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Us and Them

“In light of readings on Orientalism and the concept of self and other, think about your community (your home, Dickinson, some other community in which you are involved) and consider who belongs and who is an outsider. What group or groups do you experience primarily as plural others, rather than as individuals? How does that affect your perceptions of them? What are the social and practical effects of othering?”

I believe growing up in a town and culture such as mine, groups are often less about physical characteristics and more about beliefs and values, like niches in a high school. However, sometimes these lines can become blurred (which personally I try to do, as to prevent myself from having preconceived perceptions about people). The most visible plural other that I have experienced is through politics, dividing people as democrats, republicans, libertarians, liberals, conservatives, socialists, etc. While appearing innocent at first, as its based off beliefs and not something that can’t be changed (like race and ethnicity), it can be dangerous and dividing none-the-less. It can cause me to “know” what a person believes before I ever get to know them, through a snap judgment. The social and practical effects of this could especially be seen during this recent election cycle, with the fierce partisanship dividing both the government and everyday people, with riots and violence becoming an everyday occurrence. Othering as a whole seems to repeatedly cause a deep divide between groups, and oftentimes can lead to violence and atrocities in the name of eliminating the “other.” The concept has been used at times for somewhat beneficial reasons,  such as rallying people behind as cause such as war. However, the implications can sometimes be detrimental, with the harbored feelings introduced by the othering often lasting much longer than the conflict itself. As we’ve learned about orientalism, I think that while there is an image of innocence to it, (such as the movie Aladdin), it’s still a detriment to establishing proper relations between the “east” and the “west.” Through education about the matter such as this class, the idea of orientalism will slowly be disproven, and hopefully killed off.

182 replies on “Us and Them”

I thought you did a great job of highlighting the everyday, and often difficult to recognize side-effects of othering people, along with how this can develop quickly into something far more damaging- especially during contentious times.

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This is a really thought-provoking prompt. It makes me reflect on my own community and how often we unconsciously categorize people into ‘us’ and ‘them.’ I think the key is to actively work on seeing individuals rather than groups.

This post really resonates with me. As a librarian, I often see how communities form around shared interests and spaces. It’s fascinating to think about who gets included and who is left out. If you’re interested in exploring these dynamics in a fun way, check out the Librarian Game – it’s a great tool for thinking about belonging and otherness.

This is a really thought-provoking post. It makes me think about how we define community and who gets left out. In my own city, I see similar dynamics at play. It reminds me of the way paralives explores alternative social structures and belonging.

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The prompt about thinking through who is treated as “plural others” really stood out to me, especially in the context of a small town where people are often grouped before they’re known individually. It makes the social effects of othering feel very concrete, and I’d be interested to hear how that plays out in campus life too; I also found / helpful as a related resource.

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