ABSTRACT
It seems to be a general feature of human nature that we divide ourselves into in-groups and out-groups (Harbsmeier, 1985; Said, 1978). This process is partly necessary in coming to a sense of personal identity. In order to have a sense of who I am, I need to have some concomitant idea of who I am not. This has its origins in very early life as infants learn to differentiate between themselves and the rest of the world and, in particular, between themselves and their mother or other primary carer. A very important early learning experience is the difference between me and not-me. This clearly necessary distinction seems to be continued throughout life, and is an important part of the way societies are structured (Lloyd and Duveen, 1992).
