The Role of Power in Labeling “Values”

October 06, 2026

Cultural relativism reminds us of something quietly radical: calling something a “value” is never neutral. It is an act of power. It is a decision about what counts as moral, civilized, respectable, or progressive — and who gets to decide.

Every society has behaviors it elevates and behaviors it discourages. But the moment a group declares, “This is a value,” it is also declaring, “This is the standard by which others will be judged.” That act of naming is political.

Who Decides What Counts as a Value?

Behind every moral label lies a set of questions we rarely ask:

Who decides which behaviors count as moral progress and which count as decline?
Who defines what “respect,” “family,” or “success” mean?
Who has the authority to declare a cultural practice admirable, outdated, or dangerous?

These questions matter because values do not float above society like universal truths. They are shaped by institutions, reinforced by norms, and policed through language. When a dominant group defines a value, it often defines the boundaries of legitimacy.

Universalizing the Particular

Across history, dominant groups have repeatedly taken their own preferences, customs, and moral frameworks and elevated them to the status of “human values.” The implication is subtle but powerful: If these values are human, then everyone should aspire to them.

Minority or marginalized groups are then measured against those standards. Their difference becomes deviation. Their practices become “backward,” “irrational,” or “in need of reform.” Their cultural logic is treated not as an alternative but as an error.

This is how power hides itself — by presenting its own worldview as the neutral baseline.

The Politics of Respect, Family, and Success

Words like respect, family, and success appear universal, but they are culturally loaded.

Respect might mean deference in one community and directness in another.
Family might center lineage, obligation, or emotional closeness depending on the cultural frame.
Success might be measured by wealth, social harmony, spiritual fulfillment, or generational continuity.

When a dominant group defines these terms, it also defines what counts as “good behavior.” Everyone else is expected to conform.

Transformation or Assimilation?

This is where the politics of values become most visible. Cultural change is often described as transformation — a society evolving, modernizing, or progressing. But transformation is not inherently liberating. It depends on who controls the narrative.

If marginalized groups redefine values on their own terms, transformation can be liberation. If dominant groups impose their values as universal, transformation becomes assimilation.

The same behavior — adopting a new practice, shifting a norm, changing a ritual — can be framed as empowerment or erasure depending on whose voice is amplified.

Naming Values Is a Form of Power

To call something a value is to shape the moral landscape. It is to draw a line between what is celebrated and what is tolerated, between what is “normal” and what is “other.” Cultural relativism does not deny the existence of values; it simply asks us to see the politics behind them.

Values are not just beliefs. They are tools. They can liberate, but they can also discipline. And the act of naming them — deciding what counts — is one of the quiet ways power maintains itself.

image and some text AI-generated

post inspired by the article, "Transforming Values and Conforming Values of Arab and U.S. Leaders: An Exploratory Study in Cultural Relativism" (Mowafiq Alanazi and Betty Lou Leaver) in LREC in the Military (West Point Press)

Book Description

In today’s complex global security environment, military effectiveness depends not only on advanced technology and tactics but also on the ability to understand, communicate, and collaborate across cultures. This interdisciplinary volume examines the evolving role of language, regional expertise, and cultural competency (LREC) in U.S. military training, strategy, and leadership. Drawing on insights from both military and academic contributors, this collection offers a timely and authoritative overview of how LREC competencies support deterrence, interoperability, influence operations, and alliance-building for the warfighter.

Read more posts about foreign cultures HERE.

Read more posts about language learning HERE.

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