What term describes the belief that one's own culture is superior to others?

• A. Ethnocentrism
• B. Cultural Relativism
• C. Xenophobia
• D. Pluralism

Answer: (A)

Belief that your own culture is superior to others drives ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is judging other cultures by the standards of your own and often viewing them as inferior or wrong. This stance can bias how you interpret unfamiliar customs and hinder cross-cultural understanding. Cultural Relativism, by contrast, asks us to understand another culture on its own terms. Xenophobia is fear or hostility toward people from other cultures, which can accompany ethnocentrism but isn’t the definition. Pluralism supports recognizing and coexisting with multiple cultures. So the described attitude is ethnocentrism.