Unit 10 Cultural Relativism

Overview

Our Unit 10 journey through ethical theories in decision making takes us to Cultural Relativism.

There are two key take-aways you will gain from our study on Cultural Relativism.

  • Cultural relativism is the suspicion that values and morality are culture specific—they’re just what the community believes and not the result of universal reason.
  • For cultural relativists, because all moral guidelines originate within specific cultures, there’s no way to dismiss one set of rules as wrong or inferior to those developed in another culture.

Source - Brusseau Reading

Topics

This unit is divided into the following topics:

  1. Cultural relativism
  2. Theories repsonding to cultural relativism

Learning Outcomes

When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:

  • Analyze the impact of cultural relativism
  • Define and compare the different types of cultural relativism
  • Identify of the challenges of decision making and cultural relativism

Activity Checklist

Here is a checklist of learning activities you will benefit from in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.

  • Activity 10.1: Primary Unit Resource - Read Business Ethics Workshop, James Brusseau, Chapter 9
  • Activity 10.2: Videos - A Child’s Curiosity: Understanding Cultural Difference
  • Activity 10.3: Brusseau Article Reading
  • Activity 10.4: Case Study - Choose one case study and do a presentation
  • Activity 10.5: Cultural Relativism Application
  • Activity 10.6: Unit Practice Quiz.
  • Assessment: Ethical Dilemma Paper (Part 3 of 4)

Resources

Here are the resources you will need to complete this unit.

10.1 Cultural Relativism

Image by Umit Bulut on Unsplash

As we have asked in our discussion of each of the ethical theories, what is it that makes an action right or wrong?

  • In the Duty ethic, an action is morally right if and only if it is doing the right thing.
  • In the Consequentialist ethic, an action is morally right if and only if it achieves the desired end result.
  • In Cultural Relativism, an action is morally right if and only if ______________. The problem is, what goes in that blank?

Is it right…

  • If and only it flows from good intentions?
  • If and only if it brings the most pleasure to the most people?
  • If and only if it is what God commands?

In Cultural Relativism, each culture will have its own way to define what’s morally right.

To further examine what Cultural Relativism (CR) defines as the right thing to do, consider the following six claims made by Cultural Relativists (CR) that are the basic beliefs for CR.

  1. Different societies have different moral codes. A group may or may not approve of the practice of things such as infanticide, polygamy, or abortion; one culture cannot tell another culture what is right or wrong with their practices.
  2. Moral codes of one’s own society have no special status. What you believe in your society cannot be used to judge another society.
  3. There are no universal truths in ethics.
  4. No objective standard can be used to judge one culture over another. The phrase “there are different strokes for different folks” would be applicable for this point.
  5. The moral code of the society determines what is right and wrong.
  6. It is mere arrogance for us to judge the conduct of other people.

If CR is true, then..

  • We cannot say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own.
    • Does this mean that “the right thing to do” can include female genital mutilation, or the Nazi killing of Jews during World War 2?
  • We cannot decide if actions are right or wrong simply by consulting the society standards.
    • What is right for one society cannot be deemed as right for all societies.
  • There is no such thing as objective moral progress such as changing things for the better.
    • Things cannot get better tomorrow.
    • Saying that would infer that what we do today is wrong.

Learning Activities

Activity 10.1: Primary Unit resource

Read Chapter 9

See the table of contents at the top of the page and click on:

Chapter 4: Theories Responding to the Challenge of Cultural Relativism

The article presents what Cultural Relativism means, but also how CR impacts decision making.

The Table of Contents includes a chapter on “What Is Cultural Relativism?” Click on this Chapter 4 topic.

  • Read and reflect on What Is Cultural Relativism?
  • Next, complete the Review Questions:
    1. Why do you imagine the term cultural relativism was chosen to mean what it does?
    2. Do you believe cultures are irreconcilably different? Or is it that deep down people are people and we’re really all the same?
    3. How does this distinction relate to the difference between cultural relativism and traditional theories of ethics?

Note that the Learning Activities are ungraded, unless otherwise specified. They are designed to help you succeed in your assessments in this course, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them.

Activity 10.2

Watch the following videos.

After this brief introduction to Cultural Relativism (CR), discuss (or reflect) on the answers to the following questions:

  1. Can you identify something done in your culture that is not acceptable in another?
  2. Do you consider it morally acceptable to judge another culture?

10.2 Theories responding to Cultural Relativism

Image by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

The following are a contemporary response of interpretations on how CR can be played out in society. Each has the goal of doing the morally right thing, but are varied in the manner in which CR takes action. Refer to Chapter 4 (online resource) for further information.

  1. Eternal Return of the Same
    • It is a thought experiment in which you imagine that the life you choose will repeat forever.
    • When faced with making a choice in an ethical dilemma, you should imagine living your decision choice over and over again,
    • This approach maximizes individuality; it does not build community.
  2. Cultural Ethics (Culturalist)
    • Embrace the standards of the community
    • Doing the right thing depends on the local habits
    • It is neither true nor false that the world is filled with different moral codes.
    • Respect other societies
  3. Virtue Ethics
    • Concentrates on forming good character and then trusting people to do the right things
    • It is an ethic that gets away from defining right actions and focuses instead on forming good character.
  4. Discourse Ethics
    • Solve ethical dilemmas by asking those involved to discuss the matter reasonably until they can find a consensual and peaceful solution
  5. Ethic of Care
    • Make the nurturing of our immediate communicates and protecting those closest to us the highest moral obligation.
    • Decisions are made not in terms of hard rules but in terms of how they will affect the people with whom we share our lives.

Learning Activities

Activity 10.3 Reading

  • With your Group, review the theories and the important considerations. Identify an example of a decision challenges that would apply to each theory.
  • 💻: Continue in the Brusseau article to the section on Case Studies where you will find examples of the theories

Activity 10.4: Case Study

  • In the section of Case Studies found through the Table of Contents, go to the Section of Case studies and answer the questions as assigned. This is a Group group activity.
  • Mordidas: Read this together. Divide the Group into four groups, each group answering one of the questions. After 15 minutes, reconvene as a group and share your answers. Defend your answers based on ethical theories; not your opinion.
  • Single Parent in the Army: Read this together and answer the questions as a group. Again, defend your answers based on ethical theories; not your opinion.

Activity 10.5: Cultural Relativism Application

  • As a Group, create a list of 6 examples where you observe differences between two societies. As an example: In Italy it is common to serve a meal with pasta in a meal. In a China, it is common to serve rice with a meal.
  • Review each item on the list, while each item is accepted under CR, do you see reason to believe one is non-acceptable under Duty or Consequentialism?

Activity 10.6: Key Terms Quiz (ungraded)

In order to review some of the major decision models of Cultural Relativism from the text, take the following unmarked quiz. Although you will not be evaluated on these terms, they will assist you in the assignments for this course.

Match the following terms to their correct definition.

Summary

In Unit 10, you have had the opportunity to learn about the theory of Cultural Relativism. This is a vague theory with no absolutes so using CR in decision making is a difficult task. The right answer is found in the opinion and perspective common to those around you. Therefore, CR lacks accommodation for individual perspectives.

While Cultural Relativism supports collectivism, it ends up driving away those with diverse opinions. In the quest for community, it can result in splitting people away from the society. The decision models supported by CR seek to mitigate division by looking to please others in finding the right thing to do in situations.

We looked at four different approaches to decision making using CR.

  • Eternal Return of the Same
  • Discourse Ethic
  • Virtue
  • Ethic of care

Assessment

Assignment: Ethical Dilemma and the Ethical Decision Theories Paper (Part 3) (10%)

After completing this unit, including the learning activities, you are asked to continue with the Ethical Decision Making paper (Part 3/4).

Guidelines:

  • Title Page
  • 2 – 3 pages; APA format
  • Describe the Ethical Dilemma you chose to use in this paper. Identify why the ethical dilemma is a problem
  • Apply the ethical theories of Duty and Rights, Consequentialism, and Cultural Relativism and app and apply to the ethical dilemma.
  • Include a minimum of one reference from Brusseau articles on the ethical theories

Format:

  • Paragraph #1: Discuss how ethics impact decision making. Conclude the paragraph by clearly stating your ethical dilemma.
    • In 5 – 6 sentences, Describe what the Duty ethic is. Use 1 – 2 references from the Brusseau article “Theory of Duty and Rights”.
    • Discuss how your chosen ethical dilemma could be decided using the Duty ethical theory to include a discussion of the Categorical Imperative or Fairness.
  • Paragraph #2: In 5 – 6 sentences, describe what the ethical theory of Conseqentialism is.
    • Use 1 – 2 references from the Brusseau article “Theory of Consequentialism”.
    • Include Utilitarianism, Egoism, and Altruism.
    • Discuss how your chosen ethical dilemma could be decided using the ethic of Consequentialim.
  • Paragraph #3: In 5 – 6 sentences, describe what the ethical theory of Cultural Relativism.
    • Use 1 – 2 references from the Brusseau article “Theory of Cultural Relativism”.
    • Include Virtue,(pg 13), Discourse Ethics,(pg 18) and Eternal Return of the Same.(pg 5)
    • Discuss how your chosen ethical dilemma could be decided using the ethic of Cultural Relativism.
  • No decision is needed

Rubric:

Exceeds expectations (3 marks) Meets Expectations (2 marks) Does Not Meet Expectations (1 mark)
Comprehensiveness Provides detailed responses for all topics Provides responses for all topic Provides incomplete responses for some topics
Understanding Clear, precise and accurate responses Mostly clear, precise and accurate responses Responses lack clarity, accuracy and/or precision
Application Applies knowledge and theory to new contexts with superior skill Applies knowledge and theory to new contexts well Fails to convincingly apply knowledge and theory to new contexts
Technical Merit Spelling and grammar are accurate. Sentences and paragraphs are well-constructed. Minor and/or few spelling or grammatical errors. Sentences and paragraphs are mostly well-constructed. Several spelling or I grammatical errors. Sentences and paragraphs are not well-constructed.

Checking your Learning

Before you move on to the next unit, you may want to check to make sure that you are able to:

  • Understand the impact of cultural relativism as an ethical theory.
  • Identify of the challenges of using Cultural Relativism in decision making.

! “If relativism about ethics and morality were true, then, at the end of many discussions, we. would each have to end up by saying, “From where I stand, I am right. From where you stand, you are right.” And there would be nothing further to say. From our different perspectives, we would be living effectively in different worlds. And without a shared world, what is there to discuss? People often recommend relativism because they think it will lead to tolerance. But if we cannot learn from one another what it is right to think and feel and do, then conversation between us will be pointless. Relativism of that sort isn’t a way to encourage conversation; it’s just a reason to fall silent.”
― Kwame Anthony Appiah, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers