Remaining Socially Relevant

In the study of sociology, culture is a large defining part of how societal values are determined and how that society affects the individual. Napoleon A. Chagnon; an anthropologist, who specifically studies culture; wrote an informative essay, “Doing Fieldwork Among the YanomamÖ,” about a specific aggressive Indian tribe. He defined how certain cultural values led to the society functioning and acting as a whole. While reading the article, one may find themselves judging the way these people live. This is known as ethnocentrism.

“Ethnocentrism: The use of one’s own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors.” (Sociology, textbook)

Instead of being ethnocentric, and only thinking of terms of your own life, one should become culturally relative. Cultural relativism is the exact opposite as ethnocentrism. Cultural relativism encumbers the idea that the observer forgoes judging the new culture by trying to understand and relate.

So while studying the YanomamÖ, Napoleon A. Chagnon, had a duty to remain culturally relevant. With the initial culture shock, it is difficult for any researcher to refrain from judging and making assumptions right off the bat.               

In short, The YanomamÖ is a culture with very different values that reflect their very different society. They are a primitive Indian group of southern Venezuela. Overall, there are 125 scattered YanomamÖ villages in the area that live with different morals and traditions than that of the United States.

The YanomamÖ culture affects the way each member portrays one another and determines how each individual will react to their surroundings. For example, the YanomamÖ value toughness, so there lifestyle is full of violence and aggression toward their own villagers or surrounding tribes. Chagnon wrote, “The important thing is that the man has displayed his potential for violence and the implication is that other men better treat him with respect and caution.” In the YanomamÖ society, a male’s strong and respectable character is defined by his likelihood to lash out on anyone who “rattles his bee’s nest” Unlike our culture in the states, the YanomamÖ men are praised for beating their wives, killing their neighbors, and robbing the innocent. All men in the tribe fight for what they believe in physically and they would not stand to be denied. Chagnon captures this idea, “YanomamÖ refused to accept “no” for an answer until or unless it seethed with passion and intimidation.”

Even though the YanomamÖ seem foreign to us as readers, there are many common similarities. Men are honored when they stick up for their beliefs, punish men who hurt their women, and protect their deceased ancestor’s reputation. Our inability to first sight similarities and instead notice the blatant differences comes back to the idea of ethnocentrism. In class, when we read two articles observing two cultures called the “Narcirema” and the “Asu”, we came to a quick conclusion that these cultures are barbaric and insensible. For example, I quickly judged the woman of the Narcirema culture who burn their heads in an oven. I failed to notice that American woman instead cut and probe  their body in order to look younger and more fit. If we look at the Narcirema and Asu in a culturally relevant way we realize that the Narcirema shrines represent American bathrooms and the Asu rac’s represent American cars. Overall, their society makes sense to them, like our society makes sense to us.

In sociology, it is always important to look at things in a culturally relevant ways instead of jumping to quick judgmental conclusions.We must remain open minded (picture). It will help on understand how that particular society truly functions and why.

In our world today, we see people remaining ethnocentric all the time. Ethnocentrism is one of main reasons for divisions among race, religion, and gender. Each group judges the other because they don’t bother to look at the other side of the spectrum. For example, the United States has always viewed itself as the “power house”. Americans view their own nation as more economically sound, culturally diverse, and more dominant in foreign affairs. This is shown by the United States involvement in many conflicts around the world. Right now, the United States are heavily involved in the Middle East, trying to be the authoritative and more powerful nation. In reality, we are being ethnocentric, because we think our way is the right way. Being ethnocentric doesn’t always demonstrate selfishness and greed because it is natural to try to change things to your familiar perspective. Overall, ethnocentrism is everywhere in society. (see link) http://www.yourdictionary.com/grammar/examples/examples-of-ethnocentrism.html