Ethnocentrism might be said to be the opposite of cultural relativism. Explain.?

Question

Ethnocentrism might be said to be the opposite of cultural relativism. Explain.?

Answer 1

Yes, this sounds true. I think the woman who first answered is totally right in the way she said it...go with that!

On cultural relativity...across cultures, people share similarities since everyone shares the experience of being a human, it's just that things are executed in different ways depending on what's relevant withing your culture, in accordance with your own beliefs...and also keeping in mind what resources are available to you within that culture and area you live in, etc.

Answer 2

When comparing two terms, one generally begins with definitions.  I suggest you do as well.  You can begin with these thoughts:

ethnocentrism - assuming that some characteristic of your culture can be expected in another, possibly but not necessarily with the justification that it is the natural order, possibly because you simply haven't questioned your own belief in a particular aspect of your own culture as not being a universal

relativism - the suspension of judgments against cultural tenets of the culture in question and the recognition of one's own cultural background and its role in your interpretation of the culture in question

Answer 3

because they are.

Answer 4

I see how this is an accurate statement.  Being culturally relative is being able to see the ways in which all cultures are bound together by similarities.  How they relate to one another and form the basket-weave of an area or community.  That means accepting that one's own culture is affected and affects other cultures to the same degree.  Seeing the interaction of the cultures is a way of relating one's self to other cultures, even though you can only understand them through your own.  And ethnocentrism is believing that one's culture is superior to all others.  Therefore that is pretty much completely discounting that cultures affect one another.  It is basically saying you are better and they will always be below your own.  So there is no interaction happening there.  So I see the relationship in that statement.

Answer 5

A simple definition of cultural relativism is that all cultures are equally valid in their own context. Different cultures see things differently. Ethnocentrism, on the other hand, is believing that your culture is better than everyone else's culture.

If you are ethnocentric, then you don't believe that other cultures are valid, and you are more apt to believe that the way they see things is wrong.