CULTURAL RELATIVISM AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS 
WRITTEN BY : CAROLYN FLUEHR-LOBBAN.


" Understanding the diverse cultural contexts where harm or violence may take place is valuable and important, but suspending or withholding judgement because of cultural relativism is intellectually and usually irresponsible." 


The reason for choosing the above quotation is because I agree with it. First of all, we all come from different cultural backgrounds. Understanding someone's culture is not easy. We may be "For it'' or either "Against it". But it is our responsibility to accept what culture  they follow and support them the,. Like in some culture, harm and violence may be a part of its traditions that they follow. So we should understand their cultural contexts because it may be valuable and important to them but suspending or withholding judgement because of cultural relativism is very irresponsible, because we cannot be careless and just say anything against their culture because t may seem wrong to us. Ethnocentrism should not be practised in such situation.

Well, for the argument part, the writer is basically trying to convey us the message that both cultural relativism and human rights should be followed by all the anthropologist and the people. The author feels that the anthropologists should try or choose to protect and promote human rights. We should also stop misusing cultural relativism. Like for example, any harmful or discriminating act that are done to an individual according what culture they belong should not be ignored because they have their own human rights. They do not choose to follow it but are compelled to accept it. In such situation where is the human rights that they have be granted universally?

The writer also mentions about "Female circumcision" being practised in Sudan. The females are compelled to follow it. And the ones who are uncircumcised are not respectable. Even the daughters for that matter have few chances of getting married if they are not circumcised. This is affecting all the female in the society. Where are the human rights that they are granted ? Even if they are granted they do not have the power to use them because the society wouldn't accept it. It is not right and just to think and follow cultures or tradition that has been practised for ages and neglect the circumstances involved in it. 

I do not have any reasoned criticism or counter argument that I want to make. I agree with what the writer have to say. Also, I do not have any experienced  situation or incident which supports or challenges the argument. 

Lastly for the implication part, I agree with what the article had to say. We should not take cultural relativism as an excuse and ignore the human rights given to the people. Human rights are more important than cultural rituals, traditions or customs. It has also given me a better perspective of viewing the entire cultural context where harm and violence still prevail and where Human rights are completely ignored.