Intersections - Belonging without Othering, Chapter 6: From the Other to the Self(ves) (Part 2)


Oct 29
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
University of Richmond, Zoom gathering

All UR faculty, staff, and students are invited to join us as we continue our discussion series with john a. powell and Stephen Menendian’s book, Belonging without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World. Building on our exploration of the multiple self and possibilities for new collective identities, we now examine the tensions between protecting group identities and avoiding narrow essentialism, and how societies shape the categories through which we understand ourselves.

During this session, we'll discuss the second part of Chapter 6, From the Other to Self(ves) (pages 197-219), focusing on the subsections: The Problem of Protective Breaking, Resist Essentialism, From Narrow to Broad Identities, (Openness, Multiplicity, and Fluidity), and Transracialism. Our discussion will explore how group identities can overlap in complex ways, the tendency toward essentialist definitions that other some members, and how society shapes identity categories including race and sexuality. As the authors note, "we are all likely to experience the sense of being 'othered' in some spaces and conditions in our lives, even in our own families." This session completes our two-part exploration of Chapter 6.

To prepare, we encourage all participants to read Chapter 6. Please email Dr. Keith W. McIntosh at cio@richmond.edu, if you would like to know more about Intersections and join the conversation.

Meeting Details:

What this session will explore:

  • The challenge of protecting group solidarity while avoiding essentialist exclusions.
  • How narrow identity definitions can reproduce othering within groups.
  • The movement from narrow to broad identities and what enables that shift.
  • How society constructs and shapes identity categories like race and sexuality.

What attendees will gain:

  • Understanding of how protective breaking can both support and undermine belonging.
  • Recognition of essentialism's role in reproducing othering within communities.
  • Tools for navigating the complexity and overlap of group identities.
  • Insight into how identity categories are socially constructed and can be reimagined.

Reflection Questions:

  1. What is "protective breaking" according to the authors, and what problems does it create for belonging?
  2. How do essentialist definitions of group identity lead to othering within communities?
  3. Can you identify examples from your own experience where you felt othered within a group to which you belong?
  4. What does the movement from narrow to broad identities look like, and what enables or prevents this expansion?
  5. How do the concepts of openness, multiplicity, and fluidity challenge traditional understandings of group identity?
  6. What role does society play in defining and shaping identity categories according to the authors' discussion of transracialism?
  7. How might we balance the need for group solidarity and protection with the dangers of essentialist exclusion?
  8. What connections do you see between this chapter's exploration of identity and the othering/belonging dynamics we've studied throughout the book?