Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 3: Cultural Relativism in Attaining

Cultural Understanding
Name: Pamis, Julianne Daphne Francine L.
Grade & Section: 12-ABM

What I Know:
1. Counterculture
2. Ideal Culture
3. Subculture
4. Acculturation
5. Real Culture
6. Culture
7. Ethnocentrism
8. Cultural Relativism
9. Xenocentrism
10. Society
11. Cultural Integration
12. Direct Change
13. Cultural Universal
14. Culture Shock
15. Assimilation

Lesson 1: What’s In
1. G
2. F
3-4-5. E
6.A
7.D
Lesson 1: What’s New
ESSAY:
Worldwide, the COVID-19 response has been largely premised on physical
distancing, though this has, unfortunately, been discursively referred to in formal
and informal discourse as social distancing. There is a big difference between the
two concepts, with physical distancing not necessarily precluding social
connectedness, whereas social distancing unavoidably presumes disconnectedness.
But for physical distancing not to also engender social distancing and inter-
personal disconnectedness, certain societal conditions need to be met and made
available indiscriminately. These include, first and foremost, access to basic
infrastructure such as shelter, internet and basic everyday living needs. Sadly,
across the world, and even within some developed societies, this has not always
been the case. Entrenched social inequalities and economic marginalization have
resulted in large proportions of the world’s populations being deprived of the most
basic of human needs, let alone the capacity to be physically distant while at the
same time socially connected and adequately supported to meet living needs.
The problem of social and economic inequalities are amplifying the challenge
of managing the rapid spread of COVID-19 globally, but what has also emerged is the
systematic racism, particularly against people of Asian background, in Western
émigré societies. Indeed, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of racist attacks in
many countries. This is not altogether a new phenomenon; a significant existing
body of evidence shows that at times of crises – be they economic, environmental,
security or health-related – minority groups are often made scapegoats and are
subjected to racist, exclusionary, often violent discourses and practices.

Lesson 1: Independent Activity 1

Ethnocentrism Culture Relativism

 Is a belief in the superiority of your
own culture. It results from judging
other cultures by your own cultural
ideals. Ethnocentrism is linked to
cultural blind spots. Blind spots
occur when we fail to attribute
differences between our behaviours
 It is a concept that cultural norms
and values derive their meaning
within a specific social context. This
is also based on the idea that there
is no absolute standard of good or
evil, therefore every decision and
judgment of what is right and wrong
 and beliefs and those of others to
differences in cultural schemas.
 is the act of judging other cultures
based on the preconceptions
originating in the standards and
customs of one’s own culture. In
other words, an ethnocentric
assesses another culture from the
standards of his own culture.
is individually decided in each
society. The concept of cultural
relativism also means that any
opinion on ethics is subject to the
perspective of each person within
their particular culture. Overall,
there is no right or wrong ethical
system. or genital cutting.

Lesson 1: Independent Assessment 1

1. Culture Shock
2. Counter Culture
3. True
4. True
5. Society

Lesson 1: Independent Activity 2

Lesson 1: Independent Assessment 2

1. E
2. L
3. G
4. D
5. I
6. C
7. A
8. F
9. B
10. J

Lesson 1: Independent Activity 3

ETHNOCENTRISM

CULTURE
RALATIVISM
Lesson 1: What I Have Learned:
K W L
Cultural What do you What do you What have you
Variations know about want to know learned about this
this topic? about this topic? topic?
I know that I want to know I learned that
ethnocentrism why people has the ethnocentrism
is a bad side of tendency to basically pertains
ETHNOCENTRIS culture. become like this. to the belief that one’s
M native culture is
superior to or the most
natural among
other cultures.

I learned that culture

I know that I want to know relativism is rooted in
CULTURE culture how culture the idea of cultural
REALTAVISM relativism relativism helps relativism, or the
brings positivity culture to be equal. practice of viewing
in cultures. another culture by its
own context rather than
assessing it based on
the standards of one’s
own culture.

Lesson 1: What I Can Do

ESSAY:
1. There are no superior and inferior people (that is, until social
convention determines otherwise once again). Cultures however,
do differ in their superiority. You know it when you see it. Chances
are most people would claim that their culture is the superior one,
otherwise they would've adopted a better one. Besides, most
people live within their bubble. More self-aware people may
concede of superior cultures outside of theirs (either by observing
the outcome or studying the practices) but are unable to adopt it
 without the support of their immediate circle, or it's outside of
their capability to take the lead.

2. Although culture is often used to explain behavior, we have little

understanding of why some culture traits have impacts on
behavior while others do not. Because culture traits can lead to
maladaptive as well as to adaptive behaviors, gene–culture
coevolution should have led predispositions that help us make
good choices about which culture traits to act on and which to
ignore. More specifically, we should tend to be susceptible to the
influence of types of culture traits that among our ancestors would
have routinely lead to adaptive outcomes.

3. Ethnocentrism is the view that one’s own culture is better than all
others; it is the way all people feel about themselves as compared
to outsiders. There is no one in our society who is not ethnocentric
to some degree, no matter how liberal ad open-minded he or she
might claim to be. Cultural relativism is a complex concept that has
its intellectual roots in discussions about relativism in the
philosophy of science and the philosophy of language. The general
concept of relativism in sociology is associated with critiques of
positivism in science and concomitantly, social science, which
largely emphasize the differences between the focus and methods
of inquiry associated with the natural and social sciences.

4. Researchers had found that ethnocentrism is dysfunctional in

communication and similar fields because the lack of acceptance of
other cultures leads to the creation of barriers for people of
different backgrounds to interact with each other. All human
beings are, to some extent, ethnocentric. Anthropologists generally
define ethnocentrism as the view held by members of a particular
culture that the values and ways of one's own group are superior to
others, and that all other cultures are judged inferior with
 reference to this view. Ethnocentrism rests upon the assumption
that the worldview of one's own culture is central to all reality.

Assessment:
1. William Sumner
2. Culture Relativism
3. Acculturation
4. Real Culture
5. Cultural Diversity
6. George Morduck
7. Cultural Integration
8. Incorporation
9. Assimilation
10. Geographical Environment
11. Ethnocentrism
12. Xenocentrism
13. Ideal Culture
14. Cultural Imperialism
15. Real Culture

Additional Activities:
Speech:
Our cultural frameworks are intimately tied to our self-concept. Differences in
values, beliefs, and behavioural norms can trigger emotional resistance or backlash.
For example, asking two individuals on opposite sides of the abortion or
same-sex marriage debate to embrace each other’s viewpoint is likely to be met
with anger and frustration or provoke strong arguments against the opposing belief.
Attempts at persuasion might even strengthen the intensity of each partners’ point
of view. The notion of respect as acceptance, affirmation, or appreciation of different
perspectives or ways of being may be too unrealistic. But neither does respect have
to involve reluctant tolerance. Tolerance is a negative term. It implies a gritting of
one’s teeth: a quiet endurance of differences privately perceived to be deviant,
immoral, or even abhorrent.

Luckily, there is notion of cultural respect that lies midway between complete
acceptance and reluctant endurance: civility. Respect as civility is about treating
others with courtesy, politeness, and concern. Civility is respecting the humanity of
diverse others. It does not involve endorsing their specific ideas or behaviour.
Respect as civility means showing a positive regard for others as equals. It involves
disagreeing without demonising, and hearing diverse opinions without attacking.