Ethnocentrism, Power, and the Dominance of Western Academic Writing Conventions in Higher Education

Abstract

The academic landscapes of the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, popular choices for international students, are firmly rooted in the Western education model, characterized by specific academic writing conventions. International students are expected to conform to these norms, which, it may be argued, perpetuates an ethnocentric view of Western academic approaches as superior, disadvantaging non-Western students and suppressing valuable intercultural exchange. The dominance of Western writing conventions, this paper argues, aligns with Foucault’s view that education systems perpetuate ideologies and exercise power, shaping knowledge production and even defining truth. Ultimately, this creates a distorted picture of accepted knowledge, subordinating international students to Western norms. Knowledge from dominant systems is often deemed superior, while alternative knowledge is dismissed, leading to missed opportunities for diverse communication and limiting global scholarship by denying recognition to non-Western contributions.