List of the Disadvantages of Ethnocentrism

1. Decisions are made based on unrealistic comparisons.

The attitude of ethnocentrism is always one of superiority. Someone from
outside of an existing culture is judging the actions of another people based on
perspectives gained without the use of wisdom. Although every person on our
planet has their own definition of “normal,” we cannot apply this observation
to anyone else. Each person, even within a similar culture or ethnicity, leads an
independent life. Their perspectives and differences are unique.
That means the conclusions which people draw when using ethnocentrism as
their foundation for decision-making are based on generalizations and opinions
instead of facts. Because this information does not include the other side of
the equation, the conclusions we reach when using this approach are
misleading at best.
2. Ethnocentrism can cause societal polarization.
Ethnocentrism is an embrace of negativity because the only goal of this
approach is to prove individualized superiority. It makes us feel good to think
that the decisions we made in life are better than the ones that other people
made, especially in the areas of religious salvation, moral fortitude, and family
planning.
When you have two individuals or groups who look at each other and think of
that other culture as being inferior, then you create polarization in society.
With each group not willing to compromise because they fear that there is a
lack of morality or superiority in such a position, then people take sides instead
of trying to get along with each other.
3. It can impact every aspect of life if we allow it to do so.
This belief system requires us to close off our minds to different perspectives
and opinions. We can no longer choose to believe anything but our own
thoughts or ideas because no one else to be correct. That is why societies self-
destruct over time – because no one is willing to listen to what anyone else has
to say. Life becomes more about what is said in the echo chamber instead of
outside of it.
Any time that we think of one group as being superior to another (and we are
in that superior group), then it isn’t an ego that is talking. It is the philosophies
of ethnocentrism rearing its ugly head.
4. It is a philosophy which limits the human perspective.
Have you ever seen someone resist change even though the new policies or
procedures they were being asked to follow would make your life easier? That
is another example of ethnocentrism at work. Just because someone has been
completing the same task in the same way for a long time doesn’t mean that it
is the best way to operate. The act of dismissing any thought of evolution or
change at the micro or macro levels is evidence of an ethnocentric perspective.
That’s not to say that all changes should be followed without question. The
people who are enforcing change can be just as ethnocentric in their
philosophies as those who are resisting it. The issue here is that the superiority
of belief found on both sides of the aisle limits the ability to implement best
practices in our personal or professional lives.
5. Ethnocentrism can have deadly results.
Are you the type of person who gets angry when someone has a disagreement
on an opinion that you have shared? Have you changed the way that you go
out in public if you’re an American because of the myriad of stories that
involve gun violence in recent years? The problem that ethnocentrism
ultimately brings to humanity is its nature of escalation. People become
blinded by their personal perspectives to the extent where it becomes the
correct choice for them to enforce their philosophies on other people at any
expense.
When you see an act of terrorism, either domestic or foreign, then you are
witnessing an act of ethnocentrism. If you see someone committing an act of
violence against another person, then this is also ethnocentrism. Although
people in the minority will sometimes rise up against these actions to commit
violence themselves, a retaliatory response would not occur in society if the
impression from ethnocentric views was not present in the first place.
6. Ethnocentrism limits the choices that people can make.
How do you feel about products which are made in China? Do you feel like
they are made of a high-quality, or is there an underlying reason why there
might be a distaste for imported products? When you have two items of equal
quality and price available for purchase, having a consistent preference for
something produced in a manner of which you approve is an ethnocentric
viewpoint. Even in a free-market economy where people are free to choose
whatever they want, the judgment of someone buying foreign instead of
domestic sets the foundation for all of the other disadvantages listed here.
7. It hinders the work of cultural assimilation.
Cultural assimilation is a process where the individuals of one culture fuse
themselves with a different one as a way to fit in with in the context of
ethnocentrism. Individuals and groups will work to acquire the same cultural
patterns, ideas, and attitudes of the majority in their new community. When
the existing people see this activity, it feels like an attempt to copy their belief
structures. This process then can lead to criticism and a hindrance of the work
of fitting in if you are moving from a place outside of the “normal” culture.
That is why ethnocentrism is one of the most significant societal problems in
the developed world today. Instead of creating unity through diversity, this
approach requires people to change who they are if the majority of people in a
community deem the difference to be something that makes a person unfit for
inclusion.