ANTH 103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

February 8, 2007

Ethnocentrism: a mix of belief and feeling that your own way of life is desirable and superior to that of others

Usually a gut reaction

Often one's reaction is so deeply ingrained that one is not even explicitly aware that they feel this way

Generally one's reaction is emotionally driven, accompanied by such feelings as surprise, disgust, horror, amusement (the "collective yuck" response)

This reaction is not objective but evaluative

Cultural Relativism: The notion that people's values and customs must be understood in terms of the logic and values of the culture of which they are a part. Cultural relativism involves:

Having respect for other cultures: One should have respect for the beliefs, practices, and values of other cultures, no matter how different they are from one's own.

Suspending judgement: Since each culture has its own values and practices, anthropologists should remain neutral and not make value judgments about cultural differences.

Maintaining an objective approach in one's research: Since the study of customs and norms should be value-free, the appropriate role of the anthropologist is that of observer and recorder (rather than police-person or activist)

Universal human rights: the belief, first promoted by the U.N. in 1948, that all human beings, regardless of gender, skin color, ethnicity, or sexual, religious, or political preference, must be protected against more powerful people and institutions that attempt to harm them. A principal aim is to protects peoples' "bodily integrity" by banning such practices as slavery, murder, harsh labor, and torture.

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