Defined as a universal syndrome of attitude and behaviour that entails the tendency to view the world from the perspective of one’s culture (Brown, 2003), ethnocentrism has profound impact on individuals, society and multinational corporations.
This is because an entrenched belief in one’s cultural superiority over the others determines the forms of relationship an individual extends towards people of different cultures. However, research abides in the fact that everyone is ethnocentric and it is almost impossible to avoid being ethnocentric.
After watching Dream keepers: A Spirit Journey into Aboriginal Australia by Harvey Arden, what rings into the mind is the effect of ethnocentrism on an individual and society. Total neglect and marginalization encompass the daily lives of the aborigines because of the ethnocentric belief that their culture are not only inferior, but they are not fit enough to join the Australian mainstream society.
The effect of ethnocentrism on an individual is precipitated by false assumptions about cultural differences. It reinforces wrong assumptions and premature judgements on people of different cultures and therefore gives a vague feeling of superiority. Through such a wrong evaluation, an individual misses important aspects of life because ethnocentrism tends to evaluate others by what we are best at.
According to Sanders (2002), “membership in an ethnic group is typically evaluated in terms of one or more observable characteristics (such as language, accent, physical features, or religion) that are regarded as indicating common descent.” Furthermore, it affects interpersonal relationship an individual develops with a person of a different culture.
At the society levels, ethnocentrism deters the interaction among people of different cultures, ethnic groups, gender and age. Chirot and Seligman (2001) indicate that ethnocentrism has impacted largely on ethnic conflicts, wars and patterns of voting. It is pointed out as a major impediment to societal cohesion and peaceful co-existence among people of different cultures.
According to Rogers and Laitin (1998), “ethnocentrism can be in-group favouritism or out-group hostility.” This is a pointer to the fact that societal problems such as ethnic cleansing, colonialism and racism are products of ethnocentrism of out-group hostility. Multiple forms of discrimination against members of different societies have denied people their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, governmental neglect and group marginalization are directly linked to ethnocentrism.
In multinational corporations, ethnocentrism presents the biggest challenge in diversity management and is a determinant to consumer choice. In the understanding that appreciating diversity in organizations demand that each individual form a bigger part of the business entity and must work together knowing that their objectives and goals are far greater than their differences, ethnocentrism deters collective appreciation and the sharing of common purpose.
Despite being a major component of an organization’s life and forms the very foundation of organization’s stability, diversity management remains a challenge to multinational firms because of the premature judgment of an individual’s or group’s superiority. Furthermore, it negatively effects communication, which is as a key success factor in organizational climate and it has been directly linked to job satisfaction, performance, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Consumers have become complex the choices of their products. Driven by cultural beliefs and ethnocentrism, consumers would easily shun a product because of perceived cultural inferiority of country of origin. A car manufactured in China would definitely not expect good reviews in the United States. In summary, it can be discerned from the above discussions that knowingly or unknowingly, ethnocentrism plays a critical role in the relationship we develop and the choices we make.
References
Brown, D.E. (2003). Ethnicity and ethnocentrism; Are they natural? In Race and ethnicity: An anthropological focus on the United States and the world (ed.) R. Scupin. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Chirot, D. and Seligman, M.E.P. (2001). Ethno political Warfare: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Solutions. Washington DC: American psychological Association
Rogers, R. and Laitin, D.D. (1998). Ethnic and National Violence. Annual Review of Sociology. 24:423-452.
Sanders, J. M. (2002). Ethnic Boundaries and Identity in Plural Societies. Annual Review of Sociology. 28:327-57.
Need to write an ethnocentrism essay? This paper focuses on the positive and negative effects of ethnocentrism on individuals and cultures. Use this analysis to define and explain the issue in your own assignment!
The terminology ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of people believing that their race, cultural or ethnic groups are better than all the others. Such individuals measure and judge all the other cultural or ethnic groups in relation to theirs.
These judgments are made in relation to aspects like religion, race, behavior, custom and language. The cultural identity of any ethnic group is uniquely identified by the above mentioned aspects. This attitude makes an individual to view other groups as being inferior in comparison to his or her own. (Wood, 2009, p. 163-173)
Effects of Ethnocentrism on Individuals
Ethnocentrism is a bad practice because it leads individuals to make false assumptions about other cultures. Ethnocentrism leads people to making generalizations about the customs and cultures of other people that are not true. This leads to false judgment of others using their own ethnic belonging as the yardstick. At the end of it all, individuals may make harmful judgments concerning other communities.
Ethnocentrism makes people to be rigid to change. Individuals who are ethnocentrism hold to their own culture and they can’t appreciate change that is being brought by modernization. Such individuals may end up remaining illiterate by rigidly holding to their own cultures and not ready to empress change.
Ethnocentrism hinders individuals from learning about other cultures. People who are ethnocentric normally don’t take time to learn about other cultures that exist around the world. This leads them to continuing to make judgments that are uninformed about other ethnic groups.
Ethnocentrism hinders individuals from communicating to individuals of other cultures. This is because such people view others as a lesser people or harmful for example a belief that a certain community is made of witches (Capucao, 2010, p. 219-228). This leads to communication break down within the society.
Effects of Ethnocentrism on Societies
There are so many ways that ethnocentrism may affect societies. Ethnocentrism closes the minds of individuals from understanding the way of life and cultures of other people. This may affect social interactions among people of different cultures living in the same geographical area. This may end up affecting the functioning of the social group by making it unstable. The society may exist in fear because the individuals don’t trust one another.
Ethnocentrism may lead to situations that are terrible like deaths and wars in a given country. When communities view others from a negative perspective, it may lead to animosity that may cause ethnic or tribal clashes that may end up leading to several injury and death cases within the society.
The way societies look at history and understand it can also be affected by ethnocentrism. The society may believe that those who lived before them were a foolish generation. This is a false judgment that doesn’t put the time gap factor in consideration.
Ethnocentrism may be good for the society especially if practiced in form of patriotism. A person being proud of their own country is very good for the society. This is because the occupants may be ready to fight for their country under all cost. Being proud of ones culture may even be an attraction to tourist hence income generating.
Effects of Ethnocentrism on Multinational Corporations
Multinational corporations are international corporations that deliver their services in several countries. They are foreign hence owned by people of different cultures while serving and employing locals of different cultures.
Ethnocentrism affects multinational corporations on the way they make their strategies of operating in specific areas. They have to decide who to employ, and how to design their products in a given area. Each area may end up having its own strategy due to ethnocentrism.
International business communication can be effected by dialects and ascents. Business may be affected negatively because of a negative perception of a certain race, dialect or ascents. This may cause harmful effects if not handled with care.
Conclusion
The attitude of ethnocentrism has both positive and negative effects to individuals, society, and multinational companies. While ethnocentrism is good for patriotism, it is important that all individuals and societies appreciate the culture of one another. Such an appreciation leads to peaceful coexistence of individuals and societies with varied backgrounds. This promotes unity in diversity among society members. As a conclusion, there is no culture that is superior to the other worldwide.
References
Capucao, D. D. (2010). Religion and ethnocentrism-an empirical theological study. Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.
Wood, J. T. (2009). Communication in our lives. Boston: Cengage Learning press.
In general view, ethnocentrism is a concept that one ethnic group or nation thinks that their cultural heritage is better than other groups or nations. It is observed that each a particular nation, group, the area has thousands of norms and beliefs especially for that community only. It is observed that if one is not aware of these, one will have to face problems while mingling with another group of people.
Ethnocentrism is defined by Haviland as “the belief that one’s own culture is superior in every way to all others” (Haviland, 1991/2001).” (McNair).
This definition clearly goes to show that it is a trend to look at the world from one’s own cultural perspective and judge all others obviously as low degree to themselves. This judgment will be on the basis of language, color, religion etc. Any country or people may experience the merits and demerits of this phenomenon. There are many types of ideologies that evolved in association with this concept.
But in present day’s modern world the man’s life and beliefs are crossing the barriers of culture and country. In today’s world of globalization where invention of advanced telecommunication and mass media have influenced the lives of the people as never before, this concept appears to have been pushed to a low degree of profile. But still Ethnocentrism exists and it is possible that one comes across it in different parts of the world in different forms.
Theoretical explanation of Ethnocentrism
In a general way, in any society, family culture is the basic tool to analyze and judge others’ ways of life and customs. The common phenomenon of all societies is to judge other cultures in terms of their way of life and customs inherited from their own family customs and values.
“Ethnocentrism is very much associated with a sociological theory called cultural relativism. This theory explains that this concept is socially constructed and varies cross- culturally. Ethnocentrism and values are like the spine of cultures. It separates culture from culture and how we look at each other. Ethnocentrism and values can bring good and bad effects and it may manifest itself in attitudes of superiority or hostility toward members of other groups and is sometimes expressed in discrimination or violence. (Chun-Yan).
It is assumed that Ethnocentrism is a natural process of observation of one individual who can cope with similar views and similar ideas of another culture. Many scientific studies revealed that a human being is a product of both nature and nurture. It is evident that an individual is born to a particular culture and grows with values and beliefs of that culture normally. Obviously, that individual will analyze and form a viewpoint on another culture according to his/ her socio-economic situation and customs in which they will mold rather than another culture’s view. As a result, he will observe another culture with some degree of errors than admitting the merits of other cultures.
“It was assumed that Ethnocentrism would result from two mental mechanisms: social identification and social contra-identification. Social identification was defined as the selective perception of predominantly positive characteristics of the in-group, while social contra-identification was defined as the selective perception of predominantly negative characteristics of out-groups.Both mechanisms would contribute to the reinforcement and/or maintenance of a positive social identity. These theoretical ideas were operationalized by Eisinga and Scheepers (1989). Tests confirmed the existence of the expected structure of the ethnocentric body of ideas in The Netherlands and Belgium.” (Para: Ethnocentrism: concept and theory: HTML version of the following site)
Hence, it is clear from the above statement that the attitude and values of ancient generation will influence to form a mindset on the particular culture than the personal traits or experience of an individual.
Different types of Ethnocentrism
There are different types of ethnocentrism ideas that developed in the world from European Countries too. Asian Countries like,
Afro centrism- it is practice of viewing world from the perspective of African people ‘black people
Americentrism- it is practice of viewing world from the perspective of Americans.
Eurocentrism – Practice of viewing world from the concept of European culture
Sinocentrism – Practice of viewing world in the view of Asian Countries.
In general, it is cohesive group having common attitudes, believes and community feelings.
My experience with the concept of Ethnocentrism
Recently on my visit to India I observed the positive effects and ill effects of the concept called Ethnocentrism. India is a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic country with strong nationalism. India has a very ancient culture of Hinduism and its different forms.
Different forms of rituals, festivals and ceremonies were seen in different parts of the country. In the interior part of the country caste system was prevalent in full force. The upper caste ‘Brahmanas’ were dominant over the lower caste people. People of different castes follow ascribed culture from their own ethnic group. I visited one of the rural areas of Orissa state of India where we can see the worst form of Ethnocentrism. The upper caste persons think that their culture is supreme to all other cultures.
They treat lower caste people as second-class citizens. They were allocated special geographical locations, beliefs and norms, very low income-generating jobs and they are slaves in the eyes of upper caste people. They were physically and mentally abused by upper caste people. The backward caste and religious minorities have to live under the shadow of the upper caste. On the other hand many of the lower caste people are trying to adopt upper caste people’s culture, religion and beliefs. So here we can see the integration of the theory and practical Ethnocentrism concept.
During my visits I met different people who have very optimistic and positive mindsets towards foreigners. Upper caste people were saying that they were following the culture which they received by birth. Through their thoughts and way of life they try to show that they are the supreme people in the world. During our interaction with few upper caste people they criticized the encroachment of foreign cultures to their country. They argued that people’s behavior, attitude and way of life have changed due to the westernization of the Indian culture. In their view people are adopting the negative points of western culture to a great extent than the merits of the foreign culture. They also pointed out that people of India are very generic and caring and willing to accept the positive part of the lifestyles of the foreign people.
Ethnicity means a collection of group that has common origin and shared beliefs. In India, there are multi caste and religious groups but they have common belief of ‘Hindutva ‘. On the other hand the lower caste people are willing to subscribe to the culture and beliefs of upper caste or other religious minorities. It shows the assimilation of culture of ethnic groups. In certain aspects, our team also expressed willingness to follow some aspects of Indian culture. This ethnic culture is formed from the ancient culture of India. It is passing on to the various generation and they got the present form. During our interaction about the differences of both cultures people of India always advocate to impart their cultural features to us instead of listening to our viewpoint.
In my understanding the ethnocentrism has good and bad effects. As a nation, India can stand united with a solid nationalism concept. The common culture and beliefs of the people promote feeling of oneness among community as well as the individual. The people were broad-minded and have developed an attitude of helping each other. This concept has helped very much in the economical and social growth of India as a country. But the negative effect is that we tend to make false judgments and assumptions against other cultures and customs. If a society is very small in its geographical location then this concept will help the people there to evaluate and analyze crucially the other culture in accordance with our own culture. But in a highly populated country with larger geographical locations the concept of ethnocentrism is not likely to have too much influence on the life of the people.
To sum up, it is observed that every culture has its own positive side and negative side. In today’s world, the distance between the countries and people is reduced due to the advancement in the science and technology. It is said that many traditional cultures are disappearing and new systems are evolving. But it is the need of the hour is to protect and preserve the positivism of our ancient culture and values. For this we have to develop an international network to exchange our ideas, values with others so that they can understand other cultures in a broad way. Each country’s tourism department can play a vital role in this process. So we need to promote the positive part of our culture and mitigate the negative impacts by adopting the merits of other cultures. In developed countries we can see the common identity and nationalism within the nation. But in the case of developing countries hundreds of minority groups have their own culture and entity to follow. So for national integration and positive growth we need to adapt and cope up with other cultures with an optimistic view.
Works cited
Barger, Ken. Ethnocentrism: What is it? Why are People Ethnocentric? What is the Problem? What Can We do About it. 2008. Web.
Chun-Yan, NI. Analysis Of Ethnocentrism. 2008. Web.
Ethnocentrism. Answers.com. 2009. Web.
McNair, Joseph. What is Ethnocentrism: Ethnocentrism as Defined by Havilland. 1998. Web.
This work is a commentary review of the article “Consumer ethnocentrism: an integrative review of its antecedents and consequences by Mahesh N. Shankarmahesh. This article has justified the inclusion by the fact that it has achieved its objective. In this case, the article has given an integrative review in regards to the antecedent and the impacts of consumer ethnocentrism (Shankarmahesh, 2004). Furthermore, Mahesh gives a historical overview of how customers’ antecedents and ethnocentrism have affected the rate at which world trade grew and developed. In this regard, he used an international focus to evaluate the impacts of globalization and the convergence of economic ideology. Moreover, the review has used quotes derived from old sources such as that of Summer and Murdock which are quite useful in the entire and analysis. This has enabled him to have a historical context on consumer antecedent and ethnocentrism. In the review, the author provides the reader with several suggestions especially with a keen focus on future research. This has been done by incorporating ideas derived from an individual discussion about the antecedents and consequences (Shankarmahesh, 2004). Contrastingly, the review has also met the justification for exclusion from the fact that the information provided has been critiqued by scholars.
More explicitly, the review has also distinguished between what has been done and what needs to be done through his research findings. This can be analyzed from his categorical findings. In the review, Mahesh has identified four categories of antecedents. These include socio-psychological, economic, political, and demographic factors which are all vital in the entire analysis (Shankarmahesh, 2004). All the named types of antecedents have been gathered from the literature through some succinct analysis of the article provided. However, it is clear from the review that there is a need for further research on the direct and indirect consequences that occurred due to consumer ethnocentrism and antecedents. From the review, the author confirms that scholars need to equally scrutinize whether there are better means of increasing effectiveness while reducing consumer ethnocentrism at the micro-level. In this case, the author gives a clear confirmation that companies in foreign countries have not successfully been able to liberate their products from consumer ethnocentrism (Shankarmahesh, 2004). However, it is imperative to note that the review acts as evidence that research done has adequately given an integrative framework on how the existing antecedents and their impacts can be solved. For this case, it acts as a vista through which scholars will further their research on how to market international goods and services. Additionally, it is evident from the review that the identified antecedents require relevant moderators and mediators. The latter elements are relevant since they provide a profound platform on which various aspects of trade growth largely depend. Though some moderators have been addressed in the review, the author builds a foundation for future research.
Besides this, the author has successfully emerged very competent by the way he has applied correctly vocabulary. This has fostered clarity, coherence and as well eliminated ambiguity in the review. In addition to this, it is evident that the author in the reviewed article has applied appropriate methodology in his research (Shankarmahesh, 2004). The approaches used are very comprehensive and thus offering the work an updated summary. Both qualitative, quantitative methodologies, as well as theories from scholars, have been employed in the work. Examples of qualitative methodologies include analyzing individual discussions and literature from written sources. Quantitative tools used include surveys and questionnaires (Shankarmahesh, 2004). For this case, the review has been able to integrate a wider coverage to research on the essence of the global marketing topic. Moreover, the research approaches have built an avenue to further research in the future. Examples of theories used include materialism and dogmatism to bring out his points well.
It is also evident that the review has a scholarly significance towards the research problem. For this case, it has a practical implication due to the issue of antecedents and consequences of CET on global trade (Shankarmahesh, 2004). In this case, they can be used by international marketing agents to improve their marketing strategies bearing in mind that there are hosts of challenges which international businesses encounter in the course of their operations.
Shankarmahesh (2004) gives justification for the inclusion of consumer ethnocentrism with antecedents and consequences. To begin with, the author contends that the exit of tariffs and the emergence of non-tariff barriers in international trade has resulted in challenges in global trade. Consumer acceptance or rejection of products is no longer based on price or quality but nationalist ideologies. These ideologies are referred to as non-tariff barriers and they include consumer ethnocentrism. Secondly, he claims that such tariffs as consumer ethnocentrism have been precedent by some factors and will lead to specific consequences, therefore justifying why this study of antecedents and consequences is imperative.
In addition, the author explicitly shows a line of difference between what has been previously done regarding consumer antecedents and consequences and what needs to be done currently. About previous research, as regards CET in various aspects including economic, political, demographics, gender, education, race, ethnicity, and social class, he recommends future research in government procurement, how it can be overcome, and the liability of foreignness in CET. The aforementioned factors are quite crucial in the growth as well as the development of international trade. More vividly, there is consideration of scholarly literature in the examination of this topic in a historical context. When quotes from summer, Murdock, and Sharma are duly applied to this scenario, the author acquires the historical context of the emergence of consumer ethnocentrism with appropriate inclusion of correct vocabulary with clarity and elimination of ambiguity consumer ethnocentrism as regards international trade (Shankarmahesh, 2004). Owing to the articulation of variables such as gender, demographics, economies, education, race, and ethnicity, the article correctly explains the existent relationship of the variables to the phenomena of CET. This piece synthesizes some pieces of literature and lacks a critique of other sources of literature and thus does not fully synthesize literature accordingly. Indeed, this may be posed as a weakness in the article which requires to be reviewed further. Although he claims that more research needs to be done as regards government procurement and supplies, he presents contradictions as regards political studies in CET antecedents and consequences. It is obvious that political influence on CET comes from the presiding government and the same trends should be reflected in its procurement and supplies. This claim of future research fails to achieve validity.
Reference
Shankarmahesh, N. (2004). Consumer ethnocentrism: an integrative review of its antecedents and consequences. St Louis: University of Missouri Press.
Jimenez & San (2009) carried out an enriched study pertaining “The role of country-of- origin, ethnocentrism and animosity in promoting consumer trust: The moderating role of familiarity.”
This study was fundamentally aimed at coming up with a multidisciplinary model that elaborates matters relating to a country of origin(COO).The study deeply looks at these issues so as to provide an empirical evidence how psychological variables relate with trust(Jimenez & San (2009).
Upon analyzing the article at close quarters, it shows that nearly all literatures used in the study are recent. Due to the fact that the literatures used are extensive and on the same note covering an extensive period before narrowing to the current period, consequently the study is also wide in nature.
This study gives managers vital knowledge to use the positive aspects of the study to benefit both from current and future market conditions. Under the Accounting, Organizations and Society this article was reviewed in 2006.
The article’s research problem
The study article addresses the problem of research by developing a problem. In this study, the researcher formulates the problem of examining the role of country of origin, ethnocentrism and animosity in promoting consumer trust.
Data analysis and collection
Data analysis in this study used LISREL equation modeler to develop the relationship between different variables. For higher level of comprehension, the researchers were able to tabulate the results. The findings have been elaborated on in a more open way by pointing out the findings and results (Wodak&Myer, 2009).
This analysis achieves uni-dimensionality of the variables by making use of explorative analysis. The study was carried out in Spain and the researchers have discussed on the relationship between explanatory variables and psychological variables in this area of study.
Looking at the nature of the article, the author has fully organized his article into clear sections such as introduction, discussion, hypotheses, data analysis, discussion of findings, and conclusion.
Results and discussion
The paper clearly demonstrates a discussion of the findings. In the study article, the author illustrates the results in a tabular and theoretical manner in order to make a clear view of the outcome. Quite a good number of variances were made as a step to make comparisons between organizations exhibiting control and a dominant type.
The main agenda of this study was to make sure that an understanding was reached at pertaining performance appraisals of top managers and the firm’s culture. Both practical and theoretical observations can be derived from the study. From the practical point of view culture is a major point influencing nearly all interactions and relations the organization is engaged in.
What was more interesting was that the article reveals the importance of cultural orientations in establishing proper and viable performance appraisal mechanisms.
Therefore, the role of cultural attributes in shaping the manner in which organizations perform serves as an innate significance of this article. It furthers the managerial knowledge in establishing better organizational culture capable of turning around the employee performance as well as achieving organizational goals.
The strengths and weaknesses of the article
Although the study makes use of a good number of recent studies, most of the studies are old. This may compromise the results because of the market dynamics, which may have occurred between these times up to the stated period of study.
On the other hand, the article rides on the wide research literature that serves as the foundation of the study. Ordinarily, any study that does not create a preliminary understanding fails to demonstrate its true course.
Significance and implications of the study
The article merits as an academic source owing to its wide scope, valid and reliable findings. Additionally, its theoretical and practical implications to the managerial field serve a far-reaching importance.
References
Jimenez, N. H., & San Martın, S. (2009).The role of country-of-origin, ethnocentrism and animosity in promoting consumer trust: The moderating role of familiarity. International Business Review: 1-12.
Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2009). Methods of critical discourse analysis. New York, NY: Sage Publications Ltd.
The film selected for review and aiding in analyzing the concept of ethnocentrism and its effects on individuals, societies, and multinationals is “The Namesake”.
Released in 2007, the film chronicles the lives of an Indian couple and their children as they attempt to adjust to the cultural dynamics involved in emigrating from West Bengal in India, to the US, and raising their children to appreciate the intricacies of these two varying cultures (Bahri, 2007, p.10).
The film is divided into two parts, the first part portraying the couple (Ashoke and Ashima) in India, then the second part portrays their life in the US, with subsequent scenes involving movement between the two countries.
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture, (in-group), is superior to other cultures and involves the tendency to view other cultures as secondary, with the central focus and point of reference being the individual’s culture. In the film “Namesake”, Ashoke and Ashima want to raise their children to respect and practice their Indian culture and value their Indian heritage, which they believe is better and superior to the more liberal American culture.
They especially want their children to remain true to the Indian culture of courtship and marriage, which involves arranged marriages, an expectation that unsurprisingly causes friction with their children who have taken to the comparatively liberal American culture of courtship and marriage. Viewing the film, one gets the sense of importance that Indians attach to the institution of marriage.
Unlike the American culture, that puts emphasis on courtship and getting to know one’s spouse before marriage, Indian couples rarely court, and yet as portrayed in the film, marriages in India last longer than most American marriages.
Ethnocentrism has an impact on how societies and individuals in it relate to members of other societies. Watching the film, the struggles of Gogol Ganguli (the couple’s first son), as he tries to fit into the American lifestyle in his teen hood resonates with me. Many Americans view the American culture as the prototype for all cultures, and Asian cultures, especially Indian culture, is viewed – a view I had before watching the film – as overly conservative and retrogressive.
No matter how hard Gogol tries, by dating American women, listening to ‘American’ songs like rock music, and reading American books, he finds that he cannot escape from his Indian heritage, and finally resolves to understand his Indian culture more.
He finds out that his own heritage is not necessarily inferior to the American culture. Watching the film also gave me an insight into the Indian culture that positively altered my view of the same. The sense of communal warmth that permeates the Indian society is admirable, and Indian communities are much more closely-knit than the American communities are. I especially found the elaborate ritual of honoring the dead in Indian society as a befitting send-off for the dead honorable in Indian Society.
Multinationals and other organizations that operate across different nationalities and cultures encounter the effect of ethnocentrism especially concerning consumer products. As an American, I tend to buy only American products at home, and consumer products from Asian countries especially India and China are frowned upon in our home.
American cars such as Ford and Chevrolet models are also preferred to Japanese models like Toyota and Honda. This practice therefore, dictates that multinationals have to factor in the effect of ethnocentrism on their products as part of their consumer research studies.
‘Consumer ethnocentrism’ therefore, has an impact on the sale of imported goods within an importing country, especially since imported goods affect domestic output and may negatively impact on local jobs (Durvasula & Lysonski 2006, p.12). The direct relationship that the concept of ethnocentrism has on the sale of foreign products in America is especially significant.
References
Bahri, D. (2007). The Namesake. Film Quarterly, 61(1), 10-15.
Durvasula, S., & Lysonski, S. (2006). Impedance to globalization: The impact of economic threat and ethnocentrism. Journal of Global Marketing, 19(3/4), 9-32.
The ethnocentrism means the feeling of superiority of one national group above another, based on the cultural background. It is about judging the representatives of other cultures because of their unique language, clothing, manners and behavior. It is mostly based on the ego concepts, what is completely unjustified. The fact that someone relates to another cultural group doesn’t give you the right to decide what is better, and what is not. It is mentioned that the cultural visions cannot be measured by the concepts of right and wrong (“All About Philosophy: Ethnocentrism” par. 2). But unfortunately, it often appears the reason of huge ruptures between the nationalities. Such an issue certainly is a huge possibility of interference, when it comes to the experience of cultural exchange among the nations. Therefore, while beginning on the personal level, it could affect the community in general. The Vocabulary states that “If you refused to bow when greeting a Japanese friend, insisting on shaking hands instead, you’d be displaying your ethnocentrism, or your belief that your own culture is superior to others” (“Vocabulary: Ethnocentrism” par. 1). Considering the above-mentioned case, we could assume that there should be some international standards of communication, following which nobody would be insulted or discriminated.
Problem Solving
One of the most practical ways of overcoming the ethnocentrism is communication. The UK Essays suggests that an individual needs to have an opened mind to be able to hear the distinctive culture through feelings and empathy (“UK Essays: Overcoming Ethnocentrism Through Communication Cultural Studies Essay” par. 2). Of course, it is extremely problematic for any individual to be aware of all the details and traditions of the foreign culture that he meets. However, there has to be the sign of respect, meaning that, in the first place, a person has to be attentive and polite, without exceptions. He should express the respect and honor in all possible ways, however, it doesn’t have to turn into hypocrisy, meaning that it must not be just an external act. The individual should make all the efforts to build a cultural bridge between the sides, which would mean their mutual interest in each other’s culture and a desire to cognize. To be able to do that, the person needs to be wise, attentive and caring. It is important not to judge people because of their behavioral differences, and not to let yourself think that it is wrong or invalid (“How to Overcome Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping” par. 5). An individual has to be free from various dogmas and convictions, and he also should be passionate about learning the world. The borders are present only within the human consciousness. Those boundaries are the measure of how he perceives the world. And if a human works on himself to expand them, he begins to see the aspects that previously were hidden. There are always opportunities for transformation and growth, but are we ready to change ourselves? It is required to mention that there is always a need for the person to be ready to share his idea, as well as to accept the ideas of others (“Penn State: Ethnocentrism” par. 3). First of all, we all are the citizens of the Earth, despite our origin. That is what we always should remember.
Conclusion
Without any doubt, the significance of ethnocentrism cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately, it is an integral part of our life experience, which possibly cannot be removed completely. As it was said, despite all the claims, every one of us appears to be ethnocentric, no matter what we do, we still cannot fully avoid the ethnocentrism (“Indiana University: Ethnocentrism” par. 1). However, it means that we still need to work on ourselves to prevent the excessive cases of ethnocentrism. Therefore, we don’t have to be indifferent towards things. We should be passionate about the world and never let ourselves be disrespectful, remembering that we all are the parts of the existence.
Works Cited
All About Philosophy: Ethnocentrism 2016. Web.
How to Overcome Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping 2013. Web.
Indiana University: Ethnocentrism 2014. Web.
Penn State: Ethnocentrism 2013. Web.
UK Essays: Overcoming Ethnocentrism Through Communication Cultural Studies Essay 2016. Web.