We all have different opinions, but whose is right? Does a "right" opinion actually exist? Many people may believe that their opinion is higher then others, but does that really matter? The study of cultural relativism has changed the opinions of many people on this topic. "Morality differs in every society, and is a convenient term for socially approved habits", was what Ruth Benedict had believed. It is seen in many places, in reality and literature. Cultures clash, and people are left to answer who is right. One part of a culture may seem barbaric to another's culture, but should everyone see it as a bad thing? In my eyes, people have different opinions, and that is what fuels cultural relativism. It also goes into the questioning of ethics and morals. But doesn't a person's ethics depend on how they were brought up? In other words, the culture decides how the person lives.
This is seen many times in the novel Things Fall Apart. When the Christian missionaries came to the tribe, two very different cultures collided. The people of these two cultures got a taste of eachother's morals. The Christians saw the tribe as barbaric, thinking that twins caused evil, and some children were born with a demon inside of them. If this was thought, the tribe would kill the young child, sparking the Christians to question if they actually valued the children at all. If they would have asked the tribe this question, the answer would have been "yes", they do value them. The children were an important part of daily life for the members of the tribe, contributing to the family by helping the wives with meals and learning to become an important part of society. They were the future of the tribe. Also, the fact that if you had many wives in the tribe, it meant that you were a high part of society, scared the Christians. This differed greatly from the Christian belief that God only wanted a person to have one wife, and to raise a "normal" family by his teachings.
I experienced this "culture shock", if you will, in a smaller degree. I actually felt this way on a trip I took with my family to Brigantine, New Jersey. A small island filled with locals spending their days on the beach, surfing, or running their small local business. When visiting this town, I almost feel out of place. Even in the middle of summer, at home, I feel that I always need to be doing something, whether it is working or school work, I'm always busy. Somehow everytime I drive over the bridge to this little town, everything changes. The days get longer and my way of life changes. One might say this is because of the "vacation" factor, but in reality it is more like a second home to me. It has more in things in common to my actual hometown in appearance, except for the fact that it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, then any vacation spots. The morals of the island people, are to savor every day that was given to them. I feel that in every day life, people rush around, and waste time on small trivial things rather then stepping back, and looking at the big picture. When the two cultures crash, it is a big "wake up call" to the people who seem to have been rushing through their lives. This experience is not as big as the one in Things Fall Apart, but it reminds me of this time.
To me, Cultural Relativism is just someones opinion. Is one group actually right? One may never know.
