“Somepeoplemayliketogotonudistbeachesbuteveryoneknowsthatitisoffensiveandinbadtaste”.Somebodysays,everyoneknows,nobodybotherstoquestionBut…Whois“everyone”?Whatconstitutesbeing“offensive”?Whatis“badtaste”?thetendencytonegativelyevaluateotherculturesintermsofone'sownandtolookattheothercultureasinferior“Ethno”referstoculturalheritageand“centrism”tothecentralstartingpoint.Thisdoesnotexplainwhypeopledothis.Despiteourbeliefsthatweare“open-minded”and“tolerant”weareallethnocentric.Thereisnowaynottobeethnocentric.Ethnocentrismcannotavoidedorbewishedawaybyapositiveorwell-meaningattitude.EthnocentrismEthnocentrismWeassumethatourexperienceisoperationalinanothergroup’scircumstances.Wemakefalseassumptionsaboutothers’waysbasedonourownlimitedexperience.Thekeywordisassumptionsbecausewearenotevenawarethatwearebeingethnocentric…wedon’tunderstandthatwedon’tunderstand!Ethnocentrismisbasic“Colours,afterall,arejustdifferentwavelengthsoflight,andtherainbowcanbedividedinmanydifferentways”.(KenBarger,“Ethnocentrism”p.1)differencesinmeaningsthatmakelifeexperiencessouniqueforallthehumangroupsaroundtheworldEthnocentrismcolour-theInuittime-ChippewanativeAmericansactivitylevel-CreenativeAmericansstress-CreenativeAmericansWhenyouthinkaboutyourexperiencewithpeoplefromotherethnicgroupsandwithattitudesexpressedaboutrelationswithothercountries,whatexamplescometoyourmindwhereyoumayhaveimposedyourviewsandfeelingsaboutlifeontheirexperience?Whyareweethnocentric?assumptionsbasedonlimitedexperience.whatwehaveexperiencedwhatweexpect.thenaturalbasisofreality…ourwaysworkforus.perceptions,values,beliefshelpusorganiseandprovidemeaningsandfunctionsindailylife.ourlimitedexperiencesarethebasisforinterpretingnewexperiences.wehavenotexperiencedeverythingtheyhaveexperienced…howcanwenotbeethnocentric?Whatistheproblemwithethnocentrism?misunderstandingothers.falsedistortionofwhatismeaningfulandfunctional.failuretoseecontext.unawarethatwecandevelopmorevalidunderstandings.unintentionaloffence.generationofillfeelings.harmtoothers.conflictcreationandinhibitionofresolution-(win-lose)“helping”othergroupsdealwithcertain“problems”Americanbusinesspractices,Hollywoodmovies,ColumbineHighSchoolmassacreanultimatemisunderstandingiswarfareWhatistheproblemwithethnocentrism?Whatistheproblemwithethnocentrism?extremeformsposeserioussocialproblems:–racism–colonialism/imperialism–ethniccleansing–terrorism-“…nationalisticandreligiousterroristsareaverydifferentmatter.Thefragmentaryresearchthathasbeendoneonthemmakesclear…theyseektocarryoutinextremeways,ideaslearnedathome.Moreovertheyusuallyhaveaverygoodideaofthekindofworldtheywishtocreate:itistheworldgiventothembytheirreligiousornationalisticleaders.Theseleaders,ofcourse,maycompletelymisrepresentthedoctrinestheyespouse,butthemisrepresentationacquiresacommandingpower.”JamesQ.Wilson“Whatmakesaterrorist”p.3.Whatcanwedoaboutethnocentrism?recognisethatwedonotunderstand.watchforreactions-reactionstellusthatweareassumingsomethingandthatourassumptionsarenotworking.observeourownreactions.observetheirreactions.reactionstellusfirstaboutus–whydowethinkpeopleshould/shouldbe…–whenwerefertoothersas…–whenweidealiseothersas…–whenothersconsiderusas…Crossculturalencountersrevealmoreaboutourownperspectives,valuesandemotionalinvestmentsthanaboutothers,andsoprovideusuniqueopportunitiestolearnmoreaboutourselves.Anattitude-wearethelearners.–helpustounderstandbetter–asforexplanationsforwhatisdoneorsaid–avoidaskingquestionsthatimposeourownrealitiesandboundtheirrealities–respecttherightnottosharewithusWhatcanwedoaboutethnocentrism?Twosetsofquestions:One:Whataretheirmeaningsaboutthebehaviourandsituation?Theiremicexperience.–cognitiveviews–emotionalfeelings–theirperspectivesontheirownlifeexperiences–observingwhentheyarenotreadytotalk–manymeaningsaredeeplysubconsciousanddifficulttoexpressWhatcanwedoaboutethnocentrism?TwoWhataretheadaptivefunctionsofthebehaviourandsituation?Theireticexperience.–howdoesthishelpthegroupadapttolifechallenges?–ecological,biological,economic,social,psychologicalWhatcanwedoaboutethnocentrism?Practiceateveryavailableopportunity,becausethisisaskillsetlikeanyother.Whatcanwedoaboutethnocentrism?LinkswithculturalrelativismRelativism-notjudgingothers’waysandacceptingthemasequaltoourown.Atwhatpointisonegroupjustifiedininterveninginthebehaviourofanother?–definitionofadesirablepartner–genocide–catastrophiccircumstances–freetradeWhatrighthavewe?Purpose/whosewellbeingHowtobeinvolved?Whatisourbasisforbecominginvolved?–Culturalviews?Values?Vestedinterests?Whataretheirmeaningsandfunctionsregardingthesituation?–Whatdotheywant?Whatarethelikelyoutcomesforthem?Whatdotheygetoutofthis?CommonoverlapareasSelfdeterminationSupportLinkswithculturalrelativismAndnearlyfinally...Diversityisadaptive.Themoredifferentwaysofexperiencinglifeavailabletoasocietythemoreresourcesithasformeetingadaptivechallenges.Thiscomeswithananonymousreference,butitisfoodforthought:IfwecouldshrinktheEarth'spopulationtoavillageofprecisely100p