Thus we can discuss the different stages of integration and the different attitudes towards it. How can you rediscover yourself abroad? Does cultural diversity increase prejudice?
These are some of the aspects, the article is trying to explore. References 1. Wierlacher and A. Bogner, Ed. Burchard, B. From Utopia to Reality? And often conflicts arise between people who view each other as being different.
As humans we have a choice in how we react to our environment. We can follow instinct, we can reply based on emotion, or we can use reason and intelligence. When people resort to an aggravating outside impulse with the primal reflexes of fight or flight, there is a chance for a violent response.
If those were unpleasant, a hostile reaction is more likely. Our brains record memories of behaviors which produced either agreeable or disagreeable experiences. These experiences shape the value judgments we make — more often than not unconsciously — and they exert quite a strong influence on our behavior.
Because everything I say is biased. It is based on my own experience. To overcome this bias, whether it is conscious or unconscious, it is necessary that we increase the number of experiences we have and that we create new memories which will overwrite the old ones. The more pleasant memories we have with otherness the less likely we are to react to the foreign with fear, apprehension, or violence. It is also not rocket science. Listen to these titles of some of the bestselling books from both sides of the political divide here in the U.
The worst eras in human history, whether in Cambodia or Germany or Rwanda, they start like this, with negative other-izing.
And then they morph into violent extremism. Here are some signs of this phenomenon:. This phenomenon often happens without conscious effort or even awareness. People feel bias based on what they presume is the norm. While othering is sometimes apparent, it often functions as an almost invisible barrier that keeps people who are seen as outsiders from accessing opportunity and acceptance.
Othering can be based on a wide range of attributes including:. While racial and religious othering are some of the most obvious examples, some types can be much less overt and apparent. Rivalries can famously rage between sports teams and schools, but people may dislike others based on things like the grade they are in e. These types of othering can play a role in shaping attitudes and relationships with other people.
The exact causes of othering can vary from one situation to the next. How and when people are othered often depends on how noticeable their differences are in a specific context. If these differences are perceived as a threat, people in out-groups are more likely to experience othering.
Some factors that may play a role in this phenomenon are listed below. A tendency to engage in othering may have evolved as a way to improve group cohesion and minimize danger from outsiders. In the ancient past, it was important for people to form close-knit groups and clearly define the boundaries between their allies and their enemies.
Helping those who were close to you—most often your family members who were similar to you and shared the same genes—was critical for survival.
Also known as in-group favoritism, this is a psychological tendency to favor one's own in-group over members of out-groups. Researchers suggest that factors such as competition for resources can lead people to bond and form alliances with members of their own groups. Other factors such as self-identity and social identity also play a role in this favoritism. In-group bias often influences how we evaluate others, how we treat them, and how we share our resources with them.
An example of this is thinking all of the people in your friend group are unique and special while considering anyone outside of your inner circle as boring, uncool, uninteresting, or similar. When, in reality, all those people could be just as unique and fascinating as those in your inner circle. According to social identity theory, being part of a group can have a significant impact on the behaviors and identities of those who belong to that group.
When people see themselves as belonging to a certain social group, they tend to discriminate or even engage in hostile behavior toward people who are not members of the group. Lack of personal knowledge and contact with people can lead to assumptions about them. This makes it easier to perceive them as overwhelmingly different or even less human.
The causes of othering can be complicated and multifaceted. Factors that play a role in othering include:. Additionally, media portrayals can also lead to biased beliefs about others who are different from the individual in some way. Othering stems, in part, from our natural tendencies to categorize people in terms of their similarities and differences. The factors that define group boundaries can sometimes be based on physical characteristics such as race or sex or based on geography or proximity nationality or religion , but they can often be quite arbitrary.
Robbers Cave Experiment. In a series of classic studies conducted by social psychologist Muzafer Sherif, researchers found that creating division within a group of similar boys all white and middle class could generate tremendous intergroup conflict over even the smallest differences.
When the researchers pitted the two groups against each other in competition, intergroup conflicts and hostilities quickly emerged. Each group perceived the other group as having a host of negative traits while believing their own group possessed positive traits.
While group cohesiveness and cooperation improved within each group, the boys became increasingly hostile towards each other. Othering can also arise as a way to justify the past mistreatment of others. For example, if you've treated someone else badly, you might experience feelings of shame or guilt about your behavior.
In order to reconcile your belief that you are a good person despite your negative actions toward another person, you might engage in othering as a way to dehumanize the individual. It's a way of distancing yourself from them and reducing your empathy for them. As a result, you're less likely to feel bad about your own behavior. Othering can be a way of thinking some people "deserve what they got," at least in your own mind.
This helps people cope with feelings of cognitive dissonance, or the discomfort they may feel when they hold two conflicting beliefs or when their beliefs do not align with their behaviors. Belonging to a social group often brings about a number of benefits, but it can also come with costs.
On the positive side, being part of a group can provide friendships, support, care, connection, protection, and identity. On the negative side, it can contribute to things like othering, prejudice , and conflict with those who are outside of the group. Othering can have a dramatic impact on both individuals, social groups, and societies. It can result in the marginalization of people who are not part of the dominant social group.
People who are part of minority groups may face economic, housing, career, criminal justice, educational, and healthcare disparities. It can lead to discrimination and prejudice against other people. Prejudice is often fueled by the belief that all members of that group are fundamentally different in some way.
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