why is ethnocentrism bad?

Answer 1

The definition of ethnocentrism as I know it is: judging another culture based on the standards of your own culture. Obviously, it's not hard to see why this is bad. If you judge a strange culture you've just come in contact with based on your own values, beliefs and views, instead of taking the time to be subjective and nonjudgmental, you could run into the danger of indirectly creating generalizations and stereotypes of those people because you would feel superior to them, when in fact, they are just like you, albeit they might do things a little bit different.

A much better position to take when encountering new peoples or cultures is cultural relativism, which is basically the opposite of ethnocentrism (i.e. NOT judging another's culture based on the standards of your own culture).

Answer 2

All isms are bad. Being a centrism makes ethnocentrism especially bad.

Answer 3

I don't think their is anything wrong with it. In the USA it is fine to have pro black groups, pro mestizo groups, pro Asian groups and so forth. It seems the only group that can't be ethnocentric are white people.

Answer 4

It's ok to use your standards of judgment to note the differences and commonalities between yourself and other ethnic groups. Wanting to impose your ethnic cultures standards on other ethnic groups, to get them to conform to your way of life is never a good idea.

One should never get to caught up in feeling that their particular ethnic group is the be all and end all of the human experience, it is a recipe for more trouble than it is worth.

Answer 5

Because anything that is not politicaly correct is Bad.