Oust the Ethnocentrism

 

 

 

       "Human beings draw close to one another by their common nature, but 

habits and customs keep them apart." -  Confucian saying

 

 

 

 

                                   ethno (ethnicity) + centrism (at the center of the universe):

      the use of ones culture and its practices as the standard for interpreting the values, beliefs, norms

                                               and communication of other cultures

 

 

 

 

 

It is natural to use our own ideas and environment as a standard to compare to others, but this can interfere

with our perceptions and understanding of other cultures. The better way to approach other cultures is with the

 idea of cultural relativism, which is the idea that cultures vary in how they think, act and behave as well as in what

they believe in and value. It is imperative that we begin to understand that every culture is different and that ours

 is not "normal" or perfect. There are many ways to respond to diversity, but it has been classified into five

                                      different levels of acceptance and reception.

 

 

 

 

These levels are:

 

1. Resistance: attacking the cultural practices of others and/or proclaiming that our own cultural traditions

are superior in some way

 

2. Tolerance: accepting differences even though she or he may not approve of or even understand them

 

3. Understanding: understanding that differences are rooted in cultural teachings and that no customs, traditions,

or behaviors are  better than any others

 

4. Respecting: moving beyond judgment and beginning to understand the cultural basis for practices that

diverge from our own, respecting differences

 

5. Participation: incorporating some of the practices and values of other groups into our own lives

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe all we need to do is:

 

         

 

 

 

By: Katie Oliver and Anne Delic