Introduction
Consumer ethnocentrism is a factor that needs to be given considerable attention when coming up with marketing strategies for international businesses. This is because a product can have negative results in the market if the ethnocentrism levels of the target market are ignored. Hence it is paramount to understand the various effects ethnocentrism have on international business, and address the various marketing strategies that might counter ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism is an attitude by groups of people that their own group is superior. They tend to see their own membership as the core of the world and hence interpret other social units from the perspective of their group. They do not welcome persons who are presently not similar while ignorantly welcoming those who are culturally similar to themselves. The concept of ethnocentrism is closely linked to patriotism and political conservatism by the fact that they encourage people to associate with those of their kind (Rao, 2009).
A group that practices ethnocentrism view purchasing of products from other groups as wrong because it potentially harms the domestic economy, causes jobs loss, takes resources from that particular group and it is unpatriotic. Due to this they view the domestic products as superior and of high quality. This practice is contrary to how non-ethnocentric consumer view and evaluate products from out-groups according to their own merits without considering where they are made from (Viena University of Economics And Business Administration, 1994).
Ethnocentrism is also practiced on international levels. This is where people from a certain region or country view their homogenous products as superior when compared with imports. The consumers thus ...
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Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's ethnic group or culture is superior (Leeder, 2004). In order to gain citizenship David Aldwinkle was subject to investigation by inspectors to prove he was culturally Japanese. These investigations included interviewing his neighbors,
(1) Ethnocentrism is looking at one’s own culture and placing it above other cultures, constantly comparing it to the other cultures “below”. In America today, many people look at conflicted areas in the globe such as the Middle East and wonder why their system cannot keep a stable democracy. This idea of constantly comparing other cultures to one’s own and expecting them to be alike or follow the example is a problem in reading historical documents and understanding history as a whole. Nomadic invaders such as the Mongols were described as horrible savage people in the written accounts of the sedentary peoples. This must not be taken quite as literally because accounts tend to be biased more often than not. In examining ethnocentrism, one must always remember that few, if not none, cultures behave extremely irrationally as they may seem. For example, referring back to the views of Middle East today, one must remember that the system of Islamic law and customs has held for centuries, and would not have survived that long if they truly are as irrational as they might seem. Referring back to the example of the Mongols, the attacked people were obviously biased and the Mongols would not have had ruled for so long if they were cruel, savage, irrational monsters. Ethnocentrism is extremely difficult to avoid and is apparent in many documents, such as Columbus’s description of the American Natives (in comparison to the “civilized” Europeans), and should be dealt with carefully. In order to understand all sides of an account, one must look at what is written with deference and understanding.
The term “ethnocentrism,” meaning the sense of taken-for-granted superiority in the context of cultural practices and attitudes, described the way Europeans looked at their “culture” as though they were superior to all others. Westerns even stated that non-Westerns had no culture and that they were inferior to the culture that was building in Europe.
Believing another culture or society is inferior to your own, is what ethnocentrism is. I think you definitely acquire this attitude from your upbringing, family money or power, and from the environment you are raised in. Ethnocentrism will never go away because we have some many different cultures and societies, all over the world (MindEdge, 2015).
Throughout times there has been this belief that one’s culture is better than others. We believe that our traditions, food, clothing, and customs are superior to those in other cultures. This belief system is called ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism originates from the Greek words “ethnos” meaning “people” and “Centrism” meaning “center” (“What Does Ethnocentrism Mean?”). This means that one’s ideas and values are centered on the superiority of their own group.
Ethnocentrism is when one culture judge’s another culture by the standard of their own (Health, 2001). Stereotypes, biases, and prejudices against other people are all in a sense a form of ethnocentrism (Astle, Barton, Johnson, & Mill, 2014). It is okay to be proud of your own culture, but you need to remember to do so in such a way, that you are not putting down any other culture (Arnold, 2016).
Those in collectivist cultures value their group membership, respect group processes and decisions, and expect other in-group members to look after or protect them in case of needs or crisis. For them, keeping good and harmonious relationships inside their in-group is a priority; and avoiding loss of face is important. Their identity is based on the strong and cohesive in-groups to which they belong. In collectivist cultures, cooperation is high within in-groups, but is unlikely when the other person belongs to an out-group. As a comparison, people in individualist cultures are good at forming new in-groups and getting along with those from out-groups.
Mooij,M de.2004.Consumer Behavior and Culture: Consequences for Global Marketing and Advertising. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
We get our culture from enculturation. It is passed from one generation of people to the next through communication. Culture can define as actual society with particular practices, such as American, Asian,or African culture. According to Herskovits Melville, J who is known for exploring the cultural continuity states, “There is nothing wrong with such feelings, for "it characterizes the way most individuals feel about their own cultures, whether or not they verbalize their feeling" (Herskovits, p. 21). It is ethnocentrism that gives people their sense of peoplehood, group identity, and place in history-all of which are valuable traits to possess. According to Sumner, Graham, American social scientist, said about Ethnocentrism becomes negative when "one's own group becomes the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it" (Sumner 1979, p. 13) We create bias toward our culture and form an idea that one's own culture is the main standard to evaluate another group leading to view. They make their culture the measuring stick. This means that people believe and feel in the superiority of one's own ethnic culture over other culture. This behavior is known as Ethnocentrism. This concept was created amongst different nations earlier than cultural relativism, which has to be devised to counter ethnocentrism. In
When one encounters a culture that has little in common with own, one may experience culture shock. This is a sense of confusion, anxiety, stress and loss one may experience. One of the barriers in effective intercultural communication is ethnocentrism. It stems from a conviction that one’s own cultural traditions and assumptions are superior to those of others. It leads to a tendency to look the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture. It is one of the fastest ways to create a barrier that inhibits, rather than enhances communication (Jandt, 2012).
Ethnocentrism: The attitude of valuing one’s own culture, perspective, and community over any others’, thus devaluing other cultures by proxy (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, 55) Ethnocentrism serves as a more extreme form of nationalism or tribalism, in that an individual believes their language, customs, and beliefs are preferable to others purely because they belong to a perceived superior group.
Individualism and collectivism are essential terms that researchers use to help one understand culture differences and the impact they have on group behavior. It is important that one obtain the knowledge of both attributes because it can help individuals understand and recognize the different attitudes and behavior of other cultures. Although each attribute has its own advantages and disadvantages, they do share some similarities; and are believed to be the opposite of each other. However, for one to understand the full concept of individualism; one must first have an understanding of collectivism.
... its proper expressions, structure and grammar. Moreover, each language is linked to a specific dialect which is associated with educational, economic, social and historical conditions. Moreover, cultural variations also exist in the rules for general discourse in oral communication. Similar to verbal communication, there are also variations in non-verbal communication between cultures. Gestures, facial expressions, sense of time and personal distance take different forms in different cultures. Furthermore, there is an infinite number of cultural diversities which are at the root of intercultural miscommunication. Variations in values , social relationships, religion, economy and politics consist of only a few of these diversities. These differences can be the source of ethnocentrism, if one becomes over patriotic in regards to one’s own culture. Ethnocentrism, is the concept which states that we tend to judge other cultures through our own. Ethnocentric behavior, can cause racism and chauvinism, as in the case of the Second World War. However, intercultural problems can be avoided if we all develop mindfulness, a sense of flexibility and seek information about the other culture.
Ethnocentrism, as stated above, means the belief that one’s own culture is above and beyond all other cultures. Although this is somewhat of a shallow definition, it still provides an adequate explanation of a very complex issue. We see ethnocentrism every single day, in all aspects of life. The United States of America is a prime example of ethnocentrism is action. The people of this country have a tendency to disregard other cultures, instead believing that American culture is the only way to go. This is not to say that this is how everyone thinks, although most people, at one time or another, have had thoughts along these lines.
There are many different cultures that impact a group yet, each culture creates a beneficial environment for their members. One should not become ethnocentric and state their culture is better than others. This will limit their mindset on the positives each culture brings to group productivity. As Gandhi proclaimed, “no culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive” to which I add “no group can thrive if attempts to limit cultural diversity.”