Cultural relativism Denise Lewis ANT 101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (GSF1517D) Instructor: Fae Goodman Date Submitted The comprehension of a different culture practices tends to be difficult when only used in comparison to one’s own culture and practices. It may seem not normal for one’s own standards yet to those of the opposite cultures our own practices may not be considered as normal or logical to them as well. In order to be able to understand any culture, one must really know the meaning of cultural relativism. “Cultural relativism is the idea that the significance of an act is best understood by the standards of the actor’s own culture” (Crapo, 2013). Using this definition will lay the foundation of this paper.
This paper aims to clarify the strengths of Parsons’ arguments, such as the functionality and effectiveness of certain systems within our culture, while contrasting the outdated viewpoints which he presents that might not be as applicable in today’s modern times considering the amount of social changes and open opportunities that are now available to both sexes. Parsons introduces his ideas on the “kinship system” by discussing the family structure, focusing in on the various life stages that a child goes through to emancipate themselves from the ties they have gained from their parents and other family members. The familiarity and comfort of such ties eventually become a burden and must be cut off in order for an individual to become a fully functional member of our society. The article goes on to state that one of the most difficult stages of growing older would be adolescence, where a “youth culture” is practiced, allowing for a passageway meant to ease “the difficult process of adjustment from childhood emotional dependency to full ‘maturity’” (Parsons 1943: 301). This serves to provide one
Definitions and analyses of the culture concept have been numerous since at least 1952 when Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) reported the presence of more than 164 definitions. Definitions vary from the general to the specific, depending on the discipline and the level of analysis. The term "culture" is a broad one, and usually includes things such as norms, beliefs, values, traditions, language, clothing, or art of a certain group of people. Cultures are by no means simple to understand and interpret. The concept of culture can be applied to social systems at different levels, not only at the national level but also at the sub-cultural levels of ethnic group, region, gender, generation, religion, profession, and organisation.
Manifestation of disorders has been shown to vary cross-culturally, threatening the validity of existing diagnostic criteria in terms of capturing the full spectrum of a disorder presentation. Finally, beliefs about etiology and what is considered an appropriate intervention challenge the effectiveness of existing treatment protocols. This paper will discuss the obstacles culture presents in all these three domains, with examples from a variety of cultures. Obstacles in Assessing, Understanding, and Treating Child Psychopathology: A Cultural Perspective The term culture has yet to be clearly defined. In a broader sense of the word, culture includes aspects such as sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status.
Personal Reflection Paper BSHS 345 Nikki Waisganis 11/5/2014 Nicole Parkinson INTRODUCTION This paper will identify an occurrence of invidious comparison and vicarious traumatization I have experienced. Will explain how to stop invidious comparison, will identify strategies you currently use to avoid vicarious traumatization in your personal life, determine if these strategies help me avoid vicarious traumatization as a Human Service worker, and what strategies could help me to avoid vicarious traumatization. HOW TO STOP INVIDIOUS COMPARISON We are all different, yet we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. It's human nature, and while learning from others is an important part of critical decision making, if it is used to reinforce an unrealistic or negative self-image it can be an unhealthy habit to get into. Learn the steps to stop comparing yourself to others after the jump.
Complexities of the social work task relate partly to the worker having to negotiate the tension between these values and the dilemmas that decision making brings. The ethical dilemmas that would arise for me in the Hyacinth Berry case study would include the right to self determination versus the risk of neglect, care versus control and also how to balance her needs against the needs of other individuals who are competing for the same resources. There is tension as to whether she would be able to give informed consent for an assessment to take place. The question has to be asked whether she will see the intervention as a caring role or control. Hyacinth is a black Caribbean woman and there may be issues around how she has been affected by the
Rather, they interpret observations and several preexisting prototypes of others to enable us to create a richly detailed impression of another. Thus, getting to understand how the process by which these prototypes are shaped, changed, shared across a group of people that constitute a culture and how individuals apply them in categorizing others is a critical to understand identity(Spears, Lea, & Lee, 1990). According to the Social Identity Theory, individuals do not have a
Maranda Micciche According to the article written by Garcia, define the key elements of the term “culture.” Each person is born in a cultural setting. The way we are brought up in our schools, religion and our social setting determines our culture and our behavior. A person's culture has an effect on their behavior because different cultures believe in different things. In some cultures it may be respectful to take your shoes off when entering a house, where in other cultures it may be offensive. What a person believes will directly affect how they behave.
Lastly, Cultural Relativists often argue that it is mere arrogance for us to judge the conduct of other societies, and that we should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures. Although it may be a display of arrogance to judge the conduct of other societies, it is sometimes necessary to do so and convey disagreement when the situation arises. Given these revised interpretations of the 5 claims commonly made by Cultural Relativists, individuals and cultures ought to be guided by a revised philosophy known as Centralized Cultural Relativism, where societies may have different moral codes, but they all inherit certain properties from a parent code, which is influenced by factors including human biology, physiology, and what is necessary for a society to
This paper discusses a life experience, for this instance it is a reoccuring dream, and explains what theories can be applied to the experience. It further describes how these theories are use within social service practice. It is important that a social worker is able to identify life experiences and relate them to human development theories in order to link theory with practice. It is also important to understand the theory’s relevance to social service practice to ensure the best outcome for the client or situation. Exploring the human mind goes beyond conscious thoughts and many human development theories relate to thoughts and feelings which remain unknown to the individual.