9. The “Othering Trap”: How Well-Intentioned Inclusion Can Still Marginalize

By Michele Manocchi

R&D Consultant | EDI Strategist | SDG + ESG Integration Advocate

Inclusion initiatives are everywhere: mentorship programs, EDI committees, cultural heritage days. We notice more representation on websites, in panels, and within leadership development groups.

These are genuine wins. But here’s the harsh truth: You can be included – and still feel, and be, 'othered.'

What Is Othering?

Othering happens when people are seen as different, inferior, or outside what is considered normal, a process that usually occurs subtly and unconsciously.

It happens when we discuss “diverse hires” but not “white hires”; when we invite people to the table yet expect them to assimilate instead of opening our minds to different perspectives and ways of thinking; when we celebrate someone’s chosen identity characteristics only if it benefits a business case; or when someone asks “Where are you really from?” after they’ve already shared where they are from; and again, when we hold individuals up as “exceptions” to their community.

Othering is often invisible to those with power (i.e., from the dominant or normative group). However, for those on the receiving end, it’s exhausting, alienating, and dehumanizing.

How Inclusion Efforts Might Reinforce Othering

Here are three common inclusion practices that unintentionally reinforce the very exclusion they aim to fix.

1. Framing People as “Diverse” Additions

Referring to equity-deserving groups as “diverse candidates” or “diverse perspectives” labels them as outsiders. It positions whiteness, maleness, able-bodiedness, and other privileged identities as the default. Inclusion without challenging the norm is not true equity – it’s assimilation.

2. Using People for Appearances, Not Influence

Inviting someone to join a committee, appear in marketing, or attend a meeting—without granting them decision-making power—is a form of symbolic, performative inclusion. It leverages people’s identities as tools for optics rather than genuine change.

3. Creating “Special Spaces” Without Changing the System

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and mentorship programs are valuable, but they cannot address hostile environments alone. When we treat inclusion as optional programming rather than a fundamental redesign, it shifts the burden of adaptation onto marginalized staff and superficial initiatives.

The Cycle of Othering

When inclusion stops at representation, people are hired or showcased for their identity, only to face tokenism or exclusion in practice; their feedback is dismissed as “too emotional” or “not aligned,” and they end up burning out or leaving. Leadership then concludes, “We tried — it didn’t work.”

But the problem isn’t that your talent pipeline isn’t effective. It’s about power and culture.

From Othering to True Belonging

True belonging isn't just about inviting people to fit in — it’s about creating spaces where individuals don’t have to leave parts of themselves behind at the door.

Of course, rules, good manners, and workplace etiquette still need to be followed; no one should act arbitrarily or behave as they please. However, if we belong to the mainstream and dominant group, we may fail to realize and fully understand that the current rules, manners, and etiquette are rooted in discriminatory practices and beliefs from the past that continue to influence many aspects of our daily life.

Not too long ago, many believed that some people were less intelligent and less human because of certain traits like skin colour, gender, and religion, and some still hold this view today. Here in Canada, it's common to hear casual, negative comments about people who appear to come from different countries, often made loudly and publicly without fear of consequences, reflecting a dominant or normative attitude.

In the job market, we know that some HR professionals still don’t shortlist resumes based on the candidate’s name, especially if it indicates certain countries, ethnicities, or religions. In my privileged career, I still face challenges simply because of my name (Michele), which some find uncomfortable to handle because they can’t easily determine my gender or how to pronounce it, leading to awkward reactions when I appear as a man with a beard.

Including people from diverse backgrounds is a good start, but it should never be mistaken for the whole solution. In fact, you won't find a fix if you're expecting a magic wand to make everything right. The real strategy is to change our perspective and redefine our mission. We aim to improve our ability to handle complex issues and tough discussions while working to rewire the system by identifying and removing barriers that prevent full participation and contribution from our teammates, colleagues, community partners, and others.

That means, for example, decentering dominant norms as the default, valuing differences as sources of innovation and wisdom, not as deviations, redesigning systems around equity, not just access, and sharing power, not simply space.

Belonging without othering is a key organizational skill, not just a one-time initiative.

Organizations that succeed in this area experience greater psychological safety and innovation, reduce the “emotional tax” on employees from marginalized groups, attract top talent seeking more than just symbolic inclusion, and make genuine progress on SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and ESG social indicators.

Let’s Talk

Have you ever felt “included” but still othered?

Where might your inclusion efforts unintentionally reinforce differences or hierarchies?

How is your organization defining — and measuring — belonging?

Let’s unpack this together. Message me or comment to start a sincere conversation about shifting from surface-level inclusion to transformational belonging.

Book a free 30-minute meeting, and we can discuss your needs.