ETHNOCENTRISM
D E BAT E S S E C B G 5 4 4
WHAT IS ETHNOCENTRISM?
• The original meaning of ethnocentrism is a belief in the superiority
of one’s own group (ethnic group or culture).
• However, it is nowadays normally taken to mean not a belief in the
superiority of one's own group but the inability to think outside one’s
own cultural experience and a tendency to assume that what
happens in our own culture is common to other cultures.
• In research terms this means the psychologists sometimes draw
conclusions from the experience of their own culture or group and
mistakenly assume it can be generalised to other groups or cultures.
DESCRIBE TWO PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT ARE
ETHNOCENTRIC (8 MARKS)
10 MINUTES
Kohlberg, Gudjohnnson, Rosenhan, Milgram
IN PAIRS
COMPLETE THE STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES SLIDES
20 MINUTES
WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH?
• Point: Even though findings are mainly Western based, findings have been
useful to a range of people.
• Comment: This is a strength because
• Evidence:
• Comment:
WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH?
• Point: Ethnocentric research allows one to test a particular group in more
detail and find out why they may behave the way they do.
• Comment: This is a strength because
• Evidence:
• Comment:
WHAT ARE THE WEAKNESSES OF ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH?
• Point: Ethnocentric research does not consider that there may be individual
differences within the group itself and not everyone will behave in the same
way.
• Comment: This is a weakness because
• Evidence:
• Comment:
WHAT ARE THE WEAKNESSES OF ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH?
• Point: Involves inappropriately generalising the values & research findings
of one culture to another without bothering to test other cultures.
• Comment: This is a weakness because
• Evidence:
• Comment:
IS ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH USEFUL?
• Point: Useful because it still generates useful information and can be used as a
starting point for one culture and then investigated at a later stage to different
cultures.
• Evidence:
• Comment:
• However:
IS ETHNOCENTRIC RESEARCH USEFUL?
• Point: It is not useful as not all people are the same and does not include the
diversity of human experience across different cultures.
• Evidence:
• Comment:
• However:
Discuss how ethnocentrism may be a problem
within the social approach. (8)
• You have 10 mins (12 w/AT)