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Ethnocentrism In Australia Essay

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Ethnocentrism occurs when one culture comes into contact with another. It the evaluation of one culture based on preconceived ideas that have derived from the customs and traditions from one’s own culture. William Summer, an American sociologist, believes that an ethnocentrism is “A view of things in which one’s own group is the centre of everything and all others are scaled and rated in reference to it” (Sorrells 2013). This phenomenon can have detrimental outcomes; such as stereotyping and prejudice both of which may hinder intercultural relations and assimilation therefore impacting on societal cohesion.
We, as humans, are naturally drawn to people of similar nature; be it language or culture (Jackson 2014). As a result we may often remove ourselves from those who are different to us or do not fit the characteristics of our in-group. This mannerism may also lead to Ethnocentrism. One group that has suffered from the result of ethnocentrism within Australia is that of migrants. Migrants that have travelled to Australia have come because they are wishing to pursue a better quality of life. However, due to the ongoing issue of prejudice and ethnocentrism, it can be harder for them to achieve this.
In Australia, it is believed that Australians have held overwhelmingly negative …show more content…

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