Ethnocentrism is judging another
culture solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture. Ethnocentric
individuals judge other groups relative to their own ethnic group or culture,
especially with concern for language, behavior, customs, and religion.
Example:
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For example, Michael
Jackson and his series of plastic surgeries had made people thinking the wrong
stuff about him. Public thinks that Michael Jackson is stupid and dumb because
he has changed his face from a black man to a white lady. He has a female voice
and a female face. People believe from their own point of views and assumptions
that Michael is gay. But the truth is Michael Jackson did series of surgeries
to poetry a specific character in his movies and albums. Since he had money it
was easy for him to transform himself. The second reason was his skin disease,
which was causing the skin to turn white at some spots. Michael took females
hormones to save the voice that his audiences like. The female hormones kept
his voice from changing, so his voice still was soft like that of a kid. People
made a generalization from their own point of view that any man who has female
characteristics could be gay. People are ethnocentric when they judged him in
this way.
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Tom Cruise brags
about Scientology. He insists that Scientology has all of the answers. He
states that Scientologist‘s are the experts on mind and religion and that only they
can help people in need. Tom is being ethnocentric in this video because he is
expressing Scientology from his celebrity point of view.
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When the supreme
court judge nominee Sonia Sotomayor made a comment on her speeches and she
said: ― I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her
experience would often than not reach a better conclusion as a judge than a
white male who hasn‘t lived that life‖. Sotomayor's comments can be considered both, racist and ethnocentric.
Her comments are racist because she thinks Latino woman is better or superior to
white males. Her comments are ethnocentric because she thinks that her
experience comes from the superior life that she has lived and grown up with.
She is implying that the experience the white man gets from his way of life
will not help him reach a better conclusion.
On the other hand, the term xenocentrism refers to the desire to engage
in the elements of another's culture rather than one's own. Styles, ideas, and
products can all be items of preference by someone with xenocentrist viewpoints.
Some Examples of Xenocentrism:
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Americans' belief
that European's produce superior automotive vehicles
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European Renaissance
artists desire to emulate ancient Greek artwork
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Americans believe
that French or Spanish wine is superior to what is produced by American vineyards
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The belief that
cheeses in France are far superior to those in the United States
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The concept that the
quality of Ireland's beer is far superior to that produced domestically
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Coveting the culture
of another country such as in Central America where the workday is set up far
differently than in the United States
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The belief that the
way of the dress by another culture is significantly superior and that those
within one's native country should adopt that same dress
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The belief that other
countries produce better children's toys
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the concept that a
quality product can't be purchased in one's native country
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The idea that cloth
to make clothes is better produced by other nations