Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism PDF

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics 1 LEARNING TARGETS Identify forms of tangible and intangible heritage and the threats to these. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultu...

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics 1 LEARNING TARGETS Identify forms of tangible and intangible heritage and the threats to these. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding. 2  VALUES AND ATTITUDES In this unit, you should be able to do the following: Exhibit a holistic consciousness of culture and society. Appreciate cultural heritage and honor its place of origin without being ethnocentric. 3 KEY MOMENTS The Hanunó'o script or Surat-Mangyan is one of the few preserved Filipino writing systems. 4 5  UNIT STIMULUS Have you ever experienced discrimination because of your ethnicity, color, or religion? 6  ACTIVITY Instructions: Raise your five fingers on one hand at the start of the activity. a. Look at the situations presented and close a finger if you have experienced it. b. Share your experiences and your realizations after hearing some of your classmates’ stories. 7  Have you ever experienced or observed negative comments or condescending (having or showing a feeling of superiority) attitudes about the following? your custom or tradition your ethnicity your skin color your dialect or language your faith and religious practice 8 ACTIVITY Share your experiences and your realizations after hearing some of your classmates’ stories. 9 10 CENTRAL QUESTION How can we remain objective and show understanding and respect for other cultures? 11 Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Understanding Concepts of Culture Edward Tylor (1889), a British anthropologist, described culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” 13 Picture Prompt Describe the people you see in the picture. Share any information you know about them. Sama Dilaut children in Basilan Philippines 14 The Concept of Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one’s culture is superior or above other cultures. In short, it considers one’s own culture as the center of everything. 15 The Concept of Ethnocentrism White Man’s Burden is a belief that the whites have the duty to save the nonwhites from being savage and uncivilized. This was used by the white colonizers to justify colonization. 16 The Concept of Xenocentrism Xenocentrism was coined by Donald P. Kent and Robert G. Burnight, American sociologists, in their 1952 paper “Group Centrism in Complex Societies.” Xenocentric people look at other culture as better than one’s own. This results in feelings of inferiority. 17  PERSPECTIVE-AT-WORK Filipinos’ concept of beauty has something to do with being white. 18 A Different Perspective: Cultural Relativism Franz Boas, a German-American anthropologist, introduced the concept of cultural relativism. It suggests that a specific culture should only be viewed in the context of its own cultural standards. In a way, every culture is unique and equal; therefore, each should be respected. 19 20 Emic and Etic Perspectives ❏ emic – understanding culture from the native’s point of view ❏ etic – links cultural practices to external factors that might not be important to cultural insiders 21  Pass the Marker Have you heard or seen actions or comments that show ethnocentric views from people around you? Example: Your aunt frowns upon using herbal medicines. She believes it is ineffective since it is an indigenous practice. 22  Pass the Marker Activity Instructions: Pass a marker around the classroom. Whoever has the marker must write on the board an example of ethnocentric views about a person or a social group. The student who provided the example will give the marker to another student to give the next example. 23  Questions: 1. How did we assess if the examples provided are indeed manifestations of ethnocentrism? 2. How does ethnocentrism affect the way one views other cultural communities? 3. How can having an emic perspective help us understand the practices of other groups? 4. Does practicing cultural relativism equate to accepting the moral differences between cultures? 24 A thing to ponder... Cultural relativism promotes awareness and understanding of cultural behaviors that are foreign to one’s culture to combat ethnocentrism. However, whether a cultural practice is morally acceptable is a different issue altogether. 25 KEY MOMENTS During the World Exposition in 1887 in Spain, the Cordillera people were portrayed as uncivilized people. 26  Cultural relativism mitigates ethnocentrism. Ethnocentric beliefs may provide a sense of belongingness to the members of your culture, but they can be harmful. It is essential to employ cultural relativism to understand cultures outside of one’s own. 27  Think Break What are the issues faced by indigenous groups in the country? Do ethnocentric beliefs cause harm? 28  Think Break Activity a. Group yourselves into four or five members. b. Each group must list issues faced by indigenous groups in the country and identify if these issues are related to ethnocentrism. 29 Stoplight STOP CONTINUE START 30