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Othering and Being Othered in the Context of Health Care Services

DOI:10.1207/S15327027HC1602_7
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Joy L Johnson
Joy L Johnson
Joy L Johnson
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Joan L. Bottorff at University of British Columbia - Okanagan
Joan L. Bottorff
Annette J Browne at University of British Columbia
Annette J Browne
Suki Grewal at Langara College
Suki Grewal
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Abstract

Othering is a process that identifies those that are thought to be different from oneself or the mainstream, and it can reinforce and reproduce positions of domination and subordination. Although there are theoretical and conceptual treatments of othering in the literature, researchers lack sufficient examples of othering practices that influence the interactions between patients and health care providers. The purpose of this study was to explore the interactions between health care providers and South Asian immigrant women to describe othering practices and their effects. Ethnographic methods were used involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The analysis entailed identifying uses of othering and exploring the dynamics through which this process took place. Women shared stories of how discriminatory treatment was experienced. The interviews with health care professionals provided examples of how views of South Asian women shaped the way health care services were provided. Three forms of othering were found in informants' descriptions of their problematic health care encounters: essentializing explanations, culturalist explanations, and racializing explanations. Women's stories illustrated ways of coping and managing othering experiences. The analysis also revealed how individual interactions are influenced by the social and institutional contexts that create conditions for othering practices. To foster safe and effective health care interactions, those in power must continue to unmask othering practices and transform health care environments to support truly equitable health care.
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... Care-providers' views of migrants also have an impact on care. Othering and discrimination towards migrants in the healthcare system based on culture, language, race and religious differences are known issues and affect access to and quality of services [122][123][124]. These practices involve implicit biases as well as overt racism and discrimination where migrants are viewed differently and provided sub-optimal care, which are justified through explanations of culturalism and racialization [122]. ...
... Othering and discrimination towards migrants in the healthcare system based on culture, language, race and religious differences are known issues and affect access to and quality of services [122][123][124]. These practices involve implicit biases as well as overt racism and discrimination where migrants are viewed differently and provided sub-optimal care, which are justified through explanations of culturalism and racialization [122]. Through culturalism and racialization migrants' are perceived as inherently inferior due to their worldviews, beliefs and race, and their health and care disparities are seen as being the result of their cultural and religious practices and genetics. ...
... Recognizing these biases and harmful ideologies and actively countering racism and discrimination are therefore also key to supporting ways of belonging and creating a care environment that is safe (Table 5). Care-providers can combat racism and discrimination by first being aware of their prejudices and consciously altering their language and behaviours while interacting with migrants [122,125]. They may also sensitize and educate others by modelling behaviour, speaking openly about issues of racism and discrimination and condemning unjust treatment of migrants [122,125]. ...
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... Described as "a set of dynamics, processes and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on groups identities" [60], "othering" is an unfortunate consequence of systemic discrimination and prejudice. In most cases, "othering" manifests through different ways, such as essentializing explanations [61], culturalist explanations [61] (p. 262), and racializing explanations [61] (p. ...
... Described as "a set of dynamics, processes and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on groups identities" [60], "othering" is an unfortunate consequence of systemic discrimination and prejudice. In most cases, "othering" manifests through different ways, such as essentializing explanations [61], culturalist explanations [61] (p. 262), and racializing explanations [61] (p. ...
... In most cases, "othering" manifests through different ways, such as essentializing explanations [61], culturalist explanations [61] (p. 262), and racializing explanations [61] (p. 263). ...
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... We might understand this as a process of 'othering'. That is, where discrimination based on difference occurs, and power inequalities are reinforced and reproduced through individual actions that are enabled by particular social contexts ( Johnson et al., 2009). This sense of exclusion can be understood as an othering process whereby those with or with a history of EDs become positioned as different and therefore 'othered'. ...
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Full-text available
  • Jul 2023
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... Positioning theory has been used to examine how people produce and explain their behaviour and that of others, and how positions are invoked and negotiated [29,[34][35][36][37]. Positioning and other-positioning may result in marginalization, decreased opportunities, and exclusion [38]. HPs are continuously engaged with mothers in the NICU context, with its characteristic structural and socio-cultural working conditions. ...
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