ABSTRACT
In the Western world, there has been a long tradition of separating ‘us’ from ‘others’. This often divides along European and non-European lines, but can also break down to particular ‘rivalries’ between countries or regions. The ancient Greek word ethnos originally meant ‘a group of people who live together’ but later came to signify the barbarians, the uncultured ‘others’ that could not speak Greek. Similar concepts are evident
in the Hebrew word goyim (plural of goy , ‘non-Israelite’) and the Roman distinction between the populus of citizens and the gentes , comprising those others ruled by nature and local practices. Even within a modern, pluralistic society, the ‘others’ have been described as the ‘side-scenes’ in a world show or the ‘ungrievables’ – such as those killed in a faraway war reported on the world news but soon forgotten (Mikander, 2010). The ‘us-and-them-thinking’ can extend the ‘other’ beyond ethnic groups to the poor, women and religious followings. In developing children’s understanding of the wider world, one of the key principles is to draw attention to shared concerns across time, place and society. Teachers can build upon children’s fascination with different cultures, lands and lifestyles so that they learn tolerance (at least) and respect (at best) for ‘others’; however, these are defined.
