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Ethnocentrism is a term coined by William Graham Sumner, that refers to the viewpoint that one’s own group is the center of everything, against which all other groups are judged. Ethnicity, being a determined by any number of factors, mostly geography, or the distance between peoples, leading to a divergence in their cultures. In the modern world, however, the lines between cultures that once were crossed only occasionally, have become an everyday occurence. Technological advances in communication have progressively overcome previous obstacles to communication that contunued ethnic distinction.

Still ethnicity persists, and old-world societies that still exist often find their central concern is maintaining their customs and culture in the face of rapid ethnoconvergence. The reasons for maintaining ethnicity are often personal, and relate to the cohesion of the familiar. We all are born into a culture, and it is the culture that shapes our self-awareness. It also reflects, depending on the cultural teaching, customs or patterns of behaviour in relating to other cultures.

• Americentrism is ethnocentrism from an American point of view. American nationalist ideals,
• Zionism is often called a form of ethnocentrism, although the definition of Zionism remains vague.
• Judeocentrism is similar, though distinct from Zionism.
• Islamism is centrism to the Islamic culture.
• Christian centrism

See also: Cultural imperialism, racism