These teaching materials use the Deep Culture Podcast to introduce key themes related to the psychology of intercultural understanding. These materials are open-source and are free to use for non-commercial purposes. Please attribute to: The Japan Intercultural Institute. 

Episode 30 – Ethnocentrism: Is ethnocentrism learned from our environment? Is it a natural part of how our mind works? Many intercultural educators believe that ethnocentrism is learned . . . but is this true? In this month’s Deep Culture Podcast, Emre Seven and Joseph Shaules explore what brain and mind sciences can tell us about ethnocentrism. We hear about caste labeling from Ishita Ray, and Daniel Glinz tells us how language learning can expand our cultural self. 

Materials included:

  • Episode Overview: 
    • A summary of the episode content, a link to play the episode, a list of key themes
  • Opening Discussion: Discussion activity focused on a short clip from the episode. 
  • Key ideas and insights are introduced using quotes from the episode, together with comprehension and discussion questions. Ideas/insights covered include:
    • What is ethnocentrism?
    • Ethnocentrism is natural
    • Ethnocentrism is a collective survival mechanism
    • Ethnocentrism feels like report facts
  • Deep Understanding: Provides more detailed information about the psychology behind the key ideas and insights. It includes episode quotes and comprehension questions. 
  • Digging Deeper: Introduces discussion questions based on quotes and clips from the episode. This section helps learners connect themes to their experience. 
  • Testing and further activities: The slide set contains comprehension questions based on clips from the episode. These can be used to create quizzes. Discussion questions can be used for interactive activities and presentations.