Etnocentrism and

Cultural Relativism
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Week 6
Objective
Become aware of why and
how cultural relativism
mitigates ethnocentrism
UCSP11/12DCSId-10
Arrange ME!

TERULUC
Arrange ME!

CULTURE
Arrange ME!

EVITREAL
Arrange ME!

RELATIVE
Arrange ME!

MSIRTNECONHTE
Arrange ME!

ETHNOCENTRISM
Arrange ME!

PUSIRERO
Arrange ME!

SUPERIOR
Arrange ME!

FSEDNEREFIC
Arrange ME!

DIFFERENCES
ANALYSIS
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THE ACTIVITY?
Do you have any idea about

the words being guessed? If

Yes, can you share it to the
class.
 Background
 The changing and the very
SUBJECTIVE nature of culture and
society has created differences
across the world.
 Throughout history, IDEOLOGIES
and BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS
resulting to disagreements and
even wars are associated with
cultural differences.
 Background
 STRONG ADHERENCE AND
ASSOCIATION TO ONE’S
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE may
create a tendency to view that
others as the lesser truth.
 In this sense, it leads people to
believe the inherent superiority of
one’s culture over the other.
 Etnocentrism

Defined as making false
assumptions about the
ways of others based on
our limited experience.
(Barger, 2014).
 Etnocentrism
 People tend to judge other

people based on the

STANDARDS set by their
own cultural associations.
 Example
 Some people may consider it
rude to make sounds while
eating such as slurping soup.
 However, in some slurping the

soup and making loud noises is

giving compliment to the person
who cooked the meal..therefore,
eating quietly would actually be
rude.
Cultural Relativism
BACKGROUND
To address the differences
from cultural tendencies,
the view that culture is
relative has been widely
accepted and promoted.
Cultural Relativism
BACKGROUND
Promotes the idea that no

culture is superior over any

other.
It views all cultures as worthy

in their own right and

therefore of equal value.
Cultural Relativism
Defined as a concept that
widely accepts that
cultural values and norms
derive their meaning
from a specific social
context.
Cultural Relativism
 From an anthropological
standpoint, all cultural
patterns are equally valid
expressions of human
existence to be viewed from
an entirely neutral
perspective.
Cultural Relativism
Tries to understand why
people act the way they
do and why institutions
function as such based
on societies that they are
in.
QUIZ..
 WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO
understand the importance of
ethnocentrism and cultural
relativism in our daily lives?
How would such understanding
contribute to our general
understanding of culture?