Simply put, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism are excellent research methods for studying a particular ethnic culture. However, it is essential to note that there is no such thing as a foul or bias-proof research method. Each one of these two has its own corresponding biases. What is most important, in this case, is to find ways to lower those biases to a bare minimum. For example, cultural relativism promotes the idea that nothing is black and white, and therefore, the person interpreting it should experience and immerse themselves into the culture to get a complete scope of understanding of how it actually works living in this type of society. Quite frankly, an excellent example of this is the Chinese cultural practice of giving gifts to people, and often to people in positions of power, in an effort to get a faster resolution for their concerns. To us living in the United States, this sounds a lot like bribery, and the act of bribery was solidly codified into law with strict prohibition in the American culture. Therefore, aside from breaking the law, anyone practicing it will be considered a person outside our regular cultural norm. Also, people practicing it must further consider all of the repercussions, carefully weigh their options, and decide whether it is worth taking such a risk. Nevertheless, suppose one allows themselves to be fully immersed and integrated into Chinese society and experience it in person. In that case, one might see that this practice goes way beyond the scope of bribing government officials. And that this practice originated as an act of kindness and expression of care. In fact, during the Chinese new year, or any other major holidays, it was considered a cultural norm for younger people to visit their older family members. During their visit, they should also buy something of value for the elderly as a general act of kindness and respect. Even for wedding occasions, people attending the wedding will often prepare a red envelope for the newlywed congratulating them on their union while also conveying a message that I am not just there to congratulate you but also to offer financial support. It further expresses the guest’s utmost sincerity and care by acknowledging that wedding preparations can be costly; in hopes that the red envelope will help ease the newlywed’s financial burden.

On the other hand, ethnocentrism promotes the idea that cultures must be interpreted from each anthropologist’s perspective and cultural background. Although this method is quite similar to the method of cultural relativism, it provides more expanded freedom of interpretation. On top of that, since it does not necessarily require each anthropologist to experience that culture, they are free to utilize their own life experiences and academic texts written by others to make those interpretations and assumptions. The problem with this approach, though, is that it does not always provide the context necessary to tell the whole story. Similar to the example mentioned above, if we were to interpret this Chinese gifting culture with the American ideologies, this, by far, sounds more like a criminal act than an act of kindness. Even with the possibility of learning about these cultural norms from academic texts, it is still far better to experience it for a better understanding of how it works in person. A good example of that is the Chinese spring festival that happens around Chinese New Year. Granted, we should be able to learn the significance of travel during this time of year from academic texts. However, what academic texts will often miss are the crucial details of how difficult it is to travel and the many issues accompanying trying to purchase a plane and high-speed rail ticket during this time. It also often fails to elaborate on how significant it is to Chinese citizens to travel home to reunite with their families after working a whole year in other provinces. So without these important details, it will not convey the whole story to the target audience, and those interpretations will often lack vibrancy and, quite frankly, some humanistic touch.

As what is mentioned at the very beginning, as humans, we cannot eliminate all biases and stereotypes in their entirety. It is crucial, however, especially in the realm of academics, to try to reduce personal biases to a bare minimum and base findings and interpretations not only on facts but also based on the interpreter’s immersive personal experiences. Humans are not perfect; we are prone to flaws and mistakes because of our imperfections. Therefore, it is vital for us to retain some degree of skepticism about everything that we have read or told along the way until we can prove it with our own eyes or experience it in person.

Responses to the professor or other students:

Response One:

I enjoyed your mention of art history. You are right; art history is based on the opinions of others, and oftentimes, those opinions are also based on the opinions of other scholars. Ethnocentrism is a good way to understand cultures that have gone extinct, Greeko-Roman culture is a good example of that. Quite frankly, the best way to learn history and its ethnic culture is to experience it or see it ourselves; unfortunately, it is not always possible. We are only able to rely on historical documentation to interpret a group of people’s cultural norms; sadly, documents are still written by flawed humans, and therefore, they are not always completely accurate, and those documents may very well include biases of the authors.

Response Two:

You are right. I really do enjoy your mention of the various limitations of Ethnocentrism. I, too, believe that it is highly subjective when anthropologists interpret another culture through the lens of their existing cultural background and societal norms. In order to achieve some level of objectivity, it must be done through not only just facts but also anthropologists’ personal accounts and experiences, immersing themselves in that culture and recounting that first-hand experiences. In my own discussion post, I actually provided some of our Chinese cultural norms that may seem odd and sometimes even illegal in the eyes of a typical person that grew up here. Nonetheless, after pointing out the specific details and backstories behind the developments of those cultural norms, suddenly, it becomes more widely acceptable to a typical American audience. So quite frankly speaking, context is important, not just in an academic setting but also in life.