Ethnocentrism - Practice Material From Module

18-4: Ethnocentrism Directions: Research examples of ethnocentrism and answer the questions below. Be prepared to share your examples with the class. 1. What is one food from another culture that you find unappetizing? Find a picture of that food and post it here. One food from another culture that I find unappetizing is Hainan Chicken Rice. 2. What is one greeting, practiced in another place in the world, that you would find uncomfortable participating in? (i.e. handshake) One greeting, practiced in another part of the world, that I would feel uncomfortable participating in is kissing each other's cheeks or hands. 3. What is one form of personal hygiene that you practice that somebody else does not have the opportunity to participate in? (i.e. brushing teeth daily) One form of daily personal hygiene that someone from another culture might not practice is using indoor toilets. Some cultures or groups do not have access to these bathroom facilities, or view the outdoor toilets as a better alternative. 4. What is one method of eating that you would find unappetizing? (i.e. eating with your hands) One method of eating I find unappetizing is communal eating from the same bowl, especially ones that require the re-use of utensils, such as soup or noodles. 5. Explain how each of the following historical events could be grounded in ethnocentrism. a. Chinese Mandate of Heaven This event could be grounded in ethnocentrism because of the belief that the ruler of China was handpicked by God and was evaluated on another scale that could not be understood by regular humans. b. British Imperialism This event could be grounded in ethnocentrism because it was rooted in the belief that the British were superior and deserved to conquer and rule over the world. c. Japanese Imperialism Similar to British imperialism, Japanese Imperialism is rooted in the belief in the inherent superiority of the Japanese and their right to rule everything. d. American Exceptionalism American Exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is unique and better than every other country. This is an example of ethnocentrism because it depends on the perspective that the US is the model country and every other country is being compared to that standard. e. Nazi Germany This is an example of ethnocentrism because of how the German Nazi’s viewed the Jews from a standpoint that compared their ideals, culture, and religion to their own, and thus deemed it unequal, at least in comparison to their own culture. 6. Find an example of ethnocentrism in the following mediums: a. Movies An example of ethnocentrism is shown in the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, when Lena goes to Greece to stay with her family and gets caught up in her family’s feud with another family. The opposing family believes that they are inherently better than Lena’s family because they are of deeper Greek descent and because of the feud between their ancestors. b. Television An example of ethnocentrism is shown in Gilmore Girls, when Lane’s mother, a traditionalist Korean, refuses to let Lane date anyone who is not Korean because she believes that they lack the potential that Koreans have to be successful and generally believes that they make more suitable husbands. c. Art An example of this is Mark Twain when he visited Varanasi and observed the Hindu art there. He called it “crude, misshapen, and ugly” as well as something from someone’s nightmares. This is an example of ethnocentrism because he is judging the Hindu art from his perspective as an American, who has different ideas of what beautiful and good art is. d. Literature An example of ethnocentrism in literature is shown in the novel, The Secret Garden. Mary Lennox was raised in India by her wealthy British family. This has caused her to have a very closed-minded perspective and to be very judgmental as she criticizes people based on her own limited experiences.