You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Reading: Introduction to Work and the Economy, 205. North Americans keep more distance and maintain a large personal space. Even something as simple as eating and drinking varies greatly from culture to culture. Everyone is ethnocentric to an extent, and identifying with ones own country is natural. Eventually, as people learn more about a culture and adapt to its norms, they recover from culture shock. Often, people in the United States express disgust at other cultures cuisine and think that its gross to eat meat from a dog or guinea pig, for example, while they dont question their own habit of eating cows or pigs. She missed her home and felt overwhelmed by the new customs, language, and surroundings. Reading: Systems of Social Stratification, 87. Sanai had been forced to flee war-torn Bosnia with her family when she was fifteen. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. He knew hed never hold his own against these experts. Exciting as it was, she felt isolated and disconnected. Why It Matters: Work and the Economy, 202. People react to frustration in a new culture, Oberg found, by initially rejecting it and glorifying ones own culture. Shed learned a lot about Spain, but shed also discovered a lot about herself and her own culture. Outcome: Media and Technology in Society, 238. Sometimes when people attempt to rectify feelings of ethnocentrism and develop cultural relativism, they swing too far to the other end of the spectrum. 3. North Americans keep more distance and maintain a large personal space. Even something as simple as eating and drinking varies greatly from culture to culture. In the United States, its most likely filled with coffee, not Earl Grey tea, a favorite in England, or Yak Butter tea, a staple in Tibet. A high level of appreciation for ones own culture can be healthy; a shared sense of community pride, for example, connects people in a society. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Sex, 133. That night, Caitlin crawled into a strange bed, wishing she hadnt come. Perhaps the Chicago traveler was initially captivated with Montanas quiet beauty and the Chinese student was originally excited to see a U.S.-style classroom firsthand. Exciting as it was, she felt isolated and disconnected. Part of ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own race, ethnic or cultural group is the most important or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. She understood that adjusting to a new culture takes time. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Gender, 130. In sociology, we call thisculture shock. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. Rodney and Elise are U.S. students studying abroad in Italy. Where he is from, unless they are romantically involved, men do not kiss one another. And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. Reading: Feminist Theory on Education, 160. Xenocentrismis the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the belief that another culture is superior to ones own. An exchange student from China might be annoyed by the constant interruptions in class as other students ask questionsa practice that is considered rude in China. Putting It Together: Sociological Foundations, 34. Practicing cultural relativism requires an open mind and a willingness to consider, and even adapt to, new values and norms. European colonizers often viewed the people in the lands they colonized as uncultured savages who were in need of European governance, dress, religion, and other cultural practices. He further clarified that such a view would lead to a sense of pride, vanity, superiority over others, and contempt towards those that are not a part of that group. In sociology, we call thisculture shock. It involves evaluating other cultures and ethnic groups based on the standards and values of one's own group and viewing them as inferior or less important. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Education, 157. Read the full article Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrismhere, https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/3-1-what-is-culture, Describe and give examples of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine, 171. (The Greek root word xeno, pronounced ZEE-no, means stranger or foreign guest.) An exchange student who goes home after a semester abroad or a sociologist who returns from the field may find it difficult to associate with the values of their own culture after having experienced what they deem a more upright or nobler way of living. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. A culture consists of a group of people that possess specific traditions, language, belief system, customs, hierarchy, food, music, and literature. In a more extreme sense, some cultures may idolize . It is impossible for anyone to keep all cultural biases at bay; the best we can do is strive to be aware of them. Xenocentrism then stands in opposition to ethnocentrism, which is the belief that one's own culture or nation is superior to all others; those who show signs of ethnocentrism are said to. Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. Often, people in the United States express disgust at other cultures cuisine and think that its gross to eat meat from a dog or guinea pig, for example, while they dont question their own habit of eating cows or pigs. Anthropologist Ken Barger (1971) discovered this when he conducted a participatory observation in an Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic. One example is the romanticization of the noble savage in the 18th-century primitivism movement in European art, philosophy and ethnography. [hidden-answer a=501221]. This is an example of: Youll have more success on the Self-Check, if youve completed the three Readings in this section. Caitlin was half asleep by the time supper was servedat 10 p.m.! Reading: Universal Access to Education, 156. In reality, these travelers are guilty ofcultural imperialism, the deliberate imposition of ones own ostensibly advanced cultural values on another culture. In psychological terms, xenocentrism is considered a type of deviant behavior because it sways from the norms of society. In January 2011, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America presented evidence indicating that the hormone oxytocin could regulate and manage instances of ethnocentrism. Outcome: Collective Behavior and Social Movements, 228. Some travelers pride themselves on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, like celebrated food writer Anthony Bourdain, while others return home expressing gratitude for their native cultures fare. It creates an attitude of independence. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Stratification, 101. Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropologyas well as in colloquial English discoursemeans to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of using the standards of the particular culture involved. 1. When they are introduced to their host families, the families kiss them on both cheeks. Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. Outcome: Sexual Attitudes and Practices, 132. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Religion, 150. Reading: Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives, 15. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Ethnocentrism is a way of thinking and perceiving the world that centers on one's own cultural or ethnic group. is that ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own traditional, deferred, or adoptive ethnic culture while xenocentrism is a preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. . Read the full article here. A traveler from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. Exceptionalism On the one hand, ethnocentrism can lead to negative judgments of the behaviors of groups or societies. Outcome: Challenges Facing the Elderly, 189. They help people know when to shake hands, where to sit, how to converse, and even when to laugh. For example, while all cultures have language, analysis of particular language structures and conversational etiquette reveal tremendous differences. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture. To the Inuit people, winning was enjoyable, but their culture valued survival skills essential to their environment: how hard someone tried could mean the difference between life and death. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology, 240. Caitlin was half asleep by the time supper was servedat 10 p.m.! Most cultures have been found to identify laughter as a sign of humor, joy, or pleasure. Xenocentrism Reading: Symbolic Interactionist Theory, 20. The way cuisines vary across cultures fascinates many people. Do you feel that feelings of ethnocentricity or xenocentricity are more prevalent in U.S. culture? Putting It Together: Population, Urbanization, and the Environment, 224. What issues or events might inform this? Shed studied Spanish in school for yearswhy hadnt it prepared her for this? For example, while all cultures have language, analysis of particular language structures and conversational etiquette reveal tremendous differences. People react to frustration in a new culture, Oberg found, by initially rejecting it and glorifying ones own culture. Where he is from, unless they are romantically involved, men do not kiss one another. We relate to others through a shared set of cultural norms, and ordinarily, we take them for granted. It proposes that all cultures have their own merits and demerits, and hence are of equal value such that there is no concept of cultural superiority. . North Americans keep more distance and maintain a large personal space. Even something as simple as eating and drinking varies greatly from culture to culture. Why do you believe this? Reading: Poverty in the United States, 212. Reading: Social and Psychological Changes of Aging, 186. Ethnocentrism, as sociologist William Graham Sumner (1906) described the term, involves a belief or attitude that ones own culture is better than all others. During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg (1960) is credited with first coining the term culture shock. In his studies, Oberg found that most people found encountering a new culture to be exciting at first. This comparison of one's culture to others has a significant impact on how we perceive the people around us and the organizations to which we belong. Trying hard and working together, two nonmaterial values, were indeed much more important than winning. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, . In the airport, she heard rapid, musical Spanish being spoken all around her. A traveler from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. Outcome: Social Stratification in the United States, 89. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives of Race and Ethnicity, 111. He knew hed never hold his own against these experts. Putting It Together: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control, 83. Figure 1. Copyright Opinion Front & Buzzle.com, Inc. 1. However, indiscriminately embracing everything about a new culture is not always possible. Reading: The McDonaldization of Society, 71. A preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. However, indiscriminately embracing everything about a new culture is not always possible. A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. Sociologists attempting to engage in cultural relativism, then, may struggle to reconcile aspects of their own culture with aspects of a culture that they are studying. Music and laughter are examples of: http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.See Wiktionary Terms of Use for details. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, which means to value one's own culture more than the other's culture. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. Over the course of his stay, Barger participated in caribou hunts, learned how to take shelter in winter storms, and sometimes went days with little or no food to share among tribal members. Why It Matters: Religion and Education, 147. But bit by bit, they became stressed by interacting with people from a different culture who spoke another language and used different regional expressions. Everyone is ethnocentric to an extent, and identifying with ones own country is natural. Sometimes when people attempt to rectify feelings of ethnocentrism and to practice cultural relativism, they swing too far to the other end of the spectrum. People with the best intentions sometimes travel to a society to help its people, because they see them as uneducated or backwardessentially inferior. An exchange student from China might be annoyed by the constant interruptions in class as other students ask questionsa practice that is considered rude in China. A high level of appreciation for ones own culture can be healthy; a shared sense of community pride, for example, connects people in a society. Caitlins shock was minor compared to that of her friends Dayar and Mahlika, a Turkish couple living in married student housing on campus. Xenocentrism contrasts with ethnocentrism, the perceived superiority of one's . Reading: Introduction to Media and Technology, 235. Reading: Class Structure in the United States, 92. Reading: Introduction to Sociological Research, 29. Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging other cultures based. European colonizers often viewed the people in the lands they colonized as uncultured savages who were in need of European governance, dress, religion, and other cultural practices. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Economics, 206. In terms of sensitivity, ethnocentrism is insensitive to other cultures, while cultural relativism shows high cultural sensitivity. Since this judgement is often negative, some people also use the term to refer to the belief that one's culture is superior to, or more correct or normal than, all othersespecially regarding the distinctions that define each ethnicity's cultural identity, such as language, behavior, customs, and religion. Such characters are called cultural universals. Xenocentrism is the opposite of . And an appreciation for another culture shouldnt preclude individuals from studying it with a critical eye. If your professor comes into an early morning class holding a mug of liquid, what do you assume she is drinking? Shed stepped out of her comfort zone. He knew hed never hold his own against these experts. Youll have more success on the Self-Check, if youve completed the three Readings in this section. These distinctions and subjective comparisons impart a cultural identity to each ethnicity. To the Inuit people, winning was enjoyable, but their culture valued survival skills essential to their environment: how hard someone tried could mean the difference between life and death. For example, Americans tend to say that people from England drive on the wrong side of the road, rather than on the other side. Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. (The Greek root word xeno, pronounced ZEE-no, means stranger or foreign guest.) An exchange student who goes home after a semester abroad or a sociologist who returns from the field may find it difficult to associate with the values of their own culture after having experienced what they deem a more upright or nobler way of living. Reading: Defining Social Stratification, 86. For example, Americans tend to say that people from England drive on the wrong side of the road, rather than on the other side. Over the course of his stay, Barger participated in caribou hunts, learned how to take shelter in winter storms, and sometimes went days with little or no food to share among tribal members. Exciting as it was, she felt isolated and disconnected. Someone from a country where dog meat is standard fare might find it off-putting to see a dog in a French restaurantnot on the menu, but as a pet and patrons companion. Citing Paraphrases and Summaries (APA), 4. Culture shock may appear because people arent always expecting cultural differences. By the end of Caitlins trip, shed made new lifelong friends. Ethnocentrism, as sociologist William Graham Sumner (1906) described the term, involves a belief or attitude that one's own culture is better than all others, and should therefore serve as the standard frame of reference. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. In the United States, the mug is most likely filled with coffee, not Earl Grey tea, a favorite in England, or Yak Butter tea, a staple in Tibet. What are another words for Ethnocentrism? Cultural norms accompany even the smallest nonverbal signals (DuBois 1951). a tendency to evaluate other people, activities, cultures, etc. Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture cultural universals: patterns or traits that are . Some travelers pride themselves on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, like celebrated food writer Anthony Bourdain, while others return home expressing gratitude for their native cultures fare. Caitlin had trouble interpreting her hosts facial expressions, and didnt realize she should make the next toast. This perception of one's culture in comparison to other's plays a great role in how we perceive the individuals around us and the groups that we are a part of. APA Citation Style, 6th edition: General Style Guidelines, 5. Reading: Conflict Theory and Deviance, 78. These views involve examining a culture and all its aspects and evaluating them. Reading: Introduction to Global Inequality, 93. and should therefore serve as the standard frame of reference. Putting It Together: Work and the Economy, 213. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. Reading: Socialization Across the Life Course, 68. It is impossible for anyone to keep all cultural biases at bay; the best we can do is strive to be aware of them. while ethnocentrism leans towards intolerance, cultural relativism leans towards incredibly high tolerance of cultural features. Distinctions are made between different cultures based on language, behavior, customs, traditions, religion, etc. Living with this constant stress can make people feel incompetent and insecure. Xenocentrism is the preference for the cultural practices of other cultures and societies which can entail how they live, what they eat, rather than of one's own way of life. Cultural norms accompany even the smallest nonverbal signals (DuBois 1951). But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. Some travelers pride themselves on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, like celebrated food writer Anthony Bourdain, while others return home expressing gratitude for their native cultures fare. Almost everyone is a little bit ethnocentric. For example, in many countries, religious minorities (religions that are not the dominant religion) often face discrimination. Marias family sat at the table for hours, speaking loudly, gesturing, and arguing about politics, a taboo dinner subject in Caitlins house. People with the best intentions sometimes travel to a society to help its people, because they see them as uneducated or backwardessentially inferior. Such attitudes are an example ofethnocentrism, or evaluating and judging another culture based on how it compares to ones own cultural norms. Living with these constant adaptive challenges can make people feel incompetent and insecure. Another example would be the deforestation of the Amazon Basin as indigenous cultures lose land to timber corporations. What issues or events might inform this? A good example of ethnocentrism is referring to parts of Asia as the Far East. One might question, Far east of where?. An American visiting Italy might long for a real pizza or complain about the unsafe driving habits of Italians compared to people in the United States. There was new food to digest, new daily schedules to follow, and new rules of etiquette to learn. Despite how much humans have in common, cultural differences are far more prevalent than cultural universals. Outcome: Theories of Racial Inequality, 110. For this reason, culture shock is often associated with traveling abroad, although it can happen in ones own country, state, or even hometown. When they are introduced to their host families, the families kiss them on both cheeks. But bit by bit, they became stressed by interacting with people from a different culture who spoke another language and used different regional expressions. Living with this constant stress can make people feel incompetent and insecure. For example, while all cultures have language, analysis of particular language structures and conversational etiquette reveal tremendous differences. There was new food to digest, new daily schedules to follow, and new rules of etiquette to learn. When Rodneys host brother introduces himself and kisses Rodney on both cheeks, Rodney pulls back in surprise. Music and laughter are examples of: [reveal-answer q=72875]Show Answer[/reveal-answer], http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e, http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c9333f3e1d@3.49. Originally from Indiana, Barger hesitated when invited to join a local snowshoe race. Eventually, as people learn more about a culture, they recover from culture shock. RT @VirgilWalkerOMA: "Many would contend that the struggle for social justice and the propagation of Christian nationalism share no similarities. In reality, these travelers are guilty ofcultural imperialism, the deliberate imposition of ones own cultural values on another culture. Shed learned a lot about Spain, but shed also discovered a lot about herself and her own culture. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. Want to create or adapt books like this? Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power, 198. They help people know when to shake hands, where to sit, how to converse, and even when to laugh. But the tribal members congratulated him, saying, You really tried! In Bargers own culture, he had learned to value victory. Ethnocentrism can be so strong that when confronted with all of the differences of a new culture, one may experience disorientation and frustration. An American visiting Italy might long for a real pizza or complain about the unsafe driving habits of Italians compared to people in the United States. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. For this reason, culture shock is often associated with traveling abroad, although it can happen in ones own country, state, or even hometown. Explain each perspective, give an example of each, and discuss any flaws that each perspective might have. Reading: The Graying of the United States, 181. But ethnocentrism can lead to disdain or dislike for other cultures and could cause misunderstanding and conflict. The opposite of xenocentrism is ethnocentrism which is the tendency to overvalue one's own . It helps to remember that culture is learned. During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. Likewise, most cultures recognize music in some form. The belief that ones culture is inferior to another culture is called: 2. Why do you believe this? Outcome: Race, Ethnicity, and Discrimination, 106. Synonyms for ethnocentricity in Free Thesaurus. Reading: Ethnocentrism and Xenocentricism, 39. The tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own traditional, deferred, or adoptive ethnic culture. It is a rule that is similar to "finder's keepers" because of the role that ethnocentrism plays in our personal approach. During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. Read the full article Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrismhere. While each culture has specific and unique traits, there exist some traits that are found universally across all cultures of the world. In sociology, we call thisculture shock. In the airport, she heard rapid, musical Spanish being spoken all around her. Europes colonial expansion, begun in the sixteenth century, was often accompanied by a severe cultural imperialism. . Anthropologist Kalervo Oberg (1960) is credited with first coining the term culture shock. In his studies, Oberg found that most people found encountering a new culture to be exciting at first. Shed stepped out of her comfort zone. For this reason, culture shock is often associated with traveling abroad, although it can happen in ones own country, state, or even hometown. Even the most culturally relativist people from egalitarian societiesones in which women have political rights and control over their own bodieswould question whether the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan should be accepted as a part of cultural tradition. Introductory Sociology by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. During her summer vacation, Caitlin flew from Chicago to Madrid to visit Maria, the exchange student shed befriended the previous semester. Reading: Theories of Self-Development, 61. Anthropologist Ken Barger (1971) discovered this when he conducted a participatory observation in an Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic. What issues or events might inform this? Reading: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination, 109. Why It Matters: Social Movements, Media, and Technology, 225. Cite this page as follows: "Compare and contrast ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. The differences and similarities observed between various cultures determine the way the people of those cultures interact with each other. A more modern example of cultural imperialism may include the work of international aid agencies who introduce agricultural methods and plant species from developed countries while overlooking indigenous varieties and agricultural approaches that are better suited to a particular region. Why It Matters: Health, Aging, and the Elderly, 168. Almost everyone is a little bit ethnocentric. Both these viewpoints or concepts present extremist views, i.e. Someone from a country where dog meat is standard fare might find it off-putting to see a dog in a French restaurantnot on the menu, but as a pet and patrons companion. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)right to your inbox. European colonizers often viewed the people in the lands they colonized as uncultured savages who were in need of European governance, dress, religion, and other cultural practices. Often, people in the United States express disgust at other cultures cuisine and think that its gross to eat meat from a dog or guinea pig, for example, while they dont question their own habit of eating cows or pigs. North Americans keep more distance and maintain a larger personal space. Even something as simple as eating and drinking varies greatly from culture to culture. Reading: Defining the Sociological Imagination, 13. Reading: Mental Health and Disabilities, 175. Perhaps the greatest challenge for sociologists studying different cultures is the matter of keeping a perspective. The main similarity is that they both are too much. 5.5: Reading: Ethnocentrism and Xenocentricism is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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