Managing the Ethnocentric Minds of the World

It is wondrous, really, how this world is made up of so many different people belonging to different races or ethnicities. Color, language, culture, appearance, values― all these factors come together to group people based upon the aforementioned. There’s nothing wrong with ethnicity, to be honest. It just means a group of people practicing or following the same culture. However, what happens when ethnocentrism takes over? Ethnocentrism is believing in the superiority of one’s ethnic group (Penn State; 2017).  Even though it sounds like ethnocentrism is bad, ethnocentrism has positive and negative qualities. For a minority group in oppressive conditions, ethnocentrism enables the group to create and sustain an identity over extended periods of time. The downside of ethnocentrism is that it causes a people from an ethnic group to look down on those who are from other ethnic groups. Psychology tells us about the concept of in-groups and out-groups, where one tends to agree with the beliefs and actions of one’s in-group (such as race, religion, or ethnicity, for example) and judge or have biased opinions about the out-groups (Myers; pg. 461). ”Compared with the narrow path taken by flies, fishes and foxes, the road along which environment drives us is wider. The mark of our species – nature’s great gift to us- is our ability to learn and adapt.  We come equipped with a huge cerebral hard drive ready to receive cultural software” (Myers; pg. 463). Ethnocentrism is thus the tendency to consider one’s own culture or race to be superior over all others (Penn State; 2017). Though it is present in little forms in every culture, history has shown us how it can have tragic consequences if not controlled. 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. “Learning to manage cultural differences is a means for all persons to become more global in their outlook and behavior, as well as more effective personally and professionally” (Moran, Remington Abramson & Moran; pg. 32)

It is true that we’re all ethnocentric sometime or the other in our lives, without even realizing it. For instance, if we see someone dressed according to a style we don’t follow, we immediately develop a biased judgment against them. “God, what is he/she wearing? It’s clear he/she has no sense of fashion.” In an instance as small as this, we tend to immediately conclude that the person we’re judging has a bad fashion taste, and we’re much better than him/her.  Another example of ethnocentric behavior would be if a tourist on a holiday judges the destination based upon his comparison with his native place. “Look how dirty this country is! They should just see MY country. No wonder this place is so underdeveloped and backward!” In this instance, the tourist developed a biased judgment of the destination based upon his opinion of his own country. Maybe if he had stopped to think of the poverty rates of his tourist spot, or the dwindling economy, or even the history of that place which was different from his own culture, he wouldn’t have immediately deemed it to be inferior. Food, or rather, cuisines, can also become a source of ethnocentrism. Very often, people tend to praise the type of food that they eat, and put down the cuisines that do not seem very appealing to them, deeming the other cuisines to be very inferior to their own.

Ethnocentrism does not necessarily have to be negative; in fact, it does have its share of advantages. “The first step to managing cultural difference effectively is increasing one’s general cultural awareness” (Moran, Remington Abramson & Moran; pg. 25). Advantages of Ethnocentrism can include generating pride and self-confidence among the people of a group, about the group, themselves, and each other. Defining social standards and the behavior that a group is expected to follow, thus maintaining uniformity among the people. Ethnocentrism, if kept in check, cannot harm the society. “Culturally skilled leaders are essential for the effective management of emerging global corporations as well as for the furtherance of mutually beneficial world trade and exchange” (Moran, Remington Abramson & Moran; pg. 32). Only when it goes out of hand does it pose any risk to other members of society, especially those belonging to the out-groups.

References

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism – Boundless Open Textbook. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/culture-3/culture-and-society-29/ethnocentrism-and-cultural-relativism-186-4770/

Moran, R. T., Ph. D., Remington Abramson, N., Ph. D., & Moran, S. V., MA. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). London: Routledge.

Myers, D. G. (2008). Exploring Psychology. New York: Worth.

Pennsylvania State University (2017). Leadership in a Global Context – Introduction to Culture, Ethnocentrism. OLEAD 410. Online course lesson, Penn State World Campus, The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved January 18, 2017, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1826457/modules/items/21654085