The interactions we have within our groups and our society impact our beliefs about strangers and foreigners. If we hear ourselves say “they should do” or “they should not do” then we are making a value judgment. Each individual has a personal set of values. What is right for one person is not right for other people. Values are based on their personality, their culture and their personal goal. It is not fair to judge people by our personal standards. We learn values from our families and our society.
Ethnocentrism can mean that the place we believe our town or country is better than any other place. For example, many people who live in cities make fun of people who live on farms. They measure all other societies by their own experience. Interaction in a group and a society encourages ethnocentrism. People want to be accepted by the people around them especially the people they interact with everyday. High schools are groups in society that create ethnocentrism. People are very loyal to their high schools. This is easy to see at basketball and football games.
Deviant behavior is when a person in the society does not follow the rules. The rules can be god or bad but deviance is measured against those rules. Most individuals want to be accepted by their society so much they will be very cruel to outsiders if society demands it. They will become a soldier to kill people even if they do not know anything about the people they are killing. A big problem that I see is that ethnocentric people do not give anyone a chance. It is unfair for a person to judge another person without giving them a chance. I see that this is true between individuals and it also true between countries.
Work Cited
Why can’t everyone be just like us? Value judgments, ethnocentrism, and human differences: Concepts, Themes, and Key. Chapter 6, Cengage.
