Cultural Relativism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Relativism - Essay Example Cultural relativism is related to a natural theory of evolution that views the cultural and linguistic diversity of human civilization globally as related to unique aspects of geographical isolation and parallel development. Maria Baghramian traces cultural relativism as back as Herodotus, and cites the woks of Montaigne, Dilthey ("Patterns of Culture"), and Frank Boas as the important figures of the development of this movement. (Baghramian, 2004) The main aspect of the development of cultural relativism historically also includes the interrelation of ideas between Darwin, Dewey, and Boas. (Strauss, 2011) Darwin’s work in the Galapagos influenced Boas’ conception of cultural diversity by allowing him to see the patterns of evolution in language and culture that proceeded on the same fundamental lines as the development of diversity in species as Darwin described. This also led him to value the history and lineage of each culture as an essential characteristic of cultur al relativism. (NNDB, 2011) The Darwinian aspects of cultural relativism made it an attractive methodology for the study of global cultures in anthropology. Yet, with cultural relativism there also developed a basis of moral relativism, which in some ways was posited in a manner that reflected the scientific method in social sciences, but which also removed moral criticism of cultural practices from academic research. For example, in this context foot-binding, as described by, Pang-Mei Natasha Chang in â€Å"Bound Feet & Western Dress: A Memoir,† was practiced traditionally in Chinese society, though it created immense pain and suffering in the girls themselves. With cultural relativity in the practice of anthropology, researchers are required to suspend judgment and evaluate foot-binding within the socio-cultural understanding of Chinese society and its indigenous values and morality. This investigates how foot –binding relates to other cultural traditions, rituals, and hierarchies, but it fails to take a stand on the morality of the practice in universal teams, believing that the question is beyond the anthropological or scientific method. (Glazer, 1996) Thus, in this manner it can be argued that foot-binding was so widely accepted of a practice, that it was not immoral because it was the common, accepted basis of society. In this sense, there are no universals, only cultural and moral relativism in patterns of human evolution. However, looking at description from the girls themselves, who describe their motivations at the time, it is clear that many girls opposed it themselves, in their own minds and suffering, but were simply too lacking in respect politically and socially without power, that they were abused on a mass scale. (Celliana, 2010) The question of the mass-practice of harmful, immoral, or violent practices culturally is viewed through our contemporary moral value system, which taints our own judgment from that of the dispassionate objectivism which cultural re lativism is based on, but we have to continue to reform society to outlaw, abolish, and reform harmful practices from history that have no legitimate foundation. In Pang-Mei Natasha Chang’s â€Å"Bound Feet & Western Dress: A Memoir,† the character Chang Yu-I has her feet bound by her mother, who follows the ancient tradition like most other women in the society. Chang Yu-I as a child is shown to resist the process and ultimately forces her parents to stop torturing her is this way. This is used symbolically as a means to foreshadow Chang Yu-I’s role in becoming one of the first â€Å"modern women† in China, and to pioneer divorce in a society where it was unknown and unaccepted historically. The issues of arranged marriages, forced marriages, and practices like foot-binding in