Understanding Ethnocentrism: Cultural Superiority and Civilization
Defining Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is an ideology that holds a specific culture as the sole embodiment of civilization. In this worldview, a culture acts as the center of the world, where all other societies are classified based on their degree of approximation to the mainstream culture.
Historical Context and Scientific Misuse
Ethnocentrism has sometimes been disguised as a scientific doctrine. A notable example includes the attempts by the National Socialists (Nazis) to establish rigorous biological criteria to distinguish between different races.
Anthropological Perspectives
A graphic illustration of the critique of ethnocentrism is provided by the anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, who famously stated: "The barbarian is, first and foremost, the man who believes in barbarism."
Comparing Cultural Features
Despite criticisms, some argue that not all human cultures are comparable due to significant differences in their cultural features. While no culture is superior to another in absolute terms, certain cultures are more comprehensive than others:
- Comprehensive Cultures: A culture can encompass another when it is capable of replicating all the cultural features of the latter.
- Practical Example: A contemporary European musicologist can easily reproduce the sound of a flute using indigenous resources.
Defining Civilization
The most comprehensive cultures are often labeled as civilized. Civilization can be defined by a specific set of cultural traits, most notably the presence of writing and statehood. The state implies:
- Socio-economic inequality
- The social division of labor
Any social group lacking these specific cultural features is traditionally not classified as civilized.
Stages of Cultural Evolution
In the nineteenth century, the American anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor distinguished three stages of cultural evolution:
- Savagery
- Barbarism
- Civilization
The first two stages presuppose a level of scientific and technical development significantly lower than that of civilization. Modern civilization includes universal cultural traits that can be shared by all human beings, regardless of their background, such as:
- Technology
- Science
- Human rights