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Ethnocentrism &
Cultural Relativism

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Culture
• A learned meaning system that consists of patterns of
tradition, beliefs, values, norms and symbol that are
passed from one generation to the next and are
shared to a varying degree by interaction members of
a community. (Ting-Toomey, 1999)
• Can also refer to an actual society with particular
practices.

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Which culture is the best?

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Ethnocentrisim
v.s. Cultural
Relatativism 4 4
Ethnocentrism
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The term was coined by American Yale

professor, William Graham Summer
View of things in which one’s group
is the center of everything, and
others are scaled and rated with
reference to it and vanity, boasts
itself superior, exalts its own
divinities and looks with contempt on
outsiders.

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Ethnocentrism
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Ethnocentrism is the view that one

particular ethnic group is somehow
superior to all others.

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Characteristic
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An individual with an ethnocentric view:

Identifies strongly with in-group ethnicity, culture, etc.

Feels proud, vain, superior about in-group.
Views economic, political, social events from the point of their in-group.
Defines their culture elements as ‘correct’ and ‘natural’.
Thinks in-group norms are universal.
Rejects out-group ethnicities, cultures, etc.
Feels like other ethnicities and cultures are inferior.
Defines other culture’s elements as ‘incorrect’ and ‘unnatural’.
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Cultural
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The view that all beliefs, customs, and

ethics are relative to the individual
within his own social context.
In other words, “right” and “wrong”
are culture-specific.
• “Different cultures have different moral
codes” often is used as a key to
understanding morality. Proponents
argue that there is not as universal truth
in ethics; there are only the various
cultural codes and nothing more. The
customs of different societies is all that Franz Boas
exist.
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 Ethnocentrism V.S.
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Cultural Relativism
Ethnocentrism
• The tendency to use one’s
own culture as a yardstick for
judging the ways of other
society.
• It can create in-group
loyalties or lead to harmful
discrimination.
Cultural Relativism
• Trying to understand other
culture without judging them
by your own culture.
• We can analyze how the
elements of culture fir
together without judgement.
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“
Understanding languages and
other cultures builds bridges.

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Thank You!!!

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