CultureAugust 25, 2026

othering

UTH-er-ing

Definition

The social and psychological process of categorizing individuals or groups as fundamentally different and inferior to one's own group to justify exclusion or discrimination.

Etymology

Derived from the Old English 'other,' meaning 'second' or 'different,' the suffix '-ing' turns the word into a noun describing the act of labeling someone as an 'other' or alien.

In the news

In the article, the author identifies 'othering' as the destructive impulse that reduces complex human beings to labels like 'foreigner' or 'ethnic rival,' thereby stripping them of empathy and dignity.

Africa’s Divided Soul: How Tribalism And Xenophobia Are Killing The Spirit Of ‘Ubuntu’

Read the full article ↗

Modern Ghana

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