2023-05-03 08:24:35
X of xenophobia in the Psychology Alphabet that the psychologist Sergio García Soriano prepares for EFEsalud
Alphabet of Psychology. Xenophobia means xénoswhich means foreigner and phobos, which translates as fear. So xenophobia would be the rejection or hatred of the foreigner, of the other, of the different.
From psychology, we see that the “other” is also a part of oneself that occasionally causes us rejection or antipathy and that we see outside of ourselves or feel hatred towards our neighbors for reasons that remind us of the unrecognized or rejected part of our own personality.
Objective reality does not exist, we constantly interpret making reality judgments through the point of view generated by experiences, desires, fears, etc.
Attributing to others their own characteristics is the projection mechanism. Aspects of ourselves that we cannot tolerate and accept. Just seeing it outside, I can look at it and better bear the insecurity it causes me.
The formation of the self is related to the look of the other, that is to say, I consolidate myself in different roles or with different looks from the rest that give me back an image of myself.
When I can’t stand a look, when I’m afraid of a foreign look, xenophobia is evident. However, xenophobia in the background is usually “aporophobia”. I mean, it’s not that we can’t stand the gaze of foreigners. If not the look or presence of the poor, we are afraid of being poor and all that this entails.
In addition, immigration is usually seen as a danger to the cultural identity of a country and a society, but if we analyze this fear it is always related to poverty, since if rich immigration generates ghettos in the country that receives them, there is no that inquisitorial look towards them.
The solution would be to see that the different offers a possibility to further enrich culture and promote policies where immigration is planned and not massive to avoid marginalization.
Accepting that we suffer from prejudices that make us afraid of what we consider unknown.
The psychologist Sergio García Soriano/Courtesy photo#Alphabet #Psychology #xenophobia