Quote: "It was established as in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later popularized by his students."
The idea that a person's beliefs, values, and behaviors should be understood in the context of their own culture, rather than being judged by the standards of another culture.
Definition of Cultural Relativism: Cultural relativism is the idea that cultural practices and beliefs should be understood and evaluated within their own cultural context, rather than judged according to the values of another culture.
History of Anthropology: The origins of anthropology can be traced back to the 19th century when scholars began studying the customs, language, and culture of non-European societies. The discipline has since evolved to encompass a broad range of topics, including human biology, archaeology, linguistics, and cultural studies.
Ethnocentrism: Ethnocentrism involves the belief that one's own culture is superior to others and the tendency to view other cultures through the lens of one's own cultural values and beliefs. This can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of other cultures.
Cultural Universals: Cultural universals are elements that exist across all cultures, such as language, kinship systems, and social norms.
Cultural Relativism vs. Moral Universalism: While cultural relativism emphasizes the importance of understanding other cultures without imposing one's own values, moral universalism argues that certain moral principles hold true across all cultures.
Cultural Imperialism: Cultural imperialism refers to the spread of one culture over another, often resulting in the loss or erosion of the second culture's traditions and beliefs.
Participant Observation: Participant observation is a research method in anthropology where the researcher lives among the people being studied, participating in their daily activities and noting their behavior and beliefs.
Cultural Appropriation: Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by another, often without understanding or giving credit to the original culture.
Social Evolutionism: Social evolutionism was an early approach in anthropology that viewed cultures as progressing through a series of stages, with Western societies at the top. This approach has since been discredited as ethnocentric and Eurocentric.
Cultural Relativism in Practice: Cultural relativism is put into practice by attempting to understand and appreciate the values and customs of other cultures, rather than judging them from the perspective of one's own culture. This approach can lead to a deeper appreciation and understanding of cultural diversity.
Quote: "Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs and practices should be understood based on that person's own culture."
Quote: "Proponents of cultural relativism also tend to argue that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another."
Quote: "Boas first articulated the idea [of cultural relativism] in 1887."
Quote: "The first use of the term [cultural relativism] recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary was by philosopher and social theorist Alain Locke in 1924."
Quote: "The term [cultural relativism] was used to describe Robert Lowie's 'extreme cultural relativism', found in the latter's 1917 book Culture and Ethnology."
Quote: "The term became common among anthropologists after Boas' death in 1942."
Quote: "Boas believed that the sweep of cultures, to be found in connection with any subspecies, is so vast and pervasive that there cannot be a relationship between culture and race."
Quote: "Cultural relativism involves specific epistemological and methodological claims."
Quote: "Whether or not these claims necessitate a specific ethical stance is a matter of debate."
Quote: "The popularization of cultural relativism after World War II was somehow a reaction to such historical events as Nazism, and to colonialism, ethnocentrism, and racism more generally."
Quote: "Boas first articulated the idea in 1887: 'civilization is not something absolute, but ... is relative, and ... our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes'."
Quote: "Boas first articulated the idea in 1887: 'civilization is not something absolute, but ... is relative, and ... our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes'."
Quote: None directly stated.
Quote: "The popularization of cultural relativism after World War II was somehow a reaction to such historical events as [...] colonialism, ethnocentrism, and racism more generally."
Quote: None directly stated.
Quote: None directly stated.
Quote: "Whether or not these claims necessitate a specific ethical stance is a matter of debate."
Quote: "The popularization of cultural relativism after World War II was somehow a reaction to... ethnocentrism and racism more generally."
Quote: None directly stated.