Othering
The discursive act of constructing a person or group as being “the other”, as in “not the same as one of us”. Thus pushing them away, branding them as being something different that do not belong. This act includes constructing people as “being” a race or other category, an act sometimes called making someone “racified”. The relevant part here is not that someone can be said to belong to a certain group, for example a race or ethnicity. The relevant part is that this categorization is used to push the person(s) away, branding them as being something different that do not belong. (In Swedish: andrefiering, rasifiering)
Interactions
This facet of categorism is an expression of: prejudice, bigotry and discrimination.
It is likely to intersect with facets such as:
- Categorist slurs: The people we use as a bad word are obviously not "us", but something else.
- Demonization: If he is so evil, he's certainly not one of us!
- Dehumanization: If it isn't even human, it's certainly not one of us!
- Conspirationalism: Constructing a person or group as "the other" by constructing their actions as being some kind of conspiracy. When "we" do it, it's just everyday actions - but when "they" do it, it's something sinister and ominous.
As well as with abstractions such as:
- Categorist co-definitions: Constructing "the other" by merging them with something we distance ourselves from.
- Categorist distinctions: Constructing "the other" by distancing them from something we associate ourselves with.
- Dichotomism: You are either one of us or one of them, can't be both!
Examples of applying this facet to a particular foci of categorism can include:
- Antimuslimism: Upholding a dichotomy between "Western" and "Muslim", as if a person of Muslim background would be unable to be a "real" European or American.
