The outsider is called one who is not able to succeed, the person always turns out worse than others. But this is not true. Outsider – more of a social role that, in certain circumstances, can take almost anyone, regardless of his personal qualities.

The outsider as a social role



The study of the psychology of small social groups, which can be attributed to the school class, work group, has allowed to reveal regularities in the distribution of roles within each social group. In order for the group to maintain social balance, must be completed for all social niches. If any of the NIS is released, the team seeks to fill it, "telescoping" on a vacant social role of one of the members of the group.


And sometimes, regardless of the number of team members, some social niches can be filled by only one person, for example, the role of the informal leader or staff of a jester. Other niches can "accommodate" more people. When conducting sociometric research psychologists, it was revealed that the niche of the outsider, or rejected can be occupied in the team no more than two or three members of the group.

But at least one outsider in any social group is bound to be. This role is necessary in order for the rest of the band felt "on top". Comparing himself with the underdog, they maintain their self-esteem at the proper level. This happens no matter how bad or good outsider, or other members of the group are social laws.

Who "choose" outsider



It is easy to understand that the role of the outsider in the team will usually be the person with the most pronounced negative traits that are not welcome in a particular group. In the classroom the role of the outsiders most likely to children with pronounced physical disabilities, pupils with disabilities, etc. In the adult team this may be the worker who has the smallest set of business skills, necessary for work, but not always. It may well be that personality traits that allowed a person to "occupy a niche" outsider in one team, the other will be acceptable.

It is believed that the outsider is easier to become a new member of the team, but it's not. The newcomer needs to have the same negative qualities that already in the group "staff" outsider, but expressed to a much greater extent.

How to stop being an outsider



Taking this social context to get out of it is extremely difficult. To appeal to the morality and humanity of the members of the team practically useless: outsider needed a social group, and consciously "let go" of the person with this role group can only under condition of purposeful psychological work aimed at refocusing the socially advantaged group members to other, more appropriate mechanisms of self-affirmation. Such work can and should be done in such a small social group, like a family. In the workplace or classroom, it is extremely difficult to do.

Not to become an outsider, a person must first days of the entry of a new team to manifest those qualities which commend its members. The better he succeeds, the less the likelihood that people will be "elected" to the role of the outsider.

If this occurs, the person is left to either wait for a new team member, able to fill this social niche instead (which is rare), or you can leave this group and try a new team to take a more prosperous social role.