Select two accounts of the construction of ‘otherness’ offered by theorists covered in the module, and explain how these theories might be applied to the creation of a category of the ‘other’ within Western societies.
Illustrate your answer by applying each theory to a specific newspaper/magazine/online media article.
Drawing on at least two theories allows for sufficient comparison and contrast for you to meet the learning outcomes and to critically engage with both theory and article
• Key points to consider (the university-wide criteria are in bold)
1. Demonstrate your understanding of how the construction of ‘otherness’ is understood and theorised in the theoretical perspectives that you will be discussing (AS)
2. Find real-world examples which link to the chosen theories (R&E)
3. In your essay, you should
– Demonstrate your understanding of the theory and engagement with the readings associated with the theory (SKU)
– Explain why your chosen examples of that theory are valid (R&E and SKU)
– Discuss the way in which the construction of otherness is manifested in your examples. What does your analysis of the example through the lens of the theory enable us to see? For example, does the application of the theory to the example suggest a specific kind of othering or a complex mix of different kinds of construction? Is the construction of otherness an explicit one or more implicit? (SKU and AS)
