Cultural Relativism and Examples

Why do some cultures greet each other with a handshake, while others use a bow or a kiss on the cheek? Why are certain foods considered delicacies in one part of the world and taboo in another? The answers lie in the complex tapestry of human culture. To navigate this diversity with respect and understanding, we can turn to a key concept in psychology and anthropology: cultural relativism.

At its core, cultural relativism is the principle of understanding an individual’s beliefs, values, and practices from the perspective of their own culture, rather than judging them against the standards of another. It is a framework for observation, not necessarily for agreement. “It’s about suspending judgment to first understand the ‘why’ behind a cultural practice,” explains clinical psychologist Anu Raj, PsyD. “Without this lens, we risk misinterpreting actions and motivations, leading to prejudice and misunderstanding.” This approach stands in direct opposition to ethnocentrism, the tendency to view one’s own culture as the “correct” or superior standard.

This guide will explore the principles, history, benefits, and limitations of cultural relativism, with a special focus on its critical application in mental health and healthcare.

History of Cultural Relativism

While the idea of appreciating different cultural norms has ancient roots, the formal concept of cultural relativism emerged from the field of anthropology. It is most famously associated with German-American anthropologist Franz Boas, who first articulated the principle in 1887.

Working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Boas challenged the prevailing theories of cultural evolution, which ranked societies on a scale from “savage” to “civilized.” He argued that each culture was the product of its own unique history and environment and could therefore only be understood in its own terms. This revolutionary idea laid the groundwork for modern anthropology and became a cornerstone of cross-cultural studies in psychology and sociology.

Beliefs of Cultural Relativism

To fully grasp what is cultural relativism, it helps to understand its foundational beliefs. These principles guide the relativist approach to observing and interacting with different cultures.

• Context is Key: A person’s actions, beliefs, and moral values are best understood when viewed within the context of their own culture.
• No Universal Standard: There is no single, universal moral code that applies to all people at all times. What is considered right or wrong is specific to a society.
• No Superior Culture: All cultures are considered equally valid. The idea that one culture is inherently “better” or more “advanced” than another is rejected.
• Observation Over Judgment: The primary goal is to understand and describe cultural practices, not to evaluate them as good or bad based on outside standards.
• Culture Shapes Reality: Our cultural background profoundly influences how we perceive the world, what we value, and how we behave.

Different Types of Cultural Relativism

Cultural relativism is not a single, monolithic concept. It is generally understood through two different approaches: absolute and critical.

Absolute Cultural Relativism

Absolute cultural relativism is the most extreme interpretation of the principle. It posits that whatever happens within a particular culture must not be questioned or criticized by outsiders. According to this view, every cultural practice is acceptable for the people within that culture. An absolute relativist would argue that since morality is entirely culture-bound, there is no external position from which to judge any practice, no matter how harmful it may seem to an observer.

Critical Cultural Relativism

In contrast, critical cultural relativism offers a more analytical and questioning approach. While it still promotes understanding a practice within its cultural context, it does not automatically accept every practice as valid or immune to criticism. A critical relativist asks questions about power, history, and social inequality. Who benefits from a particular cultural practice, and who is harmed by it? Are there groups within the culture that disagree with this practice? This approach allows for a critique of cultural traditions, especially those that cause harm or violate human rights, while still avoiding the trap of ethnocentrism.

Strengths of Cultural Relativism

Adopting a culturally relativistic perspective offers significant benefits, both for individuals and for society as a whole.

• Promotes Respect and Tolerance: It encourages us to approach cultural differences with an open mind, fostering respect for diverse ways of life and reducing prejudice.
• Encourages Understanding: By pushing us to learn about the history and context of cultural practices, it deepens our understanding of human behavior and social organization.
• Supports Self-Awareness: It forces us to recognize that our own beliefs and values are also culturally constructed, which can help us identify and challenge our own biases.
• Improves Cross-Cultural Relations: In diplomacy, business, and personal interactions, a relativistic approach can prevent misunderstandings and build stronger, more effective relationships.
• Reduces Misdiagnosis in Healthcare: In a clinical setting, it is essential. “When a therapist understands a client’s cultural background, they are less likely to misinterpret culturally-specific expressions of distress as signs of pathology,” notes Dr. Raj. “This is a cornerstone of providing culturally competent care and reducing diagnostic errors.”

Limitations of Cultural Relativism

Despite its strengths, cultural relativism—particularly its absolute form—is subject to significant criticism and has notable limitations.

Failure to Address Human Rights

The most potent critique is that cultural relativism can be used to justify practices that violate universal human rights. If one argues that no outside judgment is possible, it becomes difficult to condemn practices like female genital mutilation, honor killings, or child marriage. This creates a version of the “paradox of tolerance”: if a society is infinitely tolerant, must it also tolerate intolerance and harm? Critics argue that certain moral principles, such as the right to life and freedom from torture, should be universal and transcend cultural norms.

Reducing Cultures to Stereotypes

A potential pitfall of cultural relativism is that it can lead to oversimplification. In an effort to respect a culture as a whole, one might ignore the immense diversity that exists within it. Cultures are not monolithic; they are filled with individuals who have different beliefs, values, and opinions. Assuming that a single set of values represents an entire group of people can create and reinforce harmful stereotypes.

Individual Rights vs. Cultural Values

A conflict can arise between respecting a culture’s traditions and protecting the rights of individuals within that culture. A cultural practice may be supported by the majority or those in power, but it may harm or oppress minorities, women, or other marginalized groups. A purely relativistic view might struggle to support individuals who challenge their own cultural norms in pursuit of personal freedom or safety.

Examples of Cultural Relativism

To make the concept more concrete, let’s look at some examples of cultural relativism in action, from the everyday to the clinical.

• Food and Diet: An American tourist traveling in Southeast Asia is offered a dish of fried insects. An ethnocentric reaction would be to call the food “disgusting” or “weird.” A cultural relativist approach would involve understanding that insects are a common and sustainable source of protein in many parts of the world. The relativist would seek to understand the food’s cultural significance and nutritional value rather than judging it by their own dietary norms.
• Medical Ethics: In many Western cultures, patient autonomy is a paramount ethical principle. A doctor is expected to be transparent with a patient about a terminal diagnosis. However, in some other cultures, it is considered kinder for the family to receive the diagnosis and manage the information to protect the patient from emotional distress. An ethnocentric healthcare provider might insist on telling the patient directly, viewing the family’s request as a violation of the patient’s rights. A culturally relativistic provider would seek to understand the family’s values, discuss the situation with them, and find a solution that respects their cultural approach to care while ensuring the patient’s well-being.
• A Clinical Anecdote: Consider the case of a young man from a collectivist culture who was referred to therapy for “social anxiety” and “lack of motivation.” He was quiet in sessions, rarely made eye contact, and when asked about his future goals, he would often say, “Whatever my parents think is best.” An ethnocentric therapist, trained in a highly individualistic model of success, might interpret this as a sign of pathological dependency or a lack of personal identity. However, a therapist using a culturally relativistic lens would pause and ask different questions. They would learn that in the client’s culture, deference to elders is a sign of respect, not weakness, and that family harmony is valued far more than individual ambition. The “problem” was not the client, but the clash between his cultural values and the expectations of his new environment. The therapeutic goal shifted from fostering independence to helping him navigate the pressures of both worlds, a far more effective and respectful approach.

Cultural Relativism in Mental Health

The application of cultural relativism in mental health is not just beneficial; it is essential for effective and ethical practice. A person’s cultural identity—including their race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic background—profoundly shapes their understanding of mental health, their willingness to seek help, and the way they express emotional distress.

For example, some cultures may express depression through physical symptoms like fatigue or stomach pain rather than emotional sadness. Others may view mental illness as a spiritual issue or a family matter, not a medical one. Furthermore, experiences of discrimination, racism, and historical trauma are significant mental health factors for many individuals from marginalized communities.

To address this systematically, the American Psychiatric Association integrated a tool into the DSM-5 called the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI). This set of 16 questions helps clinicians understand a client’s illness from their personal and cultural perspective. It moves beyond a simple checklist of symptoms to explore the client’s cultural identity, their conceptualizations of distress, and the role of family and community in their suffering and healing. The CFI is a perfect example of critical cultural relativism in action—a structured method for a therapist to set aside their own worldview and enter the client’s.

A culturally competent therapist uses such a framework to:

• Understand how a client’s cultural background influences their symptoms and worldview.
• Avoid imposing Western psychological models that may not be relevant or helpful.
• Recognize the impact of systemic issues like racism on a client’s well-being.
• Collaborate with the client to develop treatment goals that are consistent with their cultural values.

“Effective therapy cannot happen in a cultural vacuum,” says Dr. Raj. “The therapeutic relationship itself is a cross-cultural interaction. The therapist’s job is to bridge that gap with curiosity, humility, and a genuine desire to understand the client’s world.”

Cultural Relativism vs. Ethnocentrism

Understanding cultural relativism is sharpest when contrasted with its opposite: ethnocentrism.

• Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own culture, ethnicity, or group is superior to all others. It involves using your own culture as the yardstick by which to measure and judge all other cultures. An ethnocentric person sees their own ways as “normal” and the ways of others as “strange” or “wrong.”
• Cultural Relativism, on the other hand, is the practice of viewing a culture by its own standards. It is an approach of curiosity and understanding, acknowledging that what is “normal” is different across societies.

While ethnocentrism leads to prejudice and conflict, cultural relativism promotes empathy and communication.

How Do You Promote Cultural Relativism?

Developing a more culturally relativistic mindset is a skill that can be cultivated. Here are some practical ways to promote cultural relativism in your own life:

• Practice Empathy: Try to imagine the world from another person’s perspective. Ask yourself why someone might think or behave the way they do based on their life experiences.
• Seek Out Diversity: Intentionally expose yourself to different cultures through books, films, food, travel, and, most importantly, conversations with people from different backgrounds.
• Challenge Your Assumptions: When you have a strong negative reaction to a cultural practice, pause and ask yourself what biases or assumptions might be driving your reaction.
• Learn About History: Understanding the historical context of a culture—including its experiences with colonialism, war, or oppression—is crucial for understanding its present-day values.
• Listen More, Talk Less: When interacting with someone from a different culture, focus on listening to their story and understanding their point of view before offering your own.

Promoting Cultural Relativism Among Mental Health Professionals

For therapists, promoting cultural relativism is a professional obligation. A 2019 study in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology found that effective training for therapists involves more than just learning facts about different groups. It requires immersive experiences, deep self-reflection on one’s own biases, and training in specific communication techniques that foster cultural humility.

Avoiding Bias in Therapy

Dr. Raj recommends that therapists use specific sets of questions to put critical cultural relativism into practice and avoid bias.

Questions for Therapist Self-Reflection:

• What are my own cultural values, and how might they be influencing my perception of this client?
• Am I making any assumptions about this client based on their race, ethnicity, or religion?
• Could this client’s “symptoms” be a normal expression of distress within their culture?
• Am I considering how systemic factors like racism or poverty might be impacting this client’s mental health?

Questions to Ask the Client (Collaboratively):

• “In your culture, how do people typically view problems like the ones you’re facing?”
• “What do you and your family believe is the cause of this issue?”
• “What kind of support would be most helpful to you, keeping your values and beliefs in mind?”
• “Are there any cultural or religious practices that are important for me to understand as we work together?”

By engaging in this ongoing process of learning, questioning, and self-reflection, we can all move away from judgment and toward a more nuanced, respectful, and complete understanding of the diverse ways of being human.