Sociology

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are common but mutually exclusive philosophical concepts in the global community. The assumption of either ethnocentrism or cultural relativism by an individual or a community is a crucial determinant on our harmonious coexistence in the world. This essay defines and compares and contrasts ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. The author also gives a discussion on his personal experience of both philosophical concepts in the American society.

Ethnocentrism can be defined as act of feeling that an individuals ethnic group or culture has superior modes of living, values, beliefs, and norms compared to other groups in the society (Borden, 2007). This is the tendency by which ones ethnic group is used as a yardstick relative to which other groups are judged. Such concerns of superiority include language, religion and customs among others.

Cultural relativism on the other side has been defined is the belief by an individual that their worldview is relative to their cultural orientation in the bigger society (Perusek, 2007). This concept simply implies that no ethnic group or culture is superior to another, as the ultimate truth on issues is only culturally relative. It asserts that what is right for one ethnic group can be wrong for another group.

There are a number of commonalities between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. The first is the fact that they all appreciate the importance of an individuals culture in the community (Mantovani, 2002). They both encourage individuals to respect and uphold their cultural beliefs, modes of living, values and customs. Therefore, the importance of knowing ones ethnicity and cultures is quite clear in both concepts (Mantovani, 2002).

The second similarity is that both concepts are employed in determining our position in the community hierarchy (Johnson, 2007). Though both may differ in the level to which an individual must treasure their culture as a tool for judging other, they clearly define the individuals perceived social-cultural status in the society. They therefore determine how we identify and relate with others in the society.

Both ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are mainly earned through societal influence. One can easily adopt and practices ethnocentrism or cultural relativism depending on the influence gained from the surrounding environment (Borden, 2007). This is quite common during childhood development as such a process involves building of character by copying the character traits of other members of the society.

However, there are many differences between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Unlike ethnocentrism which makes an individual or a group feel superior to others, cultural relativism reserves ethnic and cultural superiority by appreciating that beliefs, behaviors and customs are culturally relative (Perusek, 2007). This gives the difference of perceived status in the community between the two concepts.

Still, cultural relativism seeks to instill a great sense of respect and appreciation of other peoples world view (Perusek, 2007). This means that it cultivates a culture of multi-culture tolerance thus encouraging a sustainable co-existence of different ethnic groups in the society. Ethnocentrism on the other hand compromises reasonable judgment of other cultures since it asserts that others members of the society should be gauged relative to ones beliefs and customs.

Another difference is that ethnocentrism is more crucial in emphasizing cultural uniqueness among the various groups in the broader community. This is because it defines ethnic distinctions in the society. Cultural relativism however does not emphasis on cultural uniqueness but is more concerned in appreciating cultural andor ethnic diversity in the community.

Last is the question of morality in judging others. Ethnocentrism believes that due to superiority of ones ethnic group over others, they are morally superior in judging others (Johnson, 2007). Cultural relativism believes that there are no absolute moral standards of judging between wrong and right based on contradictory ethnic or cultural values.

The concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are quite common in our American society. First is the concept of ethnocentrism in the American society. There have been many claims of discrimination in the society. A good example is the many black Americans in prisons, a factor closely attributed to associative criminology. Still cited is the fact that the majority of judges are whites. It has been evident that black Americans convicted for crimes have higher chances of imprisonment than their white counterparts. This is quite reflective of ethnocentrism in that the black Americans here are seen as an inferior group made up of criminals.

Cultural relativism on the other side is clearly depicted in our constitutional provisions on human rights. The fourth amendment of the U.S. constitution dictates for search and seizure act to be based on the provisions on the court warrant. Under this law, court will not accept convictions of evidence collected out of the provisions of the warrant. This means ethnic behavior, mode of living and customs cannot be used as a tool for convicting criminals as search orders are issued based on proof of probable cause by the law enforcement agency.

In conclusion, it is quite clear that both ethnocentrism and cultural relativism concepts are mutually exclusive in their approach of judging other members of the society. However, they are all similar in that they emphasize on the important of culture in the society.