Universalism And Cultural Relativism

What is culture?
There are genetic variables that constitute a person or an individual’s biological and physical makeup such as skin colour, eye colour and to an extent body shape. The cultural makeup of an individual is not fixed ergo it can change and be adapted. For example language, clothing, world view, habits, ethics, religion and relationships can constitute the culture of an individual or group. Ilesanmi (2009) gives a rather normative definition of culture stating that it is the sole criterion by which human endeavours acquire their authenticity. The decisions an individual takes are guided by the specific way of life embodied in the cultures that they were raised in. Culture is most important with regards to how we experience life

Universalism offered a core of ‘human-nature’ which threatened to homogenise diverse African societies (Zechenter, 1997). Universalism took decision making away from cultural groups shifting the defensibility of practices from within the framework of the community (internal judgements), to using international or external judgements (Donnelly, 1984). International standards are particularly criticised for an over focus on the individual rather than the group (Charters, 2003). In defence of universalism, Zechenter (1997), showed that universalism protests the group indirectly by attending to the needs of the individual. Feminists are in favour of universal standards of human rights as pre-colonial villages, Native American tribes and traditional Islamic social systems have disproportionate power balances between men and women (Donnelly,

It shows the sensitivity of traditional leaders to outside interference on customary laws. Given the experience of African people with colonisation, imposing decisions on discriminatory practices is inappropriate (Charter, 2003). African issues must be solved by African means. The concept of universal human rights has been criticised as a Western ideology imposed on non-Western cultures (Sjoberg, Gill and Williams, 2001). Writers acknowledge that universalism is a product of European history that denies communitarian values thus undermining African culture. In the ‘West’ there is an obsessive concern with the dignity of the individual, his worth, personal autonomy and property (Ilesanmi, 2009). Communist countries see the individualistic focus of universal human rights as a feeder to the capitalist system by granting individuals the right to purse private interests (Sjoberg et al, 2001). Universal human rights prioritize civil and political rights over social and cultural rights (Charters, 2003) this stands against African values of economic development. As such, western imperialism in the form of human rights also slows down the development of Africa (Zechenter,