Learning Topic 2 Reflect understanding of youth cultures, sub cultures and development
By the end of this topic you will learn to:
Be aware of youth culture, sub cultures and youth development of how these impact on a young person's actions and decisions
Use relevant approaches, appropriate to the culture and background of the young person
Assess the impact of your own cultural values and ethnocentrism on youth work
Section 2.4 Assessing the impact of own cultural values and ethnocentrism in youth work
"Ethnocentrism" is a commonly used word in circles where ethnicity and inter-ethnic relations are of concern. The usual definition of the term is
"thinking one's own group's ways are superior to others" or
"judging other groups as inferior to one's own".
Most people believe that they are not ethnocentric, but are rather "open minded" and "tolerant." However, as explained below, everyone is ethnocentric, and there is no way not to be ethnocentric... it cannot be avoided, nor can it be willed away by a positive or well-meaning attitude.
To address the deeper issues involved in ethnocentrism calls for a more explicit definition. In this sense, ethnocentrism can be defined as:
making false assumptions about others' ways based on our own limited experience.
The key word is assumptions, because we are not even aware that we are being ethnocentric... we don't understand that we don't understand. Everybody is ethnocentric, as all of us around the world assume things about other people's ways. The question is why are we ethnocentric?
Why are we ethnocentric?
The definition given above emphasizes that we make false assumptions based on our own limited experience. This is all we know... what we have already experienced is the basis for our "reality", what we expect.
It is normal to assume it is the "natural" basis of reality... because our own ways work for us. Our time frames, our social roles, our beliefs about Life and the Universe, and all our other ways help us organize life experience and provide important meanings as we move through daily life activities. Therefore, our limited experiences we have already had are the basis for interpreting new experiences, in this case, others’ behaviour.
Since we have not experienced everything they have experienced, how can we not be ethnocentric?
Addressing ethnocentrism is not a matter of trying not to be ethnocentric. This is an impossible task, since we will never experience every life situation of everyone around the world. We will always have our assumptions about life based on our existing limited experience. So a much more productive approach is to catch ourselves when we are being ethnocentric and to control for this bias as we seek to develop better understandings.
The first step in developing more balanced understandings is to recognize that we do not understand, and that we may be falsely assuming something that is not the case.
One of the most effective means for recognize ethnocentrism within ourselves is to watch for reactions. Reactions tell us that we are assuming something and that our assumptions are not working.
We can always observe our own reactions. When we have negative reactions towards others (such as thinking "that doesn't make sense" or "that's wrong," or feeling offended or confused, etc.), these are clues that our assumptions are not working in the situation.
We can also observe other's reactions. Again, their reactions may be both positive and negative.
In general, reactions tell us first about us. Why do we think people should be "friendly"? should appreciate material goods? should feel warm all over?
Once we realize that we are not understanding, we are now in a better position to control our biases and to seek more valid and balanced understandings.
The first step involves an attitude: we are the learners. In this process, we do not know, and that is why we are seeking to develop better understandings. They are the ones who do know what their life experience is like... we are asking them to help us understand better. The best method is to ask for their explanations about what they do or say. ("Can you help me understand X better?") I Also, we should give people an out, and respect their right to not share with us (just as we may not want to share things that are 'private' or 'sacred'). If we appreciate that their life experience can be as valid for them as ours is for us, acknowledge that we may be misunderstanding, and ask them to help us understand, most people are more than willing to help us understand better.
Next, we have to ask two sets of questions (first to ourselves) to provide more insights into life experience in their context:
The key word is assumptions, because we are not even aware that we are being ethnocentric... we don't understand that we don't understand. Everybody is ethnocentric, as all of us around the world assume things about other people's ways. The question is why are we ethnocentric? 