Cultural Relativism & Ethnocentrism

In Bolivia, 14-year-old girls can legally get

married. In China, men have to wait until
they're 22. 
In America, eye contact suggests that you are
paying attention and interested in what a
person has to say. Yet, in other cultures, eye
contact can be considered rude and a challenge
of authority.
What is cultural relativism?
is the view that all beliefs, customs, and ethics are
relative to the individual within his own social context.

, “ ri gh t” and
o th e r words -s pe cific
In u r e
ro ng ” are cult
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“Different cultures have different moral codes”

often is used as a key to understanding
morality. Proponents argue that there is not as
universal truth in ethics; there are only the
various cultural codes and nothing more. The
customs of different societies is all that exist
 The Cultural Differences Argument

• Theory on the nature of morality

Argument from facts about differences between
cultural outlooks to making conclusions about
the status of morality.
Ex.
1. Different cultures have different moral codes
2. Therefore, there are no objective truth in
morality. Right and wrong are only matters of
opinion, and opinions vary from culture to
culture.
 Consequences of Accepting Cultural
Relativism
1. We could no longer say that custom of other
societies are morally inferior to others.
2. We could decide whether actions are right or
wrong just by consulting the standards of our
society.
3. The idea of moral progress is called into
doubt
 Case Study
1996, a 17 year old girl from
Togo a West African country
arrived in the US and asked
for asylum to avoid “
excision”, a practice referred
to as “female circumcision”
or “female genital
mutilation”. According to
the WHO, the practice is
widespread in 26 African
countries and 2 million girls
are excised each year.

Reaction in the New York

Times, encouraged the idea
that excision was a barbaric
practice and should be
condemned.
Young girls often look forward to this because it
a acceptance into adulthood. It is an accepted
practice in many villages.
Consequences of excision
painful, results in permanent loss of sexual
pleasure, hemorrhage, tetanus, septicemia,
death, chronic infections, hinder walking,
chronic pain
Apparent no social benefits, not a matter of
religious beliefs
 Human Rights & Cultural Relativism

Female Genital
Mutilation poses a
significant health risk to
women. It can lead to
infection, death,
permanent psychological
damage, among other
complications. Women
subject to this practice
are being oppressed by
men seeking to reinforce
their dominance over
females
Is excision, harmful or helpful?

Cultural Relativist would

conclude that excision has
been practiced for centuries
and we should not intervene
and change ancient ways
aaaac
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“The only absolute truth is change, and death is the only way to
stop change. Life is a series of judgments on changing
situations, and no ideal, no belief fits every solution. Yet humans
need to believe in something beyond themselves. Perhaps all
intelligences do. If we do not act on higher motivations, then we
can justify any action, no matter how horrible, as necessary for
our survival. We are endlessly caught between the need for high
moral absolutes—which will fail enough that any absolute can
be demonstrated as false—and our tendency for individual
judgments to degenerate into self-gratifying and unethical
narcissism. Trying to force absolutes on others results in death
and destruction, yet failing to act beyond one's self also leads to
death and destruction, generally a lot sooner.” 

 L.E. Modesitt Jr.  The Parafaith War

 What about
ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism is quite different
than that of cultural relativism.
Ethnocentrism is the view that
one particular ethnic group is
somehow superior to all
others.

A common idiom is “tunnel vision.” In this context, ethnocentrism

is the view that a particular ethnic group’s system of beliefs and
values is morally superior to all others
Discrimination plays a direct role in the
ethnocentric belief. 
 During the exploration
period the discrimination
against blacks by whites was a
major controversial issue.
In England many believed
that the darker a person is the
"dirtier and impure" they are.

Some people believed that

some races were not even
races. Instead they were
considered animals and not
humans. 
 What is Ethnocentrism?
• The term was coined by American Yale
professor, William Graham Sumner
• Sumner defined ethnocentrism as:
"[The] view of things in which one´s
group is the center of everything, and
others are scaled and rated with
reference to it. Each group nourishes
its own pride and vanity, boasts itself
superior, exalts its own divinities and
looks with contempt on outsiders."
Ethnocentrism is a very “Anything
you can do, we can do it better”
point of view concerning ethnicity.
 Characteristics of Ethnocentrism
An individual with an ethnocentric view:
• Identifies strongly with in-group ethnicity, culture, etc.
• Feels proud, vain, superior about in-group
• Views economic, political, social events from the point of
their in-group
• Defines their culture elements as ‘correct’ & ‘natural’
• Thinks in-group norms are universal
• Rejects out-group ethnicities, cultures, etc.
• Feels like other ethnicities & cultures are inferior
• Xenophobia: a fear or hatred of persons of a different race,
or different ethnic or national origin
• Defines other culture’s elements as ‘incorrect’ & ‘unnatural’
 Types of Ethnocentrism
• American Exceptionalism: perception that US
differs from other developed nations because of
its unique origins, national credo, historical
evolution, & distinctive political & religious
institutions; belief that US is hope for humanity;
moral superiority

• Eurocentrism: emphasis on European culture &

western world at the expense of other cultures;
other cultures are inferior or even denied their
existence as truly human
 Types of Ethnocentrism
• Indian Nationalism: political & cultural expression
of patriotism by citizens of India; pride in the
history/ heritage of India & visions for its future

• Japanocentrism: belief that Japan is, or should

be, at the center of the world culturally,
economically, & politically

• Sinocentrism: any ethnocentric perspective that

regards China to be central or unique relative to
other countries
 American Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism occurs frequently here at home
Examples:
• Capitalism vs. Communism: for years, the US has
fought to end communism because they believe
capitalism trumps all

• Driving: Ethnocentric Americans say that driving on

the left side of the road is the ‘wrong side’ & that
the right side is the ‘correct side’
 American Ethnocentrism
More examples:
• Accents: Ethnocentric Americans may say that
another person has an accent, implying that the other
person speaks different, strange, & un-American
• Legal Age of Alcohol Consumption: the US has a
higher drinking age of most other countries & does
not emulate other countries by lowering the legal age
because they think it is the best age for a person to
be able to start consuming alcohol
 Ethnocentric Stereotypes
• Ethnocentric views lead to stereotyping
• Stereotype: generalizations about a group of
people whereby we attribute a defined set of
characteristics to this group; can be positive or
negative
 Ethnocentric Stereotypes
Extreme examples:
 Americans are obese & uneducated
 Canadians say ‘eh’
 Rich people are snobby & members of country clubs
 Asians are geniuses & bad drivers
 English people drink tea & have bad teeth
 Women are bad drivers & emotional
 Men are strong & smarter than women