similarities of ethnocentrism and xenocentrism

the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture cultural universals: patterns or traits that are . One example is the romanticization of the noble savage in the 18th-century primitivism movement in European art, philosophy and ethnography. Similarities and Differences Both these viewpoints or concepts present extremist views, i.e. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. Over the course of his stay, Barger participated in caribou hunts, learned how to take shelter in winter storms, and sometimes went days with little or no food to share among tribal members. Xenocentrismis the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the belief that another culture is superior to ones own. Outcome: Religion in the United States, 155. Ethnocentrism, as sociologist William Graham Sumner (1906) described the term, involves a belief or attitude that one's own culture is better than all others, and should therefore serve as the standard frame of reference. But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. Her imposing father kept his distance. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, which means to value one's own culture more than the other's culture. There are very few things that are actually similar between these two views, the only thing that they really have in common is that they are b. Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Social Movements, 231. He knew hed never hold his own against these experts. William G. Summer, an American academic, introduced this term and defined it as the technical name for the view of things in which ones own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it. The way individuals perceive other cultural practices can be broadly segregated into two types - cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. Reading: Poverty in the United States, 212. Putting It Together: Sociological Foundations, 34. Some travelers pride themselves on their willingness to try unfamiliar foods, like celebrated food writer Anthony Bourdain, while others return home expressing gratitude for their native cultures fare. For example, while all cultures have language, analysis of particular language structures and conversational etiquette reveal tremendous differences. and not in comparison to another culture culture shock: an experience of personal . (Photo courtesy of OledSidorenko/flickr), [reveal-answer q=436227]Show Answer[/reveal-answer], [reveal-answer q=248899]Show Answer[/reveal-answer]. An exchange student from China might be annoyed by the constant interruptions in class as other students ask questionsa practice that is considered rude in China. Such characters are called cultural universals. But the tribal members congratulated him, saying, You really tried! In Bargers own culture, he had learned to value victory. In reality, these travelers are guilty ofcultural imperialism, the deliberate imposition of ones own cultural values on another culture. Such attitudes are an example ofethnocentrism, or evaluating and judging another culture based on how it compares to ones own cultural norms. Reading: Introduction to Sociological Research, 29. Sociologists attempting to engage in cultural relativism, then, may struggle to reconcile aspects of their own culture with aspects of a culture that they are studying. During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.See Wiktionary Terms of Use for details. Almost everyone is a little bit ethnocentric. Caitlin had trouble interpreting her hosts facial expressions, and didnt realize she should make the next toast. Marias family sat at the table for hours, speaking loudly, gesturing, and arguing about politics, a taboo dinner subject in Caitlins house. Reading: Symbolic Interactionism and Society, 49. It can take weeks or months to recover from culture shock, and it can take years to fully adjust to living in a new culture. And it was nothing like that of her classmate Sanai. Why do you believe this? This is related to ethnocentrism because cultural interactions are increasing as the world gets smaller due to factors such as technology and cooperation between nations. Reading: Introduction to Media and Technology, 235. For example, Americans tend to say that people from England drive on the wrong side of the road, rather than on the other side. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. However, indiscriminately embracing everything about a new culture is not always possible. Even the most culturally relativist people from egalitarian societiesones in which women have political rights and control over their own bodieswould question whether the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan should be accepted as a part of cultural tradition. Legal. (The Greek root word xeno, pronounced ZEE-no, means stranger or foreign guest.) An exchange student who goes home after a semester abroad or a sociologist who returns from the field may find it difficult to associate with the values of their own culture after having experienced what they deem a more upright or nobler way of living. Outcome: Social Stratification in the United States, 89. Shed stepped out of her comfort zone. Xenocentrism is the preference for the cultural practices of other cultures and societies, such as how they live and what they eat, rather than of one's own social way of life. In some Middle Eastern cultures, it is common to stand close to others in conversation. Outcome: Demography and Population Growth, 215. These two viewpoints are essentially distinct but do share a few similarities between them. Youll have more success on the Self-Check, if youve completed the three Readings in this section. Shed studied Spanish in school for yearswhy hadnt it prepared her for this? Reading: Defining Social Stratification, 86. Putting It Together: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control, 83. Anthropologist Ken Barger (1971) discovered this when he conducted a participatory observation in an Inuit community in the Canadian Arctic. RT @VirgilWalkerOMA: "Many would contend that the struggle for social justice and the propagation of Christian nationalism share no similarities. Experiencing new cultures offers an opportunity to practice cultural relativism. The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. It can take weeks or months to recover from culture shock, and it can take years to fully adjust to living in a new culture. Marias family sat at the table for hours, speaking loudly, gesturing, and arguing about politics, a taboo dinner subject in Caitlins house. In January 2011, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America presented evidence indicating that the hormone oxytocin could regulate and manage instances of ethnocentrism. As nouns the difference between ethnocentrism and xenocentrism is that ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own traditional, deferred, or adoptive ethnic culture while xenocentrism is a preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. Living with this constant stress can make people feel incompetent and insecure. Part of ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own race, ethnic or cultural group is the most important or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. Pride in ones own culture doesnt have to lead to imposing its values on others. Rodney and Elise are U.S. students studying abroad in Italy. Marias mother kissed Caitlin on both cheeks when she greeted her. Europes colonial expansion, begun in the sixteenth century, was often accompanied by a severe cultural imperialism. A preference for the products, styles, or ideas of a different culture. It is impossible for anyone to keep all cultural biases at bay; the best we can do is strive to be aware of them. Ethnocentric people think the ways they do things is the way things should be done, and every other culture's way of doing things is unsavory or undesirable. Outcome: Sociological Views on Religion, 149. For instance, a particular practice may seem immoral or unethical according to the beliefs of a different culture, but those same practices may be perfectly acceptable and normal with respect to its own culture. Read the full article here. For this reason, culture shock is often associated with traveling abroad, although it can happen in ones own country, state, or even hometown. The belief that ones culture is inferior to another culture is called: 2. Sociologists attempting to engage in cultural relativism, then, may struggle to reconcile aspects of their own culture with aspects of a culture that they are studying. Her imposing father kept his distance. An American visiting Italy might long for a real pizza or complain about the unsafe driving habits of Italians compared to people in the United States. Why It Matters: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality, 121. Rodney and Elise are U.S. students studying abroad in Italy. During his time with the Inuit tribe, Barger learned to engage in cultural relativism. Outcome: Theoretical Perspectives on Government and Power, 198. Caitlin was half asleep by the time supper was servedat 10 p.m.! Outcome: The Sociological Imagination, 11. Outcome: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 128. Some visitors may find this practice admirable, while others may think its inappropriate. Experiencing an entirely new practice may lead to a high degree of interest or a level of criticism. After two weeks in Spain, Caitlin had developed a bit more compassion and understanding for what those people had gone through. In the airport, she heard rapid, musical Spanish being spoken all around her. Read the full article Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrismhere. Sometimes when people attempt to rectify feelings of ethnocentrism and develop cultural relativism, they swing too far to the other end of the spectrum. Caitlin was half asleep by the time supper was servedat 10 p.m.! Why do you believe this? Culture shock may appear because people arent always expecting cultural differences. Putting It Together: Socialization and Interaction, 72. Practicing cultural relativism requires an open mind and a willingness to consider, and even adapt to, new values and norms. Do you feel that feelings of ethnocentricity or xenocentricity are more prevalent in U.S. culture? She understood that adjusting to a new culture takes time. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, and refers to the belief that another culture is superior to one's own.
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