What is cultural relativism in Anthropology?

Question

I’ve read plenty about this but I genuinely wish to understand with real examples by anthropologists

In: Other

Answer 1

Put simply, in anthropology it is a principle that states that cultures should be considered by their own standards, not by standards brought in by the outsider studying the culture. For example, when studying how polygamy works in a culture where it is practiced, it is unhelpful to view this as immoral just because polygamy is immoral in your own culture. To understand it, you need to set aside your own cultural biases. This is important because the goal of anthropology is understanding.