ethnocentrism

ethnocentrism
ethnocentric, adj.ethnocentrically, adv.ethnocentricity /eth'noh sen tris"i tee/, n.
/eth'noh sen"triz euhm/, n.
1. Sociol. the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.
2. a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one's own.
[1905-10; ETHNO- + CENT(E)R + -ISM]

* * *

Tendency to interpret or evaluate other cultures in terms of one's own.

Generally considered a human universal, it is evident in the widespread practice of labeling outsiders as "savages" or "barbarians" simply because their societies differ from those of the dominant culture. Early anthropologists often reflected this tendency, as did Sir John Lubbock, who characterized all nonliterate peoples as being without religion, and Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, who found them to have a "prelogical mentality" because their worldview was unlike that of western Europe. The opposite of ethnocentrism is cultural relativism, the understanding of cultural phenomena within the context in which they occur.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ethnocentrism — is the tendency to believe that one s ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one s own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular… …   Wikipedia

  • ethnocentrism — n. 1. belief in the superiority of one s own ethnic group. [WordNet sense 1] [WordNet 1.5] 2. a tendency to evaluate other people, activities, cultures, etc. primarily from the perspective of one s own as being superior. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ethnocentrism — [eth΄nō sen′triz΄əm, eth΄nəsen′triz΄əm] n. [ ETHNO + CENTR(O) + ISM] the belief that one s own ethnic group, nation, or culture is superior ethnocentric adj. ethnocentrically adv …   English World dictionary

  • Ethnocentrism — the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one s own culture. It is defined as the viewpoint that one’s own group is the center of everything (better than all other cultures), against which all other groups are judged.… …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • ethnocentrism — ethnocentric ► ADJECTIVE ▪ evaluating other cultures according to the preconceptions of one s own. DERIVATIVES ethnocentrically adverb ethnocentricity noun ethnocentrism noun …   English terms dictionary

  • ethnocentrism — noun see ethnocentric …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ethnocentrism — noun /ˈɛθ.nəʊˌsɛn.tɹɪzm̩/ The tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of ones own culture …   Wiktionary

  • ethnocentrism — The tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and standards of one s own ethnic group, especially with the conviction that one s own ethnic group is superior to the other groups. [G. ethnos, race, tribe, + kentron, center of a… …   Medical dictionary

  • ethnocentrism — ethnocentricism …   Dictionary of sociology

  • ethnocentrism — n. tendency to view one s own ethnic group as superior to others, giving preference according to ethnic background …   English contemporary dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”