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Cultural Diversity - Demography and Statistics (2)

Ethnocentrism

People learn to look at the world from their own particular cultural viewpoint through the process of socialisation in the culture in which people are brought up, and the cultural influences the beliefs and values they hold. Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of people to perceive their cultural ways to be the best, superior to the cultural ways of others. Purnell and Paulanka (1998) define ethnocentrism as ‘the universal tendency of human beings to think that their ways of thinking, acting, believing are the only right, proper, and natural ways…Ethnocentrism perpetuates an attitude that beliefs that differ greatly from one’s own are strange, bizarre, or unenlightened, and therefore wrong.’ (p. 3). Assumptions are made about what is correct and preferable. The other person’s cultural orientation and beliefs may be ignored or disregard as unimportant. The person may not be aware of his/her own ethnocentric behaviour. Ethnocentrism is not an acceptable attitude in health and social care because it deters from relationship building between the professional and the patient.