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What do you think of Ethnocentrism?
May 8, 2008 04:50
guestweed " Ethnocentrism is the tendency to think of one's own culture as being at the center of the world: in other words, to assume that your own culture's way of thinking acting is more natural, normal, and correct than the way people from other cultures think and act.

Are you ethnocentric? Suppose you are a westerner, do you always think western culture is superior to the oriental culture? What do you think of Ethnocentrism?
May 8, 2008 10:12
#1  
  • GARYKINKADE
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A result of natural human egotism.
The same reasoning as when once "the earth was considered as the center of the universe"
Archaic thinking that leads to religious conflicts, wars among civilizations and ultimately self destruction.
May 8, 2008 10:50
#2  
  • GRIZ326
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It is natural and normal not archaic; the same way of thinking dominates the globe today even though people at the top would have us believe that they are more enlightened. HORSEFEATHERS!!!

Very few people can truly appreciate the wisdom and ways of another culture; many like to put on a show.
May 8, 2008 12:20
#3  
  • MUDDIEDKNEES
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Western culture? Nonexistent.
Asian culture? The best!
Oops, was I just being ethnocentric? =(
May 8, 2008 13:00
#4  
  • GARYKINKADE
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GRIZ.......you forgot "FLYING PIGS"
May 8, 2008 14:50
#5  
  • GRIZ326
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That too, Gary.
May 8, 2008 21:04
#6  
  • SHESGOTTOBE
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Ethnocentrism is so very closely related to racism. It’s thinking one’s own culture is superior than everyone else therefore all the rest of the world are inferior. It promotes intolerance, hate and divisiveness. It is based on ignorance. All cultures have good or bad aspects in them. Every so-called culture is a mixture of different cultures and that cultures are continually evolving. Human history tells us that we are not so different, that there is no such thing as pure culture. There is a web of interconnectedness that binds us all. The study of the human genome tells us that there is no such thing as a pure race except human race. It’s just hard for some people to accept that they have a mixture of blood no matter how ‘pure’ they look.
May 9, 2008 09:50
#7  
  • DODGER
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So are all culture equal?
Dodger.
May 10, 2008 23:58
#8  
  • GARYKINKADE
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Geez, MUDDIEDKNEES......that was a good one.
May 11, 2008 10:56
#9  
  • MARRIE
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quote ((Western culture? Nonexistent.
Asian culture? The best!))

Muddieknees, I don't think you are chinese. If you were from Greater Chinese Region, the comments would be quite different! Best culture does not nurture a society that falls behind the rest of the world! The history of 5000 year were flooded with bloody Internal dissension or conflicts, ignoring concrete things, ie social well being, tech development...there is dross saying in china (i guess it's still popular today): It will be OK that you are ignorant on everything except relationship!
May 12, 2008 08:31
#10  
  • MUDDIEDKNEES
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<<<The history of 5000 year were flooded with bloody Internal dissension or conflicts, ignoring concrete things, ie social well being, tech development>>>

Hi MARRIE--the cake really looks good!

I agree. But these kinds of problems were experienced by all civilizations. History is the history of class struggle (Marx). There will always be class struggle and we will always see resistance in different forms--armed rebellion, street demonstrations (i love the name 'parliament of the streets'), or even blogs that are highly critical of the status quo. Conflicts and problems, including the ones you mentioned, will always happen because there will never be classless societies.

With that said, I admit that I am very ignorant about Chinese history and many other histories. But I do not think that everything in past was great, especially for the peasants and the working class. However, when I said culture, I was referring to the people--their food, their music, their jokes, their stories, their struggles, their passions, etc. I was actually joking about Western culture (or the lack of it). I just love Asian culture. It's not only Chinese, btw.
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