Which concept asserts that a culture should be viewed according to its own values and beliefs?

The concept that asserts a culture should be viewed according to its own values and beliefs is known as cultural relativism. This perspective encourages understanding a culture within its own context, promoting the idea that one should refrain from judging other cultures using the standards of their own culture. Cultural relativism is key in anthropology as it fosters appreciation for the diversity of human experiences and practices.

By embracing cultural relativism, anthropologists and individuals can avoid biases that might arise from ethnocentrism, which is the practice of viewing one’s own culture as superior and using it as a benchmark to evaluate others. In contrast, cultural integration refers to the process through which different cultural groups come together and blend aspects of their cultures, while social homogenization involves the reduction of cultural differences leading to a more uniform society. This diminishes the complexity and richness that cultural relativism seeks to preserve and appreciate.