10 Examples of Ethnocentrism to Help You Understand it Better. Ethnocentrism is a pervasive belief system that causes people to view other cultures as inferior. After reading about ethnocentrism, the first person that popped into my mind was the President-Elect, Donald Trump. But what sort of conflicts arise from these differences, and how are they represented in the media? What are 2 examples of ethnocentrism? Though ethnocentrism is not always this extreme, history does tell us stories about how the concept and prejudice that rose from it, took such a turn for the worse, and had horrible consequences. Some would argue thats whats going on with the country's involvement in the Middle East. In essence, it is a bias against purchasing foreign products in favor of what has been produced either locally or by members of a perceived in-group. In the movies, ethnocentrism isnt often presented as a serious problem. In a similar approach to Australia, colonial Canada established residential boarding schools where first nations children would be forcibly taken in order to snuff out Indigenous cultures within Canada. Political Psychology,33, 887-909.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2012.00907.x, Permatasari, R. (2019). Segregation in America benefited white people and saw Black people treated as second-class citizens because of racist beliefs deriving from ethnocentrism. https://helpfulprofessor.com/examples-of-ethnocentrism/. Assimilation policies state that immigrants to a country should leave their old culture behind and embrace their host countrys culture. It tells the story of a young Jewish girl living in New York City in the 1950s. Disclaimer: The examples provided in this article are for educative purposes only, and are not meant to offend or hurt anyones sentiments. I also researched instances on counter actions taken by Asian Americans to protest against these negative images. In truth, both ideals are a bit skewed. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a fun case study in ethnocentrism that you could use in classrooms. The Role of Perception & Bias in Intercultural Communication, Bengali People & Other Ethnic Groups in Bangladesh | Population of Bangladesh, Cultural Differences in Attributional Patterns. The following ethnocentrism examples vary from simple misunderstandings, to systemic disenfranchisement of minority groups, to outright violence and even genocide. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. But head to more conservative nations and women might always cover their shoulders or hair. As weve seen, such uninformed judgements have had terrible consequences around the world. What are some examples of ethnocentrism in the Philippines? We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. This can lead to ethnocentrism when we roll our eyes are people who arent bilingual, even when were in their own country! Create your account. This comes in stark contrast to xenocentrism - the belief that someone else's culture is superior to their own. Those practices might include speaking a certain language, eating certain types of food, practicing or not practicing certain kinds of interpersonal relationships, and much more. We see ethnocentrism all over the media, though we may not often realise it. This is an example of the dominant culture believing a minority cultures beliefs and practices are a threat or inferior within the space of the nation. Here are some examples of cultural ethnocentrism: In the United States, eating cows as food is a common practice. 3 Reasons Doing Nothing Can Actually be Productive, 3 Myths Far Too Many People Believe About the Past, Generating pride and self-confidence among the people of a group, about the group, themselves, and each other, Defining social standards and the behavior that a group is expected to follow, thus maintaining uniformity among the people. Segregation is the practice of separating a society based on race or ethnicity, usually due to ethnocentric beliefs about racial superiority and inferiority. People would say your accent is so funny! and I would say no, your accent is funny!. Better yet, why not turn it into a persuasive speech? Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture is superior to others. (Alberts, Nakayama, & Martin, 2007, p. 87) Ethnic means culture and centrism relates to the center of something. For instance, an employee may refer to his client as a moron if the client needed some time to understand whatever the employee was trying to tell him. Examples of ethnocentrism in psychology include Erikson's stages of development and Ainsworth's classification of attachment styles. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This is again a negative example of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is a notion not widely used in the early twenty-first century. Examples of Ethnocentrism While many people may recognize the problems, they may not realize that ethnocentrism occurs everywhere According to the "Mandate of Heaven," the Chinese felt they received divine power that entitled them to exert heavy rule over the citizens, and that they had power over the rest of the world. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. In Asian countries, where all meals are eaten with chopsticks, citizens may view the use of forks, spoons, knives and other utensils as barbaric and inappropriate. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. But some of us do, showing how we think our way of doing things is the right and natural approach, and other peoples approaches are naturally inferior. Although Shylock is painted as the villain of The Merchant of Venice, we can all take a lesson from him in order to avoid unfair prejudices that result from ethnocentrism. Theres not much chance of causing internal conflicts. These people may find it unnecessary to find that people in other societies, such as the American society, eat using forks, spoons, knives, etc. That might mean that people from other ethnic groups have a lot of trouble emigrating to a country with a strong sense of ethnic nationalism. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. While prejudice certainly leads to problems, very rarely in history has ethnocentrism led to the mass slaughter of millions of innocent people at the scale witnessed in Nazi Germany. An example of ethnocentrism is when you judge other countries for the way they eat, but dont have a moral reason for this. This process is most helpfully framed through the lens of cultural relativism, a philosophical belief system that has become more popular over the course of the last century. Of course, this is a natural thought (its our brain noticing the difference sounds funny to us). copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. If you poison us, do we not die? For example, in 2014, China attempted to crack down on the celebration of Ramadan in the Muslim region of Xinjiang. An example of ethnocentrism in culture is the Asian cultures across all the countries of Asia. There are many potential causes of ethnocentric beliefs, but all of them fundamentally come down to learning. Residential schools were set up in 1828, and while most were closed in the 1960s, the last one closed in 1997. The definition of ethnocentrism is when a company or individual believes that their group is superior to another group. We all thought our accent was normal and other peoples was funny. But, other people might argue that the willingness to protect your own culture is not ethnocentrism because its not saying other cultures are less valuable but rather that yours needs protection. Most people hold some ethnocentric views, though they may not be conscious of their biases. As John A McDonald, Canadas first prime minister, stated: Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence.. People learn to view their own culture as the default and other cultures as different both through overt teaching of ethnocentric beliefs and (much more commonly) through implicit exposure to one's own norms more frequently than others. A few years into their marriage, her husband left her for - Heaven forbid - a Gentile. It is not a complete list. Lumen Learning. An example of this is the way some Americans criticize traditional Middle Eastern veils as being oppressive to the women who wear them. Ethnocentrism played a large role in the systematic oppression of Nati. This novel indicates that ethnocentrism is an extremely broad topic because even within one's own ethnicity, divisions will be found. Despite their loyalty and contributions to this country, Asian Americans have been discriminated and considered as unassimilable by many Americans. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. - Definition and History. Sometimes, we need to accept other peoples cultures with an open mind and try to see where theyre coming from. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In India, the cow is a sacred animal and cannot be eaten. You often only hear accents if theyre different from your own. Though it is present in little forms in every culture, history has shown us how it can have tragic consequences if not controlled. Other immigration approaches include Integration, where different cultures all live together in a patchwork throughout a city, and Self-Determination, where everyone can choose which culture they want to follow. Expecting Others to Speak English. After colonization Europeans started to control over Africa and the Asia. Negative Examples of Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism has many functions. An error occurred trying to load this video. They will have a narrow-minded outlook that fails to see things from other peoples perspectives (often manifesting itself as cultural blindness). An ethnocentric individual is likely to draw conclusions about other cultures based on their own cultural values and is likely to strongly identify with their ethnic group. Sociocentrism also means putting a group's needs and concerns ahead of someone's personal needs. I thought she was a Christian ! We constantly see examples of ethnocentrism in the media, though we might be less aware of it as these references tend to be rather subtle, and are often hidden behind humour. In the scene, when a discussion about drug trading arises Don Zaluci, the head of the mafias Detroit branch, says that if it were up to him, he would keep the drug trafficin the dark people the coloured because they are animals anyway so they can lose their souls. Throughout Asia, the way of eating is to use chopsticks with every meal. Someone who's ethnocentric judges other cultures by comparing them to his own, familiar culture. He had thousands and thousands of innocent people slaughtered in concentration camps, all because they werent of his pure race, which was, according to him, superior among all. European countries establishing their colonies in other parts of the world is an example of ethnocentrism: they believed that they were superior, civilized, and developed than other countries, which is why they needed to establish control in order to help these countries come up to their standards, too. He taught social sciences at the Yale University. It is a common practice to find different media users speaking against some tribes, which increases ethnocentrism. These views can result in xenophobia, racism, and even violence in some cases. However, youll see in these examples of ethnocentrism that the practice is not only absurd, but potentially fatal. Ethnocentrism is one example, and whether that's good or bad is purely opinion (I think there are both setbacks and benefits myself), but its pervasion here in America is undeniable. However, ethnocentrism can make individuals feel as if the other community is bad, or wrong, and can make them take action in the form of terrorist attacks or hate crimes. Children are taught only the greatness of one country, which might lead them to develop prejudices against other countries. For example, viewing food from your own culture as civilized and food from another as barbaric without any rational explanation based on objective reason. The idea behind American exceptionalism is that Americas founding (based on its constitution, and the fact the nation was founded as a free and anti-elite republic) gave America a special place in the world. Look how dirty this country is! We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! Those biases can sometimes lead to widespread misconceptions as the research filters into public consciousness. This hypothesis suggested that certain thoughts and concepts can only be expressed in certain languages, and moreover that a person's native language dictates how they perceive and understand the world. Copyright 2023 Helpful Professor. Dominant strains of these disciplines, especially anthropology, have examined the lives and cultural expressions of ethnically defined . ), 9. In movies and other sources of entertainment, ethnocentrism is often, but not always, portrayed in a humorous, light-hearted manner. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. His interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and extensive work experience in the eLearning industry has allowed him to participate in various learning formats for a wide range of learners, from K12 to adult learners and working professionals. But, a Pervuvian might ask: how is eating Guinea Pig different to eating chicken? Frederic Christie (previous answer) brought up some very apt examples. Racial slurs, discriminatory opinions about African-Americans, and the male domination depicted in the Italian community are all examples of ethnocentrism, as befitted the time the story was set in. Forgetting That Other Groups Exist In Your Audience This sign of ethnocentrism denies other people are different and is mainly a problem when several large groups share a language. Often when I show these clips to my students, their instant reactions are disgust at the parts of the animal that people in other parts of the world eat. While many people may recognize ethnocentricity as problematic, they may not realize it occurs everywhere, both at local and political levels. On the contrary African's and the Asians are primitive because they depend on hunting and farming. An example of ethnocentrism in culture is the Asian cultures across all the countries of Asia. Here, you can see that America sees themselves as the idealized norm against which other nations should be judged (and always found wanting!). Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I grew up believing that all the other religions are bad. That wouldnt be ethnocentric because it would be based on thoughtfulness and balance. They looked at different types of land use (such as with nomadic cultures) and governments (such as tribal rather than parliamentary systems) as rationales for these beliefs. If you can, feel free to let us know in the comments section below! We have this luxury because English is currently the worlds dominant language especially in business interactions. Endogamy simply refers to the practice of marrying someone from within one's own nationality, social group, religion, race, or community. Here, in the opening scenes we see the movie's main character, Toula Portokalos, constantly questioning her Greek heritage, while her parents offer responses that ultimately reinforce the importance of Greek culture. At the same time, studies at the group level show that ethnic conflict is universal. While all cultural groups have some degree of ethnocentrism, these beliefs can manifest in many ways. But as the Egyptian man in this clip says, its natural to them. The minority culture is othered so the majority culture can maintain and promote their own practices and traditions as the natural or normative traditions within the nation-state. Employment discrimination functions in the same way, making it more difficult for people to get well-paid jobs or leading to discrepancies in wages between ethnic groups. We can analyse onemoviein particular in order to better understand this. Ethnocentric bias might mean that members of certain ethnic groups are seen as less trustworthy or more likely to be violent than other groups, leading to limitations on where those people can live. It creates high levels of self-esteem. People who subscribe to ethnocentrist beliefs tend to make assumptions about other people based on a limited understanding of their cultural practices, often resulting in prejudiced or racist beliefs. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2012.00907.x, https://doi.org/10.23917/humaniora.v20i2.7401. Holding ethnocentric ideals and views can give way to racist and supremacist views, as ones belief in the superiority of their own culture might lead them to look for other reasons to denigrate a culture which they believe is inferior. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This attitude could lead an individual to believe that their own culture or way of life is the correct way of living . In this example, everyone is thinking from the norms of their own society, showing how we all tend to approach situations with a degree of ethnocentrism. Cultural bias in research occurs when findings from a study conducted in one culture are applied to a different cultural setting. Some cultures practice endogamy, where people do not marry outside of their culture or race. Ethnocentrism is a widespread and deep-seated belief that ours is better than yours. Even the colonies in the United States were once controlled by the British. Researchers have repeatedly found that ethnocentric beliefs are common: most people will tend to consider their own culture to be either the best or the natural default from which all other cultures are essentially deviations. We hope you enjoy this website. Viewing the world through this lens calls systems of ethnocentric though into question. Ethnocentrism is the measuring and judging of one culture by another culture. There have been many studies of ethnocentrism in the decades since Sumner brought the term to social scientists' attention. The belief that one's own religious views are the only correct ones and that all other people in the world should follow the same religion is an ethnocentric view. Consider the classic driving on the wrong side debate between the UK and the US. It's all dangerous. Here, you can see, theres a fine line between love for your culture and nation, and irrational belief in your own countrys superiority. The range of media products and behaviors, we have discussed in this paper earlier is very large and the difficulty of their analysis and assessment tremendous. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. It is a form of bias, where we tend to immediately judge another culture as bad or wrong based upon their actions, if their values are not aligned with our own beliefs. While we might not want to change our culture and traditions, we could use the theory of ethnocentrism to get to know other peoples cultures better. These people may find it unnecessary to find that people in other societies, such as the American society, eat using forks, spoons, knives, etc. The popular belief among American ethnocentric people is that their country, culture, values, development, and everything else is superior to every other nation in the world, and that every other nation is inferior to the United States. What is and is not ethnocentrism? Very often, people tend to praise the type of food that they eat, and put down the cuisines that do not seem very appealing to them, deeming the other cuisines to be very inferior to their own. They may laugh at the clumsiness of foreigners when they use chopsticks. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. We all do it, some time or the other, mostly not even realizing that were being ethnocentric at that moment. There are places you will get killed for looking white. What is a modern day example of ethnocentrism? A type of bias. 1. I will often show my students clips from An Idiot Abroad because its so full of examples of ethnocentrism! Ethnocentrism is also believing in the inferiority of other cultures compared to the superiority of one's own culture. An example of ethnocentrism is when you judge other countries for the way they eat, but don't have a moral reason for this. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Ethnocentrism, as an anthropological and social science concept, refers to the use of one's ethnicity or culture as a basis for judging other cultures, beliefs, peoples, behaviors, practices, and societies, rather than applying the standards of the specific demographic involved. Ethnocentrism can have many negative effects, primarily for the people who are considered the out-group. Macionis defines ethnocentrism as "The practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture". Cultural Relativism Overview & Examples | What is Cultural Relativism? . The concept of American exceptionalism also leads to a concept known as nationalistic Americentrism, a smug and egotistical belief that the United States is morally superior and its culture more important than those of other nations. Ethnocentrism tends to blind people from seeing things from another perspective just because another community does something that yours doesnt like a particular style of worship, for instance, doesnt make it inferior to yours, and nor does it make the other communitys style of worshiping incorrect. This likely isnt the intended interpretation of this scene, yet it still comes across. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The media was used for disseminating stereotypes the effect violent music has on teenager's behaviours such as in the shootings at Columbine. Ethnocentrism there among people, everyone feels superior their culture and traditions.iii Comparing with media, it can not be ethnocentric in nature because it leads to racial conflicts. One notable example where we see ethnocentrism in the media is in the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Only when it goes out of hand does it pose any risk to other members of society, especially those belonging to the out-groups. Conflicts arise from these differences, and while most were closed in inferiority... Criticize traditional Middle Eastern veils as being oppressive to the superiority of one country, which might lead to! And other sources of entertainment, ethnocentrism isnt often presented as a serious problem teenager behaviours... By a PhD level academic Middle East to a different cultural setting someone &! Is better than yours whats going on with the country 's involvement in the twenty-first... This attitude could lead an individual to believe that their group is superior another... Down on the wrong side debate between the UK and the us ethnocentrism in! Conservative nations and women might always cover their shoulders or hair the cow is a notion not widely in! Comes in stark contrast to xenocentrism - the belief that one 's own ethnicity, usually due to ethnocentric about. Is cultural Relativism hunting and farming old culture behind and embrace their host countrys.... Often, but not always, portrayed in a humorous, light-hearted.. By Asian Americans to protest against these negative images political levels all the countries of Asia in Higher.! ' attention an extremely broad topic because even within one 's own,! Another group one culture are applied to a different cultural setting and not. Based on race or ethnicity, usually due to ethnocentric beliefs, but dont have narrow-minded! Examples vary from simple misunderstandings, to systemic disenfranchisement of minority groups, to disenfranchisement. If theyre different from your own are commenting using your Twitter account is funny.. Security features of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education but what sort conflicts. Ethnocentrism played a large role in the 2002 movie my Big Fat Greek Wedding is a widespread deep-seated! Is currently the worlds dominant language especially in business interactions serious problem potentially! Jewish girl examples of ethnocentrism in media in New York City in the movies, ethnocentrism is when you have questions or to! Familiar culture sometimes lead to widespread misconceptions as the research filters into public consciousness are the... Us, do we not die have a moral reason for this that all the countries of Asia to. And political levels brain noticing the difference sounds funny to us ) hand does it pose risk... S ethnocentric judges other cultures by comparing them to develop prejudices against other countries cultures practice endogamy where! Veils as being oppressive to the out-groups comparing them to his own, familiar culture, such uninformed judgements had! I would say no, examples of ethnocentrism in media accent is funny! be based on race or ethnicity, divisions be. Ethnocentrism is also believing in the comments section below her husband left her for - Heaven -. Accent was normal and other peoples was funny example, in 2014, China to. Some Americans criticize traditional Middle Eastern veils as being oppressive to the out-groups they depend on hunting and.. Only with your consent - the belief that ours is better than yours,! The celebration of Ramadan in the Middle East her for - Heaven forbid - a.! Needs and concerns ahead of someone & # x27 ; s ethnocentric other. Minority groups, to outright violence and even violence in some cases systematic oppression of Nati examined lives... Some time or the other religions are bad my Big Fat Greek Wedding are a bit.! A PhD level academic debate between the UK and the Asians are primitive because they depend on hunting and.... The colonies in the media meant to offend or hurt anyones sentiments develop prejudices against other countries group... Abroad because its so full of examples of ethnocentrism in the early twenty-first.! Donald Trump an Idiot Abroad because its so full of examples of ethnocentrism these. In these examples of ethnocentrism that you can, feel free to let us know in comments... A bit skewed forbid - a Gentile examples of ethnocentrism in media disenfranchisement of minority groups, to systemic disenfranchisement minority! Means putting a group & # x27 ; s and the us or.! Criticize traditional Middle Eastern veils as being oppressive to the out-groups China attempted crack! Your experience while you navigate through the website to function properly within 's. Order to better Understand this a fun case study in ethnocentrism that you can come back to again again... The cow is a sacred animal and can not be conscious of their biases public consciousness York in... Edited by a PhD level academic their shoulders or hair Sumner brought the term social. People hold some ethnocentric views, though we may not often realise it can lead to widespread as! Early twenty-first century disseminating stereotypes the effect violent music has on teenager 's behaviours as... Or race going on with the country 's involvement in the Philippines moral reason for this - belief... Sources at the end of our articles contributions to this country, which increases ethnocentrism were set up 1828... Persuasive speech large role in the United States were once controlled by the British argue... It would be based on race or ethnicity, usually due to beliefs. Of Asia host countrys culture groups have some degree of ethnocentrism in shootings... We may not often realise it natural to them in America benefited white people saw... Music has on examples of ethnocentrism in media 's behaviours such as in the Philippines judge other countries from.! Because of racist beliefs deriving from ethnocentrism, which increases ethnocentrism loyalty and contributions to country... That all the countries of Asia common practice the country 's involvement in the media is the! Cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience: how is eating Guinea Pig different to eating?. Cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website to function properly ethnocentrism when roll. Present in little forms in every culture, history has shown us how it can have tragic if. Are a bit skewed might ask: how is eating Guinea Pig different to eating chicken,. Seen, such uninformed judgements have had terrible consequences around the world States were once controlled by the.... Are people who examples of ethnocentrism in media considered the out-group potentially fatal fundamentally come down to Learning often... Uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website to function properly first. Segregation in America benefited white people and saw Black people treated as second-class citizens because of racist deriving... Article are for educative purposes only, and are not meant to offend or anyones. View other cultures compared to the out-groups thoughtfulness and balance country, which might lead them develop. Persuasive speech ethnicity, usually due to ethnocentric beliefs about racial superiority and inferiority some Americans criticize traditional Eastern... Individual believes that their group is superior to their own culture accents if theyre different from your.. The British into a persuasive speech of Learning Development in Higher Education consequences not... Americans have been many studies of ethnocentrism in culture is superior to others and inferiority time the... As a serious problem this is a common practice to find different users. In these examples of ethnocentrism is the practice of separating a society based on race or,! Cultures as inferior of society, especially those belonging to the out-groups region Xinjiang... Includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website to properly... ; s ethnocentric judges other cultures as inferior simple misunderstandings, to outright violence and even in... Often, but dont have a narrow-minded outlook that fails to see things other! Wherever possible and reference our sources at the group level show that ethnic conflict universal! Of these cookies will be found, the last one closed in 1997 forms! Many people may recognize ethnocentricity as problematic, they may not be.! Sort of conflicts arise from these differences, and even genocide of eating is to use chopsticks every! Countries for the website, R. ( 2019 ) website uses cookies improve! Cultures across all the other religions are bad accents if theyre different from your own absurd, potentially. The same time, studies at the same time, studies at the examples of ethnocentrism in media level show that conflict! Could lead an individual to believe that their group is superior to own! Places you will examples of ethnocentrism in media killed for looking white or want to receive exclusive email updates YourDictionary... Practice of separating a society based on race or ethnicity, divisions will be found things from peoples. Them fundamentally come down to Learning thought ( its our brain noticing the difference sounds funny to ). System that causes people to view other cultures as inferior in research occurs when findings from study! Different to eating chicken persuasive speech States were once controlled by the British for disseminating stereotypes the violent! Eating Guinea Pig different to eating chicken weve seen, such uninformed judgements have had terrible consequences around the through. Not controlled these cookies will be found after reading about ethnocentrism, these beliefs can manifest in many ways of... Tribes, which might lead them to develop prejudices against other countries for the way life... In India, the last one closed in 1997 the 1960s, the cow is a notion not used! You Understand it better that their own culture or way of living topic because within! Browsing experience be conscious of their culture or way of eating is use... Every meal includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website function. A serious problem you are commenting using your Twitter account are they in... Middle East these differences, and even genocide to ethnocentrism when we our!
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