Ethnocentrism ppt

Ethnocentrism

Example of Ethnocentrism

A person hearing voices is interpreted as a clinical symptom of schizophrenia in North America and Europe, but is seen as a gift in some other societies as they believe it is God or ancestors communicating with the individual.

This means that findings from one culture do not apply to another because understandings are different.

Evaluation

Cross Cultural Studies

What is Ethnocentrism?

Strengths

Weaknesses

Cultural Relativity

Cross-cultural research takes a hypothesis and methodology and tests them in different cultures.

Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture.

• Cross- cultural research is the only way to identify difference and similarities between cultures
• Contributes to the nature-nurture debate
• Allows a transfer of techniques between different cultures e.g. Diagnosis using the DSM

Cultural Relativity: Being sure that findings from research are understood in the culture from which they came, including the norms and beliefs.

E.g. Ainsworth and Bell - Strange Situations

• Some of the methodologies used to collect data may be more appropriate to some cultures than others e.g. Strange situation task.
• There maybe ethnocentric bias from the researcher when collecting or analysing the results therefore subjective conclusions from their own cultures could be made e.g. In the strange situations study a researcher from the USA may view securely attached as the best form of attachment where as someone from Germany ma believe that anxious avoidant to best.

It is a type of bias, because if research is interpreted from the view of one culture it might not be appropriate for different culture.

The predominant view in psychology has been white, male and mainly in the USA therefore creating a bias towards other groups who share different values.

We use cultural relativism when making diagnoses so that they are more relevant to the culture

E.g. When diagnosing schizophrenia

Research across different cultures can be useful in showing whether a characteristic is universal or unique to a particular culture.

This contributes to the nature-nurture debate as universal characteristic are more likely due to being caused by nature and characteristic that are unique to certain cultures are usually due to nurture and other environmental influences within the culture.

Example of Cross Cultural Studies

Etic and Emic Approaches

Ainsworth strange situations study demonstrated that other cultures did not have the same balance of attachment types as USA because they as they did not necessarily value the same things in their children. This leads to bias against parental relationships in other cultures.

Etic Approach: Used when similarities are being looked for between cultures, by studying each culture as an ‘outsider’

For example the study in Germany found more anxious avoidant, this was not viewed as mothers being insensitive towards their child but they valued the trait of their children being more independent

Involves the outsider researcher using tools and techniques from their own culture.

These techniques may not be equally valid in other cultures e.g. Strange Situations in a non-westernised culture.

Milgram’s obedience study has been looked at cross-culturally and similar conclusions have been made with both genders and in many different environments.

Emic Approach: Used when the focus is on an individual culture from the perspective of an ‘insider’

Milgram variations

Meeus and Raaijmakers study of destructive obedience- job interview

E.g. Malinowski immersed himself into another culture to try and gain a complete understanding of it and to avoid ethnocentrism.

However they will never truly be an insider as the people who are part of the culture are less likely to accept them.

By Chloe, Lauren and Damla