Othering Part 2
When we start describing ourselves as part of a group of people united in a “we”, while other people are constructed as fundamentally different, united in a “they”, we are using a powerful weapon that might serve to delegitimize others. And too often, these distinctions are drawn along the classic axes of discrimination and power differences, like sexuality, gender, ethnicity, “race”, class and so on.
According to Michel Foucault, othering is strongly connected with power and knowledge. When we “other” another group, we point out their perceived weaknesses to make ourselves look stronger or better. It implies a hierarchy, and it serves to keep power where it already lies. Colonialism is one such example of the powers of othering.
According to Michel Foucault, othering is strongly connected with power and knowledge. When we “other” another group, we point out their perceived weaknesses to make ourselves look stronger or better. It implies a hierarchy, and it serves to keep power where it already lies. Colonialism is one such example of the powers of othering.
From Introductory Essay: “The Other” and “Othering” by Sara Rismyhr Engelund.
Resource #1
"The Problem of Othering: Towards Inclusiveness and Belonging" - This article broadly discusses the important issue of othering on a global scale and how "we must support the creation of structures of inclusion that recognize and accommodate difference, rather than seek to erase it”.
Resource #2
Resource #2
In her short article, the author focuses on the act of othering as a manifestation of power relations and how the terms of “we” and “they” can be used as a powerful weapon that might serve to delegitimize others.
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Royal St. George's College is an independent school for boys located in The Annex neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school admits boys from Grades 3 through 12. Our mission is to challenge and inspire each of our students to become the best version of himself.