CULTURAL RELATIVISM

IN ATTAINING
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
Viewing Others Culture

The world is composed of many societies

with different cultures. For a human being, it
is just natural to view other cultures and
compare them with his/her own. Generally, a
person uses two orientations in viewing
other cultures. Abulencia & Parernal (2016)
 After going 01. Demonstrate understanding of the uniqueness of
each society and culture;

through this topic, 02. Value cultural heritage and express pride without
being etnocentric;

you are expected become aware why and how cultural relativism

to : 03. mitigates ethnocentrism; and

identify forms of tangible and intangible heritage

04. and the threats to these
ETHNOCENTRISM
- it refers to the tendency of each society to place its own patterns at
the center of things. (they consider above from the rest) “viewing as superior
rather than inferior”
- the word ethno from the Greek word refers to a people, nation, or
cultural groupings
- centric on the other hand comes from a Latin and refers to the
“center”
- the term was coined by William Graham Summer
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
- is the view that all beliefs, customs and ethics are relative to the
individual within his own. In other words, “right and wrong” are cultured
specific.
TYPES OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
- Absolute cultural relativism (A culture even when considered strange
should not be questioned)
- Critical cultural relativism (the importance to find out why some cultures are
practiced so asking question is fine)
1.How can we differentiate cultural relativism to ethnocentrism?
2.Is there such as superior and inferior culture?
3. Why is it that every person has a tendency to become ethnocentric?
All culture in the world * speech
* language
project similarities.
* art
Sociologists enumerate * cooking
an extensive list of these * eating
similarities * courting and a host of other.
 01. Biological Similarities - this means that all people in the
world have the same biological needs (food, clothing, shelter
According to and health care)
Banks et al. (2016) Necessary Pre-requisites for Social Being - society must

there are Four 02. fulfill some requirements in order to function, such as replacing
members, teaching new members to participate and the need
Primary Causes of to have a participation in production and distribution.
Psychic Unity of Mankind - all human beings are alike in
Cultural
Similarities
03. having similar ranges of emotion (need for love, security and
language)

Geographical Environment - the geographical environment

is characterized by certain limitations such as limited food,
04. source of energy, and other delimiting factors of people’s
environment.
Cultural Diversity
According to Abulencia & Parernal et al (2016). Every society in the world
is unique from one another. Everyone has his/her own cultural practices,
values and interests. Each culture has its distinct features and
characteristics.

These differences in culture can be attributed to the following factors:

a. Though men all over the world have the same biological needs, they differ
in ways in meeting them. Each culture adapts to its environment.
b. Differences in geographical characteristics like climate, topography or
social condition
c. The absence or presence of natural resources
According to Aguilar et al. (2016). A society is a group of people bound
together in a more or less permanent association organized for collective
activity. Moreover, it is made up of interacting individuals, using shared
cultures. Horton and Hunt define society as a relatively independent, self-
perpetuating group of human beings who occupy a territory, share a
culture and have the most with their associations within this group.

Culture is a system of shared behavior while a society is a group of

people who share a common culture. For instance, Filipinos are known for
being hospitable, a characteristic collective attributed to the Filipino
people. (Abulencia & Parernal, 2016)
 According to Aguilar et al. (2016) Specific Forms of the Cultural Traits may
vary significantly from Society to Society
Cultural Traits Definition Example
Subculture • may be defined as a modified culture within a • the Cebuano in Manila,
larger culture practice by a society. Let us the gay , and military
take the rock culture in music as an example. officers maybe consider
In general, rock music is a culture observed in subculture.
many societies all over the globe. 
• is an ethnic, regional, economic or social
group exhibiting characteristics patterns of
behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others
within an embracing culture or society.

Counter- Culture • is a culture with values and mores that run • rebel groups are a good
counter to those of established society. example in counter-
culture.
 Cultural Integration
According to Aguilar et al. (2016) occurs when cultural traits are logically
consistent with one another, or simply neutral to another.

Advantages of Cultural Integration Disadvantages of Cultural Integration

• People of all cultures become used to • People have tended to stick with
one another and learn more about other than their own culture when
each other as individuals.  living in situations of interactive
• People get to take pride in cultural differences. 
themselves while also living with • Culture may become blended and
people who may be different. lost in time. It’s important to have
things in common with people but we
have to own up for the history.
According to Erin Long-Crowell (2020). First, think again about the gap
between the values that people profess to have and the behavior that
contradicts it. This gap exists at a bigger level between ideal culture and
real culture.
Ideal Culture Real Culture
• It includes the values and norms that • It includes the values and norms that
culture claims to have.  are actually followed by a culture.
• It involves an idealized, • It involves an adaptable value
uncompromising value system that system that is used mostly as a set
dictates perfect behavior.  of guidelines for preferred behavior.
• Using ideal culture as a standard, you • Right and wrong are separated, but
are either right or wrong. Rules are exceptions exist for pretty much
black and white, with no gray areas everything.
and no exceptions.
Acculturation
According to Aguilar et al. (2016). Acculturation, the
process of change in artifacts, customs, and beliefs that
result from the contact of two or more cultures. The term
is also used to refer to the results of such changes. Two
major types of acculturation, incorporation and directed
change, may be distinguished on the basis of the
conditions under which cultural contact and change take
place.
 Two Types of Acculturation
Incorporation
It refers to the free borrowing and
modification of cultural elements and
occurs when people of different
cultures maintain contact as well as
political and social self-determination.
Directed Change
It occurs when one group establishes
dominance over another through
military conquest or political control;
thus, imperialism is the most common
precursor to directed change.
Assimilation

According to Aguilar et al. (2016). Assimilation is a

foreign culture which does not necessarily make you
disloyal or less nationalistic to your home country. As a
universal being or as global citizen as we call it now, we
are and we must be open to cultures different from ours
and be interactive to any people in as much all of us are
citizens of the world.
Amalgamation

According to Aguilar et al. (2016). Amalgamation of

different cultures in the globalized worldview all lumped
together paving the way for redefining Filipino cultural
identity. How to preserve one’s cultural heritage amidst
globalization is now a challenge posed to each and every
one of us.
 Cultural Universals
According to (Baleña, 2016) More often than not, culture varies from one
society to another. However, it is essential to note that all cultures share patterns
or traits that are quite common to all societies across the globe. This is
commonly referred to as cultural universal. For instance, the use of language as
medium of communication is absolute among societies, whether traditional or
modern one. Though syntax and language structure are starkly different from
each language, spoken and written language has been the primary tool in
articulating oneself.

George Murdock was acknowledged as the first of his contemporaries to

recognize the existence of cultural universal when he was studying kinship
systems in different parts of the world. He discovered that cultural universals
often revolve around basic human survival or around shared human experience.
Ethnocentrism
• The word “ethnocentrism” was coined by American social scientist
William Sumner in 1906 to provide a technical term for viewing
one’s ethnicity (ethno) in the center of all cultures (centrism). It is a
perception that arises from the fact that cultures differ and each
culture defines reality differently. Judging another culture solely by
the values and standard of one’s own culture.

• According to Abulencia & Parernal (2016). Ethnocentrism basically

pertains to the belief that one’s native culture is superior to or the
most natural among other cultures. An ethnocentric person sees
and weighs another culture based upon the values and standards
of his/her own.
Cultural Imperialism

There are even cases where a person imposes his/her own

culture upon another person with intentions to help him/her
detach from what the former thinks is an essentially inferior
culture. This approach is to deliberate imposition of one’s cultural
belief on another culture.

A perfect example of such is one motive of the Spaniards in colonizing

the Philippines.
Culture Shock

In reality, everyone has a bit of ethnocentrism; it cannot be

avoided. However a highly ethnocentric person, when exposed to
new cultures, may experience a culture shock. He/she may find it
difficult to adapt to the new cultures and may feel severe
confusion and disturbance. Culture shock happens when a
person does not expect or accept cultural differences.

Example many expats and foreign workers, like the overseas Filipino
workers experience culture shock on the first weeks or months in their
new environment.
Xenocentrism

According to (Aguilar, 2016). Xenocentrism has an opposite

relative or the belief that one culture is inferior to another. A
xenocentric person usually has a high regard for other cultures
but disdains his/her own or is embarrassed by it. Xenocentrism is
evident in many Filipino, especially those who are influenced by
other cultures. Many Filipino prefer imported products rather than
locally-made ones, thinking that the quality is better if the product
is made abroad.
Cultural Relativism
This method is rooted in the idea of cultural relativism, or the practice of
viewing another culture by its own context rather than assessing it based on
the standards of one’s own culture. (Abulencia & Parernal 2016)

According to Abulencia & Parernal (2016). Cultural relativism requires an

open mind and enthusiasm to adapt to new cultures. An example is an American
traveler who encountered balut for the first time. To immerse oneself in another culture
in order to appreciate it fully.
 Cultural relativism attempts to judge behavior according to its cultural
context. The principle that a person’s beliefs and activities should be understood
by others in terms of that individual’s own culture.
It has been said that ethnocentrism is natural for many people. The culture
that one has been brought up to has become the most natural culture. But if one
practices cultural relativism and detaches oneself from his/her own culture to
see more of another, the ethnocentrism is mitigated or become less severe.
Cultural relativism can be associated with the value of respect for another and
his/her culture.
The idea behind cultural relativism reminds every one of the importance of
cultural tolerance, especially in a globalized age where interaction is considered
the most important.
Thank You!