Module 3:

The Importance of
Cultural Relativism in
Attaining Cultural
Understanding
 1. Define cultural
relativism

2. Demonstrate a holistic
understanding of culture
and society

3. Value culture and express

MELC:
Explain the importance of cultural relativism in pride of place without being
attaining cultural understanding. ethnocentric
Picture Analysis. Observe the picture.
Picture Analysis. Observe the picture.
1. What did you observe in the pictures?
2. Can you describe what scenario is in
the first picture? How about the second
picture?
3. Have you experienced being judged or
discriminated?
4. How will you show respect to persons
who have different culture from you?
Analyze the given line

“One has to abide by the

ethical norms of the culture
where one is located.”
Directions: Decode the word from the given
chart (letter with corresponding numbers) in
reference to the picture presented. These
pictures are related to the customs and
traditions of a country.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

GERMANY
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

FRANCE 6 18 1 14 3 5
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

KOREA 11 15 18 5 1
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

TURKEY
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

14 5 23 26 5 1 12 1 14 4
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

20 8 1 9 12 1 14 4
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

PHILIPPINES
16 8 9 12 9 16 16 9 14 5 19
 Cultural relativism
is a principle that an individual person’s
beliefs and activities should be
understood without judgement by others
in terms of that individual’s own culture.
It was established and accepted in
anthropological research by Franz Boas
in the first few decades of the 20th
century and later popularized by his
students.
 Cultural relativism
It refers to not judging a culture to our own
standards of what is right or wrong, strange or
normal. Instead, we should try to understand
cultural practices of other groups in its own
cultural context. In other words, right and wrong
are culture-specific. What is considered moral in
other society may be considered immoral in
another, and since no universal standard of
morality exist, no one has the right to judge
another society’s customs to be correct or
incorrect.
 Ethnocentrism
It is in contrast to cultural relativism, it is judging
another culture solely by the values and standards
of one’s own culture.
According to William G. Sumner, ETHNOCENTRISM
is defined as the “technical name for the view of
things in which one’s own group is the center of
everything, and all others are scaled and rated
with reference to it.”
He further characterized it as often leading to
pride, vanity, beliefs of one’s own group’s
superiority and contempt of outsiders.
 Ethnocentric individuals
It is born into a particular culture that
grow up absorbing the values and
behavior of the culture will develop a
worldview that considers their culture
to be the norm (standard). They judge
other group or culture specially with
concern to language, behavior, custom
religion etc.
Cultural relativism
 Cultural relativism
FOOT BINDING IN CHINA

Foot binding was to stop the growth of the foot

and make them smaller. The process often began
between four and seven years old. A ten-foot
bandage would be wrapped around the foot forcing
the toes to go under the foot. It caused the big toe
to be closer to the heel causing the foot to bow. In
China, small feet were seen as beautiful and a
symbol of status. The women wanted their feet to
be “three-inch golden lotuses” 三寸金蓮.
 Cultural relativism
It was also the only way to marry into money.
Because men only wanted women with small
feet, even after this practice was banned in
1912, women still continued to do it. To
Western cultures the idea of feet binding might
seems torturous, but for the Chinese culture it
was a symbol of beauty that has been
ingrained the culture for hundreds of years.
The idea of beauty differs from culture to
culture.
 Two different
Categories of Cultural
Relativism
 Absolute
1. Everything that happens within a
culture must and should not be
questioned by outsiders. The
extreme example of absolute
cultural relativism would be the Nazi
party’s point of view justifying the
Holocaust.
 Absolute
1.
 Absolute
1. Absolute cultural relativism is displayed in many cultures,
especially Africa, that practice female genital cutting. This
procedure refers to the partial or total removal of the external
female genitalia or any other trauma to the female
reproductive/genital organs. By allowing this procedure to
happen, females are considered women and then are able to be
married. FGC is practiced mainly because of culture, religion
and tradition. Outside cultures such as the United States look
down upon FGC, but are unable to stop this practice from
happening because it is protected by its culture.
 Critical
Creates questions about cultural
practices in terms of who is
2. accepting them and why.
Critical cultural relativism also
recognizes power relationships.
 CULTURAL DIVERSITY
According to the sociologist Joan Ferrante in her book”
Seeing Sociology, an Introduction”, sociologists use the
term cultural diversity to capture the cultural variety that
exists among people who share some physical or virtual
space. That space may be as large as the planet or as
small as a household” (2014). Sociologists use the material
and non-material culture inside the society in order to
understand the concept of cultural diversity.
 CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Diversity can be found from varying cultures located at
different geographical setting however cultural diversity
exists even in a particular place among people who shares
the same virtual space. In short, cultural diversity exists
even inside the same social setting. This is the very reason
why it seems to be paradoxical that cultural diversity
exists even inside the same social environment.
Sociologists are eager to understand this social
phenomenon.
 OBJECTIFIED CULTURAL CAPITAL
This refers to all material and non-material culture
that a person has or has a direct access to.
Objectified cultural capital also has a pecuniary value
and as well as symbolic meaning that people impute to
them. Objectified capital is the value inherent in
objects of culture, such as works of art.
 OBJECTIFIED CULTURAL CAPITAL

This refers to all material and non-material culture

that a person has or has a direct access to.
Objectified cultural capital also has a pecuniary value
and as well as symbolic meaning that people impute to
them. Objectified capital is the value inherent in
objects of culture, such as works of art.
OBJECTIFIED CULTURAL CAPITAL
 EMBODIED CULTURAL CAPITAL
Refers to all kinds of material and non-material
objects that have been internalized by the people in a
conscious or unconscious manner. Embodied cultural
capital is learned by man through the process of
socialization. Embodied cultural capital refers to
knowledge or skills that a person acquires from his/her
habitus. Examples include accents, etiquette, and a
vocabulary.
 EMBODIED CULTURAL CAPITAL

Represents
what they
know and
can do
 INSTITUTIONALIZED CULTURAL CAPITAL

This cultural capital consists of all material

and non-material culture that everyone
considers as desirable in a given social
setting. Institutionalized cultural capital is
very important to success in a certain social
environment. Examples are career, academic
qualifications and profession.
EMBODIED CULTURAL CAPITAL
1. What is
Culture?
 2. What is
cultural
relativism?
 3. What is
ethnocentrism?
4. How will you
show respect to
other’s culture?
5. Is showing respect
to other culture
necessary?
Why or why not?
 6. Have you tried visiting
other places and experienced
culture shock?
7. How does cultural
relativism help in
understanding other’s
culture?
8. Do you consider your culture,
beliefs and practices superior to
other culture?
9. How important are your
culture, beliefs and practices for
you? Have you ever experienced
racism? In what form?
Activity 3.1

Directions: Do the following procedures. Put

your output on ¼ size illustration board. Make
a poster showing cultural diversity or cultural
relativism. Put a brief explanation of your
output on a separate sheet of paper. Relate
your artwork from the common diversity or
relativism that might be in a certain
community where you belong.
ASSESSMENT:

A. Directions: Encircle the letter of the correct answer from the choices
provided under each number. Read and understand the statements
thoroughly.

1. Which of the following is the best definition of cultural relativism?

a. A cultural group’s desire to pass on its values to the next

generation
b. Refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is
right or wrong
c. Measuring which culture are related to others

d. All of the above

2. What is ethnocentrism?
a. judging another culture solely by the values and standards of

one’s own culture.

b. judging another culture solely by the values and standards of

another culture.
c. having no concept of right or wrong

d. both b and c
3. Which of the following sentences expresses cultural
relativism?
a. an employee may refer to his client as a stupid if the client

needed some time to understand whatever the employee is

trying to tell him
b. addressing a conservative woman in a liberated place as
weirdo
c. thinking that people who eats fried crickets are disgusting

d. none of the above

4. Which of the following is not a claim of a cultural relativist?

a. The moral code of a society determines what is right within

that society
b. Different societies have different moral code

c. It is good to judge the conduct of other societies

d. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one

society as better than another

5. What does the picture show?

a. Cultural relativism
Ethnocentrism
b.

Both cultural relativism and ethnocentrism

c.

None of the above

d.
B. Essay

1. Explain the saying “When in Rome, do as the

Romans do”.

2. Do you think it is important to show respect to

other’s culture? Why or why not?

3. Is there such thing as the best culture?

Activity 3.2
GROUP ACTIVITY

Poster Making
Divide the class into 3 groups.
Direction: Make a poster that shows understanding and
respect for other’s culture. Use short bond paper.
Output is graded according to this criteria:

Relevance to the topic - 20 points

Originality - 15 points
Attractiveness - 15 points
50 points