Abstract
As part of the series of Palgrave Studies in Otherness and Communication, this volume explores what it is to be an othered receiver in the context of Media Studies and interpersonal and intercultural communication. It identifies what otherness is and the role of communication in ‘diminish[ing] one party while amplifying the authority of another’ (p. 1). The importance of understanding otherness in communication studies is emphasised, particularly due to its infiltration into daily human interaction, going beyond the realms of academic study. A consistent trend throughout the book is the impact of media and communication of the ‘mainstream’ Global North on experiences of othering in the Global South. The volume is divided into three main sections: the first, ‘Expression of Otherness in everyday life’, begins with the analysis of cookbooks (Chapter 1) and extends to oral storytelling (Chapters 2 and 3), the educational system (Chapters 4 and 6), and the language of listening (Chapter 7). Section 2, ‘Experience of Otherness in media discourses’, sees otherness as a reflection of societal pressures whilst simultaneously creating these pressures. The five chapters in the section highlight the importance of knowledge sharing in cultural transformation and analyse media productions, advertisement, and cultural spaces to explore its effects on power dynamics and attitudes towards groups of people. The final part of the volume ‘Strategies Against Otherness in Social Interaction’ is interested in strategies against otherness, particularly in intercultural exchanges and with the focus on ‘national vs. foreigner’ (p. 6). The section involves scenarios of war, gender issues, and political and social activism. The volume considers individuals in the inferior group and their reactionary responses to being othered, whilst also looking into the process that was involved in perpetuating the superior group. The volume would be of interest to scholars in communication and media studies, sociology, and communication sciences.