This lesson introduces ethnocentrism, explains how it is connected to enculturation, and shows why ethnocentrism can become harmful when it supports domination.
Every person grows up learning the norms, values, expectations, and practices of a particular society. Parents and guardians, teachers, religious leaders, and other members of a community help teach people how to behave, relate to others, care for themselves, and understand what matters in life.
All flashcards
What is enculturation?
The process through which people acquire the norms, values, knowledge, and practices of their culture.
What is ethnocentrism?
Treating one’s own culture as the standard or superior and discounting other cultural perspectives.
What is primitivism?
An ethnocentric representation that stereotypes African and Native American peoples as simple, backward, savage, or close to nature.
What is orientalism, as described by Edward Said?
A framework representing Asian and Middle Eastern peoples through generalized stereotypes that contrast with an imagined Western self.
What is the “noble savage” stereotype?
An idealized portrayal of Indigenous peoples as innocent, simple, and harmonious with nature.
Quiz questions
Which description best characterizes primitivism in European representations of African and Native American peoples?Answer: It portrayed them as savage, backward, simple, or close to nature.
In Edward Said’s account, which peoples were commonly subjected to orientalist representation?Answer: Peoples of Asia and the Middle East.
Why did Said argue that orientalist images were strategically constructed?Answer: They made European societies appear rational, moral, and democratic by contrast.
What do primitivism and orientalism have in common?Answer: Both construct a simplified cultural “other” contrasted with a superior European or Western “self.”
How have ethnocentric claims contributed to colonial domination?Answer: They have helped make subjugation and control over other peoples seem justified.
Based on Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.