Cultural relativism is about understanding the knowledge, values and behaviour of people or other culture within the context of one’s own culture. It is all about the ability of one person to gain an insight of other culture on their own terms in the absence of using the standard of one owns culture by not making judgement. Since the concept of cultural relativism upholds and recognizes the linkage between the trend, social structure and everyday lives of individual, it is regarded as the fundamental sociological concept. Cultural relativism was observed as an important tool in the early social science context that pushed back the ethnocentrism which is the practice of judging and viewing the culture of others based on the beliefs and values of oneself. Individuals are said to be engaged in the cultural relativism when different cultures of world are recognized to have their own values, beliefs and practices that have been developed in different contexts such as political, social, historical, ecological and material and thereby there can be difference between the cultures and non-culture are considered to be bad or good and right or wrong. Moreover, certain hope is provided by cross cultural relationship that the discovery of new opportunities would be threatening at the same time.
The objective of cultural relativism is to promote the understanding of other group or class of people culture. When compared to the systems of politics, law and morality, all the cultures are treated with equality and there is no culture that is considered to be superior to other culture by using the perception of cultural relativism. With the help of this concept, the meanings of values and cultural norms are derived within a particular social context. The concept presented by cultural relativism also indicates the fact that any opinion formed by the person on ethics within their particular culture is subjected to each person perspective. This has the implication that the ethical system cannot be regarded as right or wrong. The basis of judgement and decisions made by the individual in the society about what is wrong and right is dependent on the idea that there is absolute no standard for evil and good.
There are two different categories introduced by cultural relativism that comprised of critical and absolute. Absolute is about all the events happening within the culture which the outsiders are not supposed to question and critical on other hand are the creation of questions that pertains to culture in terms of why and the people who are accepting such questions. There are several cultures displaying absolute relativism such as China and Africa such as practice of foot binding and female genital cutting.
Furthermore, it is essential to concede the matters of cultural relativism as it helps in recognizing the facts that shapes the culture such as appealing, beautiful, ugly, abhorrent, funny and virtuous. The consideration of the things such as bad or good art or tacky or tasteful consumer goods, film and music is shaped when one takes into account cultural relativism. Such variation is within the context of large society and not just in national culture terms along with subcultures and cultures organized by sexuality, race, class, ethnicity, religion and region.
Some of the examples of cultural relativism are explained below:
The process of feet binding in the Chinese culture can be seen as cultural relativism and the binding of foot was intended to stop foot growth and make them smaller. In this process, foot of four and seven years old would be wrapped with ten foot bandage that forces the toes to go under the foot. Such practice was done because small feet was considered as the symbol of status and were seen as beautiful. However, the practice was banned in year 1912 but the women still continued to perform it. The idea of feet binding was seemed to be tortuous and the western culture looked down upon such practice.
There is a wide variation in the constituents of breakfast from place to place and such variation is attributable to cultural relativism. The typical breakfast in US or Japan is different from the typical breakfast in Turkey. For some place, it is perfectly normal to have stewed vegetables or fish soup and in place such as United States, it might be strange to have such food in breakfast. Contrary to this, compared to other cultures it might seem quite bizarre about the tendency to have preference for egg sandwiches loaded with bacon or cereals or sugary milk.
Another example that can be explained for explaining cultural relativism is the wide variation in the rule regulating nudity around the world. Nudity in United States is framed as thing that is inherently sexual and might be interpreted as sexual signal in the public. On other hand, in other places around the world, being partially nude or completely nude in public whether in parks, beaches and swimming pools is considered to be the normal part of life.
It is believed by the cultural relativist that all the cultures are of equal value and they are worthy in their own right. All the cultures for defining human existence are considered to be equally legitimate expressions and the relation of cultural relativism is close to ethical relativism where the truth is not viewed as absolute rather, it is viewed as variable.
There are some challenges associated with cultural relativism that comes with the major consequences. A good judgement formed by individual can be hindered by cultural relativism. It is so because there is issues in assessing the right or wrong behaviour of the person belonging to other culture. The summary concerning the consequence of motivating culture relativism can be quite succinct because it might lead to forging cohesive culture. It would further be accompanied by demotivating the other cultures understanding. In addition to this, the assumption of the preferences based on absolute rational standard is warned by the cultural relativism about the associated danger.
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