Xenocentrism

Meaning: Xenocentrism (xeno = foreign) is the belief that another society's culture, goods, or practices are better than one's own. A person may value imported fashion, music, food, or education because they are foreign, and may devalue local ones. Sociologists treat it as a form of cultural bias, because the foreign culture is judged by a preference and not by neutral, objective criteria.

On the MCAT: Questions pair it with related terms in the culture section. A vignette might describe consumers who prefer imported brands over equivalent domestic ones, or citizens who see another country's customs as more sophisticated than their own. You pick xenocentrism and not ethnocentrism. It may also appear as a possible effect of globalization and cultural diffusion, where exposure to foreign media and products shapes attitudes. Expect it to be set against cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.

Common confusion: Students mix it up with cultural relativism because both involve openness to other cultures. Cultural relativism means understanding a practice within its own cultural context without ranking cultures as better or worse. Xenocentrism still ranks cultures, putting the foreign one above one's own. It is also not the same as xenophobia, which is fear or dislike of foreigners. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism: favoring the foreign over the home culture.