Final answer:
The phrase 'don't do anything that you wouldn't do at home' suggests practicing moral absolutism, which means following universal moral principles regardless of the cultural context. Cultural relativism, on the other hand, requires understanding and sometimes adapting to different cultural norms and values, though it does not mean uncritically accepting all practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you are going on an international trip and your parents tell you "don't do anything that you wouldn't do at home," you are being told to practice moral absolutism. Moral absolutism is the ethical belief that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, regardless of the context of the act. In contrast, cultural relativism is the principle that an individual's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. This often requires an open mind and a willingness to understand that different cultures may have different norms and values.
Cultural relativism recognizes that what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another and does not imply an "anything goes" attitude. For instance, when anthropologists study practices like female genital cutting (FGC), they aim to understand the complex reasons behind such cultural practices without immediately judging them based on their own cultural norms. Yet, they also recognize that some cultural practices might be harmful or violate human rights, which can lead to ethical dilemmas.