WHY AND HOW

CULTURAL RELATIVISM
MITIGATES
ETHNOCENTRISM
 ETHNOCENTRISM

WHAT IS  Ethnocentrism is a belief

that one’s culture is
CULTURAL centrally more important Ethno means “people /nation ”,and
Centric means “center”.
and superior to others.
RELATIVISM Ethnocentric people value - this implies that one keeps its culture in the centre and
their own culture and judge the other’s culture from his perspective. The
central culture is superior while the culture far from the
judge other people’s
AND cultures and customs.
centre is inferior. 
The view that ones group is superior
One important thing that
ETHNOCENT we have to understand compared to another.
about ethnocentrism is In an ethnocentric view point, a group is
RISM that it leads to cultural
misinterpretation and it
considered the core or the center of
everything.
affects how we The tendency to evaluate other culture in
communicate with each terms of ones own and to conclude that
other. other culture is considered inferior
barbaric,and immoral.
 BECAUSE:
 Ethnocentrism often leads to incorrect
assumptions about others' behavior based on your
WHY DO own norms, values, and beliefs. In extreme cases,
a group of individuals may see another culture as
CULTURAL wrong or immoral and because of this may try to
convert, sometimes forcibly, the group to their own
RELATIVIS ways of living.

M  In addition, ethnocentrism can lead to specific

intergroup emotions, such as fear and contempt.
MITIGATES  It could also lead to
ETHNOCEN bullying,racism ,dehumanization,delegitimisation,
and moral exclusion of ethnic outgroups.
TRISM  Further, it can fuel ethnic wars, ethnic
cleansing, and even genocide.
 CULTURAL
RELATIVISM

WHAT IS
CULTURAL  Cultural relativism explains that every
RELATIVISM culture is related, no cultural norm is
AND superior or inferior. It has cultural
acceptance and awareness. The study
ETHNOCENT of one culture should be separated
RISM from another culture.
 HOW DO
CULTURAL
RELATIVISM
MITIGATES  Cultural relativism tries to counter ethnocentrism by promoting the
understanding of cultural practices that are unfamiliar to other cultures such
ETHNOCENT as eating insects,or genital cutting.
RISM Take for example, the common practice of same-sex friends in India walking
in public while holding hands. This is a common behavior and a sign of
connectedness between two people. In England, by contrast, holding hands is
largely limited to romantically involved couples, and often suggests a sexual
relationship.
These are simply two different ways of understanding the meaning of holding
hands. Someone who does not take a relativistic view might be tempted to see
their own understanding of this behavior as superior and, perhaps, the foreign
practice as being immoral.
HOW DO
CULTURAL
RELATIVISM Be Self-aware. Acknowledge the advantages or disadvantages you
MITIGATES have. Recognize your ethnocentric attitudes and how strong they are. This
awareness opens the way for you to modify actions and attitudes as
ETHNOCENT needed and understanding the need for change
RISM
HOW DO Be Self-aware. Acknowledge the advantages or disadvantages you
CULTURAL have. Recognize your ethnocentric attitudes and how strong they are. This
awareness opens the way for you to modify actions and attitudes as
RELATIVISM needed and understanding the need for change
MITIGATES Educate. Read, attend lectures, presentations, and training sessions
ETHNOCENT designed to help interaction between different ethnic groups. Interact with
members of a different ethnic group and ask questions to gain
RISM understanding.
 Be Self-aware. Acknowledge the advantages or disadvantages you
have. Recognize your ethnocentric attitudes and how strong they are. This
awareness opens the way for you to modify actions and attitudes as
HOW DO needed and understanding the need for change
CULTURAL Educate. Read, attend lectures, presentations, and training sessions
RELATIVISM designed to help interaction between different ethnic groups. Interact with
members of a different ethnic group and ask questions to gain
MITIGATES understanding.
ETHNOCENT Listen. Seek to understand before trying to make yourself understood. If
need be restate or reframe questions and comments from the other
RISM person's point of view to gain a greater understanding.
 Be Self-aware. Acknowledge the advantages or disadvantages you have.
Recognize your ethnocentric attitudes and how strong they are. This
awareness opens the way for you to modify actions and attitudes as needed
and understanding the need for change
HOW DO Educate. Read, attend lectures, presentations, and training sessions
CULTURAL designed to help interaction between different ethnic groups. Interact with
members of a different ethnic group and ask questions to gain understanding.
RELATIVISM
Listen. Seek to understand before trying to make yourself understood. If
MITIGATES need be restate or reframe questions and comments from the other person's
ETHNOCENT point of view to gain a greater understanding .

RISM Speak Up. Using appropriate methods, identify stereotypes, prejudices and

discrimination when they occur.
HOW DO Review Team Norms. Periodically review your teams norms, goals, and
CULTURAL expectations to determine if they are built on inclusion and pluralism or if a
subgroup has formed that tends to dominate other members in the group.
RELATIVISM Make adjustments as needed.
MITIGATES
ETHNOCENT
RISM
 Review Team Norms. Periodically review your teams norms, goals, and
expectations to determine if they are built on inclusion and pluralism or if a subgroup
HOW DO has formed that tends to dominate other members in the group. Make adjustments as
needed.
CULTURAL Avoid Giving or Taking Offense. Change will take time and effort. Everyone
makes mistakes and may need multiple times to alter their behavior. If you are aware
RELATIVISM that the comment you are about to make may be offensive, take a moment to
MITIGATES determine another way to say it or frame the comment or question in terms of better
understanding and intent not to give offense.
ETHNOCENT
RISM
 
Review Team Norms. Periodically review your teams norms, goals,
and expectations to determine if they are built on inclusion and pluralism
or if a subgroup has formed that tends to dominate other members in the
HOW DO group. Make adjustments as needed.
CULTURAL 
Avoid Giving or Taking Offense. Change will take time and effort.
Everyone makes mistakes and may need multiple times to alter their
RELATIVISM behavior. If you are aware that the comment you are about to make may
MITIGATES be offensive, take a moment to determine another way to say it or frame
the comment or question in terms of better understanding and intent not
ETHNOCENT to give offense
RISM 
Be Forgiving.