Insiders and Outsiders: Exploring Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativity in Sociology Courses

Abstract

perspective, which encourages them to reflect on their own society from a distance. The concept of ethnocentrism is often introduced in sociology courses to sensitize students to the ways in which their perceptions of social life are shaped by the fact that they are insiders to their own society and outsiders to others. Here we discuss a series of instructional techniques built around the use of Horace Miner's classic, Body Ritual among he Nacirema, which we have developed and implemented to assist students in developing an awareness of social influences on their perceptions andjudgments. The techniques are based on the observation that ethnocentrism involves twoforms ofdistortion, termed insider's bias and outsider's bias. Students must confront both of these in order to develop a full appreciation of the subtle impact of culture on perceptions.