Table of Contents
Definition of Naïve Realism
(noun) The idea that all people perceive the world as you do.
Example of Naïve Realism
- Thinking that one version of physical beauty is universal.
Naïve Realism Pronunciation
Syllabification: na·ive re·al·ism
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /nie-EEv rEE-uh-liz-uhm/
- British English – /nie-EEv rIUH-li-zuhm/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English: /naɪˈiv ˈɹiəˌlɪzəm/
- British English: /nɑːˈiːv ˈɹɪəlɪz(ə)m/
Usage Notes
- Plural: naïve realisms
- Naïve realism can lead to culture shock.
- A type of ethnocentrism.
- Variant spelling: naive realism
Related Quotation
- “Ethnocentrism is one of sociology’s distinctive concepts. Comprehension of this concept is a major step in the acquisition of a sociological outlook. Students of introductory sociology are often left, at the end of the course, with a feeling that the term “ethnocentrism” denotes a flaw in human nature. Some of them may also be persuaded that their exposure to academic sociology has helped to immunize them against this natural but supposedly lamentable tendency to react ethnocentrically to people in other societies” (Catton 1960:201).
Additional Information
- Word origin of “naïve” and “realism” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Baumeister, Roy F., and Kathleen D. Vohs, eds. 2007. Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
- Kim, Uichol, Kwang-Kuo Hwang, and Kuo-Shu Yang, eds. 2006. Indigenous and Cultural Psychology: Understanding People in Context. Boston: Springer.
- Ross, Lee, and Andrew Ward. 1996. Naive Realism: Implications for Social Conflict and Misunderstanding. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center on Conflict and Negotiation, Stanford University.
- Spradley, James P., and David W. McCurdy. 2008. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology. 13th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
Related Terms
Reference
Catton, William R. 1960. “The Functions and Dysfunctions of Ethnocentrism: A Theory.” Social Problems 8(3):201–11. doi:10.2307/798910.
Cite the Definition of Naïve Realism
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “naïve realism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 18, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/naive-realism/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
naïve realism. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/naive-realism/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “naïve realism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 18, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/naive-realism/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“naïve realism.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/naive-realism/>.