Understanding Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism

Ethnocentrism

Derive from two Greek Words: "Ethnos"means Nation, "Kentron" means Center; is judging another culture based upon valued and standards; form of bias tend to judge another culture "bad" or "wrong.

William Graham Summer

Coined ethnocentrism in 1906, he defined that it is a "view of things in which one's own group is the center of everything.

Cultural Relativism

Refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong, try to understand; values the equal validity of all points of view, aims to avoid judgements, helps people cultivate empathy.

Absolute

Everything that happens within culture must and should not be questioned by outsiders.

Critical

Creates questions about cultural practices in terms of who is accepting them and why; recognizes power relationships.

Xenocentrism

Tendency to value the cultural practices of other society over one's own; opposite of ethnocentrism; comes from Greek Words: "Xeno" means stranger or Foreigner, The suffix "centric" means "oriented towards" or "preferring.

State

Is a political entity that governs a specific territory and its people; are sovereign meaning they have power to make and enforce law within borders.

Population

Is the people who make the state; is essential for the state; without it no state.

Territory

No state without fixed; peopled need it to live and organize; includes lands, water and space.

Government

Group of people or agency who make and enforce law for a country, state or community.

Sovereignty

Without it no state can exist; has exclusive title and prerogative; is the basis of which the state regulates aspects of the life of the people living.