Understanding Culture,

Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 3:
Cultural Relativism and
Ethnocentrism
 What I Know

General Direction: Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that
corresponds to your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

For numbers 1-5, identify whether the given statement is an example of

ethnocentrism or cultural relativism. Write letter A if it is a sample of
ethnocentrism and letter B if it is a case of cultural relativism.
1. Indigenous people should learn to change their old and traditional ways
of life in order to be happy and successful.
2. Korean culture is better than our culture because a lot of Filipinos try to
imitate and adopt this culture.
3. The Aetas of Zambales, the Mangyans of Mindoro and other Filipino
tribes have different religious beliefs. Their Gods are manifested on the
different forms of nature like trees, mountains, rivers, volcano, their dead
ancestors, and many more. These beliefs do not make them a lesser
group of people, and we must see that there is nothing wrong with them.
4. Filipinos’ religious traditions like celebration of fiestas should be banned
because it is just a waste of time, energy, and resources.
5. People in my own culture could learn a lot from people in other cultures.

For numbers 6-7, classify the following practices as right or wrong. Write letter A if it
is right, and letter B if it is wrong.

6. Arranged marriage
7. Polygamy or the practice of having multiple wives

For numbers 8-15, choose the best answer for each item. Write down the letter of
your choice.

8. The attitude that other societies’ customs and traditions and ideas should be
judged in the context of one’s own culture is known as ______________________.
a. Cultural relativism b. Imperialism c. Colonialism d.
Ethnocentrism
9. People around the world should learn from the ill effects of the belief that one’s
culture is better than others. Which of the following is NOT an example of it?
a. The Holocaust happened when Adolf Hitler ordered the mass murdering
of the Jews.
b. Global warming is now happening and people from more developed and
industrialized countries are more liable than people from underdeveloped
countries.

c. Slave trade happened when black African people were sold in Europe and
the Americas to serve as slaves.
d. Hate crimes happen when people are killed because of their religious
beliefs and practices.

10. What is the most important lesson we could get from studying cultural
relativism
 1
a. It is difficult or impossible to force your own religious beliefs onto
another group.
b. People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs when
they understand and learn the meaning behind them.
c. Something that is not good or prohibited in your own society might be
good and perfectly acceptable in another society.
d. When studying another culture, you must first convert to its
religious beliefs for better understanding.
11. .Which of these is an example of ethnocentrism?
a. A father is angry with his son for not doing his homework.
b. A westernized woman is looking down on a tribal woman for not
wearing any clothes.
c. A mother refuses to pay her daughter’s prom gown.
d. A girl bullies her classmate for being clumsy.
12. Having more than one wife is not bad from a Muslim point of view. In
relation, people must see this custom within the context of Muslims’
problems and opportunities. What kind of view is illustrated here?
a. Ethnocentrism
b. Cultural relativism
c. Barbarism
d. Egocentrism
13. Which of the following is NOT a true statement about cultural relativism?
a. It requires us to abandon the values of our own culture.
b. It makes it possible for us to explain how culture makes its people
behave.
c. It requires people to consider many factors before they draw
conclusions on other people’s cultural practices.
d. It unites us as one and make us even more proud of our own culture.
14.You are an overseas Filipino worker who went to Japan for the first time.
During the first few days of your stay, you are disoriented and frustrated
due to your exposure to a very strange culture. What does this situation
signify?
a. Cultural diversity c. Culture Shock
b. Cultural relativism d. Fear of Culture

15.The Kwakintl Indians of North America lack electricity supply, and they
seem to have a less fulfilling life. The Bushmen of the Kalchari are non-
literate and they appear less intelligent. Relatively, you view your own
culture as superior to them.
What do the statements above explain?
a. Ethnocentrism b. Cultural relativism
C. Structural formalism

What’s In

Before we proceed, let us go back with some of the important concepts about
culture, which is the focus of our discussion.
According to E.B. Taylor; culture is a “complex whole,” which encompasses
 2
beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artefacts’, symbols, knowledge,
and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of a society.
Likewise, a society is understood or sometimes judged based on their culture.
What comprises a culture? Let us refresh our mind by answering the matching type
test below.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. From Popular Science Monthly 26 (1884):
145. Public Domain.

Match the correct description in Column A to the aspect of culture in Column B.

Description Aspect of Culture

1. Family is the most important unit a. Arts and literature

of this aspect of culture. Through b. Customs and traditions
family, children learn how they c. Economic systems
are expected to act and what to d. Forms of government
believe in. e. Language
2. It usually answers basic f. Religion
questions about the meaning of g. Social organizations
life.
3. This is considered the
cornerstone of culture. It is the
way of communicating and
understanding each other.
4. These products of human
imagination usually help people
to pass on their culture’s basic
beliefs.
5. It maintains order within a
society and protects it from
outside threats.
6. This refers to how people use
their limited resources to satisfy
their wants and needs.
7. It is the rules of behavior that
enforce ideas as right or wrong.

Check your answers and make sure you are very familiar with the key terms
listed before we start another lesson.

What’s New

Am I Different?

Fill in “‘Me’ and My Culture” table by describing how you behave and practice
your own culture under similar circumstances.

“Them” and their culture “Me” and my Culture

Marriage Marriage
A man can have multiple wives. He can
share his wife to his brothers and
visitors as a sign of hospitality.
(Eskimos)
Behavior Behavior
When entering a nearly empty movie
theater or public vehicle, you are rude
when you do not sit beside the only
person in the theater or public vehicle.
(South Africa)
Hand Gestures Hand Gestures
The V- hand gesture is an offensive
sign in United Kingdom, Australia, and
South Africa. In Japan, China, and
South Korea, using this symbol with
the palm facing the person means
he/she is looking cute in picture.
Child-rearing Child-rearing
In order to control their population in
difficult environments, Eskimos
sometimes kill their children if they
could not take care of them. They also
kill females more than males.
(Infanticide)
Religion Religion
Individuals practicing Hinduism believe
in millions of gods and goddesses. All
are responsible for governing their
lives, destiny, and fate.
Reading text Reading Text
Hebrew and Arabic books are read from
right to left.
Table Manners Table Manners
Europeans and Americans use spoon
and fork in eating, while Chinese and
Koreans use chopsticks.

And so I am Different

1. What can you say about the culture of these people?

2. Are their respective cultures the same as your own culture? In what ways
are they similar and in what ways do they differ?
3. Do you think that the cultures of these groups are bad? Why or why not?
4. Can we consider some of their cultural practices as right or wrong?
Explain.
5. Which of the two sets of cultures is the best, their cultures or your own
culture? Why?
6. If one culture behaves in a particular act, does it mean that all cultures
can behave the same way? Discuss further.

What is It
 4
In this part of your journey, we provide something for you to deepen your
understanding about culture.

Please continue reading with comprehension as you discover further

knowledge that will help you out in your quest on the remaining phases of this
lesson.

What is Ethnocentrism?

Ethnocentrism is a belief that one’s own culture is better than others. They
tend to compare, evaluate, and even judge other people’s ways based on the values
and standards set in one’s own culture. Their worldview is based on the beliefs,
assumptions, expectations, and values shaped by one’s language, behavior,
customs, values, religions and other aspects.
Due to ethnocentric beliefs, many people are blinded from seeing things in
another perspective. Ethnocentric people tend to dislike or make false judgment on
other cultures. They tend becoming biased and judge another culture as bad and
wrong.
Even though we deny it, most of us are ethnocentric at some point in our lives.
Some do not even realize that they are being ethnocentric at that moment. Below
are some of the examples of ethnocentrism:
a. The American society sees themselves as a world leader. As a result, they
interfere in the political affairs of other countries and try to control them,
leading to misunderstanding and miscommunication amongst nations
which sometimes result to war.
b. During the time of Adolf Hitler, Germans believed that they are a superior
race. This led to the death of 6 million Jews whom they considered as an
inferior race.
c. European countries go beyond their ethnocentric biases and saw non-
European cultures as uncivilized and underdeveloped countries of
savages and barbarians. They used this perspective to justify colonialism
and imperialism.
d. Cases of hate crimes and terrorism violence can usually be traced back
to religious conflicts and misunderstandings.
Cultural Relativism as the Opposite View

Cultural relativism is a belief that cultures are equally complex. There is no

such thing as superior or inferior culture.

Cultural relativism is very important in studying the culture of other people. It

is a way of viewing the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from its own
viewpoint. Another way to say this is that others should understand an individual’s
beliefs and activities in terms of that person’s own culture.

 Cultural relativism promotes greater appreciation of the cultures that an

individual might encounter along the way.
 Cultural relativism is a good way to rehearse the norms and values of a
society –-- a requirement that one must subscribe to, regardless of his/her
cultural origin.
 It means that the function and meaning of a trait are relative to its cultural
setting.
 5
To understand better the main difference between ethnocentrism and cultural
relativism, an illustration was provided below:

Hello, I am Lisa. I am a cultural

relativist. I believe that culture of
Hello, I am Ben. I am an ethnocentric. I people must be looked at in terms of
always believe that my culture is superior the world these people inhabit. I try to
from others. I often use my own culture to look at their culture based on what
judge others. I consider their beliefs and their practices bring in to them. If
practices as savage or corrupt. Most of Eskimos kill their infant sometimes, I
the time I tend to discriminate others, believe that there is a practical reason
bully them for their practices, and get into why they do that. That is why for me,
conflict with them. culture is relative. There is no right or
wrong, and I don’t have the right to say
if it is good or bad.

Activity 1

People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs when they

understand and learn the meaning behind them. In order to understand an
unfamiliar culture, social scientists conduct researches. The best way to do this
study is to experience that culture by living with people practicing it. Additionally,
this experience should be done for a long period.

In this activity, you will be asked to conduct a simple case study examining
the culture of other people that is somehow different from yours. If you are an
Ilocano, the subject of your study could be people who identify themselves as
Tagalog, Bisaya, Bicolano, or other ethnicity. If you know someone who belongs to
an indigenous group of people, it is much better to have them as subjects. Since
you are not allowed to go out at present because of the threat of COVID-19
pandemic, look for someone who is near to your place or whom you have contact
with through social media.
Be guided with the following questions as you write your case study:
1. Describe the group of people that you chose. Who are they? What
do they do? Where did they come from? What do you know about
them?
2. Discuss their way of life in terms of:
a. Social organizations
b. Language
c. Religion
 d. Arts and literature
6

e. Economic systems
f. Values, beliefs and traditions
3. Summarize what you have learned using the 3-2-1 chart below:
3 Things I learned from them
2 Things I found interesting
1 Thing I realize
Activity 2
Give some concrete instances when unity exists even though there are differences
happening among people.

Unity in Diversity:
Pagkakaisa sa kabila ng pagkakaiba-iba

Activity 3

Create a slogan that promotes respect and tolerance towards other cultures all over
the world.

What I Have Learned

“T-M-L Phrase

Complete the following phrases.

The Topic was about

___________________________________________________________________________

It Matters because
___________________________________________________________________________

I’ve Learned today that

___________________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do
#i-beg to Disagree because

State your reason why you beg to disagree to the given statements below. You have
to remember that you are a CULTURAL RELATIVIST; you have to place yourself in
the shoes of these people in order to understand them better. Culture is not good
or bad, neither it is right or wrong, but instead it is relative.
 7
1. One society can call another society as evil such as those nations where
terrorist live. These places are also called an “axis of evil”.
________________________________________________________________
2. Western culture is superior and opposite of non-Western culture.
________________________________________________________________

3. When you don’t say “po” at “opo,” you are impolite.

________________________________________________________________

4. The Mangyan tribe of Mindoro are backwards people because they are
uneducated.
_________________________________________________________________

5. We have to avoid going to places like Siquijor and Capiz because

monsters called Aswang infest these places.
_________________________________________________________________

6. Eating Dalagang Bukid, Salagubang, Palakang Bukid and other

organisms are not healthy.
_________________________________________________________________
7. Ilocanos are thrifty because they are poor.
_________________________________________________________________

Assessment

Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that corresponds to your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Ben is an ethnocentric. He considers other people, specifically indigenous

tribes, as backwards people who have no manners at all. Why do you think
Ben come up with this bias?
a. He regards another culture as superior.
b. He regards his own culture as superior.
c. He regards his own culture as normal and uses it to measure foreign
cultures.
d. He regards another culture as superior and uses it to measure his
own culture
2. Lisa was a proud cultural relativist. She sees that Ilocanos are thrifty
because of their geographical location. Likewise, she sees nothing wrong
about it. What did Lisa exhibit in that situation?
a. She believes anything goes in one’s own culture.
b. She measures behavior by how the other culture regards this
practice.
c. She has no concept of right or wrong.
d. She measures which cultures are related to others.
3. What might be the result of ethnocentrism on a global scale?
a. Other people may be treated as savage or morally corrupt.
 b. There is no way to determine which is right or wrong.
c. Native people often wish to colonize superior culture.
8
d. Believing one’s own culture is superior makes one a morally corrupt
savage.
4. For better opportunities, many Filipinos were forced to work abroad,
exposing themselves to unfamiliar culture. Culture shock is a feeling of
disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to other’s
way of life or set of attitudes. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of
culture shock?
a. Feeling homesick when in a new place
b. Feeling like the new culture is superior to your own
c. Obsessing about the cleanliness of food and water in a new place
d. Feeling the hostility towards natives or locals
5. .Which of the following statements is a positive effect of ethnocentrism?
a. Rina posted on her Facebook wall saying that eating fried tarantula is
“yuckie.”
b. Greg posted a statement which says, “Ang galing ng Pinoy, angat sa
iba, kaya’t tayo ay magkaisa.”
c. Shiela posted a picture of Carlos P. Romulo with a caption, “This little
brown monkey that you are referring to does not eat banana peelings.
He is a Filipino not an American.
d. Wendel tweeted, “Nakakatakot na ang panahon ngayon daming taong
gumagala na tadtad ng tattoo ang katawan.”

For numbers 6-10, identify whether the given statement is an example of

ethnocentrism or cultural relativism. Write letter A if it is ethnocentrism and B if it
is cultural relativism.
6. Korean culture is better than our culture because many Filipinos try to
imitate and adopt this culture.
7. The Aetas of Zambales ,the Mangyans of Mindoro and other Filipino
tribes have different religious beliefs. Their Gods are manifested on the
different forms of nature like trees, mountains, rivers, volcano, their dead
ancestors, and many more. I think there is nothing wrong about that. It
does not make them a lesser group of people.
8. Indigenous people should learn to change their old and traditional ways
of life in order to be happy and successful.
9. People in my culture could learn a lot from people in other cultures.
10.Filipinos’ religious traditions like the celebration of fiestas should be
banned because it is just a waste of time, energy, and resources.

For numbers 11-12, classify the following practices as either good or bad based on
the point of view of the community mentioned. Write letter A if it is good and letter
B if it is bad.
11.Women in certain Muslim and Hindu societies follow the Purdah practice
of dressing, in all enveloping clothes, to stay out of sight to men and
strangers.
12.Cannibalism is the practice of eating human flesh by groups of people
from different parts of the world.

For numbers 13-15, choose the best answer for each item. Write down the letter of
your choice.

9
13.The attitude that other societies’ customs and traditions and ideas
should be judged in the context of one’s own culture is known as
______________________.
a. Imperialism b. Cultural relativism c. Ethnocentrism d. Colonialism
14. What is the most appropriate lesson we could get from studying cultural
relativism?
a. It is difficult or impossible to force your own religious beliefs onto
another group’s own.
b. People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs when
they understand and learn the meaning behind them.
c. Something that is not good or prohibited in your own society might be
good and perfectly acceptable in another society.
d. When studying another culture, you must first convert to its religious
beliefs for better understanding.
15. People around the world should learn from the ill effects of the belief that
one’s culture is better than others. Which of the following is NOT an example
of it?
a. The Holocaust happened when Adolf Hitler ordered the mass
murdering of the Jews.
b. Global warming is now happening and people from more developed
and industrialized countries are more liable than people from
underdeveloped countries.
c. Slave trade happened when black African people were sold in Europe
and the Americas to serve as slaves.
d. Hate crimes happens when people are being killed because of their
religious beliefs and practices.

Additional Activities

#i-speak

You are invited as a guest speaker for a certain event where the participants
come from different places of different cultures. The topic assigned to you is
religious beliefs and practices. Your task is to make a speech which you are going
to deliver on the said affair. It should be composed of at least 3-4 paragraphs,
whereas you are comparing your religious beliefs and practices with the
participants’ own without being biased.

Draft your speech below.

_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________.
 10

Answer Key

Assessment What's In
1. B 1. G
2. B 2. F
3. A 3. E
4. C 4. A
5. B 5. D
6. A 6. C
7. B 7. B
8. A
9. B
10.A
11.A
12.A
13.A
14.C

What I Know
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. A
7. A
8. D
9. B
10.B
11.B
12.B
13.A
14.C
15.A
 What I Can Do
#i-beg to Disagree because

State your reason why you beg to disagree to the given statements below. You have
to remember that you are a CULTURAL RELATIVIST; you have to place yourself in
the shoes of these people in order to understand them better. Culture is not good
or bad, neither it is right or wrong, but instead it is relative.

8. One society can call another society as evil such as those nations where
terrorist live. These places are also called an “axis of evil”.
________________________________________________________________
9. Western culture is superior and opposite of non-Western culture.
________________________________________________________________

10.When you don’t say “po” at “opo,” you are impolite.

________________________________________________________________

11.The Mangyan tribe of Mindoro are backwards people because they are
uneducated.
_________________________________________________________________

12.We have to avoid going to places like Siquijor and Capiz because
monsters called Aswang infest these places.
_________________________________________________________________

13.Eating Dalagang Bukid, Salagubang, Palakang Bukid and other

organisms are not healthy.
_________________________________________________________________
14.Ilocanos are thrifty because they are poor.
_________________________________________________________________

Assessment

Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that corresponds to your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

6. Ben is an ethnocentric. He considers other people, specifically indigenous

tribes, as backwards people who have no manners at all. Why do you think
Ben come up with this bias?
e. He regards another culture as superior.
f. He regards his own culture as superior.
g. He regards his own culture as normal and uses it to measure foreign
cultures.
h. He regards another culture as superior and uses it to measure his
own culture
7. Lisa was a proud cultural relativist. She sees that Ilocanos are thrifty
because of their geographical location. Likewise, she sees nothing wrong
about it. What did Lisa exhibit in that situation?
 e. She believes anything goes in one’s own culture.
f. She measures behavior by how the other culture regards this
practice.
g. She has no concept of right or wrong.
h. She measures which cultures are related to others.
8. What might be the result of ethnocentrism on a global scale?
e. Other people may be treated as savage or morally corrupt.
f. There is no way to determine which is right or wrong.
g. Native people often wish to colonize superior culture.
h. Believing one’s own culture is superior makes one a morally corrupt
savage.
9. For better opportunities, many Filipinos were forced to work abroad,
exposing themselves to unfamiliar culture. Culture shock is a feeling of
disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to other’s
way of life or set of attitudes. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of
culture shock?
e. Feeling homesick when in a new place
f. Feeling like the new culture is superior to your own
g. Obsessing about the cleanliness of food and water in a new place
h. Feeling the hostility towards natives or locals
10..Which of the following statements is a positive effect of ethnocentrism?
e. Rina posted on her Facebook wall saying that eating fried tarantula is
“yuckie.”
f. Greg posted a statement which says, “Ang galing ng Pinoy, angat sa
iba, kaya’t tayo ay magkaisa.”
g. Shiela posted a picture of Carlos P. Romulo with a caption, “This little
brown monkey that you are referring to does not eat banana peelings.
He is a Filipino not an American.
h. Wendel tweeted, “Nakakatakot na ang panahon ngayon daming taong
gumagala na tadtad ng tattoo ang katawan.”

For numbers 6-10, identify whether the given statement is an example of

ethnocentrism or cultural relativism. Write letter A if it is ethnocentrism and B if it
is cultural relativism.
14.Korean culture is better than our culture because many Filipinos try to
imitate and adopt this culture.
15.The Aetas of Zambales ,the Mangyans of Mindoro and other Filipino
tribes have different religious beliefs. Their Gods are manifested on the
different forms of nature like trees, mountains, rivers, volcano, their dead
ancestors, and many more. I think there is nothing wrong about that. It
does not make them a lesser group of people.
16.Indigenous people should learn to change their old and traditional ways
of life in order to be happy and successful.
17.People in my culture could learn a lot from people in other cultures.
18.Filipinos’ religious traditions like the celebration of fiestas should be
banned because it is just a waste of time, energy, and resources.

For numbers 11-12, classify the following practices as either good or bad based on
the point of view of the community mentioned. Write letter A if it is good and letter
B if it is bad.
 19.Women in certain Muslim and Hindu societies follow the Purdah practice
of dressing, in all enveloping clothes, to stay out of sight to men and
strangers.
20.Cannibalism is the practice of eating human flesh by groups of people
from different parts of the world.

For numbers 13-15, choose the best answer for each item. Write down the letter of
your choice.

21.The attitude that other societies’ customs and traditions and ideas
should be judged in the context of one’s own culture is known as
______________________.
a. Imperialism b. Cultural relativism c. Ethnocentrism d. Colonialism
14. What is the most appropriate lesson we could get from studying cultural
relativism?
e. It is difficult or impossible to force your own religious beliefs onto
another group’s own.
f. People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs when
they understand and learn the meaning behind them.
g. Something that is not good or prohibited in your own society might be
good and perfectly acceptable in another society.
h. When studying another culture, you must first convert to its religious
beliefs for better understanding.
15. People around the world should learn from the ill effects of the belief that
one’s culture is better than others. Which of the following is NOT an example
of it?
e. The Holocaust happened when Adolf Hitler ordered the mass
murdering of the Jews.
f. Global warming is now happening and people from more developed
and industrialized countries are more liable than people from
underdeveloped countries.
g. Slave trade happened when black African people were sold in Europe
and the Americas to serve as slaves.
h. Hate crimes happens when people are being killed because of their
religious beliefs and practices.

Additional Activities

#i-speak

You are invited as a guest speaker for a certain event where the participants
come from different places of different cultures. The topic assigned to you is
religious beliefs and practices. Your task is to make a speech which you are going
to deliver on the said affair. It should be composed of at least 3-4 paragraphs,
whereas you are comparing your religious beliefs and practices with the
participants’ own without being biased.

Draft your speech below.

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Answer Key

Assessment What's In
15.B 8. G
16.B 9. F
17.A 10.E
18.C 11.A
19.B 12.D
20.A 13.C
21.B 14.B
22.A
23.B
24.A
25.A
26.A
27.A
28.C

What I Know
16. A
17.A
18.B
19.A
20.B
21.A
22.A
23.D
24.B
25.B
26.B
27.B
28.A
29.C
30.A
Assessment What's In What I Know
1. B 1. G 1. A
2. B 2. F 2. A
3. A 3. E 3. B
4. C 4. A 4. A
5. B 5. D 5. B
6. A 6. C 6. A
7. B 7. B 7. A
8. A 8. D
9. B 9. B
10.A 10.B
11.A 11.B
12.A 12.B
13.A 13.A
14.C 14.C
15. B 15. A