MODULE 3
LESSON 1
IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
EXPLAINING THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
IN ATTAINING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
OBJECTIVES:
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY: EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL
RELATIVISM IN ATTAINING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING.
THIS LESSON PROVIDES VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSIONS FOR YOU TO REALIZE
THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM IN UNDERSTANDING THE VARYING CULTURE
THAT SURROUNDS YOU.
VOCABULARY LIST
1. CULTURAL RELATIVISM – THIS CONCEPT UNDERSCORES THE IDEA THAT THE
CULTURE IN EVERY SOCIETY SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AND REGARDED ON
ITS OWN TERMS.
2. ETHNOCENTRISM –THIS CONCEPT REGARDS THAT ONE’S OWN CULTURE AND
SOCIETY IS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING.
3. XENOCENTRISM – A POSITION THAT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE OTHER
CULTURE IS WRONG, UNREASONABLE, DETESTABLE AND WICKED.
4. PREJUDICE – AN UNFAIR FEELING OF DISLIKE FOR A PERSON OR GROUP
BECAUSE OF RACE, SEX, RELIGION, ETC.
5. RACISM – A DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR TOWARDS MEMBERS OF ANOTHER
RACE.
DIFFERENTIATING CULTURAL RELATIVISM AND ETHNOCENTRISM
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM WAS FIRST FORMULATED BY
WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMMER IN HIS BOOK ENTITLED “FOLKWAYS.” IN HIS
BOOK, HE REITERATED THAT THERE ARE NO UNIVERSAL STANDARDS OF
RIGHT AND WRONG OR GOOD AND BAD IN EVALUATING CULTURAL
PHENOMENA. THIS THOUGHT SUGGESTS THAT WHAT IS RIGHT IN ONE
PLACE MAY BE WRONG IN ANOTHER PLACE OR VICE VERSA. THUS, THE
STANDARDS ARE RELATIVE TO THE CULTURE IN WHICH THEY APPEAR.
CUSTOMS CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY HOW WELL OR HOW POORLY THEY
FIT IN WITH THE STANDARDS OF A CERTAIN SOCIETY.
FOR EXAMPLE:
HAVING SEVERAL WIVES (POLYGAMY) IS LEGAL ON THE BELIEF OF
MUSLIM. WHILE CHRISTIANS ON THE OTHER HAND PRACTICE
MONOGAMY BECAUSE THE CONCEPT OF POLYGAMY IS CONSIDERED
NOT GOOD IN THEIR BELIEF.
DIFFERENTIATING CULTURAL RELATIVISM AND ETHNOCENTRISM
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM IS MORE ANALYTICAL
AND METHODOLOGICAL. ANTHROPOLOGISTS APPLY THE CONCEPT
OF CULTURAL RELATIVITY IN INVESTIGATING AND COMPARING
SOCIETIES WITHOUT DECLARING ONE BEING BETTER OR MORE
PREFERABLE TO THE OTHER.
ETHNOCENTRISM ON THE OTHER HAND JUDGES
ANOTHER CULTURE SOLELY BY THE VALUES AND
STANDARDS OF ONE’S OWN CULTURE.
ETHNOCENTRIC INDIVIDUALS JUDGE OTHER GROUPS
BASED ON THEIR ETHNIC GROUP OR CULTURE,
ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO LANGUAGE, BEHAVIOR,
CUSTOMS, AND OTHER ETHNIC DISTINCTIONS AND
SUBDIVISIONS. THUS, DECLARING THAT THEIR
CULTURE/CUSTOMS IS SUPERIOR TO OTHERS.
ETHNOCENTRISM IS THE MAJOR REASON WHY DIVISION
AMONGST MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT SOCIETIES WHICH
EXISTS BECAUSE ETHNOCENTRIC INDIVIDUALS REGARD
THEIR OWN SOCIETY’S SET OF CULTURAL VALUES AS
THE ONLY AGREEABLE, ACCEPTABLE AND HIGHLY
RESPECTABLE SET OF CONVICTIONS. SUCH
PERSPECTIVE CAN BE TURNED INTO CHAUVINISM¸ A
POSITION THAT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE OTHER
CULTURE IS WRONG, UNREASONABLE, DETESTABLE AND
EVEN WICKED.
THE OPPOSING END OF ETHNOCENTRISM IS CALLED
XENOCENTRISM. THIS MEANS THAT A PERSON VALUES ONE’S OWN
CULTURE THAN OTHER’S CULTURE. THIS PERCEPTION OF ONE’S
CULTURE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER’S PLAYS A GREAT ROLE ON
HOW WE PERCEIVE THE INDIVIDUALS AROUND US AND THE
GROUPS THAT WE ARE A PART OF. SIMPLY, XENOCENTRISM
BELIEVES THAT HIS OR HER CULTURE AND ITS GOODS AND
SERVICES ARE SUPERIOR TO THAT OF ALL OTHER CULTURES AND
PEOPLE.
MITIGATING ETHNOCENTRISM
CULTURAL RELATIVISM PROMOTES THE IDEA THAT A SOCIETY HAS TO BE
VIEWED FROM THE INSIDE SO THAT INNER LOGIC CAN BE BETTER
EXPLAINED. A SOCIETY’S IDEA OF GOOD LIFE WILL NOT LIKELY BE
SHARED BY ANOTHER SOCIETY THAT INTERPRETS THE NOTION OF
“GOOD” FROM A SHARPLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. IN OTHER WORDS,
EACH SOCIETY HAS A DIFFERENT YARDSTICK IN APPRECIATING THE
VALUE OF ITS OWN CULTURAL TRAIT. THROUGH A RELATIVIST APPROACH,
IT GIVES A UNIVERSAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMANELY ACCEPTABLE.
HENCE, THE DANGERS OF ETHNOCENTRISM CAN BE ADDRESSED.