1. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism
Sociology 111
Fall 2008

2. Alfred Schutz German philosopher and sociologist
Heavily influenced branch of symbolic interactionist sociology called phenomenology
Responsible for the core concept of social construction

3. “The world taken for granted”
Assume that our culture is natural
Deeply penetrates our identity
Evaluate everything through the lens of our culture
Allows us to easily
function in daily life

4. Internalization
Process of learning culture so well that it is bound to your identity
Internalized culture or “culture within”

5. Encountering other cultures
Culture shock
Immersion in an unfamiliar environment causes disorientation
Radically different cultures can challenge or cause us to question our basic assumptions
Anomie

6. Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism
Viewing other cultures through the lens of our own
Taking our own culture as the “norm”
Group solidarity & pride in heritage
Devaluing groups other than own

7. Cultural Relativism Evaluating a culture on its own terms
Learning to “see” from the perspective of another in order to understand a culture
Refraining from making judgments of “right” and “wrong”

8. For consideration
Is it possible to always practice cultural relativism?
Should we always practice cultural relativism?
Are there practices that we as moral beings should oppose, even as social scientists?
Should scientific objectivity take precedence above all?
If a line is to be drawn, where should it be?