Week 5 Cultural Perspectives on Racism Paper Week 5 – Written Assignment Cultural Perspectives Draft The goal of this assignment is to integrate cultural

Week 5 Cultural Perspectives on Racism Paper Week 5 – Written Assignment
Cultural Perspectives Draft

The goal of this assignment is to integrate cultural nuances, expectations, and perspectives into a draft of your final paper. You will present a current diversity-related situation or dilemma; compare and contrast the cultures involved in the situation; and provide a historical perspective and analyze the contributing factors to the current state of the situation. You will then interpret the effects of the situation on the cultures involved, provide evidence in favor of and opposed to each side of the situation. Finally, you will assess your beliefs and perspectives regarding the situation or dilemma and identify strategies for building inclusion by synthesizing the varying perspectives.

INSTRUCTIONS:

This assignment will build upon your accumulated learning from the course and your written assignments from Weeks 3 and 4. Based on your identified situation or cultural dilemma (from your Week 4 written assignment), determine a personal position regarding the topic. Then write a 2800-3500 word paper that:

Identifies and presents your own attitudes, beliefs, cultural norms, stereotypes, or biases that you may have, or had in the past, regarding the topic.
Presents at least one argument supporting the perspective of each cultural group involved with the topic.
Considers how the situation or dilemma may be addressed moving forward with a mutually beneficial outcome.

This written assignment will include:

An identified diversity situation or cultural dilemma prevalent in today’s society that involves more than one cultural group. (Week 3 written assignment)
A comparison of the different cultural groups involved. (Week 4 written assignment)
Personal position regarding the topic. (Week 5 written assignment)

This written assignment should be double-spaced, and include a title page and references page. Additionally, utilize 5 to 7 resources, including resources provided throughout the course, to support your arguments. Make sure to gather evidence and present persuasive, well-reasoned arguments regarding your topic, and consider all perspectives and opinions.

To Summarize:

Your Week 3 written assignment should identify a diversity situation or cultural dilemma that is prevalent in today’s society that involves more than one cultural group. Additionally, your paper should:

Identify the selected diversity situation or cultural dilemma.
Provide an analysis of the topic, including an historical perspective and the current day situation.
Explain why this is a topic of interest in general, and to you in particular.

Your Week 4 written assignment should have included the requirements of the Week 3 paper and then continued on to compare and contrast the different cultural groups involved the situation or dilemma. Additionally, the Week 4 paper should address the:

stereotypes and biases associated with each of the cultural groups
privileges and power associated with each of the cultural groups

This Week 5 paper should include all the requirements of the Weeks 3 and 4 papers and also:

Identify and present your own attitudes, beliefs, cultural norms, stereotypes, or biases that you may have, or had in the past, regarding the topic.
Present at least one argument supporting the perspective of each cultural group involved with the topic.
Consider how the situation or dilemma may be addressed moving forward with a mutually beneficial outcome. Running head: ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
Name
Institutional Affiliation
1
ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
Culture is the people way of life, which includes language, beliefs, ethnicity,
ethics, morals, and values. Culture expresses ideas and creativity throughout history and
people’s heritage (Eller, 2016). It measures the health of a society, vitality, and quality of
life. Through culture, people develop and cognitive and personal growth, sense of
belonging and are able to relate to each other. Ethnocentrism refers to the act of judging
another culture based on one’s own perspectives (Pérez & Barreno, 2017). In
ethnocentrism, one may perceive another culture as wrong while his own culture as right.
On the other hand, cultural relativism is the notion that other cultures, beliefs, and ethics
are worthy in their own context (Pérez & Barreno, 2017). In this case, every culture is
worthy in its own way. The paper discusses how my culture affects how I see myself and
other cultures.
Born as an African American male in a multi-race neighborhood, my culture is
influenced by a mix of Native Americans, Caucasian whites, African Americans, and
Hispanics among others. America has numerous cultures, but whites and AfricanAmericans influence most of it. American culture is bold and dynamic in relation to
different beliefs, ethics, and religions. My family and friends within our area have
influenced my life. The family has influenced most of my life aspects with both parents
having grown in America. One of the most notable aspects of my culture is food.
American food is famous around the world, but mostly associated with fast foods. From
hamburgers to French fries, I enjoyed the regular food eaten in my country. School also
had a significant impact on my life. Schools have a mix of people from all cultures,
although dominated by whites, other minorities included Hispanics and African
Americans. The schools have encompassed of traditional and modern cultures, some that
date back to the early 20th century. The diversity in schools was crucial in enlightening
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ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
my social life. Typically, my life revolved around the family unit, friends who were
African-Americans and Hispanics and the school. Religion had a small impact since my
family is not that religious, and in quit going to church at 6th grade.
The American norms have developed over a long period as a result of the mixed
pot of cultures and beliefs. Today, norms are distinct from the rest of the world. Tipping is
a norm known all over in businesses. Tipping is the act of appreciation and generosity
common in the service industry. People show kindness, appreciation of service or if they
like someone. The act of tipping show loyalty by customers thus improving service
delivery and socialization (Allison & Whaling, 2017). Thumbs up is also a norm where
people use their thumbs to say yes or show positive affirmation of something. Thumbs up
is common in the US, especially for young people. It is a cultural norm to own a dog or a
cut in America. The US has the highest dog population in the world at more than 78
million (Allison & Whaling, 2017). As such, dogs are crucial in American society, a norm
that has existed for many years. Dogs are valuable in society; some used as aids or home
companions. Another norm, which has developed recently, is the use of smartphones.
Nearly every adult in the US owns a smartphone and people walk with their phones
everywhere, something that has grown the number of smartphones astronomically.
America has many traditions, but some have much influence. American people are
known for speaking up, a tradition, which traces its background with the rise of
democracy. Americans fight for the speech rights, and people have done great things by
just speaking. American dressing varies with ethnicity social class, profession or events.
Jeans and sneakers are the most common casual were. Boots are also common, both in
casual and official occasions. Music has the most influence on our culture. The music
reflects a diverse array of people from jazz, hip-hop, pop, rock, all which mirror different
aspects such as race, lifestyle, beliefs social class among others. The music industry is
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ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
influential and massive. The same goes for American film and movie industry. Movies are
very popular both locally and traditionally, with thousands of movie theatres across the
country. The movie-out tradition has taken hold across the country. Holiday traditions are
also common; the most common holidays include Christmas, the New Year, Martin Luther
King day, Independence day among others. These traditions are created over time based
on culture, technology, beliefs, and ethnicity.
There are various ethnocentric perspectives within my own and general American
culture. Americans are ethnocentric towards other societies and beliefs, which have led to
the growth of ethnocentric perspectives. I have grown in a place where people believe that
their culture, beliefs, ideologies, schools, and businesses are superior against the rest of the
world. This belief brings confidence in societies thus helping the US maintain its
superiority. However, it has led to the meddling of political ideologies of foreign countries
with the idea of spreading democracy. Americans are also ethnocentric in terms of
language. Most of the people are monolingual speaking English only. As such, most
consider English as superior to other languages; it is common to see Americans thinking
that people must understand English. At times, people consider English as a measure of
intellectual capacity, which is not the case. The same perspective exists in the Business
industry where some people consider American products as superior to the rest of the
world. However, some of these perspectives fade with time, and people start valuing other
cultures. Cultural ethnocentrism exists in nearly every society around the world.
Similarly, there are numerous perspectives based on relativism. Immigration is
common in the US with thousands of foreigners flocking into the country every year, both
legally and illegally. Most people do not worry about immigrants who worry amongst
them. In fact, one has a higher chance of being arrested on an expired ticket than being on
the country illegally. American borrowing culture is ethnocentric (Yoshida, 2019). Most
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ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
people in the country have credit cards, and the government keeps on borrowing every
year. The US debts are several times higher than the annual budget, and people do not care
much about the debt. The are numerous crimes every day with minorities committing most
of the crimes. It is common to see black or Hispanic people committing crimes but without
much outrage or attention by the media. However, crimes committed by whites receive
outrage and media attention than any other ethnic group. Another example is the
regulation of nudity in the US and around the world. What is considered nudity in the US
may be a cultural norm in another society outside the US (Yoshida, 2019) Cultural
relativism is imminent in politics, religion, beliefs among others. Most relativism is fueled
by ignorance and cultural background of the American people.
At times, people get judged in ethnocentric perspectives. I have grown in a society
where there are numerous cultures, and people have a lot of freedom of how they speak. In
the US, language seems to divert from formal to casual street-like English (Eller, 2016).
Some English words in the US differ from British English which much popular around the
world. When I visited, my language differed significantly from the rest. Although we
spoke English, some words seemed vulgar or rude to speak in public, yet they are normal
at home. The American measures are different from the rest of the world. At times, I used
the imperial measures when describing distance and everyone would get pissed for not
using the metric system, which more popular. The cultural difference was significant, and
mostly I got myself doing weird things which are norms at home.
Culture distinguishes different societies in terms of ethics, beliefs, morals, and
Values. Through culture, people develop their own identity in society. The American
culture is diverse and has its roots from numerous groups of people. It is dynamic and
distinct and has influenced all over the world. Cultural relativism exists in American
societies like the rest of the world. The aspect of American superiority every different
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ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
realm is the most common form of ethnocentrism. As such, Americans are viewed as
selfish and self-centered. Relativism exists in politics, sociology, and economics. At times
people judge each in ethnocentric manner, which brings confusion and misjudgments.
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ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
References
Allison, J., & Whaling, M. (2017). Seeking Cultural Competence. Preparing for
International Health Experiences: A Practical Guide.
Barbuto Jr, J. E., Beenen, G., & Tran, H. (2015). The role of core self-evaluation,
ethnocentrism, and cultural intelligence in study abroad success. The International
Journal of Management Education, 13(3), 268-277.
Eller, J. D. (2016). Cultural anthropology: global forces, local lives. Routledge.
Pérez, M. A. C., & Barreno, P. C. O. (2017). Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentric Education
and Society in General.
Yoshida, K. (2019). Jarvie on Rationality and Cultural Relativism. In The Impact of
Critical Rationalism (pp. 145-158). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
7
Running head: CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUE
Cultural Diversity Issue
Name
Institution
1
CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUE
2
Cultural Diversity Issue
Racism
Every person has an inherent prejudice towards others due to unknowns, fear, and
stereotypes. However, this does not mean that everybody is a racist. Racism is one of the greatest
diversity-related issues that has been creating the hottest debates over the century. While
prejudice can be overcome through integration, education, and humanity, racism is an issue that
deals with pride (Abrams & Moio, 2009). When people hear of the term racism, they tend to
think of the various ethnic groups whereby some are regarded as superior to others. Although
many people continue to hold diverse views regarding racism, the diversity issue has significance
in the United States.
It is important to note that racism has been a great issue in the United States, tracing its
roots from a period when the Native Americans were relocated to European Culture. The African
slave trade is known to have a major contribution to the racist culture in American society.
Throughout history, the African race has always been disregarded and Caucasian Americans
being taught that they are better than black Americans (Abrams & Moio, 2009). Despite the fact
that the black Americans civil rights have been enhanced over the years racism is still prevalent.
The most common type of racism in contemporary society is incidental racism, which is leading
to other forms of racism.
Multicultural Education
Multicultural education is another critical diversity-related issue being experienced in the
modern world. It is imperative to acknowledge that the education sector has changed
significantly over the past years signifying that learning is attainable through various
perspectives (Alsubaie, 2015). According to research, the failure to understand and acknowledge
CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUE
3
intercultural relationships in school has led to the implementation of ineffective approaches of
multicultural education. The primary goal of multicultural education is to encourage diversity
and differences in classrooms. On the other hand, an anti-racist education system focuses on
policies and strategies that eliminate the practices of labeling students depending on their racial
identity and color (Alsubaie, 2015). The approach used by multicultural education seems to be
more effective and encourages diversity in the learning environment, while the anti-racist
education system acknowledges that racism is present hence puts in place measures that
minimize its effects.
Criminal Justice Reform
Multiculturalism and social diversity are considered to be more prevalent in the criminal
justice system than in the rest part of the society. Fundamentally, diversity is normally affected
by social and historical processes that affect the efficiency of criminal justice systems. For
instance, the colonization of indigenous people that began during the fifteenth century as well as
colonization of Africans contributes to this diversity. Many people believe that the current
criminal justice system needs a comprehensive repair or major reforms. The major issue in the
criminal justice system is racial profiling. Arguably, the concept refers to the use of stereotype to
influence judgment rather than using facts (Pizarro, 2018). The practice mainly happens during
law enforcement, whereby assumptions are made regarding an individual based on their skin
color or culture.
Diversity issues in the criminal justice system have been caused by various societal and
historical forces. For instance, throughout the twentieth century, racial minorities were tried and
prosecuted by white juries. Further, the sentencing laws were biased whereby Africans received
harsh sanctions. Police also participated in race riots whereby their behavior encouraged hostility
CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUE
4
against the minority groups. Societal forces also play a major role in creating diversity issues in
the criminal justice system. Discrimination, either direct or indirect manifests itself in various
sectors of the society and this may lead to underrepresentation of minority groups in the criminal
justice system. Consequently, such as system does not reflect the demographics of the general
public resulting in a vicious cycle where marginalization and social discrimination contribute to
societal tension between communities hence stigmatizes particular communities as displaying
undesirable qualities.
Conflict theory perspective is one of the cultural theories that explain the above diversityrelated issues. Essentially the perspective examines the United States history in regards to its
struggle between the ethnic minorities and the ruling class. During the 19th century, the rising
power of African Americans after the civil war resulted in Jim Crow laws that limited black
Americans social and political power.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUE
5
References
Abrams, L., & Moio, J. (2009). Critical race theory and the cultural competence dilemma in
social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 245-261.
Alsubaie, M. (2015). Examples of current issues in the multicultural classroom. Journal of
Education and Practice, 86-89.
Pizarro, J. (2018). Diversity in Criminology and Criminal Justice: A Cautionary Note for
Administrators. The Criminologist, 1-11.
Running head: RACISM
1
Racism
Your Name
University
RACISM
2
Introduction
Racism is still a concern in this modern day and age. It is defined as prejudice or
discrimination against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s race is superior.
Although not everyone is a racist, there are several cases that exist. People who are racist have
several reasons that lead to them behaving that way, like fear or being just a stereotype.
Throughout history racism has been an issue, the most affected people being black Americans’.
To this date, blacks are still considered as being inferior to white people. When people hear of
the term racism, they tend to think of the various ethnic groups whereby some are regarded as
superior to others. Although many people continue to hold diverse views regarding racism, the
diversity issue has significance in the United States. According to a survey done by NBC News
in 2018, majority of Americans were of the opinion that racism still remains an issue in the
United States. 64% said “racism is a major problem” while 45% were of the opinion that, racism
will only get worse in the coming years (Ziabari & Houston, 2019).
Diversity Situation
African American are the most affected people by racism in the United States. Caucasian
Americans’ still fear black people and this leads to most of them being racist against them. Black
people still have a hard time getting jobs, quality education and even justice in America. “Antiblack racism continues to be an issue over half a century later, since the abolition of Jim Crow
laws. The laws which enforced segregation between black and white Americans’ in public spaces
(Ziabari & Houston, 2019).” The diversity situation in America of black and white people,
continues to be a contributing factor to racism. Each of this groups are different in their own
way, and they don’t seem to understand each other’s culture or perspective. Not forgetting that
RACISM
3
black Americans are still in search of their own culture and roots, since their forefathers were
captured from Africa. This brings about the cultural dilemma between both groups.
Privilege
Black people have power in their hands to end racism in America. Let’s take a look at
Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States. Him becoming the president of the
most powerful nation on earth and being black, opened up some opportunities to his fellow black
men. He gave them the hope and opportunity to realize that their dreams are effective, and if they
work together they can achieve anything they want. Now, if black people united and stopped
fighting against themselves, then they would have the chance to stand up against white people.
On the other hand, white people have the power to end racism. They should stop being
stereotypic and of the realization that every black man they meet is not a threat to them. They
hold the power in their hands to end this insanity. More black people face injustice every day,
they are given harsher sentences, and more black people die as a result of racism. If the two
groups would come together and embrace their differences and realize that they are all human
and there is no need to fight each other, United States will even be a greater country than it
already is.
Discrimination
Both black and white people face discrimination. First let’s focus on black people. The
discrimination that they face is both covert and overt. “There is an adage that to succeed, black
people have to be twice as good (Holmes, 2018).” Before a black person gets a job, or gets
enrolled to a top school. They will have to really fight hard to get that promotion, that job or that
placement in the university. White people will just see a black person and they will have already
made up their mind that no; he/she is not good enough. On the other hand white people will also
RACISM
4
face discrimination when they find themselves in a “black environment.” Black people are of the
opinion that they are certain ways that white people behave and they will be suspicious when
they see one around the neighborhoods. Black people are allowed to use the word “nigga” to
describe each other but when a white person dares to use this word then he/she is being racist.
Impacts
Racism has its own effects among the people being affected. Violence against black
people remains to be a major issue. “Black Americans are still victims of hate crime more than
any other group in the United States (Byington, Brown, & Capps, 2018).” Black people have a
hard time getting justice, as many of their cases remain unsolved or never taken to court. Black
people are also blamed for crimes and “jailed 3.6times more than white people (Subramanian,
Riley, & Mai, 2018).” Racism hinders their access to quality education, jobs t…
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