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What is ethnocentrism? What is cultural relativism? The end of the "cold war" caused a number of trial attempts to define "the new world order ." The end of rivalry between superpowers and increased break in riches and access to resources between the North and the South coincided with disturbing growth of violence, poverty and unemployment. The world also became the witness of one of the deepest since times of Great depression global economic recession. At the same time earlier isolated peoples draw together voluntary and involuntary due to the amplifying integration of markets, formation of new regional political unions, remarkable successes in the field of telecommunications, biotechnology and transport, which stimulated unprecedented demographic progress. The merge of peoples and cultures arising as a result is a world described by the increasing integrity and cultural variety and over saturated with intensity, confusion and conflicts during the adaptation to pluralism.
Quite clear aspiration to return to the former reserves, the traditional cultures, fundamental values and habitual self-perception is felt. Without steady self-perception in whirlpool of the transition period people may slide to the ethnocentrism- inclination of the person to estimate all vital phenomena through the prism of values of the ethnic group considered as a standard. This atmosphere of changes and aggravated vulnerability derivatives new problems in aspect of struggle conducted by us for maintenance of general human rights. How to coordinate human rights in collision of cultures which became the feature of our time? You see, the cultural basis is one of the main components of personality. It substantially defines such categories, as self-perception, self-expression and feeling of the belonging to this or that group.
In process of interaction and mix of cultures the culture of the personality also changes. This process may both enrich and disorient people. Present instability of cultural aspect of the personality reflects fundamental changes in how we today perceive and express themselves. Cultural relativism is a concept according to which human values dont have a general character and essentially vary according to various cultural prospects.
This relativism is sometimes extended to encouragement, protection, interpretation and application of human rights which may be interpreted differently within the framework of various cultural, ethnic and religious traditions. In other words, according to this point of view human rights are rather relative, than general. In such extreme expression this relativism may dangerously threaten the efficiency of international law and international remedial systems which had been created during many decades. If the observance of international standards will be regulated by extremely cultural tradition, large-scale disrespect, violation and infringements of human rights will become consecrated by the law. Accordingly, encouragement and protection of human rights perceived as cultural relative category would be provided under the discretion of the states, not as international legal imperative. Rejecting or ignoring the legal duty to encourage and protect human rights, the states supporting cultural relativism might put their own cultural norms and features higher than norms and standards of international law.
In many respects due to the permanent work of the United Nations Organization general character of human rights was precisely determined and recognized in international law. Human rights have the worthy place among the purposes of the United Nations Organization proclaimed in its Charter where stated, that human rights exist "for everybody, without distinction." Human rights are natural, given from birth to each person, universal for all. They are not privileges. These rights are fixed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The obligation of the state is to encourage general respect and observance of human rights.
Not selective, not relative, but general respect, observance and protection. Bibliography Rachel's, J. , The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 3 rd ed. , New York: Random House 1999
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Research essay sample on What Is Ethnocentrism Cultural Relativism
