I have always thought that since I was born and raised in a Vietnamese family, I already have a solid understanding of the concept of overcoming ethnocentric prejudices and being prejudice-free and /or more understanding when it comes to other religious and cultural practices. However, this is not always true. There are some practices that I have come across throughout my life, while I find them morally unacceptable because they do not coincide with how I was taught and raised. After reflecting on the section of the textbook under Objectivity and Morality and the statements of anthropologist Nancy Sheper-Hughes, I can now see that my view of other cultures is wrong. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The particular section of the chapter highlights Nancy Sheper-Hughes' views towards her work in anthropology insisting others to approach the critical perspective of cultural relativism – which creates questions about cultural practices and beliefs in terms of who accepts them and why, and who they might harm or benefit – rather than interfering with another's cultural beliefs and behaviors. Alternatively, this method can help increase one's understanding of another cultural practice without ignoring power dynamics. It is not easy for everyone to ignore after witnessing behavior from another that we ourselves find unacceptable and/or uncomfortable, myself included, for the sake of respect. their own culture. There are many times when I have struggled to come to terms with something that I find objectionable in my daily life. For example, while reading the textbook I came across cannibalism in the Wari community and was quite disturbed when I discovered that they ate their deceased loved ones to erase painful memories and avoid burying them in the ground. Usually, when we hear that our loved ones have died, we normally don't think about eating them first, as it is illegal where we are and has a very negative perception from Western culture and mine. Practices such as cannibalism among the Wari are for me personally pushing the limit of cultural relativism. While I know that making moral judgments about another culture is wrong, there are times when it is difficult to be impartial when you witness or hear about a particular culture. custom you are not familiar with or accustomed to doing, especially judging by my Asian-Canadian norms. However, through Sheper-Hughes' method of critical cultural relativism, my way of evaluating another's culture has changed. I shouldn't think about whether I think a custom is right or wrong, I should think about those involved in that particular culture and see whether what they believe is actually hurting them or not. In the end, after reflecting on textbook readings, I think we should all agree that no culture in the world should be divided into a good or bad category, depending on the value we have or want to have. And no culture should be considered superior to others just because we think it is more "correct" and "acceptable" in comparison. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize Essay Based on this reflection and the textbook section, I learned the importance of understanding another culture outside of my own - on their terms and not letting my judgments and evaluations use my own standards. Even when I am involved in or witness an event or behavior that seems morally questionable, I must.