By Ellie Howard
Ethnocentrism is the evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture. Oftentimes this term is used interchangeably with Eurocentrism as the European, or white, perspective is most frequently used to internationally evaluate cultures. Ethnocentrism is problematic because it typically assumes that most or all aspects of their culture is favorable and the norm, making anything else inferior. For example, coming from the perspective of a more socially conservative and patriarchal culture, countries such as Singapore or Australia may seem lewd or too forward; at the same time the opposite is also true, with independent and diverse countries seeing traditional and/or religiously ruled countries as repressed. Both can be true, but the problem for international law is where to draw the line between culture and human rights. At what point should culture be stopped if it infringes on what others perceive to be human rights? This is also commonly referred to as the Anthropologist’s Dilemma. These ideas can usually be found in nationalist and racist rhetoric as justification for the ostracization and/or prosecution of other people.
In Rwanda specifically, ethnocentrism can be seen as one of the factors that played into the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. The Tutsis decided to live with the Hutus and ethnically became one with the Hutus language, beliefs, and customs. However, economics is where the difference lied. Tutsis were the cattle-herders of Rwanda and were the ones that made most of the money, the Hutus were based solely on agriculture, so their income rested solely on the weather and this practice was not as profitable as being cattle herders. So, the Tutsis usually ruled over the poorer Hutu population. Ultimately this built up resentment towards the Tutsis and resulted in an 100 day murder spree with ~8000 people (mainly Tutsis and Hutu moderates) being killed daily. The danger of ethnocentrism and nationalism is the dehumanization of others being used as justification for massive human rights violations and acts of violence.
Noor, F. A. (2001). The Need For a Multicultural Understanding of Human Rights. “Beyond Eurocentrism.”