anthropology cultural relativism definition
Cultural relativism is the principle of regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself.Originating in the work of Franz Boas in the early 20th century, cultural relativism has greatly influenced social sciences such as anthropology.In sociology, the principle is sometimes practiced to avoid cultural bias in research, as well as to avoid judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture.riginating in the work of Franz Boas in the early 20th century, cultural relativism has greatly influenced social sciences such as anthropology. In sociology, the principle is sometimes practiced to avoid cultural bias in research, as well as to avoid judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture. Methodologically, cultural relativism means that while the anthropologist is in the field, he or she temporarily suspends (brackets) their own esthetic and moral judgements. The aim is to obtain a certain degree of understanding or empathy with the foreign norms and tastes.ethodologically, cultural relativism means that while the anthropologist is in the field, he or she temporarily suspends (brackets) their own esthetic and moral judgements. The aim is to obtain a certain degree of understanding or empathy with the foreign norms and tastes. cultural relativism the understanding of distinct cultures and lifestyles within the context of each culture; the behaviors of a cultural group are evaluated in the context of that specific culture, from an impartial perspective, rather than according to the standards of some other culture.nd skepticism lies along, first, Humean arguments which maintain that ethical values are intrinsically distinct and different in kind from observed facts, that there is a significant distinction between the ought and the is, values and facts, between morality and science. In other words, “right” and “wrong” are culture-specific; what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality exists, no one has the right to judge another society’s customs. Cultural relativism is widely accepted in modern anthropology.Cultural relativists believe that all cultures are worthy in their own right and are of equal value. Diversity of cultures, even those with conflicting moral beliefs, is not to be considered in terms of right and wrong or good and bad.ultural relativists believe that all cultures are worthy in their own right and are of equal value. Diversity of cultures, even those with conflicting moral beliefs, is not to be considered in terms of right and wrong or good and bad. Relativism, roughly put, is the view that truth and falsity, right and wrong, standards of reasoning, and procedures of justification are products of differing conventions and frameworks of assessment and that their authority is confined to the context giving rise to them. (d) The normative principle of a need for tolerance and acceptance towards other points of view (see §2.6), which leads to so-called “normative or prescriptive cultural relativism”, or the positions that cultural relativism is a moral requirement (see also normative moral relativism in §4.5). Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans and is in contrast to social anthropology which perceives cultural variation as a subset of the anthropological constant.ronisław Malinowski developed the ethnographic method, and Franz Boas taught it in the United States. Boas' students such as Alfred L. Kroeber, Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead drew on his conception of culture and cultural relativism to develop cultural anthropology in the United States. Cultural relativism is related to but often distinguished from moral relativism, the view that morality is relative to a standard, especially a cultural standard.riginating in the work of Franz Boas in the early 20th century, cultural relativism has greatly influenced social sciences such as anthropology. In sociology, the principle is sometimes practiced to avoid cultural bias in research, as well as to avoid judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture. It was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later popularized by his students. Boas first articulated the idea in 1887: ...civilization is not something absolute, but ... is relative, and ...owever, Boas did not coin the term. The first use of the term recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary was by philosopher and social theorist Alain Locke in 1924 to describe Robert Lowie 's extreme cultural relativism, found in the latter's 1917 book Culture and Ethnology. Cultural relativism involves specific epistemological and methodological claims. Whether or not these claims necessitate a specific ethical stance is a matter of debate. This principle should not be confused with moral relativism.owever, Boas did not coin the term. The first use of the term recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary was by philosopher and social theorist Alain Locke in 1924 to describe Robert Lowie 's extreme cultural relativism, found in the latter's 1917 book Culture and Ethnology. Normative relativism is the view that it is wrong to judge or interfere with the moral beliefs and practices of cultures that operate with a different moral framework to one’s own, that what goes on in a society should only be judged by the norms of that society.o the critic, moral relativism implies that one moral view is just as good or as bad as any other, and to take this line is to countenance immorality. But the difference between Western academics who are moral relativists and their fellow academics who criticize them is clearly not a deep difference in moral values.
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans and is in contrast to social anthropology which perceives cultural variation as a subset of the anthropological constant.