CULTURAL RELATIVISM: CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The cultural relativism is a philosophical trend that sees all as valid and rich culture itself. This is why it denies any moral or ethical judgment on the different parameters that define each culture. This current was raised by the anthropologist Franz Boas in the 20th century, who developed postulates that opposed evolutionism and Darwinism.

Under the approach of cultural relativism -also called culturalism-, each culture must be understood and analyzed within its own terms, so it is impossible to establish comparisons between cultures and qualify some as "superior" or "inferior" when applying moral judgments about its parameters.

According to cultural relativism, there are no cultures superior to others. Source: Anovoa12

In this sense, the cultures of the world cannot be ordered in an evolutionary scheme either, since it is based on the principle that all cultures are equal.

characteristics

Cultural relativism starts from the idea that each culture has its own moral or ethical system, and as each culture is valid, so will its morality.

This means that there are no absolute or universal moral truths or ethical principles, but that each individual immersed in their own culture will have their own particular system of action.

When analyzing a culture or a particular individual, cultural relativism proposes that the motive for their actions should be considered. Why does that culture do a certain thing and avoid another? By delving into the reasons, explanations can be found, always taking care not to judge.

It is in this sense that those attached to the current of cultural relativism affirm that some cultures cannot be classified or judged as superior and others as inferior, since there is no definitive standard on "good" and "evil", since everything will depend of the culture in which the individual moves.

Mental opening

As an anthropological study method, cultural relativism provides the researcher with sufficient mental openness to do an immersion exercise in his object of study and thus be able to understand a little of its nature without falling into value judgments; This is because it provides guidance on how a certain culture should be understood.

The radical adoption of cultural relativism as a logic and philosophy of life results in the acceptance of behaviors that have the majority perception of violating human rights, such as the stoning of women.

Examples

There are several topics in everyday life that can be considered as ideal case studies for cultural relativism. Here are some examples:

Nakedness

Nudity is a sensitive subject to be analyzed from the perspective of cultural relativism. There are cultures in which walking naked in public places is frowned upon, as it is associated with sexual behaviors that must be performed in privacy.

However, there are cultures like the Finnish in which it is common to enter saunas first thing in the morning where everyone is naked. In the case of the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon, they refuse to wear clothes and decorate themselves with plant dyes.

Polygamy

Another example that can be seen in the light of cultural relativism is regarding polygamy. There are cultures like Mormons in which it is part of their lifestyle for a man to have multiple wives.

There are even currently more than 40 countries in which polygamy is totally legal, such as in Africa and Asia. Some examples are Morocco, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Burma, Senegal, India, and Indonesia, among others.

Premarital relations

Some people consider it natural for couples to have sexual encounters prior to marriage, while others think that this is wrong.

In today's Western world it is quite common for couples to have sexual relations before marrying, an action that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. This topic takes special consideration in cultures with orthodox religious beliefs.

Religion

In general, the religion of people and societies is a subject that can be treated under the principles of cultural relativism, because everyone can have the beliefs and follow the rites that they see fit.

For example, there are cultures that have multiple deities versus others that are monotheistic. Among the cultures that are polytheistic, the Hindu one stands out.

Relationship with ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism is the opposite point to cultural relativism, since it is a current of thought in which a culture is analyzed and judged based on the assumptions of its own culture, since it is considered superior or better than the other.

This means that the practices, behaviors and ideas of one's own culture are considered as "normal", while those of another's culture are seen as "abnormal" or strange, since the environment is analyzed starting from a desired worldview, which is your own.

Ethnocentrism is typical of those civilizations that had or have imperialist behaviors, of invasion and domination of others because they consider themselves completely superior.

A posture of exacerbated ethnocentrism gives rise to violent behaviors of racism and xenophobia, in which the dominant culture wants to minimize and even end the primitive, strange or inferior culture.

In the evolution of anthropology, cultural relativism is considered to have arisen as a reaction to the prevailing ethnocentrism and as an antidote to safeguarding the plurality of world cultures.

Criticism of relativism

Many scholars affirm that cultural relativism is untenable insofar as its own postulate is ambiguous and even false, since it cannot be considered as "valuable" or "true" to all cultures.

They allege that there are cultural practices - such as female genital mutilation - that violate universal ethical principles, including what is known as human rights; in this sense, it is estimated that they should be combated.

From this perspective, cultural relativism is dismantled, since cultural practices in which the fundamental rights of people are violated are not a value, but a counter-value, and as such must be denounced.

It is necessary to make an analysis based on the discussion about the ethics of certain cultural practices because they threaten the dignity of people. This analysis must go beyond the moral plane to lead to that of truth, with irrefutable scientific evidence that will or will not condemn such practices.

Taking the case of female genital mutilation again as an example, it is an action that brings serious medical complications that put the woman's life at risk, for which this practice should be rejected.

References

1. Alvargonzález, D. «Of cultural relativism and other relativisms» (October 2002) in El Catoblepas. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Catoblepas: nodulo.org
2. "Cultural relativism article" in Khan Academy. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Khan Academy: khanacademy.org
3. Girodella, F. "Cultural Relativism: Definition" (May 7, 2009) in Contrapeso.info. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Contrapeso.info: counterpeso.info
4. Jacorzynski, W. «Reflections on the actuality of cultural relativism: response to Nicolás Sánchez Durá» (April 2013) in Desacatos. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org
5. Sánchez Durá, N. «Actuality of cultural relativism» (April 2013) in Desacatos. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org
6. «Cultural relativism» at Centro Virtual Cervantes. Retrieved February 18, 2019 from Centro Virtual Cervantes: cvc.cervantes.es