Final answer:
Cultural relativism involves understanding a culture's practices and beliefs within its own context without imposing external judgments or standards. It requires a suspension of judgment for deeper understanding, but it does not mean all cultural practices are condoned, especially if they are harmful, such as female genital cutting.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cultural relativism is the practice of assessing a culture solely by its own standards and not through the lens of one's own culture. This concept emphasizes understanding each belief or practice within the broader context of the respective culture. The idea is that we should strive to understand behaviors, rituals, and norms from the insider's perspective rather than immediately judging them against our own norms. However, this does not mean endorsing all cultural practices as acceptable. For example, an anthropologist studying female genital cutting (FGC) would temporarily suspend judgment to understand the cultural reasons behind the practice but would not say that the practice is acceptable just because it is part of that culture. Cultural relativism requires an open mind and suspension of judgment for the sake of cross-cultural understanding, but it is not an 'anything goes' philosophy. It acknowledges that while different cultural practices exist around the globe, some may still be harmful and wrong, like FGC, which leads to severe health complications. Thus, cultural relativism is about seeking understanding and contextualizing practices rather than indiscriminately embracing them.