Schalk [Abstract]

Self, other and other-Self: Going beyond the self/other binary in contemporary consciousness     [Full text]

Sami Schalk [1]

Abstract: Primarily relying on the work of W.E.B. Du Bois and Niklas Luhmann, this article discusses the effects of the mass media on contemporary consciousness, identity and self/other relations. This article proposes an approach to the self/other binary which opens up the possibilities for relations between individuals by including a third term, the other-self, which allows for a fluid, contextualized understanding of the self in a spectrum of relatedness to others in any given moment.

Keywords: Self/other binary, identity, relationality, mass media


[1] Doctoral student at Indiana University in Gender Studies, sami.schalk@gmail.com