Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

Teacher’s Notes

MELC 3: Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding.

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 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?

As discussed previously, culture is adaptive, shared, and contested. It can even traverse across societies.

Sharing of culture, such as eating balut in Southeast Asian nations, is common nearby societies—most
especially if these societies share some common elements like history or norms.

Culture is a social construct that is sometimes used interchangeably with society. Though these concepts are
interrelated and interdependent—since the absence of one is also the absence of the other—the two are not the
same.

A society is a group of people bound together in a more or less permanent association organized for collective
activity. Moreover, it is made up of interacting individuals, using shared cultures.

More often than not, culture varies from one society to another. However, it is essential to note that all cultures
share patterns or traits that are quite common to all societies across globe. This is commonly referred to as
cultural universals. For instance, the use of language as medium of communication is absolute among societies,
whether traditional or modern one. Though syntax and language structure are starkly different from each
language, spoken and written language has been the primary tool in articulating oneself. Aside from language,
the concept of personal names, celebration of births and weddings, and even exchange of jokes exemplify
cultural universals.

ORIENTATIONS IN VIEWING OTHER CULTURES

The world is composed of many societies with many different cultures. For a human being, it is just natural to
view other cultures and compare them with his/her own. Generally, a person uses two orientations in viewing
other cultures.

1. ETHNOCENTRISM

It has been mentioned earlier that many Westerners regard eating balut as weird or terrifying. This is an
example of an ethnocentric view of other culture.

Ethnocentrism basically pertains to the belief that one’s native culture is superior to or the most natural among
other cultures. An ethnocentric person sees and weighs another culture based upon the values and standards of
his/her own.
Interestingly, many Filipinos also exhibit ethnocentrism toward non-Filipino cultures. For instance, in most
Western cultures, it is normal for a child to call his/her parents and older siblings by their first names. However, in
the Philippine setting, this is rude. Filipinos are accustomed to honoring and respecting their parents by calling
them Nanay, Tatay, Mama, or Papa; and by using po and opo when talking to them. The display of respect in two
cultures are different. In this regard, many Filipinos tend to be ethnocentric toward the Western culture.
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. Furthermore, a highly ethnocentric person, when exposed to new cultures, may
experience a culture shock. He/she may find it difficult to adapt to the new cultures and may feel severe
confusion and disturbance. Culture shock happens when a person does not expect or accept cultural differences.
Many expats and foreign workers, like OFWs experience culture shock on the first few weeks or more of their
stay in their new environment. This may result in many other psychological phenomena to return to one’s own
culture, such as homesickness, or the desire to return to one’s home.
FUNCTIONS OF ETHNOCENTRISM and ITS ILL EFFECTS
The functions of ethnocentrism in maintaining order are more apparent than those which promote social change.
1. Ethnocentrism encourages a ‘we’ feeling with associates and strengthens the idea that loyalty to comrades
and the preservation of the basis for superiority are important values.
Positively, ethnocentrism promotes continuance of the status quo. Negatively, it discourages change.
2. Ethnocentrism hinders understanding or the cooperation between groups.
If the ways of one’s group are best, there is little incentive to interact with ‘inferior’ groups. In fact, attitudes of
suspicion, disdain, and hostility are likely to be endangered. Extreme ethnocentrism is likely to promote
conflict, as the records of past wars and religious and racial conflicts reveal.
3. Conflicts often leads to social change. In that sense, ethnocentrism becomes a vehicle for the promotion of
social change. It does so, however, through encouragement of its peaceful evolution.

When we become ethnocentric, there’s still a way out. Take for example the following:
a. When you judge the behavior and beliefs of people who are different from you
WAY OUT: Stop judging others who are different from you.
b. When you believe there are primitive cultures, especially if their way of life is different from yours
WAY OUT: Ethnocentric is taught. You have to unlearn that your culture is superior and all other cultures are
inferior
c. When you believe that some cultures are backward if they lack the technology and consumerism of your
own culture
WAY OUY: Remember that there are no primitive or backward cultures. All cultures provide their members
with the means for meeting all human needs

2. XENOCENTRISM
An opposite relative to ethnocentrism is xenocentrism, or the belief that one’s culture is inferior to another. A
xenocentric person usually has a high regard for other cultures but disdains his/her own or is embarrassed by it.
Xenocentrism is evident in many Filipinos, especially those who are influenced by other cultures. Many Filipinos
prefer imported products rather than locally-made ones, thinking that the quality is better if the product is made
abroad.
Another example is the penchant of many Filipinos—especially teens—for East Asian culture, such as Japanese,
South Korean, and Taiwanese. The wider popularity of J-pop, K-pop, and the like, over the Philippine pop culture
is an evidence of the high level of xenocentrism of many Filipinos.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM
To avoid highlighting personal biases and assumptions in studying culture, sociologists have endeavored to view
other cultures as neither inferior nor superior. This method is rooted in the idea of cultural relativism, or the
practice of viewing another culture by its own context rather than assessing it based on the standards of one’s
own culture.
Cultural relativism requires an open mind and enthusiasm to adapt to new cultures. An example is an American
traveler who encounters balut for the first time. Although being told of what balut is, the tourist has never tried
eating it before. But instead of being of being grossed out, he tried it out and tasted the delicacy to get
acquainted with its flavor. This is what cultural relativism is all about—to immerse oneself in another culture in
order to appreciate it fully.
It has been said that ethnocentrism is natural for many people. The culture that one has been brought up to has
become the most natural culture for him/her. But, if one practices cultural relativism and detaches oneself from
his/her own culture to see more of another, then ethnocentrism is mitigated or becomes less severe. Cultural
relativism can be associated with the value of respect—respect for another and his/her culture. Appreciation of
other cultures may come about for two complementary reasons: (1) acquisition of sufficient knowledge about the
culture in question through reading about the practices and rituals of other cultures, and (2) direct exposure to
other cultures through travels or immigration.
However, there are also cases where cultural relativism may be hard to practice. There are cultures, especially
the pain-inflicting ones, in some parts of the globe which majority—even the most culturally relativist people—
cannot understand. Examples are the practice of female genital mutilation in many African countries and the
tradition of some Kampampangan men to be crucified during the Lenten season.
The idea behind cultural relativism reminds everyone on the importance of cultural tolerance, especially in a
globalized age where interaction is considered most important. Cultural relativism is a belief that cultures are
equally complex. There is no such thing as superior or inferior culture.
References:
1. Abulencia, Arthur S; Padernal, Rowel S. (2016). Social Dynamics: A Worktext on Understanding Culture,
Society, and Politics. Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., pp.22-26
2. Contreras, A.P., Dela Cruz, A.R. D., Erasga, D. S., Fadrigon, C. C. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society,
and Politics. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc., pp.60-64