Attitude towards the other in the Mediterranean : interaction between cultures in the early eighteenth century

Abstract

Otherness has been defined as 'the quality of being different in appearance or character from what is familiar, expected or generally accepted' .It is normally attributed to things which 'are strange and different'. These definitions imply the existence of two or more realities, the characteristics of which are so distinct from each other - like chalk and cheese - which give rise to a conception of the self and the formation of attitudes versus the other. In human terms some of these differences could be visible as they involve skin colour. At other times they might not be real at all, but what really matters is the perception of their existence. One's outlook upon life, and towards other people in the same society and beyond, is more often than not dictated by the upbringing; by the status held in society by one's own kin; by the customs, traditions, values and even the religion adhered to. Coming into contact with someone or something that is 'different' helps in the formation and/or in the strengthening of one's own identity.