Comparing Cultures

2 Pages 556 Words

Chapter Summaries – Ruggiero’s Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues

Chapter 5 – Comparing Cultures

- Ruggiero’s main purpose in this chapter was to examine and destroy the theory of cultural relativism, therefore opening up one’s ability to judge what others do outside their own culture.
- The basic flaw in cultural relativism exists because there are so many divisions in human race and culture, to be able to classify them in any one group.
- There are divisions in race, religion, sex, skin color, class level, education, location, and sexual orientation just to name a few of a seemingly endless list.
- To try to solely identify oneself as American would be variable, because there are as Ruggiero lists a variety of this category; i.e. African American, Irish American, Italian American, Asian American (p.45)
- The multiculturism movement is highlighted as affecting “scholarly discussion of cultures and subcultures.” (p.45)
- Inside the topic, Differences Among Cultures, Ruggiero highlights the ideas that different cultures have different ideals of what is right and wrong. Some of the instances in which this is demonstrated are: monogamy and polygamy, sex before marriage, and homicide.
- Attention is also given to different tribes in which they share beliefs about life which are contrary to standard western belief. Specific attention is given to the Dobu Islanders off the coast of New Guinea; within this culture the principle of living was “cheat your neighbor.” This was given a name, wabuwabu. Also mentioned is the Ik tribe, in which the central aspect of life was the self, and to do whatever was necessary to live without positive attention. Anger and pleasure in the next person’s agony was encouraged.
- In Interpreting the Differences, the term cultural relativism is discussed; cultural relativists believe that it is unscholarly and wrong to judge a culture outside one’s own. They believe tha...