Spotlight on Students: Cultural Relativism & Ethnocentrism

The following is a post that features the exemplary work of my Anth 101 students.  They were tasked with analyzing a scenario and comparing and contrasting culturally relativistic and ethnocentric reactions of the scenario.  I am pleased to present their pieces on the blog, and I hope that you, too, learn from their work.

Seal Flipper Pie Dinner (Society for Culinary Arts & Letters)

By Nicole Grimes

          In order to understand culture, one must observe and interpret another social group’s behavior and rituals. When observing and interpreting, one’s conclusions can display two separate ideals: ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Either ideal reveals that of one’s personal interpretation of any culture or subculture. For example, the cultural relativistic view of biracial marriage in America during the Civil Rights Era was absolutely unheard of and heavily demonized by both racial communities involved. Using the same example, demonizing biracial marriage in this era would not be accepted. This is an example of where time and idealistic evolution has made society disapprove of this specific ethnocentric view. In either ideal or view, cultures are based on many things such as industrial development, social development, political/governmental establishments etc. The ability to understand each view is the ability to be open or close minded to anything different, past or present. 
 

            Looking at the ethnocentric view in detail we must define what it actually is, which is “the tendency to view one’s own culture as best and to judge the behavior and beliefs of culturally different people by one’s own standards.” (Kottak and Gezon 30) This view can be seen as negative and close minded, which in most instances, it is. Let’s look at how ethnocentrism has been used for a somewhat decent purpose. Ethnocentrism has been and can be used in the form of developing pride in one’s culture or subculture.  One example would be University frat houses during Rush Week or at sports games. This ethnocentric behavior boosts moral and energy for one’s house or team. Observing another view, stereotyping is a form of ethnocentrism that still goes on today. For example, the way one is dressed or speaks in America instantly categorizes them to one group.

           

Maintaining this critical ideal, the dinner of seal flipper pie would be that of the initial reaction the classmate displayed: disgust. In North American culture, the act of slaying and eating animals that are deemed as rare, cute, and/or intelligent is deemed wrong and just plain sick. In this case it was a baby seal. Seals are cute and often used as attractions for small children at zoos and theme parks because of their ability to be trained and adored by the masses. When representing animals in this form to the public it forms emotional bonds to those particular species, and therefore the thought of killing such species is related in most cases as inhumane.

The opposing view, cultural relativism, “ The position that values and standards of cultures differ and deserve respect.” (Kottak and Gezon 30) This view point represents the open minded unjudging view, which allows for cultural understanding, and the ability to share best practices for growth. With all views, it can be used in the most extreme circumstances. For example, observing the mass persecution of Jews, homosexuals, and racially diverse people during the Nazi Germany movement would be that of observing Dia De Los Muertos. (Gezon and Kottak 30) Neither wrong nor right and no matter how many lives lost, there is no moral interjection.  In this example, the lack of interjection would have restricted any kind of racial, sexual, or religious freedoms. Even with the accepting and biased view on culture, balance is crucial.

       

 Cultural relativism in this case would pose a view of the seal flipper pie as not wrong or right. The meal could have been seen as a warm welcome as in his culture it was used as a ceremonial feast. This meal the host prepared was a symbol of his homeland that he wanted to share with his fellow students. The host also displayed cultural relativity by requesting that everyone bring a dish representing their own cultures.  This behavior displayed an openness and want for understanding of the attendees lifestyles and rituals.  This softer and less extreme form of cultural relativism allows for less conflict and more learning between societies. Growth in understanding and sharing ideas allow for positive development in all aspects of human and cultural life.

The standpoint I have is that of one somewhere in the middle. The behavior the class mate displayed in the passage, in my opinion, was a bit intense and close minded. That being said, I do not think I could bring myself to eat seal. Reason being is, as mentioned above we here in North America tend to form bonds with certain species, especially when glorified at major events or shows. I was one of those children at Sea World gushing over how cute the baby seals were, further making it virtually impossible to consume one. Although, out of general respect and the interesting back story of why his culture made seal flipper pie, I find myself not judging this dish as wrong or right. To eat is to survive so generally speaking judging individuals of a culture on what they eat, unless it is cannibalism, should be left unjudged.

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two necessary ways to view differences between cultures. These two ideals, though opposing in nature, are necessary for human existence and development. Either view, in its extreme, can have massive negative effects as we have seen with many major events past and present.  Finding a balance between the two ideals will always be a struggle as is finding balance in life.

 Works Cited

Gezon, Lisa, and Conrad Kottak. Culture. Truckee Meadows Community College ed. New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2014. Print.