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Hi Michelle, 

I agree with your description of cultural relativism. I thought it was interesting how you stated that your Jamaican culture is different even compared to other African American homes, which shows how there are many different subgroups within cultures. The way I imagine it in my head is an umbrella in which many different cultures fall under, each having unique traditions, values and practices.  Also, you mentioned that cultural relativism is a way to fight ethnocentrism and stop people from having a lack of respect and attitudes that their culture is superior. This makes me wonder what anthropologists do when they strongly disagree with the cultural practices that they are studying? Obviously they have to put these opinions aside, but I wonder if it slightly impacts their research findings. 

Your personal example of Jamaican culture honoring elders, taking care of younger siblings and purposely not going out to eat on Sundays but rather making a home cooked meal reminded me of my Italian heritage. My grandparents always invite us for Sunday dinners, as it is a special time to reconnect with family, relax, and take a break from eating out to enjoy home cooked meals. I feel that Western culture has diverged from the historical significance of Sundays being a day for family, church, etc. Years ago, all businesses used to be closed on Sundays and people would mainly stay home. Nowadays, most stores/restaurants are open on Sundays, and people stay busy. I believe that Sundays should be celebrated and embraced as they used to be. 

 Hi Patrick! I really liked the example you used about how your culture has influenced you to prioritize education which led you to pursue a higher education after high school. I feel as if personally, a very similar thing has happened to me as well; although no one in my family is directly forcing me to attend college and obtain a college degree, everyone around me in my immediate family and friend group has attended college which has led me to believe that this is what is right or normal for me to do. Especially since I am a nursing major, I feel as if my surroundings have influenced greatly what I want to pursue as a future career; my whole life, I’ve been surrounded by tons of women including my mother, my grandmas, my aunts, cousins, etc that have gone to become nurses which I feel has greatly influenced my decision to pursue this field as well. I definitely agree with the statement that higher education is more of a cultural concept rather than a universal one, since different cultures all have different definitions and expectations for education. This is why cultural relativism is so important, because although higher education is common for people in the United States, in some cultures the idea of higher education is more uncommon and the cultural “norm” is the exact opposite. Rather than comparing this idea to our own culture, it is important that we understand the difference in cultural norms between groups.