Ethnocentrism in Today's Society

Everybody can be accused on ethnocentrism at least once in their lives. Even though their crime may not be obvious to them, it is usually shown in little matters and ways of thinking. Ethnocentrism is simply the belief that one's group or culture is superior to another. This can be applied to race, different countries, or even to sexist or ageism issues. Typically, ethnocentrism is most commonly applied to race and other cultures/countries. Ethnocentrism is defined as a bad term. Wikipedia states, "The fallacy of ethnocentrism is committed by people who exaggerate the role of their own group in its interactions with other groups." However, in some cases, ethnocentrism can actually be a positive way of thinking.

Ethnocentrism is wrong for obvious reasons; it puts down a certain group or culture. I think the biggest case of ethnocentrism that America has experienced is the time of the second civil war. Ethnocentrism was what came between the white and black people for centuries. Even today, in 2007, white and black people are both suffering the consequences of the past ethnocentrism.