Ethnocentrism is a significant cause of division and conflict in today’s society. It refers to the tendency to judge other people from a different culture using the standards and values of one’s culture. Ethnocentrism is driven by the belief that one’s culture is more superior to other cultures; therefore, ethnocentric individuals believe they are in a better position to pass judgment on others. Ethnocentrism continues to fuel racism and prejudice as seen in many cases, particularly in the popular case of Nazi Germany. Many people recognize that ethnocentrism is a big problem in the society, but they fail to realize that they engage in subtle forms of ethnocentrism on a daily basis. Ethnocentrism is divisive; the society should educate itself on what makes up ethnocentrism to come up with ways of minimizing it.
For most people, ethnocentrism occurs naturally. Human beings are socialized to think that their culture is the right way of doing things, such that when they come in contact with other cultures, they do not know how to react. The natural level of ethnocentrism can be overcome through exposure and interaction with people from other cultures. A positive form of ethnocentrism encourages social solidarity, patriotism, and nationalism. Ethnocentrism creates a sense of belonging among members belonging to a particular group, especially minority groups.
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The adverse effects often outweigh the positive effects of ethnocentrism. Some individuals believe that their culture is superior even after being exposed to other cultures have a negative type of ethnocentrism. Such individuals undermine other cultures and social relations between different groups. Ethnocentric individuals tend to impose their beliefs and values on others, and they judge them for acting differently. Ethnocentrism is synonymous with rigidity and prejudice against social changes and integration which make up the modern society. There are many cases in the human history of the extreme level of ethnocentrism, for example, ethnocentric beliefs fueled European imperialism and colonialism that European culture is more superior. Currently, there is an ‘ethnic cleansing’ war in Myanmar whereby the minority group is treated poorly by the dominant group because they do not share the same values, beliefs, and tradition. Xenophobia and anti-immigration sentiment are other current examples of worst case scenarios caused by ethnocentrism.
Aside from culture, religion is a significant cause of ethnocentrism. Human beings value their religious beliefs and teaching such that it guides many aspects of their lives. Most Christians are liberals in comparison to Muslims, and they are quick to pass judgment to each other rather than exercising religious values of kindness and love. Theocentrism is a religious form of ethnocentrism that posits the existence of one absolute system. Most human beings hold on the belief that their religion is the true religion, and they judge others because they do not share a similar religion. Many wars in history are attributed to religion, and religion is also the leading cause of terrorism in modern society.
Ethnocentrism is quite pervasive such that it can be seen in the media and popular culture (Kottak, 2011). There are many movies, TV programs, and literature that view the society from an ethnocentric perspective. Most American movies and film portray American culture as the superior culture in comparison to other cultures. In American film, African, Asian, Middle-Eastern and South American cultures are often represented in a negative light using an ethnocentric perspective filled informed by stereotypes.
As the society becomes integrated, there is a need to minimize ethnocentrism. Individuals and the society at large must make an effort to reduce ethnocentrism to improve social relations between different groups. Hoffman et al. (2009) suggest the importance of using cultural relativism when judging different groups. Cultural relativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism; it is the practice of judging an individual using the values and beliefs of his/her culture. Cultural relativism is about being open-minded, learning about other cultures and broadening one’s perspective such that an individual will consider the culture of the person in question before passing judgment. While it is almost impossible to attain cultural relativism, we can learn something from cultural relativism. Cultural relativism principles such as the belief that all cultures are equally worthy in their own right will significantly reduce ethnocentrism. Through cultural relativism, individuals will take time to learn about different cultures to guide how they interact with others. Cultural relativism has been criticized by many who believe that there should be a standard for judging cultures. Opponents of cultural relativism argue that cultural relativism can be used to justify barbaric practices such as human sacrifice in certain cultures.
Exercising cultural relativism is not always possible, which is why there are other strategies to minimize ethnocentrism. Inter-cultural communication is quite common in the modern society, and individuals should equip themselves with the right communication skills. Intercultural competence is used to describe the proper engagement between individuals from different cultures that takes into consideration the cultural differences. Arasaratnam-Smith (2016) posits that intercultural communication is a result of context and it encompasses cognitive, affective and behavioral factors adopted by an individual to ensure successful communication with another person from another culture. Intercultural competence involves many stages such as awareness and learning, but the most important aspects of intercultural competence are the values. Intercultural competence enhances the values of flexibility, empathy, self-awareness and cultural knowledge to change how human beings view individuals from other cultures (Arasaratnam, 2016). Intercultural competence is not just about learning cultural differences; it involves learning to interact well with others despite the differences.
According to Hoffman et al. (2009), the dominant group in the society has a bigger responsibility in eliminating ethnocentrism. In most societies, the dominant group creates barriers which deny the minority groups of equal opportunities with the dominant group. Dominant groups have normalized ethnocentrism by judging minority groups/cultures using their values. Consequently, the minority groups are forced to be ethnocentric to enhance solidarity and group cohesion. The dominant group/culture in the society has the upper hand, and it should make an effort to include other cultures in the conversation rather than isolating them.
Societies should encourage adoption of universal values that transcend cultural lines. Despite the cultural differences, human beings are united by similar values and practices such as love for family and neighbors and respect for the elders among other beliefs. Human beings have a lot in common, and they should focus on what makes them similar rather than the few differences that divide them. By encouraging societal harmony, individuals will treat themselves with respect regardless of their cultural background because they are equal members of the society. Hoffman et al. (2009) encourage leaders to lead by example by treating everybody equally regardless of their cultures. Leaders are effective role models, and they can set the tone for the rest of the society. Societies should adopt inclusive leadership where every culture is represented to reduce ethnocentrism.
Other simple ways of minimizing ethnocentrism include avoiding assumptions and learning more about other cultures. It is easy to judge others based on our values, beliefs, and traditions, yet their actions can be justified using their culture. When interacting with individuals from other cultures, values of openness and respect should guide the interaction rather than the preconceived assumptions. Individuals should not be quick to judge or dismiss others because they are acting differently, instead, they should seek to understand why they are acting differently in a respectfully. Different cultures have unique languages, symbols, traditions and values that determine their lifestyles. For example, the values of the people in the United States differ from the values of people from Arabic cultures. In applying Hofstede’s dimension of culture, the U.S. is classified as a high-context culture whereas most Arabic nations are low-context. Arabs are family-focused, and they prioritize the values of generosity and honor, whereas individualism is a dominant value in the American society. Given the vast differences between American and Arabic societies, making assumptions about Arabs using an American perspective is wrong.
Individuals should challenge themselves to expand their cultural horizons by learning new cultures, languages, and traditions (Kottak, 2011). The technological revolution has made it possible to learn new cultures without necessarily traveling to new destinations. People should not limit themselves to their own culture or religion only; they should explore other religions, make friends from different cultures as immersion is the best way to minimize ethnocentrism.
Lastly, ethnocentrism can be minimized by being respectful to others. Before judging someone for acting differently, one should try to imagine how he/she would act if the roles were reversed. Individuals who have lived abroad tend to respect other cultures more because they have firsthand experience of what it feels to be judged wrongly or to be respected by individuals from other cultures. Using distorted and untrue stereotypes to judge others is wrong. Nobody likes to be assigned generalized characteristics because they belong to a particular culture or social group as it is incredibly disrespectful. People should take time to interact with others, learn about their values and beliefs that shape them as individuals. Since human beings are social beings, they should accord each other the courtesy of engaging in meaningful conversations to understand what makes up an individual.
In conclusion, ethnocentrism is a result of cultural differences that make up the society. Through socialization, one learns how to view the society from an ethnocentrism perspective. Ethnocentrism is not necessarily bad as it is a tool of social cohesion. The pervasive negative ethnocentrism in the society is a reason enough to motivate change. Ethnocentrism does not have a place in the 21st-century global society; therefore individuals should educate themselves about other cultures and how to interact well with individuals from other cultures. Overcoming ethnocentrism is not straightforward because human beings hold on to their beliefs and biases strongly, but through social interaction, learning, and openness, ethnocentrism can be successfully minimized.
References
Arasaratnam-Smith, L. A. (2016). An exploration of the relationship between intercultural communication competence and bilingualism. Communication Research Reports , 33 (3), 231-238.
Hoffman, A., Wallach, J., & Sanchez, E. (2009). Reducing ethnocentric ideology via multiethnic community service work: Planting Seeds of Hope. Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity , 11 (1), 40-49.
Kottak, C. P. (2011). Cultural anthropology: Appreciating cultural diversity . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
