Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism (/ɛθnoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm/; from the Greek ethnos, meaning "nation" or "people," and the English centrism, from the Latin centrum, meaning "center") is the act of judging another culture based on preconceptions that are found in the values and standards of one's own culture.
Etymology
The term "ethnocentrism" was coined by William Graham Sumner, a social evolutionist and professor of Political and Social Science at Yale University. He defined it as the viewpoint that "one’s own group is the center of everything," against which all other groups are judged.
Definition
Ethnocentrism often entails the belief that one's own race or ethnic group is the most important and/or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. Within this ideology, individuals will judge other groups in relation to their own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion.
Related Terms
- Cultural Relativism: This is the principle of regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself. It is in direct contrast to ethnocentrism.
- Xenocentrism: This is the preference for the products, styles, ideas, or culture of someone else's society rather than of one's own.
- Afrocentrism: This is a worldview that emphasizes the importance of African people, taken as a single group and often equated with black people, in culture, philosophy, and history.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Ethnocentrism
- Wikipedia's article - Ethnocentrism
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