Issues of Cultural Diversity and Diet

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Issues of Cultural Diversity and Diet Tiffany Tononi SYG 2000-3: Principles of Sociology - 3 April 25, 2013 Instructor Gannaway What is your opinion about eating toasted ants, about eating fried frog legs, about eating puppies and kittens? About eating raw monkey brains? If you were reared in U.S. society, more than likely you think eating frog legs is okay; eating ants is disgusting, and eating dogs, cats, and monkey brains is downright repugnant. How would you apply the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism to your perception of these customs (Henslin, 2013, pp. 2-44)? Of course I would apply the concept of ethnocentrism to some of these customs that certain societies are so used to. I think that it is very cruel in my opinion to eat a monkey’s brains out of his/her head whether they are alive or not. To me it is very different because I didn’t grow up in a society that had this as their culture, so I could not relate to that what so ever. Eating cats and dogs is something that I could not relate to either. These things to me in the society I grew up in are pets and friends, sometimes even family to people. It would be against the law as well if you were caught doing such a thing (Henslin, 2013, pp. 2-44). Cultures in other countries are very different. Even in the United States, there are different cultures that all try to live together as one United Nation. Frog legs of course to me, yes I have heard and know people that eat them; I would not. Frogs is one of my favorite things and I just feel eating it would only be cruel. I know this is no different from us eating cows and pigs. I had a friend who became a vegetarian pretty much overnight. She went to a friend’s home and they made her watch a video of how butchers and farmers slaughter the animals and she tried to explain it to me, and tell me why she felt the way she did. I was disgusted, but I

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