eurocentriskt

Eurocentrism (eurocentrisk in Norwegian) is an approach or perspective that centers European culture, history, and values as universal or superior, shaping the way people understand the world. The term derives from Europe plus centrism, and is widely used in the social sciences and humanities to describe a dominant frame of reference in knowledge production.

In historiography, anthropology, art history, geography, and education, eurocentrism can manifest as privileging European events, ideas, and methods, while treating non-European societies as peripheral, pre-modern, or as sources of raw data for European development. It often influences curricula, museum displays, and international comparisons, and can be reinforced by linguistic and institutional biases.

Critics argue that eurocentrism narrows historical explanation, obscures global interconnections, and legitimizes unequal power structures created through colonialism and imperialism. Proponents of decolonization and pluriversalism advocate incorporating indigenous and non-European perspectives, sources, and epistemologies; revising curricula; and recognizing contributions from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania to science, art, governance, and knowledge.

Efforts to counter eurocentrism include decolonizing education, expanding translated sources, adopting non-European theories, and using multiple scales of analysis. The term remains contested, with some scholars arguing that all knowledge is shaped by cultural perspective, while others stress the importance of contextualizing European influence without essentialism.