Question

Sociology 200
Chapter 3

1.- Define ethnocentrism, culture shock and cultural relativity. Discuss an example of each. Please
be specific.
2.- Identify 3 different types of subcultures you have experienced. Discuss each type.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS
PLEASE DO NOT COPY FROM ANY WEBSITES

Answer 1

• 1.Culture shock is the disorientation that people feel when they are exposed to a culture in which their assumptions about the way the world is, or should be, no longer work. For example,A traveller from Chicago might find the nightly silence of rural Montana unsettling, not peaceful. An exchange student from China might be annoyed by the constant interruptions in class as other students ask questions;a practice that is considered rude in China.
• Chicago traveller was initially captivated with Montana’s quiet beauty and the Chinese student was originally excited to see an American-style classroom firsthand. But as they experience unanticipated differences from their own culture, their excitement gives way to discomfort and doubts about how to behave appropriately in the new situation. Eventually, as people learn more about a culture, they recover from culture shock.
• Ethnocentrism is out tenancy to judge others by the way our own group does things.Canadians often express disgust at other cultures’ cuisine, thinking it is gross to eat meat from a dog or guinea pig, for example, while they do not question their own habit of eating cows or pigs. Such attitudes are an example of ethnocentrism,or evaluating and judging another culture based on how it compares to one’s own cultural norms.
• Someone from a country where dogs are considered dirty and unhygienic might find it off-putting to see a dog in a French restaurant.
• Cultural relativism is the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of one’s own culture.It  refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong, strange or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices of other groups in its own cultural context.
• Cultural relativism explains why, for example, what constitutes breakfast varies widely from place to place. What is considered a typical breakfast in Turkey, is quite different from what is considered a typical breakfast in the U.S. or Japan. While it might seem strange to eat fish soup or stewed vegetables for breakfast in the U.S., in other places, this is perfectly normal. Conversely, the tendencypf americans toward sugary cereals and milk or preference for egg sandwiches loaded with bacon and cheese would seem quite bizarre to other cultures.
• 2.A subculture is a cultural group within a culture that differs in one or more ways from the culture. This would include differences in interest, behaviors or beliefs, like religion, ethnicity, and social or economic status.
• One of the subcultures which I have experienced,while living in US, as one of the counselors was Alcoholics Anonymous which is a group for recovering alcoholics.I have listened to all of the stories and experiences and helped a lot of people recover
• I have always been passionate about traveling on bikes,which is why during my early 20s,I joined bikers gang,who shared the same passion and traveled together to a alot of places.And bikers are a very prominent subculture which still exists not just in US but in India as well.I did meet a lot of them from US during my travels in India.
• I have always been spiritual,which is why I joined a religious sub-culture group who follow Baha'i beliefs,which believes in no discrimination between religions and people and focuses on togetherness and peaces.All the people in my group,do meet for frequent meetings and sessions,which has really helped develop my focus and learn to be calm and instilled my faith in a positive world.