The Other, Inferior

Abstract

This is an essay about the category the Other/Inferior which is often used in feminist scholarship and activism, explores the epistemology and genealogy of such categorization as Absolute versus Other or duality of Self and inferior by referring to various feminist scholarly accounts and discourse by ending up the essay with a number of questions pondering in mind about whether we really need this categorization in order to recognize inequalities and injustice to challenge and address them or deconstruct the difference entirely. For decades, all social and feminist movements have sought to eliminate categorization, discrimination to create a just and equitable society based on the concept of difference, equal versus difference dichotomy. What analytical tools and frameworks we need or have at present in the absence of these categorization or binary opposition to be able to recognize and address inequalities and how we can regard things as equal if we deconstruct difference entirely? Or maybe as Chandra Mohanty suggests, continue our fight as feminist activists and scholars based on shared differences and common destinies without taking the side.