Friday 25 March 2011

How does ethnocentricity cause conflict?

In year 1788, the British arrived to Australia to colonize and they settled the place where nowadays we call as Sydney. The British were surprised at what they were looking because the First Australians were different from them. The First Australians had different skin color. Their culture, law and their believe system was all different. Therefore, the British wanted to connect with them to gain the relationship. Hence, they sent their leader Benelong to change him like as British. Eventually, their plan was unsuccessful and they described Benelong as unchangeable animal and this lead the British and Australians to ethnocentric. Although their relationships looked close and well built, from the British point a view they described First Australians as savage, wild, uneducated and uncivilized, these thoughts lead them to think that the First Australians were not human. Thus, as the British law they could take over the lands because natives were not human, which means there were no owners and therefore they had rights to colonize and to take over the land. Yet, The First Australians couldn't escape as their law was pay back. Then at the end they had a war and the natives lost. Therefore, after the war the natives didn't have a rights and to speak.