Other, The

History of Othering

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, the German philosopher, is credited with identifying the process of Othering in his depiction of slave-master relationships and the reciprocal, but not necessarily equal, power between them. Edmund Husserl, also of German descent, further developed the idea of Othering, focusing on lived experiences and the standpoints of individuals based on their [Page 520]interaction with distinct, often different, individuals. The process of Othering is linked to power, as described by the French philosopher Michel Foucault, who suggests that behavior and interaction are influenced by power in all relationships. Othering is socially constructed by all parties of a relationship; the negotiation of identity often involves Othering, or noting differences between individuals and groups, to identify what power a person or group has and what power that person or group would prefer to have. Edward Said's theory of Orientalism is directly related to the Othering process. He argues that through colonialism, Western ideas and practices were privileged over those of the East or Arab countries. When deciding that Western beliefs and practices are better, the rest of the world, and specifically foreign cultures, is Othered and deemed less important or influential. Eating the Other, or partaking of and then consuming Othered cultural products, practices, and values is a concept bell hooks discussed in her many writings criticizing the Othering process. More recently, theorist Mark Orbe has investigated power relationships and outlined communication patterns of cocultural, or minority, groups and their communicative responses to being Othered both in interpersonal interactions and as a group member in civic discourse. Orbe's research identifies multiple strategies used to communicate more—or less, depending on the goal of the minority individual or group—effectively, with perceived or obvious Others. His research also broadens the traditional definitions of the Other from merely racial and gender categories to all of the ways in which the self distinguishes itself from Others, including sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status.

The Process of Othering

The Other is identified usually as different in appearance, but not always. One can also be rendered less worthy or not normal in ability or by association to Others, such as friends or family. Othering, or the process of identifying an individual or group of people as the Other, marks them as strange, foreign, exotic, or heathen. Usually, these descriptions of Otherness are negative or unfavorable.

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