Final answer:
The three essential assumptions of cultural criticism are cultural relativism, historical context, and subjectivity. These assumptions are central in understanding and analyzing cultural practices and artifacts within their unique contexts without ethnocentric bias.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question about the three essential assumptions of cultural criticism is: a. Cultural relativism, historical context, and subjectivity.
Cultural criticism examines the cultural products such as literature, art, and rituals of a society and how they affect human behavior and interactions. This approach is grounded in the assumption that cultural practices and beliefs are not static but are shaped and influenced by their historical context, which includes economic, political, and social conditions. Cultural relativism is fundamental in cultural criticism because it allows for an unbiased view of these practices, avoiding ethnocentric judgments. It requires viewing cultural practices from the perspective of the culture in which they exist rather than from one's own cultural norms, thereby recognizing that what is considered moral or normal in one culture may not be so in another.
The discussion of different cultural behaviors, such as eating or drinking habits, demonstrates the importance of understanding cultural differences and supports the idea that cultural relativism is essential for a comprehensive analysis. Since cultural criticism involves evaluating the meaning and significance of cultural norms and products, recognizing the subjectivity of interpretations is also a key assumption. This approach acknowledges that different critics may have different perspectives on a culture's artifacts and behaviors, which are influenced by their own cultural background.