aspects of a culture that they are studying. Anthropologist Ken Barger (1971) discovered this when he conducted a participatory observation in an Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic. Reading: Types and Stages of Social Movements, 229. 3. Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; The tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own traditional, deferred, or adoptive ethnic culture. This is an example of: [reveal-answer q=501221]Show Glossary[/reveal-answer] Shed studied Spanish in school for yearswhy hadnt it prepared her for this? Caitlins shock was minor compared to that of her friends Dayar and Mahlika, a Turkish couple living in married student housing on campus. But bit by bit, they became stressed by interacting with people from a different culture who spoke another language and used different regional expressions. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. Originally from Indiana, Barger hesitated when invited to join a local snowshoe race. In sociology, we call thisculture shock. Music and laughter are examples of: http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e. That night, Caitlin crawled into a strange bed, wishing she hadnt come. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. Caitlin had trouble interpreting her hosts facial expressions, and didnt realize she should make the next toast. Everyone is ethnocentric to an extent, and identifying with ones own country is natural. Antonyms for ethnocentricity. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. Do you feel that feelings of ethnocentricity or xenocentricity are more prevalent in U.S. culture? What Caitlin hadnt realized was that people depend not only on spoken words but also on subtle cues like gestures and facial expressions, to communicate. Shed learned a lot about Spain, but shed also discovered a lot about herself and her own culture. She missed her home and felt overwhelmed by the new customs, language, and surroundings. 3. If your professor comes into an early morning class holding a mug of liquid, what do you assume she is drinking? For example, Americans tend to say that people from England drive on the wrong side of the road, rather than on the other side. It is a rule that is similar to "finder's keepers" because of the role that ethnocentrism plays in our personal approach. Outcome: Race, Ethnicity, and Discrimination, 106. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. Sure enough, he finished last, to his mortification. Even the most culturally relativist people from egalitarian societiesones in which women have political rights and control over their own bodieswould question whether the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan should be accepted as a part of cultural tradition. During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. Reading: Universal Access to Education, 156. a. Wed love your input. These views involve examining a culture and all its aspects and evaluating them. Figure 1. the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture cultural universals: patterns or traits that are . Why do you believe this? Outcome: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 128. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. Cultural norms accompany even the smallest nonverbal signals (DuBois 1951). But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. 1. Eventually, as people learn more about a culture and adapt to its norms, they recover from culture shock. Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism - Culture and Psychology - Maricopa Sometimes when people attempt to rectify feelings of ethnocentrism and develop cultural relativism, they swing too far to the other end of the spectrum. A traveler from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. These two viewpoints are essentially distinct but do share a few similarities between them. The opposite of xenocentrism is ethnocentrism which is the tendency to overvalue one's own . People with the best intentions sometimes travel to a society to help its people, because they see them as uneducated or backwardessentially inferior. While each culture has specific and unique traits, there exist some traits that are found universally across all cultures of the world. What Caitlin hadnt realized was that people depend not only on spoken words but also on subtle cues like gestures and facial expressions, to communicate. Shed learned a lot about Spain, but shed also discovered a lot about herself and her own culture. 5.5: Reading: Ethnocentrism and Xenocentricism A traveler from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Cultural relativismis the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of ones own culture. Her imposing father kept his distance. Want to create or adapt books like this? Trying hard and working together, two nonmaterial values, were indeed much more important than winning. They served wine and toasted their honored guest. ethnocentrism; xenocentrism; Show Answer. For example, Americans tend to say that people from England drive on the wrong side of the road, rather than on the other side. Putting It Together: Socialization and Interaction, 72. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Government, 199. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. The main similarity is that they both are too much. Some travelers pride themselves on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, like celebrated food writer Anthony Bourdain, while others return home expressing gratitude for their native cultures fare. Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg (1960) is credited with first coining the term culture shock. In his studies, Oberg found that most people found encountering a new culture to be exciting at first. Reading: Social Constructions of Reality, 51. Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism | Introduction to Sociology Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. Xenocentrism is the preference for the cultural practices of other cultures and societies, such as how they live and what they eat, rather than of one's own social way of life. (The Greek root word xeno, pronounced ZEE-no, means stranger or foreign guest.) An exchange student who goes home after a semester abroad or a sociologist who returns from the field may find it difficult to associate with the values of their own culture after having experienced what they deem a more upright or nobler way of living. One example is the romanticization of the noble savage in the 18th-century primitivism movement in European art, philosophy and ethnography. For example, while all cultures have language, analysis of particular language structures and conversational etiquette reveal tremendous differences. What issues or events might inform this? A cross-cultural comparison of ethnocentrism and the intercultural Reading: Structural-Functional Theory, 18. In a more extreme sense, some cultures may idolize . Outcome: Challenges Facing the Elderly, 189. Xenocentrism: Valuing Other Cultures More Than Your Own - ThoughtCo During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. Likewise, most cultures recognize music in some form. They help people know when to shake hands, where to sit, how to converse, and even when to laugh. 17 Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethnocentrism - ConnectUS There was new food to digest, new daily schedules to follow, and new rules of etiquette to learn. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world
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