Is One Culture really Superior to Another?

Austin Gardner • June 24, 2022

Ethnocentrism occurs wherever cultural differences are found.

The following are quotes taken from Paul Hiebert's book: Anthropological Insights for Missionaries.

Again this is a must read for all that feel God's call to work cross culturally. It is not enough to go just knowing Bible truth. You must learn how to adapt to another culture. You must understand all that is so different from anything you have ever known.

The root of ethnocentrism is our human tendency to respond to other people's ways by using our own affectiveassumptions, and to reinforce these responses with deep feelings of approval or disapproval. When we are confrontedby another culture, our own is called into question. Our defense is to avoid the issue by concluding that our culture isbetter and other people are less civilized.

But ethnocentrism is a two-way street. We feel that people in other cultures are primitive, and they judge us to beuncivilized. This can best be seen by way of an illustration.

Some North Americans were hosting a visiting Indian scholar at a restaurant, when one of them who had never beenabroad asked the inevitable question, "Do you really eat with your fingers in India?" Implicit in his question, of course,was his cultural attitude that eating with one's fingers is crude and dirty. North Americans may use fingers for carrotsticks, potato chips, and sandwiches, but never for mashed potatoes and gravy, or T-bone steaks. The Indian scholarreplied, "You know, in India we look at it differently than you do. I always wash my hands carefully before I eat, and Ionly use my right hand. And besides, my fingers have never been in anyone else's mouth. When I look at a fork or spoon,I often wonder how many other strangers have already had them in their mouths!"

Ethnocentrism occurs wherever cultural differences are found.

North Americans are shocked when they see the poor of other cultures living in the streets. People in those societies areappalled when we surrender our aged and sick and the bodies of our departed to strangers for care.

Ethnocentrism can also be found within a society. Parents and children can be critical of one another because the culturalframes in which they were raised are different.

People from one ethnic group see themselves as better than those in another;

urban folk look down on their country cousins; and upper-class persons are critical of the poor.

The solution to ethnocentrism is empathy. We need to appreciate other cultures and their ways. But our feelings ofsuperiority and our negative attitudes toward strange customs run deep and are not easily rooted out. One way toovercome enthnocentrism is

to be learners in the culture to which we go,

for our self-centeredness is often rooted in our ignorance of others.

Another is to deal with the philosophical questions raised by cultural pluralism. If we do not examine them, we will beunconsciously threatened by accepting another culture, for to do so calls into question our implicit belief that our ownculture is right and others are wrong.

A third way to overcome ethnocentrism is to

avoid stereotyping people in other cultures, but rather to see them as humanbeings like ourselves.

The recognition of our common humanity bridges the differences that divide us. Finally, we need to remember that peoplelove their own cultures, and if we wish to reach them, we must do so within the context of those cultures.

Other interesting quotes and articles about Culture and Culture Shock

Dealing with Culture Shock and Adapting to a new field

Dealing with Culture Shock and Adapting to a new field Part 2