The practice of evaluating another culture according to the standards of one's own culture is called?

• A. Ethnocentrism
• B. Cultural Relativism
• C. Culture Shock
• D. Values

Answer: (A)

Evaluating another culture using the standards and values of your own culture is ethnocentrism. This view assumes your customs are the norm or superior and uses them as the benchmark to judge others, which can lead to bias and misunderstanding. For example, if your culture prioritizes individual freedom, you might see communal decision-making in another culture as wrong or backwards, even though it makes sense within that culture’s context.

Cultural relativism, by contrast, would assess practices based on the standards of that culture itself, not your own. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation when encountering unfamiliar cultural cues. Values are beliefs about what is important or desirable, not the act of judging another culture by your standards.