The Stranger (sociology)
Encyclopedia
What is generally known as Simmel
’s “essay” on the Stranger was originally written as an excursus to a chapter dealing with sociology of space in his book Soziologie. In this excursus, Simmel introduced the stranger as a unique sociological category. He differentiates the stranger both from the “outsider” who has no specific relation to a group and from the “wanderer” who comes today and leaves tomorrow. The stranger, he says, comes today and stays tomorrow. The stranger is a member of the group in which he lives and participates and yet remains distant from other – “native” – members of the group. In comparison to other forms of social distance
and difference (such as class, gender, and even ethnicity) the distance of the stranger has to do with his “origins.” The stranger is perceived as extraneous to the group and even though he is in constant relation to other group members, his “distance” is more emphasized than his “nearness.” As one subsequent interpreter of the concept put it, the stranger is perceived as being in the group but not of the group.
In the excursus, Simmel briefly touches upon the consequences of occupying such a unique position for the stranger as well as the potential effects of the presence of the stranger on other group members. Most notably, Simmel suggests that because of their peculiar positions in the group, strangers often carry out special tasks that the other members of the group are either incapable or unwilling to carry out. For example, especially in pre-modern societies, most strangers were involved in trade activities. Also, because of their distance from local factions, they might also be employed as arbitrators and even judges.
The concept of the stranger has found relatively wide usage in the subsequent sociological literature and it is utilized by many sociologists ranging from Robert Park
to Zygmunt Bauman
. Like most widely used sociological concepts, however, there has been some controversy regarding its application and interpretation.
Coser, Lewis A. 1972. “The Alien as a Servant of Power: Court Jews and Christian Renegades.” American Sociological Review 37: 574-81.
Fortes, Meyer. 1975. “Strangers.” In Studies in African Social Anthropology, edited by M. Fortes and Sheila Patterson. London: Academic.
Harman, Lesley D. 1988. The Modern Stranger: On Language and Membership. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Karakayali, Nedim. 2006. “The Uses of the Stranger: Circulation, Arbitration, Secrecy, and Dirt,” Sociological Theory, 24 (4): 312-330.
McLemore, S. Dale. 1970. “Simmel’s ‘Stranger’: A Critique of the Concept.” Pacific Sociological Review 13(2): 86-94.
Park, Robert E. [1928] 1967. “Human Migration and the Marginal Man.” In On Social Control and Collective Behaviour: Selected Papers, edited by Ralph H. Turner. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Schutz, Alfred. 1971. “The Stranger.” In Collected Papers. Translated by Arvid Brodersen. Vol. 2. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.
Simmel, Georg. 1908. Soziologie: Untersuchungen über die Formen der Vergesellschaftung. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot.
Simmel, Georg. 1971. “The Stranger.” In Georg Simmel: On Individuality and Social Forms, edited by Donald N. Levine, 143-50. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Stonequist, Everett V. 1937. The Marginal Man: A Study in Personality and Culture Conflict. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Wood, Margaret Mary. 1934. The Stranger: A Study in Social Relationships. New York: Columbia Univ. Press.
Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel was a major German sociologist, philosopher, and critic.Simmel was one of the first generation of German sociologists: his neo-Kantian approach laid the foundations for sociological antipositivism, asking 'What is society?' in a direct allusion to Kant's question 'What is nature?',...
’s “essay” on the Stranger was originally written as an excursus to a chapter dealing with sociology of space in his book Soziologie. In this excursus, Simmel introduced the stranger as a unique sociological category. He differentiates the stranger both from the “outsider” who has no specific relation to a group and from the “wanderer” who comes today and leaves tomorrow. The stranger, he says, comes today and stays tomorrow. The stranger is a member of the group in which he lives and participates and yet remains distant from other – “native” – members of the group. In comparison to other forms of social distance
Social distance
Social distance describes the distance between different groups of society and is opposed to locational distance. The notion includes all differences such as social class, race/ethnicity or sexuality, but also the fact that the different groups do not mix...
and difference (such as class, gender, and even ethnicity) the distance of the stranger has to do with his “origins.” The stranger is perceived as extraneous to the group and even though he is in constant relation to other group members, his “distance” is more emphasized than his “nearness.” As one subsequent interpreter of the concept put it, the stranger is perceived as being in the group but not of the group.
In the excursus, Simmel briefly touches upon the consequences of occupying such a unique position for the stranger as well as the potential effects of the presence of the stranger on other group members. Most notably, Simmel suggests that because of their peculiar positions in the group, strangers often carry out special tasks that the other members of the group are either incapable or unwilling to carry out. For example, especially in pre-modern societies, most strangers were involved in trade activities. Also, because of their distance from local factions, they might also be employed as arbitrators and even judges.
The concept of the stranger has found relatively wide usage in the subsequent sociological literature and it is utilized by many sociologists ranging from Robert Park
Robert E. Park
Robert Ezra Park was an American urban sociologist, one of the main founders of the original Chicago School of sociology.-Life:...
to Zygmunt Bauman
Zygmunt Bauman
Zygmunt Bauman is a Polish sociologist who, since 1971, has resided in England after being driven out of Poland by an anti-Semitic campaign, engineered by the Communist government which he had previously supported...
. Like most widely used sociological concepts, however, there has been some controversy regarding its application and interpretation.
Select Bibliography
Bauman, Zygmunt. 1991. Modernity and Ambivalence. Ithaca, New York: Cornell Univ. Press.Coser, Lewis A. 1972. “The Alien as a Servant of Power: Court Jews and Christian Renegades.” American Sociological Review 37: 574-81.
Fortes, Meyer. 1975. “Strangers.” In Studies in African Social Anthropology, edited by M. Fortes and Sheila Patterson. London: Academic.
Harman, Lesley D. 1988. The Modern Stranger: On Language and Membership. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Karakayali, Nedim. 2006. “The Uses of the Stranger: Circulation, Arbitration, Secrecy, and Dirt,” Sociological Theory, 24 (4): 312-330.
McLemore, S. Dale. 1970. “Simmel’s ‘Stranger’: A Critique of the Concept.” Pacific Sociological Review 13(2): 86-94.
Park, Robert E. [1928] 1967. “Human Migration and the Marginal Man.” In On Social Control and Collective Behaviour: Selected Papers, edited by Ralph H. Turner. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Schutz, Alfred. 1971. “The Stranger.” In Collected Papers. Translated by Arvid Brodersen. Vol. 2. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff.
Simmel, Georg. 1908. Soziologie: Untersuchungen über die Formen der Vergesellschaftung. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot.
Simmel, Georg. 1971. “The Stranger.” In Georg Simmel: On Individuality and Social Forms, edited by Donald N. Levine, 143-50. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Stonequist, Everett V. 1937. The Marginal Man: A Study in Personality and Culture Conflict. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Wood, Margaret Mary. 1934. The Stranger: A Study in Social Relationships. New York: Columbia Univ. Press.