Why is ethnocentrism wrong

People from any and every ethnic group can be ethnocentric. When we encounter it, especially from those we consider our brothers and sisters, we are often unprepared for it.

When we do encounter it, our feelings can be hurt. So, as we think about traveling abroad, it is good for us to recognize that non-Americans may evaluate some of our cherished ways of doing things as wrong, not just different. When this happens, please be prepared to respond in a gracious and patient manner.

One good thing that comes out of this when it happens to us is that it makes us more sensitive to how it feels. This encourages us to strive to not be ethnocentric. The Problem of Ethnocentrism. February 22, Posted in Contextualization.

To monitor their progress toward a destination, travelers in the U. For thousands of years, European travelers have depended on numbered "milestones" to mark progress toward their destination. Cultural awareness is more than just realizing that another culture is different from ours. Good cultural awareness includes learning to value that other society and respecting its cultural boundaries. So, how do we get to that point?

Here are some milestones usually encountered in the journey toward authentic cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding:. Destination: Embracing the joy of multiculturalism and cross-cultural understanding. To invite people to make the journey to cross-cultural understanding is not asking them to embrace an uncritical relativism.

Superficial cultural relativism trivializes differences and can even gloss over evil. For instance, an occasional misguided anthropologist has denounced attempts by others to get tribal groups to move away from cannibalism "it is, after all their way".

As we consider whether to embark on this journey that will bridge cultural differences, we must not be deterred simply because some who have fervently preached "diversity" did so because they had hidden -- and not so hidden -- "agendas" to advance. The road to cross-cultural understanding will not always be easy. There will be misunderstandings. There will be clashes of priorities and even deep differences of opinion.

Those must not be allowed to lessen the delights awaiting us at the end of this path. To him, ethnocentrism is inevitable. It comes about naturally when a group of people share lives together till they develop a likeness among themselves in the way they relate to each other, in their language, in their values and other areas. In a nutshell, social interaction gives rise to ethnocentrism.

When linking ethnocentrism with social problems such as war, slavery and exploitation, Charon said that the former may encourage the latter, but it is also true that social problems give rise to ethnocentrism as well. For example, the institution of slavery in many parts of the world was formed for economic gain, but it led to racism.

Even though it may cause external conflicts, it creates internal unity. It also makes individuals feel more certain about their beliefs.

Through providing individuals with a sense of belonging to a particular community, ethnocentrism enables social order. Societies need that kind of solidarity and order so as to continue Charon, Taking the example of Hitler and the Nazis again, after World War I, Hitler managed to unite the whole of Germany despite economic depression and low morale.

He took advantage of the feelings of nationalism and led them to become a powerful aggressor in World War II.

Another example is Singapore. Perhaps the best example to portray the good and bad of ethnocentrism is the bumiputra policy in Malaysia. On one hand, the policy highlights the special status of the Malays and gives them special privileges that other races do no get to enjoy. This builds a sense of solidarity among the Malay race and cements the loyalty of Malays towards the country. However, this policy has also led to racial tensions among other races, such as the demonstrations put up by the Indians who believe that the government is treating them unfairly and the offensive remarks made by an UMNO official about the Chinese.

And the different political parties are using this racial tension to advance their political interests.