Colorblind Ideology and Othering in Our Time: A Mindfulness Pathway

Abstract

This article is derived from the presidential address delivered at the 26^th Conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS). Because of the pandemic, the conference was held online. While the pandemic has connected us to our common humanity, it has also drawn attention to the dark side of our cultural lives. Colorblindness and othering are two significant concerns that silence opposition to racial and ethnic inequality. Researchers suggest that we are socially wired to cooperate within our group but not without our group. This predisposition for bias cries out for a re-imagining of our communicative practices. I propose that, as communication scholars, we examine our linguistic, rhetorical, and communicative choices from a place of mindfulness. Mindfulness in the time of a pandemic allows us to be with what is in the moment, to be compassionate to ourselves and to others.

Keywords

Colorblindness / othering / racial inequality / borderlands / mindfulness / pandemic

References

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