What is ETHNOCENTRISM?? | Anthropology Student Explains | Cultural Anthropology | Definitions
Summary
TLDRThis educational video delves into the concept of ethnocentrism, defining it as the evaluation of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards. The presenter illustrates the negative impact of ethnocentrism through a small-scale example of differing eating utensils between Asian and American cultures, and a large-scale example of the persecution of Jews by Hitler during WWII. The video emphasizes the importance of recognizing and challenging ethnocentric views to promote cultural understanding and respect.
Takeaways
- 📚 The video provides a beginner's guide to understanding ethnocentrism.
- 🔍 Ethnocentrism is defined as evaluating other cultures based on one's own cultural standards and customs.
- 🌐 It implies a belief that one's own culture is superior to others.
- 🥢 A small-scale example given is the use of chopsticks in Asian cultures versus forks in the United States, illustrating how ethnocentrism can manifest in everyday practices.
- ❌ Ethnocentrism is criticized for being a harmful perspective that can lead to the devaluation of other cultures.
- 🌍 A large-scale, historical example is the persecution of Jews by Hitler during World War II, showing the extreme consequences of ethnocentrism.
- 🙅♂️ The speaker emphasizes that ethnocentrism is widely accepted as wrong and should never be repeated.
- 🚫 Ethnocentrism can lead to harmful actions such as mass executions, land seizures, or other forms of oppression based on cultural superiority.
- 🤔 The video encourages viewers to reflect on their own cultural biases and to challenge ethnocentric views.
- 📖 The speaker invites viewers to share their examples, books, or recommendations to further educate themselves and others on the topic.
- 🙌 The video concludes with a message of education, safety during the pandemic, and well-wishes for the new year.
Q & A
What is the basic definition of ethnocentrism as mentioned in the script?
-Ethnocentrism is the evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture, essentially viewing one's culture as the more correct way of life.
Why is ethnocentrism considered a negative concept?
-Ethnocentrism is considered negative because it involves judging other cultures as inferior based on one's own cultural standards, which can lead to discrimination, prejudice, and even violence against those who are perceived as different.
What is an example of ethnocentrism on a smaller scale mentioned in the script?
-A smaller scale example of ethnocentrism mentioned is the preference for using forks in the United States over chopsticks, which are commonly used in Asian cultures, and the belief that one's utensil is more proper or natural.
How does the script relate the use of eating utensils to ethnocentrism?
-The script uses the example of eating utensils to illustrate ethnocentrism by showing how people might judge others for using different tools based on their cultural norms, without recognizing that both methods are equally valid.
What is the larger scale example of ethnocentrism discussed in the script?
-The larger scale example of ethnocentrism discussed is the persecution of Jews by Hitler during World War II, where he believed his race was superior and justified mass executions based on this belief.
Why is the example of Hitler's actions during World War II significant in the context of ethnocentrism?
-Hitler's actions are significant because they demonstrate the extreme consequences of ethnocentrism, where the belief in one's cultural superiority led to mass atrocities and genocide.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Ethnocentrism
The video script begins with a reference to a previous video on cultural anthropology, suggesting viewers watch it for more context. The main focus of this script is to explain the concept of ethnocentrism. The speaker provides a basic definition of ethnocentrism as the evaluation of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards and customs, essentially viewing one's culture as superior. The speaker then promises to delve deeper into the concept with examples that illustrate both small-scale and large-scale manifestations of ethnocentrism.
🥢 Small-Scale Ethnocentrism: Chopsticks vs. Cutlery
In this section, the speaker presents a small-scale example of ethnocentrism by comparing the use of chopsticks in Asian cultures with the use of forks, knives, and spoons in the United States. The speaker points out that while the difference in eating utensils is not significant in itself, ethnocentrism arises when one culture deems its method of eating as more proper or natural than the other, thus implying superiority.
⚔️ Large-Scale Ethnocentrism: The Holocaust
The speaker then discusses a large-scale and historically significant example of ethnocentrism: the persecution of Jews by Hitler during World War II. This example is used to highlight the extreme consequences of ethnocentrism when it leads to actions based on the belief in the superiority of one's own race or culture. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing ethnocentrism as not only a harmful mindset but also as a catalyst for grave injustices.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cultural Anthropology
💡Ethnocentrism
💡Preconceptions
💡Chopsticks
💡Forks
💡World War II
💡Nazis
Highlights
Introduction to a beginner's guide to cultural anthropology with a link provided for further interest.
Exploration of ethnocentrism with a basic definition and a plan to break it down with examples.
Definition of ethnocentrism as the evaluation of other cultures based on one's own cultural standards and customs.
Clarification that ethnocentrism involves viewing one's culture as superior to others.
Small-scale example of ethnocentrism involving the use of chopsticks versus forks and knives.
Discussion on the inappropriateness of ethnocentrism when it leads to the belief in the superiority of one eating utensil over another.
Introduction of a larger-scale example of ethnocentrism related to World War II and the persecution of Jews by Hitler.
Explanation of how Hitler's actions were a manifestation of ethnocentrism, viewing his race as superior and justifying mass executions.
Emphasis on the importance of recognizing ethnocentrism as not only a belief but also as actions that can lead to severe consequences.
Highlighting the dangers of ethnocentrism when it results in harmful actions against other cultures or people.
Encouragement for viewers to share their own examples or recommendations for further learning about ethnocentrism.
Expression of gratitude for watching and an emphasis on the importance of education in understanding cultural differences.
A reminder to stay safe during the pandemic and well-wishes for the new year.
Closing with a sign-off and music, indicating the end of the video.
Transcripts
okay so last week i did a super cool
video on a beginner's guide to cultural
anthropology if you're interested i'll
have it linked but
let's be honest that's not why you're
here today you're here to learn about
what ethnocentrism is i'm going to start
with a basic definition that you would
look up and then break it down in two
examples one smaller scale one
bigger scale so the google like
definition that you're gonna find is
this evaluation of other cultures
according to preconceptions originating
in the standards and customs of one's
own culture basically what that means if
i'm gonna
translate it into some english here is
that you're seeing
your culture as the more correct way of
life what it says here in not so many
words is that there's a big
comparison happening you're saying that
your culture is better than other
cultures because of the standards that
you understand as normal
set forth by your culture or where you
live so now i'm going to give you some
examples as to why
ethnocentrism isn't really a good thing
first with a smaller scale example
asian cultures around the world are
known for using chopsticks
and where i live in the united states we
use forks knives spoons
for meals different meals yeah
now in the grand scheme of things this
doesn't really matter we eat our food
with different utensils
so what but the moment that
ethnocentrism comes into the picture is
when you decide to say
oh it's more proper or more natural or
makes more sense to use a fork for this
and not a chopstick for this or vice
versa
oh it's it's more correct to use a
chopstick for
this meal so now let's talk about the
bigger example that's probably the most
applicable and most
people have heard of so any world war ii
history fanatics out there
i'm sure or just anyone is probably
familiar with
the persecution of the jews by hitler
during world war
ii now this is widely accepted as wrong
hopefully should absolutely never happen
again with different people
or different cultures but the reason
that this is ethnocentrism
is because hitler decided that his nazi
race was better than
the jewish people he decided that
because his way of life or his genetic
information
was more natural it was okay for him to
carry out mass executions of people who
were less than him
this example of ethnocentrism is
extremely important because you not only
see ethnocentrism
happening in a particular community but
you're seeing someone do something about
it and that is
no go very bad you do not want to say my
culture is better than yours therefore
let me
do this to you or decide that i'm better
than you or
take your land take your whatever like
that's just not okay so i hope these two
examples on the smaller scale and the
larger scale were helpful in your
understanding of what ethnocentrism
really is
if you have any other examples that you
would like to share with me or any books
or honestly any recommendation
in the world please let me know because
i love educating myself the whole reason
i do this is to educate
other people so with all that said thank
you so much for watching i hope you're
having a great day and staying safe
during this
pandemic happy new year peace out bye
[Music]
you
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