We are all impacted by how others view us. Each human has various statuses, some of which we are born into like the color of our skin, and some of which we acquire or earn, for example a university degree. Your master status in any situation is that part of you which is most important to those around you; it depends on the audience. In some situations, the fact that I present as a male is most salient, other times it is that I am from the Global North. Both are, in most social situations, privileged statuses. But why is that so? What makes some statuses more valued than others?

Using the analogy of the mythical beast the Hydra, this book addresses the many privileging forces -all driven by toxic othering- that impact all of us every day in each of our social interactions. The chapters in this book are edited versions of blog posts I wrote after attending an international gathering of humanitarian practitioners and researchers in Berlin, 2019. Many of the ideas discussed in this book were inspired by my students at Elon University and by the countless humanitarian workers that I have interviewed and become friends with over the last several years while researching and writing about the humanitarian sector. The chapters are arranged in the order they were originally published, and this allows the reader to see the evolution of the idea over time.

My blog writing has never been intended as a rigorous academic effort but more so as a reflexive examination of the world through my lens as a sociologist. Work with the Hydra is ongoing, and more chapters will be added in revised editions. What are these privileging forces? They include patriarchy, racism, colonialism/paternalism, classism, hetero/cisnormativity, ableism, ageism, and anthropocentrism, and all are 'baked in to' our globalized world, perhaps most malignantly so in the Global North. Each is unique and powerful and can be examined separately, but their full impact is only fully understood by examining how each amplifies the others through the process of intersectionality. The premise of this book is that by understanding the body of the Hydra and what fuels its actions we can begin to tame this beast.

This book offers a fresh perspective on the privileging forces that dominate our world. It will be useful for all humanitarians, students, and educators as they further their understanding of the many and persistent 'isms' that justify the systemic marginalization of others.

All net proceeds from the sale of this book will support education initiatives within refugee camps.