my homework assignment for our co-op: Ethnocentrism

One of the most basic tenets of anthropology is that all people judge other cultures through the eyes of their own culture. We can't help it. That is just the way humans are. But we can be aware of it, and being aware of ethnocentrism helps with understanding other cultures (and getting along with them :-) This is a good explanation of ethnocentrism for the parents:

IUPUI, Barger: What Is Ethnocentrism? http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm

The children are learning basic concepts for anthropology, and ethnocentrism is the one we have been working on for the past two weeks. An easy lead-in to the concept of ethnocentrism that we discussed in class is: What animals do "people" eat? Well, if you are mainstream American, you probably eat cows, pigs, poultry, fish, but not dogs and cats and horses. Germans, Scandinavian, French and Italians don't eat dogs and cats but they do eat horses. Asian cultures eat cats and dogs. Hindus who are not vegetarians will eat pigs, poultry and fish but will not eat cows. Jewish and Moslem people do not eat pigs, dogs or cats or shellfish, but they will eat cows, goats and sheep. South American Indians and some African nations eat monkeys (this is the one that personally gives me the willies. Skinned monkeys look so much like human toddlers). Inuit/Eskimos like to eat decaying greens from the intestines of caribou. Many Mexican people like to eat grasshoppers....some cultures do not eat meat at all. None of these foods are necessarily right or wrong. Human behavior occurs on a vast continuum.

You might want to explore in conversation other ideas. A fun one: Women can wear pants and dresses in our culture, but men can only wear pants. But men can go topless, and women have to wear shirts...but men in traditional Scots and Greeks cultures wear skirts. Some Arabic countries men wear what would be a dress in this country. In some places women can go topless. Some places no one wears much of anything. Is this "right' or "wrong"? (Human behavior occurs across a wide continuum.)

The concept the kids will need to try to grasp is that they will think some clothing or food is "normal" and others aren't because of our cultural filters.....this is ethnocentrism.

Understanding Ancient Egypt is easier if we can get past the blinders of our own culture and try to see it through their eyes. Helping your child explore the concept of ethnocentrism at home will help them enjoy what they are learning in my class and to understand the main ideas of anthropology.

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This entry has 4 comments: (Add your own)

#4 Comment from suzypwr
10/24/06 9:41 PM | Permalink

We sure do not see fish eyes as a delcacy, lol. Lots of Asian groups eat insects, too...how about how many cultures make basically the same foods? Such as something, usually meat and/or veggies, wrapped in some sort of bread thing....the monkey thing creeps me out, too.

xoxo
#3 Comment from deshelestraci
10/24/06 3:39 PM | Permalink

aiy yi yi. I love this. I am running into some issues with our co-op group. There is one woman who wants everything to be Christian based. There is a time and place for that. And you can incorporate it into most things. But not always. This lesson plan would freak her right out. I don't know how much longer I will stick with this co-op because of her narrow ideas.
Traci
#2 Comment from my78novata
10/24/06 5:58 AM | Permalink

yes true
#1 Comment from sugar1337
10/24/06 1:34 AM | Permalink

Sounds like a neat assignment. I studied that back when I was a freshman in college in my cultural anthropology course.
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my homework assignment for our co-op: Ethnocentrism