Perceiving the Migrant as “Other”: Analysis of Three Main Categories in the European Migration Context

The article rethinks the contemporary approach to the process of othering, which observes it through the lenses of modern social changes. The general premise of the article is that othering can be analyzed in the context of migration to Europe through three main categories. Namely, the behavioral-pe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Karla Žagi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Zadar 2021-06-01
Series:[sic]
Online Access:http://www.sic-journal.org/ArticleView.aspx?aid=660
Description
Summary:The article rethinks the contemporary approach to the process of othering, which observes it through the lenses of modern social changes. The general premise of the article is that othering can be analyzed in the context of migration to Europe through three main categories. Namely, the behavioral-perceptive category, symbolic category, and lingual category. By analyzing the relevant research and theories, I will attempt to show that migrants are always necessarily othered by the dominant population, but with specific differences between migrant groups – in terms of religion, language, culture, values, and race. Keywords: the process of othering, migration, domicile society, discriminationOthering, a complex theory developed and analyzed by many theorists such as Jacques Lacan, Edward Said, Emmanuel Levinas, Simmel, and Michel de Certeau, is most briefly explained as the relationship of power and subordination during the encounter of different cultures (Said 5), groups, or individuals. The othering represents a ubiquitous process that we can follow from ancient history until today. It often forms the basis of social, international, or cross-cultural relations and can be seen as a trigger of behavior, creating a perception of others and identification with a specific group, as opposed to others. The Other represents a “stranger” that is at the same time geographically near but culturally far away, as Simmel explained in the context of the sociological theory (144). Although the evidence for the process of othering can be found in the entire history of human civilization, wars, and subordination of all kinds, it is also possible to recognize it in the interactions between different groups in the society (Kastoryano 79-80).
ISSN:1847-7755