In a world marked by extreme divisions - from global conflicts to grave human rights violations - public figures struggle to find words that capture humanity's inclination to fracture itself. Throughout history, humanity has been plagued by unspeakable horrors like slavery, colonialism, the Holocaust, rampant refugee crises, femicide, and state brutality, all rooted in the belief in an irreconcilable "other." We yearn for a language that is capacious enough to make sense of all kinds of oppressions - whether tied to religion, ethnicity, ancestry, sexual orientation, ability, or gender. Terms like tribalism, prejudice, stigma, and caste have all been used to ignite change. They all, however, fall short.
Belonging without Othering is a profound exploration arguing that the struggles faced by marginalized groups can only be fully grasped through the lenses of othering and belonging. Social justice lion and scholar john a. powell, and acclaimed researcher Stephen Menendian, the main champions of these ideas, unearth the mechanisms of othering, drawing on examples from around the world, and throughout history. In a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are being contested, and activists narrowly concentrate on specific and sometimes conflicting communities, this book offers an approach that encourages us to turn towards one another - even if it involves questioning seemingly tolerant and benevolent forms of othering. Crucially, the authors assert that there's no inherent or inevitable notion of an "other."
The authors make a compelling case for a true "belongingness paradigm," one that liberates us from rigid self-concepts while celebrating our rich diversity. This paradigm hinges on transitioning from narrow to expansive identities that bind people together in unprecedented ways. As the threat of authoritarianism grows across the globe, powell and Menendian make the case that belonging without othering is the natural but not the inevitable next step of our long journey towards creating truly equitable democracies.
