4.3b Cultural Relativism 

A person may experience culture shock when experiencing different toileting norms. They may criticize or refuse to follow the local customs, which are ethnocentric responses. However, a person may also respond to culture shock by practicing cultural relativism. Cultural relativism considers differences without judging whether they are right or wrong. Applying cultural relativism implies that a person wants to understand the context rather than judge.

For example, most U.S. sewage and septic systems can handle toilet paper. In some parts of the world, sewage systems are more limited and cannot always handle toilet paper, so it is disposed of in the trash bin. Moreover, some cultures developed other ways of cleansing after using the bathroom, often using water (such as a bidet or a bowl with water) instead of toilet paper. There is no universal way of using the bathroom. Instead, there are multiple correct methods that depend on the cultural context.