Spotlight on Students: Cultural Relativism vs. Ethnocentrism

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students.  Students were given the opportunity to explore a different culture through two lenses, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, and through this exercise learn about themselves and the other culture. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts.   Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

By: Lindsey Kluesner

 

            Cultural relativism and ethnocentrism are two different ways of viewing another person’s culture. Cultural relativism is defined in Anthropology Asking Questions About Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture as “The moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgment about seemingly strange or exotic beliefs and practices” (Fuentes et al. 12). In other words, cultural relativism is showing empathy or understanding towards cultures and ways of life that differ from your own. On the other hand, ethnocentrism is defined in Anthropology Asking Questions About Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture as “The assumption that one’s own way of doing things is correct, while dismissing other people’s practices or views as wrong or ignorant” (Fuentes et al. 11). More simply put, ethnocentrism is quite the opposite of cultural relativism and takes more of a close-minded approach when viewing another’s culture. Throughout this paper, both views will be used to provide an example for a culturally sensitive scenario involving Helga, Jessie, and Riley.

In the scenario, Helga, who is German, hands out invitations for her birthday party but attaches a note explaining that it is bad luck for her to receive birthday wishes prior to her actual birthday. She kindly asks that people respect her wishes. I happen to overhear a conversation between Jessie and Riley. Jessie begins to share a rather ethnocentric point of view in regards to Helga’s wishes, while Riley takes a culturally relativistic approach to try and explain things to Jessie.

            Following the ethnocentric view of Jessie, it is easy to see how an opposing view would come about, whether it is right or wrong. Jessie is unfamiliar with German culture, and she most likely did not take time to consider her own superstitions before speaking. To her the notion of bad luck coming from wishing a happy birthday early sounds silly because her background is not rooted in this belief. Many people do not take time to consider others or think before they speak, just as Jessie did. Thus, we end up with ethnocentric views on cultures everywhere. Many times ethnocentric views can result in conflict because a person of one culture disrespects a person of another culture. In this scenario, Jessie was planning to cause conflict by wishing Helga a happy birthday early. Luckily, Riley stepped up and offered her culturally relativistic view.

            This approach provides insight and offers similarities between Helga’s German superstition and common American superstitions. Riley was empathetic in her view towards Helga’s wishes, and bold enough to speak up and share it with Jessie. By showing Jessie similarities between her and Helga’s cultures, Riley was hopefully able to change her mind on how she treated Helga. Riley took time to consider that not everyone grew up with the same views and ideas, but recognized how even though Helga’s superstition was foreign to them, they had their own set of superstitions that could be viewed as crazy too.

            Given the situation, my initial reaction was that I had never heard of Helga’s superstition, so it was strange to me. However, I would never purposely go out of my way to disrespect another’s wishes or beliefs as Jessie initially intended to. Knowing how outspoken I can be, I probably would have had a similar reaction to Riley’s. I often find myself pointing out opposing points of views to people who react close-mindedly. Generally, I would say my initial reaction to most cultural differences is more ethnocentric because I do tend to form my impression based on my own culture. However, I am empathetic by nature and proceed in a more culturally relativistic way by being more understanding than judgmental.

            After analyzing this scenario from both perspectives, it is easy to see why a culturally relativist approach is the best, as opposed to an ethnocentric approach. After all, we are all just human. Everyone is different, even within the same culture. It is better and more respectful to always just be kind. Compare the similarities between two cultures, or at least respect the differences. After all, there will always be differences, and choosing kindness over ignorance is the purest form of respect to another culture. 

 

 

                                                            Works Cited

Welsch, Robert Louis, et al. “Anthropology Asking Questions About Humanity.” Anthropology: Asking Questions about Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture, Oxford University Press, New York, 2017, pp. 11–12. 

 

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By: Tyler Schaefer

            In these next few paragraphs we will be comparing the views of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism in a hypothetical scenario of three friends.  In this scenario one person is presenting an aspect of their culture and two other friends each react based upon how they view the cultural differences.  First however we must understand what ethnocentrism and cultural relativism mean.  Ethnocentrism is “assuming our way of doing things is correct, while simply dismissing other people’s assumptions as wrong or ignorant.” (Welsch et al. 11-12).  In contrast, cultural relativism is “the moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgement about seemingly strange or exotic beliefs and practices.” (Welsch et al. 12).  Now that we know their meaning, we can look at the scenario of three friends from either perspective.

            Helga a German student had sent out letters for people to come to her birthday party, but asked if no one would tell her happy birthday until the real day.  Jessie then goes on to rant about how crazy Germans are, and decides that she is going to tell Helga happy birthday no matter what she asked.  Jessie’s comment about how Germans are crazy shows that she has ethnocentric stand point.  Someone looking at this from an ethnocentric view would more than likely side with Jessie in this situation, rather than Riley.  This is because both that person and Jessie assume that how they act and behave is the best way, while ignoring Helga’s request to not wish her happy birthday yet.  The third friend Riley however, points out that Jessie has her own beliefs that are similar to superstitions.  Jessie, even though she had her own beliefs, was unwilling to accept or at least respect Helga’s beliefs.

            Someone that would be looking at this situation from a culturally relativistic stand point would take the side of Riley.  This is because that person would see the letter and accept it or not disregard it just because the views are different or strange to you.  Riley sees the letter and respects Helga’s request to not wish her happy birthday, but then had to stop Jessie and try to explain to her that she should respect Helga’s request.  Jessie though, probably would not have changed her mind about telling Helga if Riley would not have made her realize that even she has her own strange beliefs.  Hopefully someone that has a culturally relativistic view of this situation, or any other situation, would help to correct anyone that would have an ethnocentric view of things.

            When looking at both points of view it seems, to me at least, that the correct way to look at this situation is through a culturally relativistic view.  I believe that it’s the best way because it shows the most reverence to that culture as possible, and it’s also just very rude to ignore other people’s ideas, beliefs, or even if it’s just something they asked you to do.  My personal reaction if someone said this to me would probably be similar to Riley’s reaction, meaning that I would take the cultural relativism stance in this scenario.  I found this scenario to be a learning experience because even though I come from a pretty heavy German background, I had never heard of that birthday superstition until now.  However there is a German tradition that my family does every Christmas that some people I have told haven’t heard of.  On Christmas morning the parents hide a pickle ornament in the tree and then the first kid to go and find the pickle hidden in the tree gets to open presents first.  You would think though that in modern day with the rise of the internet and world travel, more people would have seen or at least be more aware of the cultural differences in other countries.

 

Work Cited

Welsch, Robert et al. Anthropology: Asking Questions about Human Origins, Diversity, and        Culture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Print.