Understanding Culture

Jane Doe

Unit 2 Aspects of Social Interaction

SSCI210-1103B

Sept 6, 2011

Abstract

The following paper is developed using the understanding of ethnocentrism through watching the TV show Exiled. It discusses how an individual like myself, societies and corporations can be affected when practicing ethnocentrism.

Understanding culture

The world around us is almost too large to explore in a lifetime. Most people will only be able to experience a society and culture within their hometown, leaving them with an unexplored and unrealistic view of how and why people of different cultures behave, speak, feel and think differently. Most of what we accept as our culture is defined by the influences we have become accustomed to in society. But to truly gain the essence of what an individual's values are and what is seen as right and wrong, one should experience other cultures with an open mind to not judge another culture in favor of their own standards. This is what MTV's TV show Exiled hoped to achieve.

MTV television aired one of their reality TV shows titled Exiled. This show almost served as a spin off to their reality show Sweet 16 where young teenagers require the attention of everyone and ask for the most costly and over the top birthday parties which are at the disposal of their rich and wealthy parents. In the show Exiled, these teenagers are taken away from their comfort zone and placed in another country where they experience a culture shock, the state of feeling disconnected from a person's normal style of living (Macionis, 2010). But the goal which the show tries to achieve is to allow time for these teenagers to become more open minded and learn to respect the culture in which is different from their own.

To grasp the idea of ethnocentrism, one must first understand its meaning. Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture (Macionis, 2010). And in the episode of Exiled which took place in a small village in Africa, I could see how my thoughts and feelings were already gearing towards ethnocentrism. While the teenager in Africa would immediately give off confused facial expressions and shutter while watching how the people in Africa make use of their limited resources, I had to realize my reactions towards it as well. Coming from a very westernized influenced culture, I could not help but find some of their practices grotesque due in comparison to how I live my life.

In this African village, the people use cow feces to help mold their semi hutted homes and apply them using their bare hands. They do not use gloves or any form of hand guard to prevent the feces from touching their skin