Lesson 3: Ethnocentrism, Xenocentrism, Cultural Relativism

Ethnocentrism

ethno- people, nation; centric- "center" The view that one's group is superior compared to another. In this viewpoint, a group is considered as the center or core of everything. The tendency to evaluate other cultures in terms of one's own and to conclude that other cultures are inferior, barbaric, or immoral. Practice of comparing other cultural practices with those of one's own and automatically finding those other cultural practices to be inferior. Prejudice to outsiders

Xenocentrism

refers to a preference for the foreign. It is the exact opposite of ethnocentrism. It is a strong belief that one's own products, styles, or ideas are inferior to those which originated elsewhere.

Xenophobia

is the fear of what is perceived as foreign or strange.

Cultural relativism

refers to an obiective analysis of one's own culture - seeing and understanding of one's beliefs and traditions from his/her own point of view. It also entails not to judge the practices of others based on your own culture; hence, respecting it in their own cultural context. is a belief that culture is relative and different from one another, thus, it is important to respect other culture.