A belief that another culture is superior to one's own is called?

• A. Xenocentrism
• B. Ethnocentrism
• C. Cultural Relativism
• D. Values

Answer: (A)

Xenocentrism is the belief that another culture is superior to one’s own. This stance looks outward, valuing foreign ways as better or more advanced than what one’s own culture offers. It’s the opposite of ethnocentrism, which judges other cultures by the standards of one’s own culture and often deems them inferior. Cultural relativism, by contrast, asks us to understand beliefs and practices within their own cultural context rather than ranking cultures, so it doesn’t describe a preference for one culture’s superiority. Values are broad ideas about what is important but don’t by themselves indicate a belief about the superiority of entire cultures.