noun · academic
ethnocentrism
UK/ˌɛθnə(ʊ)ˈsɛntrɪzəm/US/ˌɛθnoʊˈsɛntrɪzəm/ETH·no·CEN·trism
The belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to others, often leading to misinterpretation of other cultures.
Examples
“Ethnocentrism can lead tourists to misjudge local customs and offend hosts unintentionally.”
“Researchers warned that ethnocentrism biased many early anthropological studies.”
“Combating ethnocentrism in schools helps pupils develop intercultural understanding.”
Band 8 sentence
“Addressing ethnocentrism in education requires exposing students to multiple narratives and critical reflection.”
Collocations
- accused of ethnocentrism
- combat ethnocentrism
- ethnocentric view
Word family
Common mistakes
ethno-centrism→ethnocentrism
ethnocentrism behaviour→ethnocentric behaviour
Say it for a higher band
5prejudice→6cultural bias→7+ethnocentrism
Synonyms
cultural bias
Easily confused
racism
“Racism led to discriminatory laws in that period.”
Related words
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In -ism
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