ETHNOCENTRISM (part B)
by
Charles Lamson
Becoming Highly or Lowly Ethnocentric. Ethnocentrism exists on a continuum of high to low. Therefore, everyone is ethnocentric to some degree. Being at either end of the continuum can be disadvantageous (Gudykunst & Kim, 1997). There has been considerable dispute about how people come to be ethnocentric. Is it one of the genetically-based orientations, or is it something that we learn? Since there is such high variability in ethnocentrism across people in any given culture, some have assumed that this must be a genetically-based trait. Recent research, however, has failed to confirm that belief. This research determined that ethnocentrism and homophobia (another trait generally considered to be anti-social), were highly correlated with each other. However, neither were found to be associated with any dimension of temperament (Wrench & Mccroskey, 2003). While this does not rule out the possibility that these two traits could be associated with some brain system(s) other than the ones controlling temperament, it does indicate that they are at least not associated with the genetic factors, which have been seen to be highly instrumental in forming the foundations for many personality traits and communication traits. Hence, at this point, it appears that a view commonly expressed by people who regularly have to deal with problems associated with ethnocentrism is correct: "people have to be taught to hate, they are not born that way." This learning may begin early in life, when parents and others in a child's culture work to overcome a child's egocentrism by teaching them they are part of a group and not the be-all and end-all person in the world. Such efforts to open the child to others in their environment may provide the foundation of learning (or over-learning), to value members of their in-group, and favor them over members of all other groups - the essence of ethnocentrism.
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Positive Aspects of Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism provides the foundation for the existence for a culture or a subculture - it helps people making up cultures and subcultures develop a sense of collective identity and group pride. It helps maintain the integrity of the culture (or subculture) in the face of external threats from people from other cultures (who also believe their culture to be the best one). Some people suggest that if there were no ethnocentrism, there would be no culture.
Ethnocentrism gives the people in an organization an identity and helps make them more homogeneous and cohesive. It promotes positive and effective communication among people within the organization. It results in people being more willing to follow the formal and informal practices of the organization, Since the people in the organizational culture consider these practices to be the correct ones (and the best ones) for all normal people to follow. when conflict occurs with with people from other organizational cultures (subcultures), blame can be placed on the other group, and that reduces potential conflict within the home group. Ethnocentrism provides the foundation for pride in one's organization.
Clearly, ethnocentrism is the first line of defense for any organizational culture, or any organizational subculture. Without it, an organization (or a unit within it) is open to rapid and extreme changes and is subjected to losing its very existence. For this reason, people who lead subcultural groups within a larger organizational culture sometimes resort to very militant communication in the ethnocentric defense of their subculture. They recognize that in the absence of high ethnocentrism among the members of the subculture, it may be seen as weak and unimportant to others in the larger culture. If too few people think a subculture is worth preserving, it will not be preserved.
*SOURCE: ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION FOR SURVIVAL 3RD ED. BY VIRGINIA P. RICHMOND, JAMES C. MCCROSKEY, AND LINDA L. MCCROSKEY; PGS. 148-150*
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