UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE,
SOCIETY AND
POLITICS
MELC: Explain the importance of
cultural relativism in attaining cultural
understanding
Aspects of Culture

Social Shared

Gratifying
and Culture Learned
Idealistic

Continuous Transmitted
and
Cumulative
 CULTURAL
RELATIVISM
vs.
ETHNOCENTRISM
Photo Analysis:
Processing Question:
1.What have you observed from the
pictures?
2.Have you encountered/witnessed these
kind of situations?
3.How can you relate from these
illustrations?
Activity: Tableau
Group 1: Ethnocentrism
Group 2: Cultural relativism
Group 3: Xenocentrism
Group 4: Xenophobia
Group 5: Culture Shock
ETHNOCENTRISM
❖ethno = people, nation; centric = center
❖The view that one’s group is superior compared
to another
❖In an ethnocentric viewpoint, a group is
considered as the center or core of everything.
❖The tendency to evaluate other cultures in terms
of one’s own and to conclude that other cultures
are inferior, barbaric, or immoral.
❖Ethnocentric- thinking your own culture is better
than another culture.
• Ethnocentrism is the view that one’s
own cultural elements such as norms,
values, ideology, customs, and
traditions are dominant and superior to
others.
• Ethnocentrism is a technical name to
see things in which one’s own cultural
identity is the center of everything
over which all must be scaled, rated,
and referred to.
• This perspective led to conceited
behavior and the belief of the
superiority of one’s own group with
great prejudice to outsiders.
Ethnocentrism in Moderation has the positive
effects:
1. promotes solidarity and loyalty
2. develops cultural pride
Ethnocentrism in Excess has the negative effects:
1. leads to conflict with groups considered inferior
2. oppression
3. discrimination
4. bullying
5. racism
6.genocide
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
❖refers to an objective analysis of one’s own culture
– seeing and understanding of one’s beliefs and
traditions from his/her own point of view.
❖It also entails not to judge the practices of others
based on your own culture, hence, respecting in
their own cultural context.
❖Cultural Relativism is belief that culture is relative
and different from one another, thus, it is important
to respect other culture.
❖No culture should be considered better than
another.
 CULTURAL RELATIVISM
According to James Rachels
(2003), the following claims have
all been made by cultural
relativists:
1.diverse moral conduct
2.subjective standards among
societies
3.tolerance among all culture
4.RESPECT and TOLERANCE
CULTURAL RELATIVIST

➢ someone who believes

and sees culture as
RELATIVE, meaning they do
not judge other people’s
practices and understand that
there is no such thing as right
or wrong, nor good or bad
when it comes to culture.
 Ethnocentrism is
insensitive to other
cultures, while
cultural relativism
shows high cultural
sensitivity.
XENOCENTRISM and XENOPHOBIA
XENOCENTRISM
Refers to a preference for the foreign. It is the exact
opposite of ethnocentrism. It is a strong belief that one’s
own products, styles, or ideas are inferior to those which
originated elsewhere.

XENOPHOBIA
- is the fear of what is perceived as foreign or strange.
CULTURE SHOCK
The feeling of stress and anxiety that most people experience
when encountering a culture different from their own.
 As a student, how
relevant is the
knowledge you gain
from how you
interact to your
community?
Assessment: Identify the following.

1.) It is a view that one’s own

cultural elements such as norms,
values, ideology, customs, and
traditions are dominant and
superior to others.
Assessment: Identify the following.
2.) It is a belief that culture is
relative and different from
one another, thus, it is
important to respect other
culture.
Assessment: Identify the following.

3.) It is a strong belief that

one’s own products, styles, or
ideas are inferior to those
which originated elsewhere.
Assessment: Identify the following.

4. It is the fear of what is

perceived as foreign or
strange.
Assessment: Identify the following.

5.) The feeling of stress and

anxiety that most people
experience when encountering
a culture different from their
own.
Assessment: Identify the following.

6.)thinking your own

culture is better than
another culture.
Assessment: Identify the following.

7.) someone who

believes and sees
culture as relative.
 Identify the following situation whether it
shows ETHNOCENTRISM, CULTURAL RELATIVISM,
OR XENOCENTRISM
8.) Mike, a devoted
Catholic respects the
beliefs of his friend who is
an INC.
 Identify the following situation whether it
shows ETHNOCENTRISM, CULTURAL RELATIVISM,
OR XENOCENTRISM

9.) “Mas sosyal talaga

ang damit sa Uniqlo
kaysa sa Bench”
 Identify the following situation whether it
shows ETHNOCENTRISM, CULTURAL RELATIVISM,
OR XENOCENTRISM
10.) “Ang weird talaga ng
mga taga Thailand,
kumakain ba naman ng
insekto, yuck!”
Answer Key:
1. Ethnocentrism 8. Cultural relativism
2. Cultural relativism 9. Xenocentrism
3. Xenocentrism 10. Ethnocentrism
4. Xenophobia
5. Culture shock
6. Ethnocentric
7. Cultural relativist
Homework
Do an advance reading on the following issues:
1. Sky burial of Tibet and Hanging Coffins of Sagada
2. Foot binding
3. Genocide in Indonesia/Myanmar
4. White Supremacy and Black Lives Matter