According to cultural relativists, moral standards and values are created by groups of people or cultures. Public opinion, rather than private opinion, determines what is right or wrong, and there are no objective universal moral standards that hold true for all people in all cultures. Morality, instead, is regarded as nothing more than socially approved customs (Boss, 2019, p. 166).
Assignment:
Research and choose five examples of moral/ethical* values or practices (not mentioned in the textbook) that differ from culture to culture. Then, complete the Moral Values and Cultural Relativism Worksheet Download Moral Values and Cultural Relativism Worksheet with the following information:
Describe the moral value or practice.
Discuss and analyze to determine whether these differences necessarily reflect differences in basic moral standards between the two cultures.
Explain how and why they are different. Be specific.
*Make sure you are describing something that can be considered “moral” in a particular culture. For example: In Japan, it is considered rude and insulting for a waiter to receive a tip. That is not a moral value. It is merely a social attitude or non-moral value. Do not choose something like that.
An example of something that is a moral value is that in Japans traditional morality, suicide can be viewed as a potentially honorable, virtuous, and even beautiful act of selfsacrifice, expressing one’s duty to one’s group. That moral value is not consistent with generally American worldviews.
