Tuesday, March 22, 2011
How did the ethnocentricity of the British and the First Australians cause conflict between the two groups?
The ethnocentricity of the British and the Aboriginals caused conflict between the two groups because since they both thought they were superior to each other and they didn't understand each others culture, they got angry at each other and started fighting. The Aboriginals lived in the wild, but still had a very advanced and sophisticated lifestyle. They had a legal system, and each tribe had its own language and culture. The Aboriginals believed they were superior to the British because they knew how to live in harmony with the land, and they knew the land better than the British. They didn't understand the British culture; because of the British clothing, the Aboriginals couldn't tell which gender they were. They were frightened by the white skin, and thought the British were ghosts. The British people on the other hand, lived in houses and believed that the Aboriginals were like animals; dirty and savage. The British thought they were better, because they had things like weapons, ships, clothes, farms, and buildings. The British felt that they were more sophisticated than the natives. Although the two groups tried to find common ground at first, the British thought that since they had a more civilized lifestyle, the Aboriginals should change their society and become more like the British. The British then wanted one of the leaders to come live with them for a while to see what British life was like, but when nobody volunteered, they kidnapped one of the leaders, Bennelong. Bennelong enjoyed the British lifestyle, but when he got the chance, he went back to his own way of living. The British got upset and said that Bennelong always was a savage, and nothing could change his ways. Because of the British people's ethnocentricity, they felt that since the Aboriginals were 'animals', it was okay to go out and kill them as if you were going to hunt squirrels. The Aboriginals got very angry, and decided to get revenge, so they stabbed Governor Phillip with a spear. Even though the British tried to change the Aboriginals way of life, it was in vain, because the Aboriginals were content with their own society. All it did was cause dispute between them, and a lot of bloodshed.
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