Reflective Essay On Ethnorelativism

Culture is something that does not exist in nature, therefore it is man made. According to Paige, it is shared by a population of people and is passed down from generation to generation. Although it is widely shared, it is invisible to those who are a part of that culture. Milton J. Bennett theorized that there are several different cultures, some of which we do not know exist and some that we are very well aware of. It influences many aspects of life, such as behavior and verbal communication. Culture is complex and holds several dimensions. With that being said this definition is extremely broad and does not even being to cover what culture truly is. Through different texts I have learned that the word culture does not only apply to different

Bennett states that there are three parts to ethnorelativism which are acceptance, adaptation and integration. At the stage of acceptance one realizes that their culture is one of many. During adaptation one is able to behave appropriately according to the culture in which they choose to interact with. In integration one begins to become a part of that culture while still identifying with their original culture. These steps are important if one wishes to become interculturally competent but I believe that the minimum level one must achieve in order to have a successful intercultural encounter would be acceptance. Once someone is in the stage of acceptance they have reached a level in which tolerance is possible. As long as someone is able to tolerate others and their beliefs they can have an effective intercultural encounter. Bennett’s developmental model is broad and leaves many questions unanswered. Although the path to intercultural competence is complex I believe Bennett’s model covers the most important parts of the reaching competence. Like mentioned before Lugones’ concept of world traveling complements Bennett in that both concepts try to forge an open mind within