A high level of appreciation for ones own culture can be healthy; a shared sense of community pride, for example, connects people in a society. Do you feel that feelings of ethnocentricity or xenocentricity are more prevalent in U.S. culture? Ethnocentrism is a way of thinking and perceiving the world that centers on one's own cultural or ethnic group. The way individuals perceive other cultural practices can be broadly segregated into two types cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. Exciting as it was, she felt isolated and disconnected. It proposes that all cultures have their own merits and demerits, and hence are of equal value such that there is no concept of cultural superiority. In sociology, we call thisculture shock. Practicing cultural relativism requires an open mind and a willingness to consider, and even adapt to, new values and norms. Trying hard and working together, two nonmaterial values, were indeed much more important than winning. Cite this page as follows: "Compare and contrast ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Why do you believe this? Culture shock may appear because people arent always expecting cultural differences. Culture shock may appear because people arent always expecting cultural differences. Reading: Symbolic Interactionism and Deviance, 82. Outcome: Social Stratification in the United States, 89. Europes colonial expansion, begun in the sixteenth century, was often accompanied by a severe cultural imperialism. Some people will simply call it cultural ignorance. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. Xenocentrismis the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the belief that another culture is superior to ones own. Europes colonial expansion, begun in the sixteenth century, was often accompanied by a severe cultural imperialism. Reading: Social and Psychological Changes of Aging, 186. 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. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Stratification, 101. Reading: Structural-Functional Theory, 18. During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. In January 2011, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America presented evidence indicating that the hormone oxytocin could regulate and manage instances of ethnocentrism. Sure enough, he finished last, to his mortification. For instance, a particular practice may seem immoral or unethical according to the beliefs of a different culture, but those same practices may be perfectly acceptable and normal with respect to its own culture. The idea was formulated by Franz Boas; however, the term was later introduced by the social theorist, Alan Locke in 1924. We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. Cultural relativismis the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of ones own culture. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. Caitlins shock was minor compared to that of her friends Dayar and Mahlika, a Turkish couple living in married student housing on campus. Anthropologist Ken Barger (1971) discovered this when he conducted a participatory observation in an Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic. The present world consists of a variety of unique cultures. The bias may be due to ones own cultural beliefs or due to the individuals understanding and perception of human rights and ethics. Putting It Together: Social Stratification and Inequality, 105. Reading: The Cultural Significance of Health, 170. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. Other articles where ethnocentrism is discussed: race: The difference between racism and ethnocentrism: racism must be distinguished from ethnicity and ethnocentrism. . 3. Putting It Together: Marriage and Family, 146. Eventually, as people learn more about a culture, they recover from culture shock. What issues or events might inform this? Cultural norms accompany even the smallest nonverbal signals (DuBois 1951). Putting It Together: Socialization and Interaction, 72. Caitlins shock was minor compared to that of her friends Dayar and Mahlika, a Turkish couple living in married student housing on campus. 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. In the United States, the mug is most likely filled with coffee, not Earl Grey tea, a favorite in England, or Yak Butter tea, a staple in Tibet. And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. Such attitudes are an example ofethnocentrism, or evaluating and judging another culture based on how it compares to ones own cultural norms. [reveal-answer q=436227]Show Answer[/reveal-answer], [reveal-answer q=248899]Show Answer[/reveal-answer]. Reading: Introduction to Work and the Economy, 205. Reading: Socialization Across the Life Course, 68. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. Almost everyone is a little bit ethnocentric. Youll have more success on the Self-Check, if youve completed the three Readings in this section. Xenocentrism noun A preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. In psychological terms, xenocentrism is considered a type of deviant behavior because it sways from the norms of society. Outcome: Reality as a Social Construct, 50. Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropologyas well as in colloquial English discoursemeans to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of using the standards of the particular culture involved. However, indiscriminately embracing everything about a new culture is not always possible. He knew hed never hold his own against these experts. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. 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. Reading: Technological Globalization, 239. The differences and similarities observed between various cultures determine the way the people of those cultures interact with each other. A traveler from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. For this reason, culture shock is often associated with traveling abroad, although it can happen in ones own country, state, or even hometown. Putting It Together: Health, Aging, and the Elderly, 190. North Americans keep more distance and maintain a large personal space. Even something as simple as eating and drinking varies greatly from culture to culture. It is impossible for anyone to keep all cultural biases at bay; the best we can do is strive to be aware of them. During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. People with the best intentions sometimes travel to a society to help its people, because they see them as uneducated or backwardessentially inferior. Ethnocentrism is a major factor in the divisions among members of different ethnicities, races, and religious groups. Reading: Global Stratification and Inequality, 100. Experiencing an entirely new practice may lead to a high degree of interest or a level of criticism. Trying hard and working together, two nonmaterial values, were indeed much more important than winning. 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. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. But bit by bit, they became stressed by interacting with people from a different culture who spoke another language and used different regional expressions. Ethnocentrism, as sociologist William Graham Sumner (1906) described the term, involves a belief or attitude that ones own culture is better than all others. Over the course of his stay, Barger participated in caribou hunts, learned how to take shelter in winter storms, and sometimes went days with little or no food to share among tribal members. Trying hard and working together, two nonmaterial values, were indeed much more important than winning. Often, people in the United States express disgust at other cultures cuisine and think that its gross to eat meat from a dog or guinea pig, for example, while they dont question their own habit of eating cows or pigs. (Photo courtesy of OledSidorenko/flickr), [reveal-answer q=436227]Show Answer[/reveal-answer], [reveal-answer q=248899]Show Answer[/reveal-answer]. And an appreciation for another culture shouldnt preclude individuals from studying it with a critical eye. Putting It Together: Work and the Economy, 213. Book: Introduction to Sociology (Waymaker), { "5.10:_Outcome:_Pop_Culture_Subculture_and_Cultural_Change" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.
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