Educating About Othering Those With Diasbilties

By: Nashla Suero-Polanco




"We share something, we can share something, create something. We share the earth. We share each other and we can learn from each other"

-John A. Powell ( Director of Othering & Belonging Institute)


The world we live in is filled with continual judgment, and most of the time it passes unnoticed. The upshot of this judgment becomes something profound, which is othering, contributing to the disruption of welcoming relationships and division in society. Othering is the "process whereby individuals and groups are treated and marked as different and inferior from the dominant social group”(Oxford Reference). Othering affects a large spectrum of people, not only those with disabilities but harms all people, from all walks of life as we encounter unconscious bias later turning into the othering of those around us. This is why it is a social injustice.

The idea of othering affects the unity in our communities through continuous judgment and separation through the creation of ingroups leaving certain people out. This issue is an injustice because it violates the Catholic Social Teachings, including Solidarity and Call to Family, Community, and Participation.


I chose to bring awareness to this injustice because it is an issue I have been passionate about for a long time and as I personally have been othered. I would like to draw attention to the reforms that can still be made, particularly with younger generations in terms of education, to assist them to achieve self-acceptance sooner, as well as understand how we other individuals so it no longer occurs.

Instead of othering we can bridge towards a better society and create social justice through education

QUESTIONS?

Contact nashla.sueropolanco@fontbonneboston.org to get more information