UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
WORKSHEET-WEEK 3: Importance of Cultural Relativism
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I. MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY
1. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding.
II. OVERVIEW
Aside from the changes that occurred in your outside environment, you as a
social being should broaden your understanding of the different cultural values of other
people in the society.
It is understandable that you will pay attention and give importance to the teachings
and practices taught by your parents and other institutions in your community.
However, you should not box yourself to the possibility of exploring, understanding and
learning the varying culture that also contributed in raising and molding other people.
In this lesson, we will begin introducing you some concepts that will lead you to
appreciating and accepting the uniqueness of other society’s cultural trait.
Now, let us try to define two important words in our lesson:
Hi there! Here are some unfamiliar words that you will encounter in this
lesson. Take a minute or two to read these words until you become familiar with them.
It would be very helpful if you will get your pen and notebook to copy the definition of
the important terms below.
1. Cultural Relativism – this concept underscores the idea that the culture in every
society should be understood and regarded on its own terms.
2. Ethnocentrism –this concept regards that one’s own culture and society is the center
of everything.
3. Xenocentrism – a position that everything about the other culture is wrong,
unreasonable, detestable and wicked.
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
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4. Prejudice – an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex,
religion, etc.
5. Racism – a discriminatory behavior towards members of another race.
Differentiating Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism
• The concept of cultural relativism was first formulated by William Graham
Summer in his book entitled “Folkways.” In his book, he reiterated that there
are no universal standards of right and wrong or good and bad in evaluating
cultural phenomena.
• This thought suggests that what is right in one place may be wrong in
another place or vice versa. Thus, the standards are relative to the culture in
which they appear.
• Customs can only be judged by how well or how poorly they fit in with the
standards of a certain society.
For example:
Having several wives (polygamy) is legal on the belief of Muslim. While Christians
on the other hand practice monogamy because the concept of polygamy is
considered not good in their belief.
• This simple example pictures the difference on the beliefs of two different
cultures, thereby underscoring the idea that despite the differing culture in every
society it should still be understood and regarded on its own terms.
• The concept of cultural relativism is more analytical and methodological.
Anthropologists apply the concept of cultural relativity in investigating and
comparing societies without declaring one being better or more preferable to the
other.
1. Ethnocentrism judges another culture solely by the values and standards of
one’s own culture.
• Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups based on their ethnic group or
culture, especially with regard to language, behavior, customs, and other ethnic
distinctions and subdivisions.
• Declaring that their culture/customs is superior to others.
• Ethnocentrism is the major reason why division amongst members of different
societies which exists because ethnocentric individuals regard their own society’s
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
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set of cultural values as the only agreeable, acceptable and highly respectable set
of convictions.
• Such perspective can be turned into chauvinism¸ a position that everything about
the other culture is wrong, unreasonable, detestable and even wicked.
• From this perspective, the practices and institutions of people from other societies
are regarded as inferior, less intelligent and even vicious.
• Hence, an ethnocentric attitude can be an obstacle in understanding each other’s
culture and may cause tensions within or between societies. Clearly, this concept
has developed a generally negative connotation related to racism and prejudice.
is called
2. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism .
• This means that a person values one’s own culture than other’s culture.
• This perception of one’s culture in comparison to other’s plays a great role on how
we perceive the individuals around us and the groups that we are a part of.
• Simply, xenocentrism believes that his or her culture and its goods and services
are superior to that of all other cultures and people.
Mitigating Ethnocentrism
As mentioned earlier, it is understood that there are people who lauds and
recognizes the importance of the cultural values taught by their parents. However,
sticking to these learnt practices will not always be the case. As you grow older, you will
be meeting new people from other places with different cultures. As a social being, you
cannot just ignore and disrespect other’s culture just because of your unbent beliefs and
limited understanding of the concept of diversity and individual differences.
• In appreciating and accepting the uniqueness of one’s cultural trait; there should
be no good or bad culture. Instead, a broad understanding and consideration to
other culture must be put in mind. Hence, the concept of cultural relativism must
be applied to mitigate the ethnocentric belief.
• Cultural relativism promotes the idea that a society has to be viewed from the
inside so that inner logic can be better explained. A society’s idea of good life will
not likely be shared by another society that interprets the notion of “good” from a
sharply different perspective.
• In other words, each society has a different yardstick in appreciating the value of
its own cultural trait.
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
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• Through a relativist approach, it gives a universal understanding of the humanely
acceptable. Hence, the dangers of ethnocentrism can be addressed. Are you done
reading the lesson? Great!
III. ACTIVITIES
Now, try answering the activities below to check if you really understood the lesson.
Activity 1:
Directions: Read and analyze the words in each item. Write CR if it describes cultural
relativism and ETHNO if it describes ethnocentrism. Do this in your notebook.
1. The Bicolano epic of Ibalong is more realistic than the epic of Biag ni LamAng.
2. There is no good or bad culture. It only depends on how the society interprets it.
3. It is an unbecoming act to marry three wives at the same time.
4. The baro’t saya are the most authentic traditional costumes of the Filipinos.
5. Marikina-made footwear are durable compared to the imported ones. Activity 2:
Activity 2:
Directions: React favorably or unfavorably to the following statements. Support your
answer by stating your personal reasons/justifications in two sentences. In this
exercise, you will get a total of two points in each item - one point for your correct
reaction and another point for your justification.
1. Everyone of us has a background of the great culture and values which we are proud
of.
2. Culture is relative.
3. No culture is far more advanced or civilized than the other.
4. The ethnocentric belief developed a negative connotation in the society.
5. Racism is NOT an offshoot of the ethnocentric belief.
Activity 3:
Directions: Complete the statement to give meaning and sense by choosing the
correct word enclosed inside the parenthesis. Write the correct answer in your
notebook.
1. Cultural relativism was first formulated by (Tylor, Homans, Summer).
2. Culture is always (changing, increasing, decreasing).
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
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3. In Summer’s book entitled (Folkloristics, Folklore, Folkways) he reiterated that there
is no universal standards of right and wrong or good and bad in evaluating cultural
phenomena.
4. Ethnocentrism is a position that everything about the other culture is (wrong, vague)
unreasonable, detestable and even wicked.
5. Ethnocentric individuals view their own culture as (inferior, superior) than other
cultures.
ASSESSMENT:
Directions: Answer the following questions in two (2) to three (3) sentences.
1. Is it right to say that there are cultures that are inferior, threatening and disturbing?
2. Should we expect societies around the world to practice the same set of cultural
values and traits? Why?
3. How is it possible to recognize the uniqueness of each society’s cultural traits and not
from the standpoint of one’s own society?
IV. REFERENCES
Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978- 971-
9654-34-6, Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.91-92
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CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
Senior High School
