Handbook on the State of the Art in Applied Psychology

CHAPTER 15Un‐Othering of the Other: The Role of Shared Cultural Spaces

R.C. Tripathi

Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

A large number of studies on intergroup conflicts miss out focusing on essentialist beliefs that feed the perceived differences between the self and the other, own, and other groups. Little attention has been paid to the process of othering, which is central to intergroup conflicts. The process of othering involves employing ways to label and treat members of a particular group as alien who are considered as less than human and, therefore, undeserving of any kind of love, respect, or dignity. This chapter focuses on studies that have been carried out to understand the process of othering and its contra process of un‐othering, which facilitates development of mutuality and peace building. It is argued that processes and strategies that work in post conflict resolution may not work in preparing the ground for intergroup harmony. The chapter first examines the idea of othering as reflected in its various projects of othering to understand how the other results, and then turns to the studies which focus on factors that underlie acts of othering. It deliberates on the extent to which the other is an “imagined,” “invented,” or a “constructed” product. The major thrust of the chapter is on studies that focus on the process of un‐othering, which is conceptualized as a process that works against the emergence ...