Religion

And in my mouth it has nothing to do with racism at all. It's all about an 'us vs them' or 'we vs the other' construct that seeps in to the fabric and every corner of who we are, and how we view the world around us.

I'd be quite willing to go with different nomenclature - provided some comprehensible substitute. But the 'construct' itself is all too real and pervasive to not be a subject of almost constant discussion. And (in my opinion) far too derivative of the human experience to be cast - and diminished in its depth? - as an outgrowth of racist perception.

Racism might be a qualified adjunct - but 'us vs them' is a far more integral thing. Informing the world from the time we are children