Escaping Otherism: Why Dr. Seuss Could Never Find a Rhyme for Genocide

Crazy Town

The drive to belong to an in-group and the tendency to observe differences in others are core parts of the human condition. But differentiating can (and often does) turn deadly when it morphs into othering. Jason, Rob, and Asher try not to other one another as they explore the roots and consequences of othering, and the ins and outs of belonging as a key organizing principle of society.

Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.

Sources/Links/Notes:

• Wes Tank rapping Fox in Socks
• The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
• Definition of othering from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
• Stereotype Content Model
• Susceptibility to othering
• Othering and Belonging Institute
• Book by john a. powell and Stephen Menendian - Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World
• Crazy Town episode 51 on colonization and the mindset of extraction
• Seeing White podcast
• Racial Equity Institute
• Colonial roots and other drivers of genocide in Rwanda
• Trump’s reprehensible remarks about immigrants and about liberals
• The dystopian, othering politics of Balaji Srinivasan (article by Gil Duran in The New Republic)
• Christian Picciolini’s Ted Talk about how he stopped othering and helps more people do the same
• Marnita’s Table
• Needham Resilience Network

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