Midterm Exam Study Guide

1. Are normative standards cross-cultural? Define cultural universalism and cultural relativism about normative standards and describe the motivations behind each view. Then examine the problems with each of these views and evaluate each of them, justifying your evaluation.

2. Is multiculturalism a needed change in the classroom? Define multiculturalism and explain its motivations, including the educational practices to which it is reacting. Then consider the main criticisms of multiculturalism. Finally, state and justify your view about whether multiculturalism is a positive change in the classroom, and whether it is a necessary one.

3. Are we trapped within our own frame of reference? Summarize Rescher’s argument for the claim that one always judges the standards of rationality and conceptual framework of one’s culture to be superior to those of other cultures. What are the consequences for cultural relativism? Critically evaluate Rescher’s view, considering how well he can explain the process in which cultures evaluate and modify their own standards of rationality, the possibility of being receptive to criticisms of our standards by other cultures, and the process of individuals shifting from one culture to another.

4. What does Conrad’s Heart of Darkness suggest about our ability to encounter other cultures on their own terms? Discuss the significance of the title, and the view of European colonialism and Africans presented in the book.