DISCOURSES OF ALTERITY. EXPLORING CULTURAL RELATIVISM IN ERASMUS STUDENTS’ NARRATIVES
DISCOURSES OF ALTERITY. EXPLORING CULTURAL RELATIVISM IN ERASMUS STUDENTS’ NARRATIVES

Summary/Abstract: This article examines cultural perceptions based on a theoretical framework which includes anthropological concepts, especially that of cultural relativism (Franz Boas, Melville Herskovitz, and Ralph Linton), emphasizing that human behaviour and language require contextualization, rather than universal judgement. Utilizing a qualitative interpretative method, the study applies Linton’s cultural reading grid to analyse Erasmus students’ narratives. While the students identify objective Universals and Specialties, through cultural observation and social interaction, their subjective engagement with Alternatives and Individual Peculiarities transforms static norms into a personalized reality; in other words, it turns standard social rules into a unique experience.

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