Step by Step
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What the term actually means
Cultural relativism is the idea that you should try to understand a cultural practice from within its own context — its own history, beliefs, and logic — rather than immediately judging it by the standards of your own culture.
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Where it comes from
Franz Boas developed this as a reaction against 19th-century thinking that ranked cultures on a single ladder from "primitive" to "civilized," with European culture at the top. Boas argued there is no single scale — cultures are different, not ranked.
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The opposite: ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is judging another culture using your own culture's standards as the automatic default — assuming your way is the normal or correct way. Anthropology exists partly to train people out of this reflex.
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The critical distinction: methodological vs. moral relativism
Methodological relativism means: as a researcher, temporarily set aside your own judgments so you can accurately understand why a practice makes sense to the people who do it. Moral relativism would mean: therefore no practice can ever be criticized on ethical grounds. Most anthropologists use the method without accepting the extreme moral claim.
Applied Walkthrough
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A researcher observes a ritual that looks bizarre or even disturbing to them personally.
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Ethnocentrism would say: "That's backward, my way is normal." Cultural relativism as a method says: "Let me understand the belief system, history, and social function that make this practice meaningful to the people who practice it — before I draw any conclusions." That doesn't mean the anthropologist can never form an ethical opinion afterward — it means understanding comes first.
Exam Application
Exams test whether you can define cultural relativism in your own words, without using the word "judge", explain the methodological vs. moral distinction to someone else, and what ethnocentrism looks like in an everyday example.
⚠ Common Trap
The most common exam trap: a question implies cultural relativism means "anything goes, no practice can ever be judged." That's the moral relativism version, and it's a misreading of what most anthropologists actually argue. If you see an answer choice claiming relativism means total non-judgment, be suspicious — the safer, more accurate framing is the methodological one.
✓ Quick Self-Check
1. Who is credited with developing cultural relativism as a core anthropological principle?
Franz Boas.
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2. What is ethnocentrism?
Judging another culture by the standards of your own culture, treating your own norms as the default.
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3. What's the difference between methodological and moral relativism?
Methodological relativism is a research approach — understand a practice in context before judging. Moral relativism claims all practices are equally acceptable ethically. Anthropology relies mainly on the former.
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4. Does cultural relativism mean anthropologists can never criticize a practice?
No — that's the moral relativism version, which most anthropologists reject even while using relativism as a research method.
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5. What worldview was Boas reacting against?
19th-century cultural evolutionism, which ranked cultures from "primitive" to "civilized" on a single scale.
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