The practice of judging other cultures by the standards of one's own culture, typically assuming one's own culture is superior. The tendency to view one's ethnic group as the center of everything.
Coined in 1906 by sociologist William Sumner, combining Greek 'ethnos' (nation, people) with 'centrism' (placing at the center). The term was created to describe the universal tendency of groups to see themselves as the standard by which others should be measured.
Break it down: 'ETHNO-CENTRISM' = putting your ethnic group at the CENTER of everything. It's like thinking your hometown is the center of the universe and everywhere else is weird. Everyone does it to some degree, but awareness helps us recognize when we're being ethnocentric!
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