Embracing Diversity: the Complexities of Reckoning and Accepting Otherness.

Many within society are working to address issues of otherness and the ways people discriminate against others in various ways such as racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, and classism. In this paper we do not pretend to offer a solution, but we wish to add to the understanding of the complexities at play. We consider the importance of how our developmental negotiation and resolution of early childhood processes of separation and individuation incline us to adopt and move between four different existential-relational positions, each of which colors how we experience ourself in relation to our own self and to other selves. To illustrate how this can dynamically manifest in ways pertinent to the embrace of otherness, we draw on our experiences as psychological consultants to university students, administrators, and faculty.