That is, individuals tend to judge others behaviors, customs, beliefs, and attitudes by their own cultural standards. Ethnocentrism definition of ethnocentrism by merriamwebster. Classic definition of ethnocentrism as a feeling of superiority regarding ones own culture or way of life. For example, when sumner 1906 introduced the term ethnocentrism, he literally meant.
The branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical problems. W e would also like to thank ch ristopher green for. Epistemology, ethnocentrism, scientific racism, prejudice, culture acknowledgements. Theories of ethnocentrism can be broadly categorized according to what they perceive to be the main cause of ethnocentrism. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups related to his particular ethnic group or culture especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion. The tendency to interpret human behaviour from the viewpoint of our own ethnic, social or other group. Its the belief that ones ethnic group is superior to another. Ethnocentrism is a nearly universal syndrome of attitudes and behaviors, typically including ingroup favoritism hammond and axelrod 2006. This article is part of a sshrc funded research program on the history and theory of the concept of race and racism in psychology. Now, ethnocentric thinking is born, in the most basic form, from the belief in a useful quality in every persons culture. A belief in the superiority of ones own ethnic and cultural group myers, 1993, p. Dealing with a violent past while building peace pp. Ethnocentrism is not clearly defined in the nursing literature and use of the term is vague and ambiguous.
Find ethnocentrism lesson plans and teaching resources. List of books and articles about ethnocentrism online. Ethnocentrism article about ethnocentrism by the free. These aspects or categories are distinctions that define each ethnicitys unique cultural identity. Ethnocentrism is the belief of superiority is ones personal ethnic group, but it can also develop from racial or religious differences. Ethnocentrism is the view that ones own culture is better than anyone elses culture. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Ethnocentrism is a major factor in the divisions among members of different ethnicities, races, and religious groups. Barrons ap psychology, 5th edition long branch public schools. A tendency to malign and reject another ethnic group while glorifying your own. What do the following studies tell us about ethnocentrism. For example, in a diverse group, members may judge some behaviors inaccurately based on perceived assumptions about the group which the person is. Positive psychology, ethnocentrism, and the disguised. Besides these two explicit manifestations of ethnocentrism, a hidden one is analyzed, which expresses itself in terms of exclusion or disregard of non.
Two years later, after careful cultivation and creative collaboration, it has become a viable organism, with a name. Ethnocentrism, the belief that ones culture for example, ethnic, racial is. The book begins with a diagnostic test to help you gauge how best to prepare for. Booth is a senior research associate and former professor at aberystwyth university. What is ethnocentrism a bias defined as the tendency or disposition to judge other ethnic groups, culture, nations or societies by the standards and customs of ones own this normally refers to teh tendency to draw universal conclusions about normal psychological functioning on the basis of studies carried out within a single culture. Theories of conflict, ethnic attitudes, and group behavior. Ethnocentrism definition is the attitude that ones own group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior to others. Theories of ethnocentrism and their implications for.
In fact, these assumptions we make about others experience can involve false negative judgments, reflected in the common definition of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism definition, the belief in the inherent superiority of ones own ethnic group or culture. It is an illogical looking down on others without prior understanding of the culture or person. We tell our children to be the best students and athletes they can be.
While ethnocentrism is a positive feeling focused on self, prejudice is a negative feeling about others. A fellow of the british academy,booths profile on their website describes his principle scholarly field as the strategic aspects of international relations and his role in establishing the new field of critical security studies. This is, possibly, the single easiest link to a prompt is the history of ap psychology. These are threat perceptions, the need for selfaggrandizement, preference for those who are similar over those who are different, proneness to cognitive simplicity, broad social factors, such as social norms and. Ethnocentrism journal of social and political psychopen. Hammond department of political science university of michigan, ann arbor robert axelrod gerald r. The influence of ethnocentrism in organizational contexts. Ethnocentric bias also known as ethnocentrism occurs when perceptions of others are influenced by the culture of ones own ethnic group. Ford school of public policy university of michigan, ann arbor ethnocentrism is a nearly universal syndrome of attitudes and behaviors, typically including ingroup favoritism.
Ethnocentrism means that one may see hisher own culture as the correct way of living. Ethnocentrism is a belief that your society, group, or culture is superior to all others. Mccroskey this paper presents the results of two studies that examine the influence of ethnocentrism. This article utilizes the walker and avant method of concept analysis to clarify the meaning of ethnocentrism resulting in a new definition.
Cite the definition of ethnocentrism definition of ethnocentrism noun the tendency to view your own society or culture as superior and the standard by which other societies and cultures are judged. As a practice, it consists of evaluating other cultures from the perspective of ones own. Although his explicit definitions of ethnocentrism were specific, his descriptions. Psychology and white ethnocentrism kevin macdonald while growing up i would often read accounts of european heroes who had battled for their people and for great causes. Ethnocentrism definition ethnocentrism is the tendency to view the world through the lens of ones own culture. This introduction to psychology project began with a germ of an idea. It is looking at outgroups and judging them based on the norms and standards of one particular culture. Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values of ones own culture.
Ethnocentric definition of ethnocentric by merriamwebster. It is coupled with a generalized contempt for members of other groups. Ethnocentrism is one of sociologys distinctive concepts. A bias is a form of mental deception that alters our perceptions of the environment and other people.
Dynamic theories number 24, 2008 239 and campbell 1972 suggested that the term ethnocentrism is a relationship of group. Very often this means that differences in groups e. Fill out the check list distributed in class and linked below to determine how ethnocentric you are. Ken booth fba is a international relations and security theorist. In psychology, what is the meaning of ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism may manifest itself in attitudes of superiority or sometimes hostility. Ethnocentrism is a type of bias which occurs when the researcher lets their own cultural preconceptions affect their conclusion of the research. Ethnocentrism is used in social sciences and anthropology to describe the act of judging another culture and believing that the values and standards of ones own culture are superior especially with regard to language, behavior, customs, and religion. Ethnocentrism cultural anthropology lumen learning. Just as egocentrism is a sense of selfsuperiority, so ethnocentrism is the parallel tendency to judge ones group as superior to other groups. The evolution of ethnocentrism university of michigan. Ethnocentrism as a form of intuition in psychology.
Ethnocentrism is a fundamental concept in psychology, but also in other social sciences. Although ethnocentrism is sometimes used to refer to a wide range of discriminatory behaviors, we will focus on ethnocentric behavior defined as ingroup favoritism. You are going to study behavior and mental processes in scientific ways. Information and translations of ethnocentrism in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. A presentation summary based on the book from matsumoto, d. This is known as ethnocentrism the use of ones own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors. Ethnocentrism example of ethnocentrism a person hearing voices is interpreted as a clinical symptom of schizophrenia in north america and europe, but is seen as a gift in some other societies as they believe it is god or ancestors communicating with the. The author draws on literature from anthropology, sociology, psychology. Description of ethnocentrism this refers to the belief that ones own group eg. The study of ethnocentrism, stereotype and prejudice. Ethnocentric individuals believe theyre better than other individuals for reasons based. Ethnocentrism is the term anthropologists use to describe the opinion that ones own way of life is natural or correct. For example, kinder and kam 2009 begin their recent book on ethnocentrism. William graham sumner coined the term ethnocentrism in 1906.
William sumner said it best when he described ethnocentrism as the technical name for this view of things in which ones own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it sumner, 1906. This definition is consistent with research in anthropology and psychology that differentiates, both empirically and causally. Comprehension of this concept is a major step in the acquisition of a sociological outlook. William wallace, robert bruce and the scots against the english, sir francis drake leading the battle against the spanish armada, charles martel and. Pdf theories of ethnocentrism and their implications for. Ethnocentrism might seem similar to ethnic pride, which is having pride for your culture and values, but there is a very fine line separating the two. Ethnocentrism means that one may see hisher own culture as the correct way. Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own cultural or ethnic group is superior to other cultural or ethnic groups.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ethnocentrism is one of the fundamental concepts in psychology and the social sciences. For example, western and eastern cultures have many differences, so a piece of research could be inter. Ethnocentric individuals believe that they are better than other individuals for reasons based solely on their heritage. Perceptions of interviewee and managerial attractiveness, credibility, and effectiveness james w.
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