What's the difference between "Cultural Relativity" & Ethnocentrism?

Question

I'm writing a paper on multiculturalism and us/them divisions and I'm having trouble defining them. I understand that ethnocentrism is looking at the world from the viewpoint of one's own culture, but is the meaning of cultural relativity: "beliefs and activities should be interpreted in terms of one's own culture?"

Answer 1

I think I have pondered on this one before myself. Not a lot of difference - for everyday language. But if you're doing a dissertation - you better be spot on. So disregard my "unresearched" ramble.

What's the difference between one's cultural background and one's ethnic background? It's get quite cloudy.

Answer 2

I like Tehabwa's definition.

The differences and conflicts would be

(i) scope/applicability:

cultural relativism: a fact or event is meaningful only within its cultural context

ehtnocentrism: everything outside one's cultural context also gets a sweeping qualification from MY cultural standards.

(ii) what constitutes inappropriate/invalid interpretation

cultural relativism: any qualification where the fact or event is interpreted out of its cultural context

ethnocentrism: any qualification where the fact or event is interpreted out of MY cultural context

These contrasts show how each of the two might differ in direct contradiction of the other.

Answer 3

Cultural relativity says that there's no better or worse, or right or wrong, except as defined by each culture.

Ethnocentrism says MY culture is superior; all the rest are inferior.