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Ethnocentrism

The word ethnocentrism derives from the Greek word ethnos, meaning nation or people, andthe English word centerEthnocentrism is the view that a particular ethnic groups system of beliefs and values is morallysuperior to all others. Whats right for one culture might be wrong for another and thats alright.There is no absolute standard of right and wrong by which to compare and contrast morally

contradictory cultural valuesEthnocentrism and cultural relativism are mutually exclusive. They are two extremes on theopposite sides of a philosophical spectrum. Is there a biblical alternative to these two extremes?There is. There is a third extreme. Theo centrism is the view that God is superior to everyoneelse. The word Theo centrism derives from the Greek word Thoes, meaning God or gods, andthe English word center. In this context, Theo centrism refers to the view that Gods system ofbeliefs and values is morally superior to all others. It is perfect. Its the absolute standard by whichwe are to judge everyone elses system of beliefs and values.

Theo centrism is similar to ethnocentrism because every culture has its own Theo centrism.

Why Ethnocentrism is bad?

Ethnocentrism leads us to make false assumptions about cultural differences. We are

ethnocentric when we use our cultural norms to make generalizations about other peoples'

cultures and customs. Such generalizations -- often made without a conscious awarenessthat we've used our culture as a universal yardstick -- can be way off base and cause us to

misjudge other peoples. Ethnocentrism can lead to cultural misinterpretation and it often

distorts communication between human beings.

Ethnocentrism leads to misunderstanding others. We falsely distort what is meaningfuland functional to other peoples through our own tinted glasses. We see their ways in

terms ofourlife experience, not theircontext. We do not understand that their ways have

their own meanings and functions in life, just as our ways have for us.

At the heart of this is that we do not understand that we do not understand! So we aren't

aware that we can develop more valid understandings about how they experience life.

Yet this can have consequences within our own society and in international relations. We

may be well meaning in interethnic relations, for example, but can unintentionally offendothers, generate ill feelings, and even set up situations that harm others. For example, it is

easy notto see the life concerns of others or conversely to pity them for their inabilities to

deal with life situations

Some very simple examples of ethnocentric thinking. . .

We often talk about British drivers driving "on the wrong side" of the road. Why not justsay "opposite side" or even "left hand side"?

We talk about written Hebrew as reading "backward." Why not just say "from right to

left" or "in the opposite direction from English."

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Cultural Relativism

Cultural Relativism is the view that moral or ethical systems, which vary from culture toculture, are all equally valid and no one system is really better than any other. This is

based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil, so every judgment

about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or

ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. Ultimately, this means that nomoral or ethical system can be considered the best, or worst, and no particular moral

or ethical position can actually be considered right or wrong.

Cultural relativism holds that "good" means what is "socially approved" by the majorityin a given culture. Infanticide, for example, isn't good or bad objectively; rather it's good

in a society that approves of it but bad in one that disapproves of it.

Cultural Universals1- Religious Believes2- Magical Thinking

3- Music, Rhythm, Dance4- Beliefs of Death

5- Dream interpretation6- Beliefs about fortune and misfortune

7- Attempts to control weather

8- Poetry9- Feasting

10- Law: rights and obligations, rules of membership