It is always troublesome not to understand another culture, especially, in New York City where we live in a society that is rapidly changing. The City has increasingly brought people of various cultures, to interact closer with each other. This interaction can be either positive or negative depending on the level of sensitivity and respect people have for other culture groups. These two types of behaviors are related to two important concepts known as ethnocentrism and cultural relativity.
Ethnocentrism is ?the attitude of prejudice or mistrust towards outsiders that may exist within a group (in-group) in relation to other (out-group)??. (Harper-Collin Dictionary of Sociology). Importantly, there are also three levels of ethnocentrism: a positive one, a negative one, and an extreme negative one. The positive definition defines ethnocentrism as ?the point of view that one?s own way of life is to be preferred to all others? (Herskovits 1973: 21). There is nothing wrong with such feelings, because ?it characterizes the way most individuals feel about their own cultures, whether or not they verbalize their feelings? (Herskovits 1973:21). It is this point of view that gives people their sense of people-hood, group identity, and place in history. Ethnocentrism becomes negative when ? one?s own group becomes the center of everything, and all other are scaled and rated with reference to it?(Herskovits 1973:21). It reaches extreme negative form when ?a more powerful group not only imposes its rule on another, but actively depreciates the things they hold to be of value? (Herskovits 1973:103). This third level of ethnocentrism is found in examples of racial segregation, the holocaust, and genocide of a race of people.
Cultural relativism ?asserts that concepts are socially constructed and vary cross-culturally. These concepts may include such fundamental notions as what is considered true, morally correct, and what constitutes knowledge or even reality itself??. (Harper Collin Dictionary of Sociology). The concept of culture, like any other piece of knowledge, can be abused and misinterpreted. Some fear that the principles of cultural relativity will weaken morality. ?If the Bugabuga do it why can?t we? Its all relative anyway? (Kluckhohn 1944:43). But this is exactly what cultural relativity does not mean. Cultural relativity challenges our ordinary beliefs in the objectivity and universality of moral truths. Different societies have different moral codes. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is only one among many.
It is only clear that a negative attitude towards other culture or groups arise out of ethnocentrism, while positive attitude is the result of a cultural relativist approach. One must never feel that not understanding another culture is problematic. It is always a disadvantage to view culture in an etic way. To understand culture one must endure and encounter the culture from the emic, the inside. It would be mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other cultures. We should perhaps keep an open mind and a genuine insight that different cultures do have different moral codes.
Work CitedHerkovits, Meville J. ?Cultural Relativism?: Perspectives in Cultural Pluralism. New York: Vintage Books, 1973.
Kluckhohn, Clyde. Mirror For Man. Greenwick, CT: Fawcett Books, 1944.
Harper Collins Dictionary of Sociology. Ethnocentrism and Cultural Rrlativism. World Wide Web:[Documenting source on the Internet] (Cited March 24, 2001) {www.mta.ca/faculty/socsci/socanth/2001_htm}
Другие работы по теме:
Family Life Cycle Essay Research Paper There
Family Life Cycle Essay, Research Paper There are several ways in which the family life cycle can be analyzed in comparison to the definition of the family. They can be static, focusing on structures for instance, role relations or they can capture dynamic processes; how role relationships between husband and wife or parent and child change over time and how they are related to socio-cultural changes.
Einstein Cultural Icon Essay Research Paper Einstein
Einstein: Cultural Icon Essay, Research Paper Einstein: Cultural Icon What can a hero be defined as? A hero impacts the world around them in such a way as to effect the views of views of everyone from the average man to the rocket scientist. In the world today a paucity of these heroes is present. However, Albert Einstein can be considered a role model and hero.
September 11 Essay Research Paper During the
September 11 Essay, Research Paper During the summer of tenth grade, I took a number theory course at Johns Hopkins University with students from Alaska, California, and Bogota, Colombia. My attendance of the New Jersey Governor’s School in the Sciences is another accomplishment that exemplifies my dedication to knowledge.
Ethnocentrism Essay Research Paper A World of
Ethnocentrism Essay, Research Paper A World of Diversity Ethnocentric, derived from the Greek words of Ethnos, meaning race, people or cultural group, and Kentrikos, meaning concentrated
Ethnocentrism Essay Research Paper Ethnocentrism can be
Ethnocentrism Essay, Research Paper Ethnocentrism can be defined as ?regarding one?s own race or culture as supreme to others.? Unfortunately, minority groups living in the United States are under the impression they must conform to the American ways in order to succeed. As a result the ramifications of ethnocentrism in the United States have caused minorities to change in order to ?fit in? with society.
Bribery Is Bribery Ever Justified Essay Research
Paper CONCLUSION In conclusion bribery is not an issue that can be answered immediately at hand considering the type of situations that regulate its ethical character. We need to remeber that bribery is a constant ethical issue. And becuase briberyare only sometimes acceptable it is in a moral free space.
Loyalty 2
Loyalty – Definition Essay, Research Paper Loyalty is a complicated concept, which can be interpreted in many points of views. It is related to many other terms such as love, friendships, family relationships and many others. Loyalty is most of the time the basis of these other concepts. Without the presence of loyalty a strong relativity can never be built.
Archeo Essay Research Paper A Cross Cultural
Archeo Essay, Research Paper A Cross Cultural Perspective of Polygyny As an institution, polygyny, the social arrangement that permits a man to have more than one wife at the same
Ethnocentrism At The Top Of The World
Essay, Research Paper In Hans Ruesch’s novel The Top of the World the author describes the life of the polar Eskimos (Inuits) in depth. The main focus of the novel is to show the differences between their culture and ours, and how the introduction of the white mans customs changed their way of life. The concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are major themes in The Top of the World.
Sociology European And Us Culture Essay Research
Paper Concept Paper # 2 My trip to Europe was an eye opening experience. It awakened my senses to so many different aspects of life I had not already been introduced to. It was almost like watching a movie, from the minute I stepped of the plane everything was different. When I think about the trip and what experiences I had many sociological concepts come to mind, such as, Culture shock, ethnocentrism, culture, social locators, cultural transmission, norms, language, and subculture.
Race Pierre Van Den Berghe Essay Research
Paper When we look at physical characteristics such as skin color from the social definition perspective, there is no clear meaning, but these characteristics do have what is referred to as social meaning. Pierre van den Berghe defined a racial group as a “human group that defines itself and/or is defined by other groups as different from other groups by virtue of innate and immutable physical characteristics” (8).
Indian 2 Essay Research Paper When comparing
Indian 2 Essay, Research Paper When comparing the cultural differences between European Americans and Native Americans, nothing can be said about Native Americans as a whole. Every tribe is different from every other in some aspects and similar in other aspects. In general we can express cultural differences; how differently we see things and vision things, look at things, language, religion, and cultural holidays.
Stephen Hawking Essay Research Paper Stephen William
Stephen Hawking Essay, Research Paper Stephen William Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans, a town about 20 miles north of London. At eleven Stephen went to St Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford which was his father’s old college.
Cultural Relativism Vs Ethnocentrism Essay Research Paper
Cultural Relativism VS Ethnocentrism Sexuality, in the Western World, has been a taboo for hundreds of years (essentially from the time of the Roman Empire), however, it has always been openly discussed and practiced in other parts of the world. A cultural relativist would look at different cultures and their habits and practices, and he would not judge them as being wrong.
Special Relativity Essay Research Paper ESPECIALLY 2
Special Relativity Essay, Research Paper ESPECIALLY … … of Hardy’s Poems as Seen through the characters” is a study concerning Hardy’s capability of presenting irony of situation in his poetry. The analysis deals …
Time Travel Essay Research Paper The Twins
Time Travel Essay, Research Paper The Twins Paradox uses Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity to explain that time travel is possible. Let’s say two twins are on Earth. They are both twenty years old. One leaves in a spaceship. She is gone for sixty years. When she returns the twin that remained on Earth is eighty years old, she on the other hand appears to be about thirty.
Albert Einsteins Life Essay Research Paper A
Albert Einsteins Life Essay, Research Paper A German-born American physicist and Nobel laureate, best known as the creator of the special and general theories of relativity and for his hypothesis with the particle nature of light . He is said, to be the most well known scientist of the 20th century.
Albert Einstein Essay Research Paper Relativity and
Albert Einstein Essay, Research Paper Relativity and the Cosmos In November of 1919, at the age of 40, Albert Einstein became an overnight celebrity, thanks to a solar eclipse. An experiment had confirmed that light rays from distant stars were deflected by the gravity of the sun in just the amount he had predicted in his theory of gravity, General Relativity.
Your Biggest Mistake Essay Research Paper Your
Your Biggest Mistake Essay, Research Paper Your Biggest Mistake In response to the question “what has been your biggest mistake?” My biggest mistake is everyone’s biggest mistake, that no one can help. We all take on assumptions throughout our lives, and when we finally come to understand this, we spend our lives undoing all of them in order to approach the truth with assumptionless intelligence.
Early Chrisitanity Essay Research Paper Cultural Values
Early Chrisitanity Essay, Research Paper Cultural Values Of Early Christianity Early Christianity was started with Jesus Christ’s idea on reforming the Jewish faith. He wanted to introduce a loving god. This signifies that an important value wanted to be loved and accepted by god and vice versa. Before this the only views of god was that he was vengeful and ruthless.
American Pie Essay Research Paper America has
American Pie Essay, Research Paper America has stepped into the twenty first century as a dominant economic and multicultural nation of the world. American composition and culture has undergone cultural changes during the last century due to the constant migration of people from all across the world with different backgrounds to USA.
Crosscultural Communication Barriers Essay Research Paper Thesis
Cross-cultural Communication Barriers Essay, Research Paper Thesis: A number of different factors contribute to cross-cultural communication barriers. This thesis will be proven through the examination of Canada?s past history, current policies and future plans concerning immigration and assimilation of immigrants into Canadian society.
Albert Einstein And The Theory Of Relativity
Essay, Research Paper Albert Einstein was known for The Theory of Relativity (E = mc^2) which in based on twoprinciples:I. Principle of Special Relativity- All inertial observers are equivalent.II. Constancy of Velocity of light- The velocity of light is the same in all inertial systems. Albert Einstein was born on March 14th in Ulm, Germany.
Interracial Relationships Today Essay Research Paper Please
Interracial Relationships Today Essay, Research Paper Please cut and pastIn today?s society interracial relationships are more prevalent than ever before. When we view interracial relationships more closely we are able to create an individual opinion based on our own cultural upbringing. We will look at interracial relationships from a cultural relativists perspective, as well as, an ethno centrist?s point of view.
The Sociological Quest Essay Research Paper THE
The Sociological Quest Essay, Research Paper THE SOCIOLOGICAL QUEST – SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 3 & 4. The term ’sociology’ is an amalgam of the Latin and Greek word meaning reasoning about the social’. Sociologists attempt to find the quest for sociological understanding through explanation and reasoning.