ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, we examined the nature, characteristics and multiple types of identities that exist in today’s complex world. While identity can provide us with a sense of belonging, it can also serve as the basis for negative views and reactions to people who are different from us. We are naturally drawn to people who share a similar language, culture and way of being and we may unconsciously or consciously shy away from those who do not belong to our ingroup. As Samovar et al. (2012: 169) explain, ‘[o]ur preference for things we understand and are familiar with can adversely influence our perception of and attitude toward new and different people and things. This can lead to stereotyping, prejudice, racism, and ethnocentricism’.
