toiseuttamiseen

Toiseuttaminen, often described in English as othering, is the act or process of perceiving or portraying a person or group as fundamentally different from, and often inferior to, the in-group. The term comes from the Finnish verb toiseuttaa, meaning to make someone an other or to treat as foreign. In social analysis, toiseuttaminen refers to how groups construct distance, differentiation and hierarchy between themselves and those regarded as outsiders.

The practice can be intentional or unconscious and occurs in everyday discourse, media representations, education, politics and workplace interactions. It relies on stereotypes, essentializing descriptions, labeling and us-versus-them dichotomies, sometimes accompanied by dehumanization. Power relations shape who is designated as the "other" and who is allowed to speak for or about them.

Consequences include discrimination, marginalization, social exclusion and sometimes violence, as well as institutional bias in policies and practices. Common manifestations include portraying immigrants or minorities as threats, depicting women or LGBTQ+ people as deviations from a normative standard, or representing disability as a deficit.

In Finnish scholarship, toiseuttaminen is analyzed within disciplines such as sociology, media studies and cultural studies. Critical discourse analysis and postcolonial or multicultural perspectives are frequently used to examine how language, imagery and institutions reproduce or challenge the Other. Countermeasures emphasize inclusive language, diverse representation, critical media literacy, education that fosters shared humanity, and policies that promote equality and meaningful participation for all groups.