Othering, Re-othering and De-othering

Abstract

I argue that the phenomenon of ‘othering’—the stratification of identities into in-group and out-group by the norm and the consequent marginalisation of the out-group—has created another problem which can be referred to as ‘re-othering’ that is, when the victim of othering responds with disidentification strategy to counter identity constructed for them by the norm. I use the context of the residents—the legitimate people in the city of Calabar and the Issakaba—the marginalised other to show how negative identity construction has been used to discriminate against the homeless poor in the city of Calabar. I explore the conditions that compelled the homeless poor to reconstruct their imposed identity Issakaba to Skolombo and contend that it was a fightback strategy. I then employ a new concept, de-othering as a conversational strategy that might be able to address the mutually opposing negative identification and disidentification constructions in Calabar specifically and in other places where similar problem emerges.