The word  “alterity” denotes otherness, usually understood as cultural otherness and/or foreignness. As a term of art, alterity appeared only recently in     anthropological and historical discussion; it has taken on increased importance since the 1980s, although the process began in philosophy as early as the 1960s. The term plays a central role in postmodern theory, where it is understood as radical otherness and is discussed especially as a problem of the perception and representation of the Other. As the counterpart to identity, alterity contrasts with what is one’s own;…