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Sunday, March 12, 2006

Xenophobia

Xenophobia denotes a phobic attitude toward strangers or of the unknown. It comes from the Greek words xenos, meaning "foreigner/stranger," and phobos, meaning "fear." The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one's self. For example, racism is sometimes described as a form of xenophobia. In science fiction, it has come to mean "fear of extraterrestrial things." Xenophobia implies a belief, accurate or not, that the target is in some way foreign. Prejudice against women cannot be considered xenophobic in this sense, except in the limited case of all-male clubs or institutions. The term xenophilia is used for the opposite behavior, attraction to or love for foreign persons. (Wikipedia.com)
I heard the word a lot these days.

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