What is Ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency to evaluate other cultures according to a perspective based on the standards and customs belief of one’s own culture. The term can also refer to one’s belief in the superiority of one’s ingroup. Ethnocentrism exists in the foundations of cultures throughout the world, especially in those caught in conflict situations.
Attribution: Drxd
Source – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israeli_IDF_soldiers_in_compare_to_Palestinian_Arab_Terrorists.jpg
Sources of Ethnocentrism
A significant amount of ethnocentrism can be expected in relations between Israelis and Palestinians. Discussion of ethnocentrism in Israel centers on stereotypes, social distance, intolerance, and racism. In 1987, Smooha conducted a survey of Israeli and Palestinian subjects to evaluate the groups’ stereotyping, mistrust, avoidance, and differential treatment of each other. With this data, she finds clear evidence of the prevalence of ethnocentrism among both Jewish Israelis and Palestinians (Smooha, 1987). Smooha (1987) then uses the data to identify different forms of ethnocentrism within each group.
Jewish Israeli ethnocentrism stems from a perceived threat of the Palestinian population and from the desire for a unified Jewish state (Smooha, 1987). Therefore, while ethnocentrism comes from a variety of sources, two major sources are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tensions with Palestinians. The strongest ethnocentric force, however, Israeli Zionism. The latter provides both a sense of unity and motivation to develop and protect the Jewish Israeli culture.
Attribution: Juliane Kravik
Source – https://goo.gl/KSCFqI
Palestinian ethnocentrism stems from two sources. The first is treatment of Palestinians in Israel (Smooha, 1987). Smooha (1987) cites Israeli cultural dominance, land seizures, institutional discrimination, and control over Palestinian lives as means of oppression that have heightened ethnocentrism among Palestinians. The other source of ethnocentrism is rooted in the traditional customs and values of the Palestinian culture itself. The Arab culture is semi-feudal, agrarian, religious, and authoritarian (Smooha, 1987). As a result, the culture is generally more conservative and communal, which are indicators of a greater sense of ethnocentrism. However, the findings of Smooha’s (1987) survey indicate that Jewish Israeli treatment of Palestinians is a greater source of ethnocentrism than traditionalism.
Impact on Intergroup Relations
Ethnocentrism is a significant cultural phenomenon that strongly influences intergroup relations. Now that we have examined the sources for ethnocentrism, we will study this tendency in regards to ingroup bias and collective identity.