Writer and activist Audra Lorde once said, “It’s not our differences that divide us, it’s our inability to recognize, celebrate and accept those differences.” Households, communities, cities, states, and countries all contain both shared values and ideals along with diversity that makes up their culture. People are social beings and adopt many of their values from the environment they grow up in. Those values affect behavior and that behavior makes up their culture. It’s normal for a young person to think that their culture is the norm if that is what they have grown up knowing. However as a child grows, it’s important to have an awareness that there are other cultures than one’s own. Adopting this outlook will help avoid ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is, “an exaggerated tendency to think the characteristics of one’s own group or race is superior to those of other groups or races” (Drever, 1952, p. 86). Understanding what ethnocentrism is, understanding the ethnocentric tendencies in your own culture, and growing your own cultural awareness will help avoid falling into the mindset that you are the “right” culture.
Yesterday hundreds of thousands of women marched around the world for women’s rights and equality. As people took to social media to show their support and solidarity there was an article that that questioned Muslim women’s rights. In short, the article was asking the question, “Is wearing the burqa, hijab, and Niqab oppressive to women? The question asked, as people fight for women’s rights, where should the line be drawn on oppression or religious freedom?” This is not a new debate, however if not careful, one can fall into the category of becoming ethnocentric. Why would any strong, independent, powerful woman support a seemingly oppressive religion? The article asked.
One strong, powerful, independent Muslim woman stood up to her school, and the rest of the ethnocentric world to fight for her right of religious freedom. As reported in The Telegraph, she was told she was not allowed to wear her niqab, saying it violated their school’s healthy, safe learning environment dress code. This brave, 16 year old went on to educate her school’s administration and fellow pupils on her cultural choice. Stating, “I genuinely like wearing it. It makes me feel put together and confident in a weird way. Maybe because it does take a certain level of courage to visibly separate yourself from normal society. To start wearing a hijab I had to stop caring about what other people thought and now I can be proud of that.” She explained that in some parts of the world wearing the niqab is forced by men or the country and that she agrees is oppressive. However she goes on to say, ““I control if I want to use hijab pins, rhinestones, lace, or brooches. When I will wear it, how I will tie it. When I choose to take it off. It is my right. Also I will choose why I wear it. Not wear it because someone told me to. These points combined promote feminism within women. If women can choose why and how, they are exercising basic rights. You decide if you want to, decide why, decide how.” She concludes that she must do what God tells her to do. After she explained herself many people viewed her culture and choice in a different light. Assuming that this young woman’s culture is inherently wrong without learning about her culture outside of your own assumptions is what leads to ethnocentrism.
Traveling to other cultures is not a requirement of avoiding ethnocentrism. Understanding what ethnocentrism is, and being aware of the ethnocentric tendencies in your own culture will allow for a greater cultural awareness without traveling far. In the United States one of the most obvious examples of ethnocentrism was segregation. Blacks were not allowed to drink from the same water fountain, forced to sit in the back of buses and were not given the same rights and opportunities based on their skin color. They were separated based upon assumptions from the white culture that their culture was less than and therefore needed to be separated. The United States is still healing and growing from this ethnocentric time in history. As people step out of their comfort zones, learn about other people’s beliefs and cultures, and truly listen, the United States can grow to a greater, more diverse and accepting nation. When people listen, they can learn, and reach a greater level of understanding.
Sources
Sanghani, R. (n.d). Feminism, Fashion and religion: Why Muslim Women choose to wear the Veil.
PSU. (2017). Penn State University World Campus . Retrieved 1 21, 2017, from psu.edu: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1826457/modules/items/21654085
Edited: Ethnocentrism is particularly dangerous when traveling to other parts of the world other than your own. For the life of me, I have never understood how others feel the need to dictate to others their religion, beliefs, mores, etc. The only way that I think nations and individuals should interfere with another’s way of applying their culture is in the case of human rights violations. Wearing a burqua or a hijab should be solely up to an individual and those refuting it are curtailing an individual’s rights to practice their religion and belief system. I would much rather women dress in a decent manner, as opposed to otherwise. When women wear burquas and hijabs I quite frankly am impressed with their level of commitment to their culture than not.
Ethnocentrism is particular dangerous when traveling to other parts of the world other than your own. For the life of me, I have never understood how others feel the need to dictate to others their religion, beliefs, mores, etc. The only way that I think nations and individuals should interfere with another’s way of applying their culture is in the case of human rights violations. Wearing a burqua or a hijab should be solely up to an individual and those refuting it are cutailing aN individuals rights to practice their religion and belief system. I would much rather women dress in a decent manner, as opposed to otherwise. When women wear burquas and hijabs I quite frankly am impressed with their level of commitment to their culture than not.