Culture

This week in Sociology we learned about ethnocentrism, culture shock, and culture relativity. Ethnocentrism is when you think your culture is better than others and should dominate other cultures. This is like America. We expect foreigners to know our language when they come here. We think the way they do things shouldn't be like that and they should do it like Americans just because they're in America. I remember when my mom's friend came to America with her daughter. Her daughter didn't speak any English and I was so frustrated with her because she kept talking in her language with her mom and my mom. I kept thinking that since her family came to America, they should at least know the language. (I was pretty mean.)
               

Culture shock is when you experience a new culture and your just so shocked by it. (Pretty self explanatory.) I'm Asian but my family doesn't really use chopsticks or eat rice all the time except every once in a while. Once I went to my friends home and she was eating soup with chopsticks. I was astonished at how her family was just eating their food with chopsticks. They told me that they use the spoons and forks when guests come over so since I was a guest, I used a spoon. I felt left out in a way but I couldn't help but still be shocked that they were using chopsticks for soup!

Culture relativity is when you accept or understand someone else's culture.