Someone uses the term “Othering” and you don’t know what that means? We will explain to you what is behind it and how to use the expression.
What does “othering” mean? (Source: Milkos / depositphotos.com)
This means “othering”: perceiving a group of people as different
The expression “Othering” comes from English and is a philosophical term that describes distancing oneself from a certain group of people and describing them as different or “foreign”. In German, the term “alteration” is also used for this. This sets you apart from this group and discriminates against them because you only perceive them on the basis of one characteristic.
This mostly affects people who have a different gender (women, TS), a different sexual orientation (queer people), religious affiliation, or ethnicity (B(I)PoC). By being perceived as “alien”, these people are excluded and socially disadvantaged.
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This is how you use “Othering” correctly
If you witness people being treated differently by others because of their skin colour, disability or sexual orientation and thus discriminated against, you can point out to the discriminators that they are “othering”. Even those who reproduce stereotypes or perceive themselves as better than the other group “othert” others.
We found these examples of using “Othering”:
- “Othering is a form of discrimination against marginalized groups.”
- “Anyone who perceives black people as different or strange is doing othering.”
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