DYNAMICS OF CULTURE not to make judgements using the
standards of one ' s own culture. it also
WHAT IS CULTURE?
leads to the view what no one culture is
Culture is an umbrella term which superior than another culture norms and
encompasses the social behavior, values derive that there is no absolute
institutions, and norms found in human standard of good or evil.
societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs,
Cultural Relativism is closely related to
arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits
ethical relativism, which view truth as
of the individuals in these groups. Culture is
variable and not absolute. What constitute
often originated from or attributed to a
right and wrong is determined solely by the
specific region or location. – Wikipedia
individual or by the society. Since truth is
Introduction into the Dynamics of not objective, there can be nno objective
Culture standard which applies to all cultures. No
The idea that people from different cultures one can say if someone else is right or
can have relationships that acknowledge, wrong, it is a matter of personal opinion,
respect and begin to understand each other and no society can pass judgement on
' s diverse lives. people with different another society. (Ladd, 1973)
backgrounds can help ecan help each other
see possibilities that they never thought
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
were there because of the limitations, or
OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
cultural proscription, posed by their own
traditions. this cross-cultural relationship
provides hope that new opportunities will be
HERE ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF
discovered but at the same time it is
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
threatening.
1. It is a system which promotes
The concept of cultural relativism was used
cooperation. Humanity is strong because
today was established as an analytic tool by
of the differences we all have no. every
German American anthropologist Franz
individual has a different perspective that is
Baos in the Early 20th Century.
based on their upbringing, experiences, and
CULTURAL RELATIVISM personal thoughts.
Cultural relativism is the ability to 2. It creates a society where equality is
understand a culture on its own terms and possible. In any society, people rise by
climbing on top of other people. it is a 7. Moral relativism can be excluded from
socially acceptable way of creating cultural relativism. Each culture can be
discrimination. treated as an individual under the theory of
cultural relativism. The moral codes of a
3. People can pursue a genuine interest.
culture can be defined and anexpectation
In the modern society, people are funneled
implemented that people follow it.
towards certain career options because of
their circumstances. if you can't afford to go 8. We can create personal moral codes
to college. then you pursue a vocational based on societal standards with ease.
career or some sort of entrepreneurship To determine if decision would be "right" or
instead of a career that requires a graduate "wrong", cultural relativism allows
degree. individuals to consult with the standards of
their society or culture. by consulting with
4. Respect is encouraged in a system of
the moral code of the culture, one question
cultural relativism. people come from
must be asked: does the action conform to
different cultures. they have different ideas.
the cultural moral code? if it does, then the
they pursue different definitions of success.
action is permitted.
each person is naturally given the right to
pursue life trough his/her own spec 9. It stops cultural conditioning. People
perspective and then learn from his/her tend to adapt their attitudes, thoughts, and
experience in a way that works best for beliefs to the people they are with on a
him/her. regular basis.
5. It preserves human cultures. Humanity
is a very diverse set of thoughts, traditions,
HERE ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF
ideas, and practices. many times, the
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
traditions of humanity are set aside so that a
set of standards can be appeased. 1. It creates a system that is fueled by
personal bias. every society has a certain
6. Cultural relativism creates a society
natural bias to it because of how humanity
without judgement. we are so trained to
operates. People tend to prefer to be with
judge other's in todays world that we don't
others who have similar thoughts and
even give it a second thought. looking at
feelings, so they segregate themselves into
someone and saying "Glad that isn't me, " is
neighborhoods, communities, and social
a judgement
groups that share specific perspectives.
2. It would create chaos. People who can exclusionary. This inclusion is reflected in
follow their own moral code because there the laws and costums of the culture.
is no "wrong" or "right" would be allowed to
7. It could limit humanity's progress. We
pursue any life they preferred under the
often think of the concept of cultural
theory of cultural relativism.
relativism as progression, but it isn't
3. it is an idea that is based on the necessarily that way. When you remove the
perfection of humanity. Many people ability to judge one standard from another,
strive to do good every day. most want to then the comparative process of placing a
see everyone have the chance to pursue current society or culture against a past one
happiness in some way. that is why the idea is removed as well.
of cultural relativism often seems to be
8. Cultural relativism can turn
inviting.
perceptions into truth. It's dark night and it
4. It could promote a lack of diversity. is warm outside. A teen is walking down an
Cultural relativism promotes an alley wearing a hoodie and the hood is up.
individualistic point of view, so although it His hands are jammed into his pockets and
seems to promote diversity, it actually there is a bulge in one of them. In this
removes it from a society. But we cannot scenario, some people may automatically
create diversity when the emphasis of a assume that the teen is up to "no good". In
society is individualistic gain that can come the world of cultural relativism, that bias
at the expense of others. becomes a truth that can be acted upon. It
doesn't matter if the bulge is a gun or a
5. It draws people away from one
package of Skittles. Because, the decision
another. Although cultural relativism can
to act becomes a righteous one because of
promote people coming together to share
the individual truth that the culture allowed
strengths, it can also encourage people to
through the bias it perpetrates.
draw apart from one another. C.S. Lewis, In
his description of hell from the Screwtape Cultural Relativism, has its idea that has
letters, envisions a place where people are never been implemented on a large scale.
constantly going away from each other to Moral standards make sense in a person's
avoid the demons that each person has. culture. By creating individualized culture, in
singular or large scales, it does become
6. It could limit moral progress. When we
easier to keep and embrace the traditions
look to the idea of moral progress, we think
that humanity has developed over the
of becoming more inclusionary instead of
millennia. - Franz Boas
