Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones culture is superior to others, and is dangerous as it

leads to fear, conflict, violence, discrimination, and stagnation in the improvement and
progression of a society. Unsurprisingly, one of the most effective ways to fight ethnocentrism is
through the lessons of other cultures and civilizations. Ancient Indian and Ancient Chinese
cultures are two of that many cultures that we can take valuable lessons from.
In Ancient India, Hinduism, unlike many other religions that are attributed to a single
founder, arose as a combination of the beliefs and gods of the many people in the region. This
effectively united a diverse group of people with many different cultures. Additionally, the caste
system, an element of Hinduism, gave individual immigrants an identity, purpose, and
community (since castes often lived in one community together) in society. As new immigrants
came to the region and new occupations formed, castes evolved to accommodate these changes.
While castes were not equal, each caste did play a vital role in society, creating an
interdependence among castes. Through the initial cultural diffusion that lead to the development
of Hinduism, a diverse population was able to live together peacefully. From this we can learn
that a societys stability is often dependent on a level of cultural diffusion and acceptance. Yet,
ethnocentrism prevents this combination of cultures, creating an ununited society. This not only
disrupts order and causes tension, but also stagnates advancements. An instance of successful
cultural diffusion in American history is Rock and Roll, which combined African American
R&B, gospel and jazz with country style music. At first, it was opposed by ethnocentric white
americans who opposed the African American influence. However, artists and their supporters
were able to overcome this ethnocentrism and not only make a great advancement in music, but
expand the music industry as well.