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  • Essay / Challenges and Benefits of Cultural Relativism

    What I consider a perfectly normal thing to do might be absolutely terrible for someone who was raised in another culture. As an example, I work in an American retail store that receives visitors from all over the world, many of whom come from Brazil. There are times when I am having a conversation with a client and a Brazilian traveler interrupts our conversation and asks me for help while I am helping another client. The first few times this happened I thought they were just rude people, but after witnessing it several times I realized it must be a normal part of their culture. This is an action that is so appalling to American citizens, but is completely normal to those in other regions, simply because that is the context in which we were raised. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Cultural relativism takes note of the fact that different cultures have different moral values, that something that is considered normal in a society can be repugnant. those of another company. Since there is no universally accepted definition of "good or evil," we cannot say that a culture is bad simply because it has different morals. Compared to other ethical standards, we can see that cultural relativism emphasizes what is right or wrong based on the societal standards a person is accustomed to. This can have negative consequences if someone visits an area where they are unfamiliar with societal norms. The bribery process in Mexico City is indeed a more efficient method of paying for a traffic violation than in other countries. The ethical justification is that it is a societal norm and most members of that culture view it as an acceptable thing. Here in the United States, if someone has bribed a police officer, I believe they can be apprehended for their action, I believe it can happen at the mere mention of the idea. I don't see how a bride could be considered ethical in the US. Cultural relativism is a complicated way to live life, especially in a world in which we, as people, are so mixed. Cultural relativism might be a good thing if people stayed in the societies they grew up in and are accustomed to, but the fact is that many people like to travel, which causes different societal norms to interact and conflict with each other. This can cause negative interactions between those who do not understand each other's cultural differences. I think we need to be aware that other cultures have different societal norms, but I believe there should be a more universal ethical code to follow. Most people will not forgive an action they consider repugnant because that is what they are used to and we need to be aware that, unfortunately, most people will not go out of their way to understand cultural differences..