Ethnocentrism is best defined as?

Ethnocentrism is accurately defined as using one's culture to evaluate others. This concept highlights how individuals or groups can view their own cultural norms and values as superior to those of others, leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of different cultural practices. Ethnocentric perspectives often result in a biased view of other cultures, as the lens of one's own experiences and societal standards is applied, disregarding the unique context in which other cultures operate.

In contrast, the other choices do not capture the essence of ethnocentrism. The practice of assimilating into the dominant culture refers to the process where minority groups adopt the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture, rather than a comparative evaluation of different cultures. Recognizing cultural diversity involves an appreciation and understanding of various cultural practices without judging them against one’s own standards, which opposes the ethnocentric viewpoint. Understanding culture strictly by its own standards relates more to cultural relativism, which emphasizes evaluating a culture on its own terms rather than through the lens of another culture, contrasting the fundamentally judgmental nature of ethnocentrism.