animalisation
Animalisation refers to the process or tendency of humans to attribute animal-like qualities or behaviors to other humans. This can manifest in various ways, including language, where derogatory terms often compare people to animals to dehumanize them, or in social contexts where certain groups are stereotyped as primitive or savage. Historically, animalisation has been used as a tool to justify oppression, discrimination, and violence by portraying targeted populations as less than human.
The concept is closely related to dehumanization, which involves stripping individuals or groups of their human