The caveat emptor is emphasized as strongly as a “beware of the dog” sign when online shopping for goods from any third party vendor. We shop from sites that advertise the lowest prices on the internet, free shipping from Hong Kong, and a long list of buyer-seller agreements, including no returns or refunds. All three of these things serve as a caveat to the typical American consumer. We become uncomfortable with the thought of buying from an Asian company, and prefer to purchase the same product from an American or European vendor. The main explanation for this the world-wide phenomena of consumer ethnocentrism, the tendency to believe that a persons own ethnic group is superior to those of others. Marketing analysts have witnessed this economic …show more content…
An anthropological issue has arisen in between these divides and has created a bias towards our own beliefs. In such a globally adept world, its almost hard to believe that ethnocentrism would be prevalent issue. Instead, ethnocentrism is living in the households of many American citizens. Bernard Wong discusses the polarization of the people of Chinatown in New York city. He evaluates the ethnocentrism in Chinatown by explaining the culture they were forced to form based on their ethnicity and social status (Wong, p. 172, 1979). As a result, this automatically yielded a bias they had towards themselves and against other ethnicities in New York City. Donald Tricarico wrote an article assessing the prevalence of ethnocentrism in his Italian-American concentrated neighborhood. Similar to the Chinatown Wong had discussed, it was the historical juncture and the traditional, social, and cultural aspects of his society that maintained their heavy ethnocentrism (Tricarico, p. 66, 1984). Italian beliefs were extremely promoted in this culture while other beliefs were entirely disdained. Anthropology has studied these relationships and has allowed the people to observe them and reflect upon how they might get resolved in the future. An anthropologist would argue that this issue amongst the people could only be resolved by the people, by immersing into …show more content…
Ethnocentrism can be interpreted as a type of discrimination that uses stereotypes to achieve it. In an informal matter, we are able to disprove stereotypes by simply getting to know someone who you perceived to fit a stereotype that, to your disbelief, doesn’t fit. Simple methods of communication could be the facilitator that derails ethnocentrism and allows people to associate and trade freely. Whether language barriers have to be broken or people have to venture into different neighborhoods, conversations with people from different cultures helps eradicate stereotypes of other ethnicities and lowers the prevalence of ethnocentrism. In a recent study, it has been found that an increase in effective communication yields a decrease of ethnocentrism between cultures (Neuliep, p. 1-16, 2012). When buying a product online, it would help to email or contact the seller prior to purchasing the product or neglecting the product. This allows the individual of a different culture or ethnicity to make an impression, which defies the means of ethnocentrism. The implementation of effective communication between different ethnic groups can extinguish the inferno of ethnocentrism and prevent any further
Characteristics of our society reflect in the outcome of purchasing tendencies. How many of us can honestly say we make a valid effort to purchase goods made in our own country? In our face paced world where both parents are in the work force, raising children, social activities and everything else, who has time to make an effort? Most often, consumers only care about marking off the s...
Throughout times there has been this belief that one’s culture is better than others. We believe that our traditions, food, clothing, and customs are superior to those in other cultures. This belief system is called ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism originates from the Greek words “ethnos” meaning “people” and “Centrism” meaning “center” (“What Does Ethnocentrism Mean?”). This means that one’s ideas and values are centered on the superiority of their own group. Having an ethnocentric attitude changes how we view other cultures and limits our capability to be culturally relative to others not a part of our own.
Salsberg, B. (2010). The 'Secondary'. The new Japanese consumer is coming. McKinsey Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_new_Japanese_consumer_2548.
Ethnocentrism is when one culture judge’s another culture by the standard of their own (Health, 2001). Stereotypes, biases, and prejudices against other people are all in a sense a form of ethnocentrism (Astle, Barton, Johnson, & Mill, 2014). It is okay to be proud of your own culture, but you need to remember to do so in such a way, that you are not putting down any other culture (Arnold, 2016).
Mooij,M de.2004.Consumer Behavior and Culture: Consequences for Global Marketing and Advertising. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
According to Kim, there is a particular circumstance that must occur in order for an interaction to be considered an interethnic communication. There must be some kind of deviation or distinction between the communicator and interactant with regards to identity and ethnicity (Kim, 2005). This can include traits such as age, sex, skin color, and body size. Within this context, interethnic communication is regarded as an open-system concept rather than a fixed and rigid form of interaction. Every aspect of the conversation not only considered independent of one another, but
We live in a world society that is changing rapidly. It is causing people of various cultures likely to interact with each other. This interaction can be positive or negative depending on respect people have for other cultural groups and the level of sensitivity. These behaviors are directly related to the two very important concept in sociology, which are known as Ethnocentrism and Culture relativism. Negative attitudes toward other ethnic group or cultures can be result of ethnocentrism. On the other hand, positive attitude can be the result of the culture relativism approach. The purpose of the paper is to show why people need to move from ethnocentrism mindset to culture relativism .As America is becoming more and more diversit,we need
When one encounters a culture that has little in common with own, one may experience culture shock. This is a sense of confusion, anxiety, stress and loss one may experience. One of the barriers in effective intercultural communication is ethnocentrism. It stems from a conviction that one’s own cultural traditions and assumptions are superior to those of others. It leads to a tendency to look the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture. It is one of the fastest ways to create a barrier that inhibits, rather than enhances communication (Jandt, 2012).
Mooij, M.de. (2004). Consumer Behavior and Culture, Sage Publications, Page 102, Page 119, Page 274, Page 275
This report will address three fundamental themes of intercultural comm-unication: stereotyping, discrimination, prejudice, essentialism, and their func-tions in every day life, relativism and ethnocentrism as a role in worldview, and the rapid increase in cultural diversification around the world. Gender and sexuality are not deemed relevant to the case at hand, and will not be exam-ined in this report.
Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two contrasting terms that are displayed by different people all over the world. Simply put, ethnocentrism is defined as “judging other groups from the perspective of one’s own cultural point of view.” Cultural relativism, on the other hand, is defined as “the view that all beliefs are equally valid and that truth itself is relative, depending on the situation, environment, and individual.” Each of these ideas has found its way into the minds of people worldwide. The difficult part is attempting to understand why an individual portrays one or the other. It is a question that anthropologists have been asking themselves for years.
Effective communication with people of difference cultures can be especially challenging. The way people interpret the world can be strikingly different between cultures. Intercultural communication occurs when a member from one culture produces a message that is absorbed by a member of another culture. How that message is understood by the communicating party is a vital part in intercultural communication. For example, in Cambodia it would be considered rude to discuss business in a social setting (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.). However, in the United States this is a common practice and is almost an encouraged event. Another important factor and consideration in intercultural communication is the importance of understanding cultures, values, history and beliefs. For instance, in Cambodia, if you deliver a present that is wrapped in white paper, this is considered to represent mourning. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to assimilate into a culture and be mindful of communication between cultures (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.).
“As no two cultures or two individuals are quite alike, the cultural differences and potential incompatibilities that the interactants bring to a specific encounter can add complexity to the counseling experience.”.which is said by Carmella H. Woll(1996). As is widely known that the culture play a very important role in people’s lives, such as that the way of thinking and doing are all related to the culture. According to what Hofstede found that the different culture and social background will make people’s behavior and thinking mode be different. It is illustrated that the marketing is a societal process,which means that the individuals and groups in different countries gain the things what they need and want through the methods of freely
Despite the facts that many of the most powerful markets on the planet operate within the capitalistic principle of free trade. Despite the fact that Western Europe is now border-free within its bounds and uses the same common currency. And despite the fact that the USSR s Iron Curtain has fallen more than a decade ago, the people of this world have never expressed their need to belong to a national identity as much as they do today. In response to international organized terrorism, mass media and political pressure, the average consumer today is looking for security, truth, and for a product tailored to his need. A product that reflects the international society we live in today but also carries the cultural identity of the consumer buying it. Or at least carries one that can be compatible with it.
... its proper expressions, structure and grammar. Moreover, each language is linked to a specific dialect which is associated with educational, economic, social and historical conditions. Moreover, cultural variations also exist in the rules for general discourse in oral communication. Similar to verbal communication, there are also variations in non-verbal communication between cultures. Gestures, facial expressions, sense of time and personal distance take different forms in different cultures. Furthermore, there is an infinite number of cultural diversities which are at the root of intercultural miscommunication. Variations in values , social relationships, religion, economy and politics consist of only a few of these diversities. These differences can be the source of ethnocentrism, if one becomes over patriotic in regards to one’s own culture. Ethnocentrism, is the concept which states that we tend to judge other cultures through our own. Ethnocentric behavior, can cause racism and chauvinism, as in the case of the Second World War. However, intercultural problems can be avoided if we all develop mindfulness, a sense of flexibility and seek information about the other culture.