Cultural Relativism: Ethics and Moral Development

A collection of flashcards exploring diverse cultural practices globally and the core philosophical principles of cultural relativism as discussed in lecture.

Relativism

A philosophical doctrine asserting that there are no absolute truths, with the validity of beliefs and perspectives being contingent upon the individual, culture, or context.

Ruth Benedict

The individual who described morality as a convenient term for "socially approved habits."

Cinnamon shower

A practice in Denmark where friends ambush individuals with cinnamon all day if they are unmarried by the time they turn $25$.

Pepper tradition

A tradition in Denmark where single individuals are covered in pepper if they reach the age of $30$ without being married.

Sock-garland

A German tradition for people reaching $25$ without getting married, where friends string a garland of socks from the house to the birthday venue.

Polish Flight Custom

A behavior peculiar to Polish people where passengers applaud when the plane lands.

Fingerhakeln

A serious sport of competitive finger-pulling with strict rules played in Austria and Bavaria in Germany.

Russian Pre-trip Custom

A tradition where a household sits down for a few minutes before leaving on a trip to ward against bad luck.

St Catherine's Day

A French celebration on $25$ November where unmarried $25$-year-old women are given elaborate yellow and green hats to wear.

Catherinettes

The term used in France to refer to unmarried $25$-year-old women participating in St Catherine's Day traditions.

Burns Night

An annual event on $25$ January in Scotland that commemorates the life of poet Robert Burns with bagpipes, tartan, and unique foods.

Haggis

A food consisting of offal in sheep intestine that is served during Scottish Burns Night celebrations.

Ceilidh

A traditional form of dancing (pronounced "kaylee") performed during Scottish festivities.

Dutch Birthday Tradition

A custom in the Netherlands where guests congratulate the entire family on someone's birthday and sit in a giant circle for tea and cake.

Holi

The Hindu festival of colors in India where people throw brightly colored powders and water to celebrate joy and the arrival of spring.

Haka

A traditional Māori performance from New Zealand involving chanting, movements, facial expressions, and rhythmic actions.

Objective Standard

According to cultural relativism, it is the concept that does not exist for judging one society's moral code as better than another's.

Moral Status of Society

The cultural relativist principle asserting that the moral code of our own society has no special status and is just one among many.

Greeks and Callatians

Two groups used to illustrate cultural relativism based on their differing beliefs regarding whether it is right or wrong to eat the dead.

Eskimo Infanticide

A specific historical example demonstrating cultural relativism, where one culture saw nothing wrong with the practice while Americans believe it is immoral.