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Terry Hilldale's avatar

A lot of people look for reason to, in modern terminology, "other" some group. When the reason is outward physical appearance, we call it racism. Even homogeneous communities find some reason, any reason. When I was very young, I had an internship in a very small town in the panhandle of Idaho. Demographically, everybody was fungible in every way. Nevertheless, there was conflict because the people who lived "in town" looked down upon the "country" people. A lot of people seem to feel a psychology need to manufacture some kind of difference.

Group inclusion criteria change. There was a time when the Irish of my mother's generation were othered in America. People used to look for work by walking down the street looking for "Help Wanted" signs. In those days, the signs said "Help Wanted. Irish Need Not Apply." Now the Irish are just "white." Racism is intractable [precisely because it is based on physical appearance.

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R Mercer's avatar

It always comes down to in and out group dynamics/boundaries--and the easiest boundaries to see and set are those based upon physical appearance (be it race or sex), the second most prevalent would, I imagine, be language--the particular accent and vocabulary).

Physical appearance and language are key (and easy) markers of difference. This is why you see people talk differently in different contexts.

Dress is also an easily differentiating characteristic, but it is usually easier to "lie" with dress. Much harder with physical appearance or language.

And, as you point out, in the lack of these types of differences we will hunt up other ones so that we can know who is us and who is them.

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