Ever since I learned of the term Cultural relativism 4 years ago, I’ve been perplexed at how complex the idea can be.
Cultural Relativism (CR) is the suspension of judgement when studying/learning about another culture. It’s the idea that you must understand other people’s cultures without trying to conform it with your own. Cultural Relativism states that morality is dependent of one’s own cultural perspective. Therefore, what is “right” and “wrong” is a societal matter that is subject to change with each different society. In other words, what I consider “wrong” can be perfectly “right” for someone else who may be living in a different region or country. It is necessary for all anthropologists to practice CR, especially those who are doing field work with foreign groups.
The idea of Cultural Relativism is easily romanticized. I am personally guilty of this when I first learned about the concept in my Intro to Anthropology class. It’s much more attractive and easier to say that one can be open to understanding and accepting of other cultures than to actually do it. From a young age, we were taught what is right and wrong dependent on the society we were born in.
For example, slurping in America is often viewed as sloppy and disrespectful. In Japan, however, slurping is a way of showing you are enjoying your meal. Therefore, it’s considered disrespectful not to slurp your soup. If an American travelling to Japan wants to practice CR, he or she will conform to their society and slurp their soup, even if it is viewed as wrong in their own culture. Soup and noodles are the least stressful end of the spectrum. On the other end of the spectrum are where the heavier subject lies. Subjects such as slavery, arranged marriages, child labor etc.
When is it appropriate for one country to get involved? Where does one draw the line for another culture? And who are we to even define where that line is?
In a Utopian world, universally accepted moral rules are respected by everyone. We all have a uniform set of rules that clearly states what right and wrong is. There will be no blurred lines. Fortunately, we do not live in a Utopian world. We live in a world that is composed of thousands of different cultures. A beautifully chaotic world of diversity that has so much more to offer than any standardized society. Studying the differences between cultures allows us to learn and therefore, grow as human beings.
Relativist fallacy questions whether moral ethics still apply when studying other cultures. Is it really possible to study a group without any judgement even if I personally believe it’s wrong? As an anthropologist studying a cultural group, should I define what they are doing as ‘wrong’? What if someone is hurt in the process (female genitalea mutilation, child labor)? And at what point do I intervene, if I even should? CR would state that I must view these things unbiased. But, as stated before, Cultural Relativism is highly romanticized. Being open and understanding of other cultures is building blocks to understanding life itself. However, what is our own judgement worth if we’re going to go against it anyways?
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Looking back, I’ve had this and about 7 other drafts in my list for a while. I realize that a lot of what I’m aiming to write about won’t have any definite conclusions. I will leave a lot of open-ended questions, not because I’m holding the secret answers to life. Mainly because I don’t have the answers myself. That may make me a bad blogger, but the ability to simply write about a jumbled idea brewing in your head helps organize and simplify things. It also helps connect with people who hold the same confusions. I think the beautiful thing about reading is that we all interpret it differently and the purpose of it is to expand our minds. As stated before, the whole purpose of doing these things is to document my evolution. Even if it’s just an idea or a curiosity I’m passionate about, it will most likely end here; no promises of a future post that will answer the questions I will ask. So for all of my unfinished ideas, please take it, run with it and make it your own. I will only share to the extent of my knowledge. Thank you for reading anyways.
ALVENTURED 