WAYS OF VIEWING, CHANGE, AND PERSPECTIVE

1. WAYS OF VIEWING, CHANGE, AND PERSPECTIVE • By: Dr. NeniKurniawati, M.Hum.

2. Ethnocentrism • The principle of using one’s own culture as a standard by which to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view that cultures other that one’s own are abnormal. • Examples: - European Imperialism - The Mandate of Heaven - Nazi Germany

3. Cultural relativism • The principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging according to one’s own culture

4. Multiculturalism • It values diverse racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds and so encourages the retention of cultural differences within society, rather than assimilation.

5. Dominant culture • Refers to the values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is most powerful in terms of wealth, prestige, status, and influence • A Subculture is a group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values, norms, and lifestyle • A counterculture is a group within society that openly rejects and/or actively opposes society’s values and norms • Mainstream culture is often characterized by points of dissension and division, which are sometimes called culture wars.

6. High, Low, and Popular culture • Distinguished from low culture based on the characteristics of their audiences, not on charactiristics of their cultural objects. • High culture refers to those forms of culture usually associated with the ellite or dominant classes. • Popular culture referes to forms of cultural expression usually associated with the masses, consumer good, and consumer products.

7. Cultural Change • Technology • Cultural diffusion -> when different groups share their material and nonmaterial culture with each other • Cultural leveling -> when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar to one another • Cultural imperialism -> the imposition of one culture’s beliefs, practices, and artifacts on another culture through mass media and consumer products.

8. Stereotype • A thought about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things, but that belief may or may not reflect reality. • Etymology: solid impression • Reflect expectations and beliefs about the characteristics of members of groups perceived as different from one’s own. • What people think of others. • Serve cognitive functions on an interpersonal level and social functions on an intergroup level

9. Stereotype • common stimuli or socialization • The biggest stereotypes: racial. Sexual, and gender remarks • Common in various cultural media, e.g. Hollywood movies - Latin Americans: gang members, illegal immigrants, house maid, etc. - Nigger: ? - Chinese: ? - Russian: ?

10. Culture Stereotype • All white Americans are obese, lazy, dim-witted, friendly, generous, arrogant, etc • All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists • Italian and French people are the best lovers • All Jews are greedy • All Asians are good in math, business

11. Prejudice • Represents the emotional response • The affective component of intergroup attitudes • People create stereotypes to justify ingroup actions towards outgroup. • Example: 1. Justification or ignorance 2. unwillingness to rethink one’s attitudes and behavior 3. Preventing some people entering some fields or activities

12. Discrimination • The behavioral component of prejudicial reactions • Refers to actions • E.g.: American to Nigger - Chinese to Malay