ABSTRACT

Distinction – identification, categorization, ordering, valorizing – is integral to the way in which we, both individually and collectively, make sense of the world. Distinctions help us negotiate life and discover our identities. Without them we are, effectively, paralysed. However, when we distinguish between people and then cultures and ethnicities, our distinctions can become foci for hatred and stereotyping, especially in times of crisis such as severe economic austerity. Differences then appear starker and groups polarize.