Outsiders

An outsider is a person who is not accepted by, and does not belong to, a particular group. Outsiders are excluded by particular groups owing to such reasons as socioeconomic status, race, ideology, and gender. Howard S. Becker defines outsiders as individuals labeled as rule breakers or deviants who see themselves in contradiction with the general tendencies of conventional society.

Exclusion from society can be observed in varying degrees with populations such as the physically disabled, the elderly, criminals, and the unemployed. Many of these outsiders depend on involuntary membership for their marginalized status and are sometimes referred to as the falsely accused. Prejudices and thinking that one's values are superior to others lie at the heart of the exclusion of others by individuals or groups. Overidealizing one's own ethnic, religious, or ideological identity and isolating others by reducing them to stereotypes constitutes the simplest form of marginalization. Outsiders are often considered to be a main source of problems in the society; thus, they are generally regarded as those individuals who threaten the established order, who should be rehabilitated, and against whom protective measures should be taken.

The process of marginalization entails a vicious circle. On one hand, those who deviate from social norms are labeled as outsiders, and on the other hand, outsiders regard those who exclude them as outsiders in return. Excluded individuals or groups react against those who exclude them and cut their ties with the society, positioning themselves at the opposite pole of the society as radicalized structures. Therefore, those who adapt to social norms and act accordingly, and those who position themselves against such norms constantly become alienated from each other, which results in social crises for those labeled as outsiders.

Society compels its members to behave in accordance with the norms and values adopted by the majority. However, once those who deviate from such norms and values are excluded and labeled as outsiders, they are now expected to display behaviors that fit their labels. When several members of a minority group are labeled due to an incidence of theft, resulting generalization causes the entire group to be associated with acts of theft. Development of a reactionary and generalizing approach in the society against the outsider compels those individuals seen as deviants to behave according to the pattern forged for them. Frequently, the reaction displayed against outsiders by the society hinders those measures to be taken for deterring the individual from behaviors regarded as deviant, and consequently, the individual maintains such behaviors.

Social exclusion brings about many adverse consequences. Along with consequences such as cutting of ties with, and hostility toward, mainstream society, as well as loss of self-respect from the perspective of outsiders, an increase in crime and other deviant behaviors and social problems is expected to occur. Types of deviation suggested by Becker shed light on the process of exclusion. Whereas those who display deviant behaviors or commit crimes are so labeled in the society, there are others who are not evaluated as criminals or deviants though they act against the law or violate social norms.

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