Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is a term used to refer to a situation where a person believes that their ethnic community is better than others. It a phrase commonly encountered when studying anthropology and social sciences. Ethnocentrism occurs when an individual(s) criticizes the actions of other cultures based on the presumptions that exist in his cultural heritage, values, and standards. Such biases are common in the areas of race, religion, traditions, behavior, or language and can occur on an individual, societal, or regional level.
One example of an ethnocentric event is the second world war in Europe from 1939 to 1945. During this time, Hilter, a very ethnocentric German leader, ordered the mass killing of the Jewish population. Hitler believed the Germans were superior to the Jews because of their racial differences. Jews bore the brunt of Hitler’s prejudice as over six million of them were killed in the Nazi concentration camps in the time of the holocaust.
Hitler’s racial prejudice resulted in the deaths of millions, which could have easily been avoided. It was unfair of him to blame the Jewish people for the problems present in Germany at the time. Avoiding generalization and taking responsibility for one’s actions would have been one way to avoid ethnocentrism and its consequences during Hitler’s rule. In addition to this, the Germans should have practiced tolerance. They could have accepted the Jewish population as part of their country and tried to find out how the Jews could be of value to their country, then work together towards building a stronger and more prosperous country. Tolerance does not mean that the other culture is better, but that the differences make you stronger.