I think that the concept of cultural relativism from Chapter 3 of “Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology” by Brown, McIlwraith, and Tubelle de González is one of the most interesting ones. It can be viewed as the main philosophy of contemporary society, assuming that individuals should try to understand others’ beliefs through the lens of their culture. The modern world is highly globalized, meaning that we meet people with various values and mentalities every day. For this reason, cultural relativism acquires the top priority as it helps us to understand others and avoid conflicts based on culture. Moreover, we can become more tolerant and open to new knowledge by avoiding using our representations when talking to people from different cultures. It will cultivate diversity and inclusion, the aspects fundamental for struggling against discrimination and racism. That is why cultural relativism is one of the most interesting concepts in Chapter 3 for me.
I also think that this term connects to my life and community. The fact is that I often interact with different people, either in real life or using social media. For this reason, there are many situations when I face new cultures and worldviews different from my ones. In some cases, it can be challenging to understand specific attitudes peculiar to other individuals. Under these conditions, cultural relativism becomes essential for my everyday interactions. Using this concept, I step away from stereotypic judgments or the idea that my views are the only right ones. Instead, I try to demonstrate understanding and learn something new from my interlocutors. It helps me to broaden my worldview and become more tolerant. For this reason, I believe that cultural relativism is one of the central ideas making me less conservative and help to integrate into the modern globalized world.