Ethnocentrism

Francisco G. Salles, Jr.

Ethnocentrism

Pronunciation:

eth·no·cen·trism

/ˌeTHnōˈsenˌtriz(ə)m/

Definition:

An aspect of in-group collective consciousness and the distinct psychology behind such, where based on the original culture’s preconceptions and prejudices of other cultures, are self-proclaimed culturally superior in comparison to the cultures deemed as out-group and inferior, typically justified with morality, propensity and ego.

Etymology:

Constructed from ethno- + -centric, originating from the Greek ethnos– + –kentrikos from kentron, where one’s race, class, caste or other group affiliation is the center of the surrounding society.

 

Chronological Evolution of Usage:

Historical examples of similar behavioral traits proliferating superiority include Aristotle’s view that non-Greeks are barbaric and uncultured, and the extremist view that during the reign of Adolf Hitler, the Jewish were inferior, which ultimately led to the Holocaust.

Despite the social and psychological communities continuously discovering older and even ancient examples of behavior congruent to the term, these concepts can be argued to have been introduced in quantity previously in works like when Ludwig Gumplowicz’ used of “Ethnocentrismus” in 1879, 1881, 1883, 1884, 1887, 1892, 1895, 1905 in both German and Polish publications.

Following such, William Graham Sumner popularly introduced the term in American in 1906 in his book “Folkways”, where he aimed to depict the simultaneous conscious and subconscious demeanor in human interactions where the initial and foundational concepts of accepting the culturally ‘alike’ in the rejection of the ‘unlike’ is presented.

After such, from the 1940s until his published book in 1950, Theodor W. Adorno was one of the popular first attempts at measuring the psychological effects and drawbacks of this “flaw in the ego” in his “Authoritarian Personality” book.

Controversial Concepts:
Not all scholars agree on the interpretation of ancient views present at the time, where some view Aristotle’s perspective as a positive comparative outlet, and not of a degrading demeanor.

Moreover, the persistence of such behavior, despite the decrease in usage of the word, can be still shown in recent surveys of AfD supporters in Germany, National Front backers in France and the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands continuously display responsive characters of superiority over other cultures.

Related Terms:
Anthropology
Cultural Provincialism
Cultural Relativism
In-Group
Narrow-mindedness
Out-Group
Populism
Xenophobia

Additional Information:

References:

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D., & Sanford, N. (1950). The Authoritarian Personality. Harper & Brothers.

Bizumić, B. (2014). Who coined the concept of ethnocentrism? A brief report. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v2i1.264

European Center for Populism Studies. (2019). Ethnocentrism. https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/ethnocentrism/#:~:text=In%20Adorno’s%20The%20Authoritarian%20Personality,in%2Dgroup)%20with%20a%20negative

George Liddell, H., & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English Lexicon,βάρβα^ρος. Perseus Tufts. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2319347&redirect=true

Hitler, A. (1919, September 16). Hitler’s First Major Statement on Anti-Semitism. German History in Documents and Images. https://ghdi.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=3909

Lockwood, T. (2021). Aristotle’s Politics on Greeks and Non-Greeks. The Review of Politics, 83(4), 465–485. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0034670521000462

Pettigrew, T. F. (2005). Ethnocentrism. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 827–831). https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-12-369398-5/00194-8

Pew Research Center. (2020, August 18). Populist views in Europe: It’s not just the economy. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/07/19/populist-views-in-europe-its-not-just-the-economy/

Segev, M. (2017). ARISTOTLE ON GROUP AGENCY. History of Philosophy Quarterly, 34(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.2307/44983509

Sumner, W. (1906). Folkways. Ginn & Company.