Herskovits defines culture as man-made part of environment. Acc to him env is of two types i) natural env and ii) social env. The total social environment of man is his culture b/c it is made by man himself. Thus all material & non-material things made by man represent culture. And to understand approach to study.
Both the concepts, ethnocentrism & cultural relativism, are related to studying culture, however both are at poles apart in subject matter.
Ethnocentrism
Acc to William Graham Summer in his book “Folkways” defines ethnocentrism as the view of the things which one’s own group is the centre of everything & others are scaled & rated with reference to it.”
- it is attitude to evaluate & studying other culture on the basis on one’s own standard. it means – inherent biastowards viewing others culture.
- Due to this approach ; people think that their own culture is correct & people who don’t conform to their views are immoral & inferior.
Roots of Ethnocentrism – lies in a primordial feelings of an individual’s identification with his group. This identification was termed as Syngenism by Gumplowicz . It arises out of intense “We feeling” which is not inherently bad it becomes so when it grows to such proportions that we bear hatred towards others & attempt to impose out will upon them when an air of superiority.
Example
- For using this approach classical evolutionist are vehemently criticised while giving there theory of Unilinear cultural evolution.
- For example in North American eating dog is barbaric & in Hindu culture eating beef is immoral.
Negative Fallout’s of Ethnocentrism
- It breeds intolerance and hatred for other culture and extreme ethnocentricism may lead to violence.
- It hinders our understanding of customs and cultures of other societies.
- Keeps us away from understanding our own culture as we don’t question our own culture.
- Genesis of racism.
- Human rights violation.
- Stalled progress and disturbed progress. E.g. ISIS terrorism.
Conclusion – Acc to Sumner “Ethnocentism in modern nations is really the sentiment of patriotism in all its philosophical fullness; that is, in its rationality & its extravagance & exaggeration.
Cultural Relativism
It is an anthropological attitude which views that all cultural patterns are equally valid and hence every culture or any part of it should be viewed objectively in terms of its own problems, logic and rationale.
Roots of Cultural Relativism
- It’s origin, acc to epistemological claims, is in German enlightenment, Immanuel Kant argued that human beings are not capable of direct, unmediated knowledge of the world. Our experiences of the world are mediated thr the human mind, which universality structures perceptions acc to sensibilities concerning time & space.
- Frans Boas his book “Race, Language and Culture” (1940) he advocated not to rank or judge one culture acc. to Std. of other another. He est. this principle as axiomatic .
- Thus opposed ethnocentric’ stand taken by 19th centure classical evolutionist & cultural & racial superiority of white people
- proposed the concept of cultural relativism to counter this social evil.
- Acc to Melville Herskovits: judgments are based on experience & experience is interpreted by each individual in terms of his own enculturation.
Features of Cultural Relativism
- Every cultural pattern is equally valid
- Not judging other’s culture from one’s own standards
- Analyzing the things from its internal consistence and logic.
- Trying to understand why people do particular thing.
- Nonjudgmental appreciation of strengths and weaknesses of other cultures and societies.
- Posture of neutrality.
Example : beef eating in non-Hindus and cousin marriage in Islam should be viewed in its own logic.
- What should be a ideal stand on beef eating
Significance of cultural relativism
- Tolerance
- Opens new vistas of knowledge
- World peace
Criticism of cultural relativism: Elizabeth Zachenter says that cultural relativism is often used to justify traditions desired by dominant or powerful class for example for justifying fundamentalistic views. Thus, though criticized, cultural relativism shows that every culture is rooted in its needs and surroundings.
concept of Cultural Relativism been so dear to Anthropologists
This understanding of culture confronts Ⓟ with two problems
- How to escape the unconscious bonds of one’s own culture, which inevitably bias out perceptions of & reactions to the world
- How to make sense of an unfamiliar culture
The principal of culture relativism thus forced Ⓟ to develop innovative method & heuristic strategies.
Comparison
Both the concepts of ethnocentrism & cultural relativism can be placed on polar ends of continuum, each reflecting different approach
| EthnocentrismExclusiveclosed Mind Culturally Insensitive | Cultural RelativismInclusiveOpen mind Culturally Sensitive |
