What does the word marginal mean? Who are the marginals

When reading paper or online publications, you can often come across words whose meaning is not clear. Embargo, mainstream, gender, collapse, gadget, pattern, retail, headliner, trend, fake... You can guess what some of them mean from the general meaning of the text, but this is not always easy. The task is simplified when the word is currently used by the media so often that it is firmly remembered, and the reader has no choice but to find out or guess the meaning of a particular term.

"Incomprehensible Concepts"

The most difficult thing is with words that are not used daily in speech. a large number journalists. These include, for example, "offer" or "marginal". The meaning of a word is sometimes difficult to guess from its sound. And if the word is foreign, then the task becomes almost impossible. One has to turn to explanatory dictionaries to establish the origin of a term unusual for the ear.

Who is this marginal? The meaning of the word is particularly difficult to ascertain for several reasons. Firstly, not all explanatory dictionaries give the full number of meanings. Secondly, the very meaning of this word has undergone several cardinal changes, which has made it rather blurry and fuzzy. Only by tracing the whole story, you can understand this issue.

First of all, marginal is not a mathematical concept, not a plant and not a wardrobe item. This is a man. But what kind of person, what distinguishes him from everyone else and why he received a separate status - all these questions are the subject of a detailed conversation.

Outcasts of the early 20th century

The term itself was formulated in 1928 by the American sociologist Robert Park, since then its meaning has undergone significant changes. Initially, R. Park, the founder of the psychology of the urban lifestyle, believed that the marginal is someone who is in an indefinite position between the rural and the urbanized. His usual culture was destroyed, and he did not fit into the new one. Such a person can be called a savage in the stone jungle, so his behavior is unacceptable in social environment cities.

The term was formed from the Latin margo - "edge". Thus, marginal people are people who live on the border of various social elements, but do not fit into the norms of any of them.

Marginal personality according to Robert Park

The meaning of the word from the very beginning was quite negative. How best to answer the question of who is marginal? Professor R. Park himself defined the main character traits of such a person as follows: anxiety, aggressiveness, ambition, resentment and self-centeredness. Usually, this was the name given to various kinds of asocial elements: the poorest migrants, vagrants, the homeless, drunkards, drug addicts, and criminals. In general, representatives of the social bottom. The borderline state in which these people are, leaves an imprint on their psyche.

Every society has its own written and unwritten rules, customs and traditions. The marginal rejects all this, not feeling his duty towards society, not sharing the norms accepted in it. According to R. Park, such individuals have a strong need for solitude and a solitary lifestyle.

Classification

According to the modern sociological classification, there are several groups of people who, according to a number of unifying features, can be called outcasts.

These groups include:

  • ethnic marginals (descendants from mixed marriages, migrants);
  • biological marginals (people with limited physical or mental capabilities, deprived of the attention and care of society);
  • age marginals (a generation whose connection with the majority of society was severed);
  • social marginals (people who do not fit into a particular social structure due to their lifestyle, worldview, profession, etc.);
  • economic marginalized (the unemployed and the poorest segments of the population);
  • political outcasts (those who use methods of political struggle that are not accepted in a given society);
  • religious outcasts (believers who do not adhere to a particular denomination);
  • criminal outcasts (criminals, by the standards of this society).

In modern society

Due to such a broad classification and the gradual expansion of the meaning of the concept of "marginal", examples can be found in various areas of life:

  • a vagabond who has neither housing nor work;
  • a person who left to seek the meaning of life in India or Tibet;
  • hippie, denying social hierarchy;
  • world traveler living on the road;
  • drug addict;
  • hermit, asocial person;
  • freelancer and any "freelance artist" not bound by corporate conventions;
  • a bank robber who breaks the law and is forced into hiding;
  • a multimillionaire whose lifestyle is significantly different from the vast majority of the representatives of society.

In a word, everyone who does not fit into the so-called "correct" social behavior can be called outcasts. Over time, the meaning of this term has changed significantly.

From social bottom to special group

By the end of the XX century. the term has lost its original, sharply negative meaning. Such phrases as “marginal literature”, “marginal theme”, “marginal culture”, “marginal movement”, “marginal worldview” began to appear in print, television and online media. In these, at first glance, very strange semantic combinations, the changed meaning of the word is manifested.

Now, in many cases, a marginal is a person whose way of life differs from the generally accepted one. Moreover, this can be both a difference with a minus sign (homeless, drunkard), and with a plus sign (hermit monk, billionaire).

It has also become common to use this word in the meanings: “belonging to a minority”, “little-known”, “low-influenced”, “incomprehensible, not close to the majority of society”.

Due to the transformation of the meaning of this term, it is becoming increasingly difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of who is a marginal. This word is gradually losing its original, unambiguously negative connotation, approaching a neutral sound. A marginal is someone who (voluntarily or not) does not fit into the traditional way of his social environment.

Marginal properties of items

In addition to the meaning related to human personality or social groups, this term expresses certain properties of the material world. For example, in explanatory dictionaries the following meanings of the adjective "marginal" are described:

  • unimportant, secondary;
  • insignificant, minor;
  • written in the margins (books, manuscripts, etc.).

Foreign words with incomprehensible meanings surround us everywhere, but modern dictionaries help to understand them. So it is with the concept of "marginal", the meaning of which is diverse and often changes depending on the situation of use.

marginal is:

Marginal

Marginal(from lat. margo- edge) - a loosely interpreted / used concept to refer to a person whose position in society, lifestyle, worldview, origin, etc. do not correspond to generally accepted standards, but vice versa. In modern Russian, this word is also often used to denote a "declassed element", an outcast. source not specified 55 days]

Origin of the term

This page or section is believed to be copyright infringing. Its contents are probably copied from http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Sociolog/Margin/_01.php almost unchanged.
Please check the date of the alleged source in the Internet Archive and compare with the date the article was edited.
If you think that this is not the case, express your opinion on the talk page of this article. If you are the author, then issue permission to use the text
Date the violation was discovered: November 18, 2012.
who discovered the violation: Please put a message
(url=http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Sociolog/Margin/_01.php) -- ~~~~
to the talk page of the member who created the article
To the author of the article: Copyright, Obtaining permissions, What to do?

The term "marginal" itself has been used for a long time to refer to records, marginal notes; in another sense it means "economically close to the limit, almost unprofitable".

As a sociological one, it has existed since 1928. The American sociologist, one of the founders of the Chicago school, Robert Ezra Park (1864-1944), first used it in his essay "Human Migration and the Marginal Man", dedicated to the study of processes in the immigrant environment. True, the term “interstitial element”, used by another researcher of this school in 1927 when studying immigrant groups in urban social organization, can be considered the prehistory of the term.

Robert Park is best known for his studies of the development of the urban environment (in particular, immigrant communities in American cities) and racial relations of intercultural interaction. For Park, the concept of marginality meant the position of individuals located on the border of two different, conflicting cultures and served to study the consequences of the maladaptation of migrants, the peculiarities of the position of mulattoes and other "cultural hybrids".

Thus, the concept of "marginality" is initially presented as the concept of a marginal person. R. Park and E. Stonequist, describing inner world marginal, became the founders of the tradition of psychological nominalism in understanding marginality in American sociology. It should be emphasized once again that initially the central problem of marginality was cultural conflict, and therefore, in this case, marginality, denoted as cultural, was described.

Subsequently, the concept of marginality was taken up by "countless sociologists" and, taken for granted by many, often criticized for lack of scientific rigor, became "elastic". In the 1940s-1960s, it was especially actively developed in American sociology. The problem of marginality is no longer limited to cultural and racial hybrids, as with Stonequist. Stonequist's theory itself has been criticized. For example, D. Golovensky considered the concept of a “marginal person” to be a “sociological fiction”. A. Green argued that a marginal person is a comprehensive term (omnibus term), which, including everything, does not exclude anything, and therefore should be used carefully and only after its parameters have been determined.

Outcasts (examples)

  • They say that when Alexander the Great came to Attica, he naturally wanted to get acquainted with the famous "marginal" Diogenes. Alexander found him in Crania (in a gymnasium not far from Corinth) when he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: “I - great king Alexander". “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” "And why are you called a dog?" “Whoever throws a piece - I wag, who doesn’t throw it - I bark, who is an evil person - I bite.” "Are you afraid of me?" Alexander asked. “And what are you,” Diogenes asked, “evil or good?” "Good," he said. "And who is afraid of good?" Finally, Alexander said: "Ask me for whatever you want." “Step back, you are blocking the sun for me,” Diogenes said and continued to warm himself. It is said that Alexander allegedly even remarked: "If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes"

(Instances from the life of Diogenes)

  • The writer Viktor Shenderovich, expressing his political position on refusing to participate in non-democratic elections, reacted to the fact that he was called a "marginal":
There is nothing offensive in the word "marginal". "Marginal notes": a marginal is someone who is in the minority. Christ was a marginal, as you know, Sakharov was a marginal… Thomas Mann was a marginal. I mean, we're in good company. And it has long been noticed that the biggest danger for a decent person is to be in the majority. It means something is wrong. Look around, look around, are you suddenly in the majority? Yes? Because "the worst are everywhere the majority," as Epictetus said. But these are such general considerations. Therefore - well, marginal and marginal, thank God. God forbid to get into this majority, they will also call for Seliger.

Derived concepts and examples of word usage

  • Marginality(late Latin marginali - located on the edge) - a sociological concept denoting the intermediate, "boundary" position of a person between any social groups and statuses, which leaves a certain imprint on his psyche. This concept appeared in American sociology in the 1920s to refer to the situation of non-adaptation of immigrants to new social conditions.
  • Marginal group of people- a group that rejects certain values ​​and traditions of the culture in which this group is located, and asserts its own own system norms and values.

Individual and group marginality

Individual marginality is characterized by the incomplete entry of the individual into a group that does not fully accept him, and his alienation from the group of origin, which rejects him as an apostate. The individual turns out to be a "cultural hybrid", sharing the life and traditions of two or more different groups.

Group marginality arises as a result of changes social structure society, the formation of new functional groups in the economy and politics, crowding out the old groups, destabilizing their social position.

Consequences of marginalization

Marginalization does not always lead to “settlement to the bottom”. Natural marginalization is associated mainly with horizontal or upward vertical mobility. If marginalization is associated with a radical change in the social structure (revolutions, reforms), partial or complete destruction of stable communities, then it often leads to a massive lowering of social status. However, marginal elements are attempting to re-embed into social system. This can lead to very intense mass mobility (coups and revolutions, uprisings and wars) or to the formation of new social groups fighting with other groups for a place in the social space. High level Entrepreneurship among representatives of ethnic minorities is explained precisely by their marginal position. For people of these ethnic groups, the usual ways to achieve high statuses (through inheritance, state and military service, good grades at school, intellectual superiority, development of their own talents, etc.) are difficult, which contributes to the orientation towards the development of their own business (including criminal character or sexual, for example, the infamous so-called "Blue Marginals of the 20th century") find for themselves effective channels of vertical mobility.

You have probably heard such a thing as “marginal” many times, but not everyone knows true meaning this phenomenon. Who is marginal? Let's dispel all existing myths.

A marginal is a person who, for some reason, fell out of his usual environment, but did not join a new layer of society. These personalities are in limbo, mainly due to cultural inconsistency and for many other reasons.

History of the outcasts

In our time, "marginal" is a rather fashionable word, but rather vague. Who is a marginal in fact, and how did this phenomenon arise? It is believed that the first outcasts were slaves, who later received freedom. Slaves were not adapted to live as free people and did not even want such changes. Another example, a modern marginal, is middle-aged people who spent many years in prison and were released. In conditions completely unfamiliar to them, they simply do not know how to exist and, as a result, again return to places not so remote.

The appearance of marginals can be fully explained. Sooner or later, the relationship between the state and society becomes obsolete, and there is a need for certain changes. For example, feudal relations are replaced by capitalist ones. With new forms of relationships, society has no choice but to adapt to innovations. However, society is very heterogeneous, there are certain classes in it (bourgeoisie, workers, peasants, etc.). Active members of society are more successful in realizing their new relationships, but passive, poorly educated layers are simply not ready for change, they are afraid of it, and they do not know how to quickly adapt to it. Thus, it turns out that such a person will fall out of the system of social-state relations. A person who has lost his habitual habitat and has not found his calling in a new life - that's what a marginal is.

Marginality as a phenomenon

People who do not perform any functions in society gradually begin to unite. Outcasts are called personalities of completely different classes. Basically, these are the remnants of different strata of society that have left the historical stage and have not found something to do in a new life. Often the marginalized are rather uneducated people who are unable to fulfill any system functions due to their ignorance.

A marginal society, as a rule, is for any state big problem, since they do not perform any useful action in a new relationship. In addition, such individuals are dangerous in that they rally and begin to undertake various protests against the current system. Outcasts often create their own ideologies: fascism, communism, anarchism, etc.

Who is the real marginal? An ordinary rebel or a victim of circumstances? In fact, it is difficult to say unequivocally, because the path of each person who has become a marginal has its own characteristics. Apparently, at first a person simply finds himself in adverse conditions to lead a normal life, and only later this state of affairs results in a certain conflict with society and with oneself.

Explain popularly the meaning of the word MARGINAL, Marginal? Then one told me that it is independent.

Valkir_i9

Marginality (Late Latin marginali - located on the edge) is a sociological concept denoting the intermediate, "boundary" position of a person between any social groups, which leaves a certain imprint on his psyche. This concept appeared in American sociology in the 1920s to refer to the situation of non-adaptation of immigrants to new social conditions.

A marginal group of people is a group that rejects certain values ​​and traditions of the culture in which this group is located, and asserts its own system of norms and values.

Taisia

Marginal, marginal person, marginal element (from Latin margo - edge) - a person located on the border of various social groups, systems, cultures and influenced by their conflicting norms, values, etc. In modern Russian, this word is also often used as a synonym for the concept of a declassed element - a representative of the social "bottom".

Yuri Nikolaev

Initially - a person who is at the junction of two social classes, while not belonging to one of them. Example: a peasant who came to the city to work. Over time, this word has acquired an offensive character and is now used in isolation from its original meaning. Now the use of the word "m" in an offensive form is typical for youth pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Nurbek dzhumakaliyev

Here I live in an Asian country, you know, old traditions and customs are very respected here. But I, as a person who grew up in the city, graduated from a Russian school, grew up on American films (not always bad), classical literature, Western music, I can’t always understand my brothers, I consider some customs already outdated, and have lost their former relevance, and sometimes just mutilated current trends. Naturally, since childhood, I have experienced a strong rejection of my statements by relatives, they look at me as a blasphemer of public peace, as an apostate.
So, the question to society: am I marginalized?

What and who are outcasts?

Nastasya

Marginal, marginal person (from lat. Margo - edge) - a person who is on the border of various social groups, systems, cultures and is influenced by their conflicting norms, values, etc.
A marginal group of people is a group that rejects certain values ​​and traditions of the culture in which it arises, and asserts its own system of norms and values.
Marginality (Late Latin marginalis - located on the edge) is a sociological concept denoting the intermediate, "boundary" position of a person between any social groups, which leaves a certain imprint on his psyche.
Marginality - "borderline", the intermediate position of an individual or social group in the social structure of society. This concept appeared in American sociology in the 1920s to refer to the situation of non-adaptation of immigrants to new social conditions. The outcasts, losing their former spiritual values, experience difficulties in familiarizing themselves with an alien urban culture, they hate the world they have entered. The marginal strata are trying to impose their will, stand up for total equality and even domination in society, which is one of the reasons for establishing Stalinism as a dictatorship of the marginal strata. They are the main force of the totalitarian regime.
Individual marginality is characterized by the incomplete entry of the individual into a group that does not fully accept him, and his alienation from the group of origin, which rejects him as an apostate. The individual turns out to be a "cultural hybrid" (R. Park), sharing the life and traditions of two different groups.
Group marginality arises as a result of changes in the social structure of society, the formation of new functional groups in the economy and politics, displacing old groups, destabilizing their social position.
marginal sign. In general, at different times in different circumstances, each of us heard similar words: "marginAliya", "marginal", "marginal", and also "marginal". Ask an ordinary person about this - he will shrug his shoulders: yes, it seems understandable ... "Marginal" is... maybe strange, wrong?
Close to the truth, but not quite the truth. Let's start with the most special word from this family - with "marginalia". From the Latin "marginalis" (marginAlis) - "located on the edge." Actually, this is the root of the whole family. "Located on the edge, on the side." The already mentioned "marginalia" is a mark on the margins of a book or manuscript. And also - a title placed on the margins of a book or magazine. In general, this is a printing term.
"Marginal", respectively, is written in the margins. But this is the true meaning of the word. And besides, "marginal" is a side, not the main one, not the main one. Remember the Latin for "on the edge"?
"Marginal" is just a sociological term. "Marginal" is someone who is outside their social group, otherwise - an outcast.
There is also the word "marginal". It is simply closer to the French source than to its Latin root. In French, this is pronounced (marginal) ("marginal"). Actually, "marginal" is the same as "marginal", and it is an economic term. "Close to the limit of loss" - that's what "marginal" is.

Brutal bunny

A marginal person is a person:
- located on the border of various social groups, systems, cultures; And
- experiencing the influence of their conflicting norms, values, etc.
lat. Margo - edge

Flyora rinatovna

Margina "lii | (Latin marginalis located on the edge]
MARGINAL - the designation of individuals, social strata or groups located on the "outskirts", on the "roadsides" or simply outside the framework of the main structural divisions characteristic of a given society or the prevailing socio-cultural norms and traditions. A typical example is the movement of rural residents to cities, which is not accompanied by the deployment of social infrastructure

Origin of the term

Outcasts (examples)

  • They say that when Alexander the Great came to Attica, then of course he wanted to get acquainted with the famous "marginal" Diogenes. Alexander found him in Crania (in a gymnasium not far from Corinth) when he was basking in the sun. Alexander approached him and said: "I am the great Tsar Alexander." “And I,” answered Diogenes, “the dog Diogenes.” "And why are you called a dog?" “Whoever throws a piece - I wag, who doesn’t throw it - I bark, who is an evil person - I bite.” "Are you afraid of me?" Alexander asked. “And what are you,” Diogenes asked, “evil or good?” "Good," he said. "And who is afraid of good?" Finally, Alexander said: "Ask me for whatever you want." “Step back, you are blocking the sun for me,” Diogenes said and continued to warm himself. It is said that Alexander allegedly even remarked: "If I were not Alexander, I would like to become Diogenes"
  • Writer Viktor Shenderovich, expressing his political position on refusing to participate in non-democratic elections, reacted to the fact that he was called a "marginal":

There is nothing offensive in the word "marginal"<…>. "Marginal notes": a marginal is someone who is in the minority. Christ was a marginal, as you know, Sakharov was a marginal… Thomas Mann was a marginal. I mean, we're in good company. And it has long been noticed that the biggest danger for a decent person is to be in the majority. It means something is wrong. Look around, look around, are you suddenly in the majority? Yes? Because "the worst are everywhere the majority," as Epictetus said. But these are such general considerations. Therefore - well, marginal and marginal, thank God. God forbid to get into this majority, they will also call for Seliger.

Derived concepts and examples of word usage

  • Marginality(late Latin marginali - located on the edge) - a sociological concept denoting the intermediate, "boundary" position of a person between any social groups and statuses, which leaves a certain imprint on his psyche. This concept appeared in American sociology in the 1920s to refer to the situation of non-adaptation of immigrants to new social conditions.
  • Marginal group of people- a group that rejects certain values ​​and traditions of the culture in which this group is located, and asserts its own system of norms and values.

Individual and group marginality

Individual marginality is characterized by the incomplete entry of the individual into a group that does not fully accept him, and his alienation from the group of origin, which rejects him as an apostate. The individual turns out to be a "cultural hybrid", sharing the life and traditions of two or more different groups.

Group marginality arises as a result of changes in the social structure of society, the formation of new functional groups in the economy and politics, displacing old groups, destabilizing their social position.

Consequences of marginalization

Marginalization does not always lead to “settlement to the bottom”. Natural marginalization is associated mainly with horizontal or upward vertical mobility. If marginalization is associated with a radical change in the social structure (revolutions, reforms), partial or complete destruction of stable communities, then it often leads to a massive lowering of social status. However, marginal elements are making attempts to reintegrate into the social system. This can lead to very intense mass mobility (coups and revolutions, uprisings and wars) or to the formation of new social groups fighting with other groups for a place in the social space. The high level of entrepreneurial spirit among representatives of ethnic minorities is explained precisely by their marginal position. For people of these ethnic groups, the usual ways to achieve high statuses (through inheritance, state and military service, good grades at school, intellectual superiority, development of their own talents, etc.) are difficult, which contributes to the orientation towards the development of their own business (including criminal character or sexual, for example, the infamous so-called "Blue Marginals of the 20th century") find for themselves effective channels of vertical mobility.

Notes

Links

  • Marginality as a Remedy for Postmodernism. Interview with Marusya Klimova
  • Zharinov E. V. Marginal Literature

see also

  • Marginalia - inscriptions and drawings on the margins of the book, the original meaning of this term.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Synonyms:

See what "Marginal" is in other dictionaries:

    - [fr. marginal side, marginal, written in the margins] social. a person who is in an intermediate, borderline position between what l. social groups who have lost their former social ties and have not adapted to the new conditions of life; face … Dictionary foreign words Russian language

    From the article “Population migration and marginal personality» (1928) by the American sociologist Robert Park (1864 1944). So he called a person who, as a result of migration, "lives in two different cultural groups." From English. words marginal 1.… … Dictionary winged words and expressions

    Ex., number of synonyms: 4 outcast (10) person (37) marginal person (2) ... Synonym dictionary

Who are the marginals? Quite often we come across this concept and, as a rule, it has a negative connotation, bordering on almost an insult. So who are the marginals? The etymology of the term comes from the Latin "marginalis", which literally translates as "on the edge". Modern sociology means by this concept a person (sometimes a group of persons) who is not fully included in any society, but is in a borderline state between different socio-cultural layers.

IN modern meaning this term was born in the 1920s among sociologists who noted the problems of socialization of migrants who fell into a new society for themselves. Finding themselves in an alien socio-cultural environment, many of them could not adapt to its conditions - to learn the language, behavioral norms, and so on. These people literally turned out to be thrown out of social processes and were on the edge of society. The clearest example of marginals modern world are the descendants of migrants in today's France. The heirs of immigrants from the Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco), they were born outside the homeland of their ancestors and were no longer able to socialize properly. They speak Arabic poorly and have never been to Muslim countries. At the same time, French society itself does not accept the bulk of them. Living, as a rule, in the outskirts of Lyon, Marseille or Paris, such people also found themselves on the sidelines of social processes, not to mention painful social problems. For the descendants of migrants in the second and third generations, there is even a special term, they are called bers (beurs - a derivative of arabics). But the marginalized are not only migrants and their heirs. A person may be outside of society for other reasons - cultural, social or some other.

Who are the marginals in a consumer society?

The main characteristic of the so-called consumer society, which is much talked about today, is the fact that the main value of a person in the eyes of production is not his ability to work and create any goods or services (as it used to be), but a purchasing power that allows manufacturer to sell his product. A high level of manufacturability creates conditions in which there is no longer a need for a large number of workers, however, goods produced in huge volumes must be constantly sold somewhere. Hence the fashion, which changes every season for literally everything, and the deliberately low quality of goods, and the instilling of a sense of inferiority in owners of somewhat inappropriate devices. Thus, the marginalized in modern society are those people who cannot or do not want to constantly buy. This is what reduces their social prestige and turns them into eccentrics. At the same time, this does not mean that a person does not really have purchasing power, he can have as many goods as he likes, but it is important that he does not sell them if possible.

Who are the marginals in other societies?

However, human history knows many examples of social values. But always marginalization was determined by the lack of opportunity or desire to be in any way useful in this society.

When reading paper or online publications, you can often come across words whose meaning is not clear. Embargo, mainstream, gender, collapse, gadget, pattern, retail, headliner, trend, fake... You can guess what some of them mean from the general meaning of the text, but this is not always easy. The task is simplified when the word is currently used by the media so often that it is firmly remembered, and the reader has no choice but to find out or guess the meaning of a particular term.

"Incomprehensible Concepts"

The most difficult thing is the words that are not used daily in the speech of a large number of journalists. These include, for example, "offer" or "marginal". The meaning of a word is sometimes difficult to guess from its sound. And if the word is foreign, then the task becomes almost impossible. One has to turn to explanatory dictionaries to establish the origin of a term unusual for the ear.

Who is this marginal? The meaning of the word is particularly difficult to ascertain for several reasons. Firstly, not all explanatory dictionaries give the full number of meanings. Secondly, the very meaning of this word has undergone several cardinal changes, which has made it rather blurry and fuzzy. Only by tracing the whole story, you can understand this issue.

First of all, marginal is not a mathematical concept, not a plant and not a wardrobe item. This is a man. But what kind of person, what distinguishes him from everyone else and why he received a separate status - all these questions are the subject of a detailed conversation.

Outcasts of the early 20th century

The term itself was formulated in 1928 by the American sociologist Robert Park, since then its meaning has undergone significant changes. Initially, R. Park, the founder of the psychology of the urban lifestyle, believed that the marginal is someone who is in an indefinite position between the rural and the urbanized. His usual culture was destroyed, and he did not fit into the new one. Such a person can be called a savage in the stone jungle, so his behavior is unacceptable in the social environment of the city.

The term was formed from the Latin margo - "edge". Thus, marginal people are people who live on the border of various social elements, but do not fit into the norms of any of them.

Marginal personality according to Robert Park

The meaning of the word from the very beginning was quite negative. How best to answer the question of whether Professor R. Park himself defined the main character traits of such a person in this way: anxiety, aggressiveness, ambition, resentment and self-centeredness. Usually, this was the name given to various kinds of asocial elements: the poorest migrants, vagrants, the homeless, drunkards, drug addicts, and criminals. In general, representatives of the social bottom. The borderline state in which these people are, leaves an imprint on their psyche.

Every society has its own written and unwritten rules, customs and traditions. The marginal rejects all this, not feeling his duty towards society, not sharing the norms accepted in it. According to R. Park, such individuals have a strong need for solitude and a solitary lifestyle.

Classification

According to the modern sociological classification, there are several groups of people who, according to a number of unifying features, can be called outcasts.

These groups include:

  • ethnic marginals (descendants from mixed marriages, migrants);
  • biological marginals (people with limited physical or mental capabilities, deprived of the attention and care of society);
  • age marginals (a generation whose connection with the majority of society was severed);
  • social marginals (people who do not fit into a particular social structure due to their lifestyle, worldview, profession, etc.);
  • economic marginalized (the unemployed and the poorest segments of the population);
  • political outcasts (those who use methods of political struggle that are not accepted in a given society);
  • religious outcasts (believers who do not adhere to a particular denomination);
  • criminal outcasts (criminals, by the standards of this society).

In modern society

Due to such a broad classification and the gradual expansion of the meaning of the concept of "marginal", examples can be found in various areas of life:

  • a vagabond who has neither housing nor work;
  • a person who left to seek the meaning of life in India or Tibet;
  • hippie, denying social hierarchy;
  • world traveler living on the road;
  • drug addict;
  • hermit, asocial person;
  • freelancer and any "freelance artist" not bound by corporate conventions;
  • a bank robber who breaks the law and is forced into hiding;
  • a multimillionaire whose lifestyle is significantly different from the vast majority of the representatives of society.

In a word, everyone who does not fit into the so-called "correct" social behavior can be called outcasts. Over time, the meaning of this term has changed significantly.

From social bottom to special group

By the end of the XX century. the term has lost its original, sharply negative meaning. Such phrases as “marginal literature”, “marginal theme”, “marginal culture”, “marginal movement”, “marginal worldview” began to appear in print, television and online media. In these, at first glance, very strange semantic combinations, the changed meaning of the word is manifested.

Now, in many cases, a marginal is a person whose way of life differs from the generally accepted one. Moreover, this can be both a difference with a minus sign (homeless, drunkard), and with a plus sign (hermit monk, billionaire).

It has also become common to use this word in the meanings: “belonging to a minority”, “little-known”, “low-influenced”, “incomprehensible, not close to the majority of society”.

Due to the transformation of the meaning of this term, it is becoming increasingly difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of who is a marginal. This word is gradually losing its original, unambiguously negative connotation, approaching a neutral sound. A marginal is someone who (voluntarily or not) does not fit into the traditional way of his social environment.

Marginal properties of items

In addition to the meaning related to the human person or social groups, this term expresses certain properties of the material world. For example, explanatory dictionaries describe the following meanings of the adjective "marginal":

  • unimportant, secondary;
  • insignificant, minor;
  • written in the margins (books, manuscripts, etc.).

Foreign words with incomprehensible meanings surround us everywhere, but modern dictionaries help to understand them. So it is with the concept of "marginal", the meaning of which is diverse and often changes depending on the situation of use.

Today we will define one interesting concept that is found even in the colloquial speech of people. So, who is the marginal? The meaning of the word: marginal (from Latin margo - edge) is a person who is outside a social group who does not fit into it because of his position in society, lifestyle, origin or worldview.

Who are the marginals, and what is their role in society? Initially, the term "marginal" was used to refer to marginal entries. But the word had another meaning - "unprofitable, economically close to the limit." For the first time this term was used by the American sociologist and one of the founders of the Chicago school Robert Ezra Park in 1928. For Park, marginality meant the position of individuals who were on the border of two conflicting cultures. Thus, first main problem marginality was a cultural conflict. But in the 1940s and 1960s, the concept of marginality began to be actively developed in American sociology and was no longer limited to cultural and racial hybrids.

Social marginals

To understand who the marginals are, you need to know what marginality is. Marginality is a state in the process of moving an individual or group, as well as a characteristic of social groups that are in an intermediate position in the social structure. Marginality also includes a gap social connections between society and the individual. According to sociologists, the reason for the emergence of social marginals is the transition of society from one socio-economic system to another. At the same time, due to the uncontrolled movement of a large mass of people, the stability of the former social structure is being destroyed. In this regard, there is a devaluation of traditional norms and a deterioration in the material standard of living. Thus, people who avoid or deny social foundations are considered marginal in society.

Modern outcasts are individuals, social strata or groups that are outside the socio-cultural norms and traditions characteristic of a given society.

There are many marginal groups in society, here are some of them:

  • ethnic marginals: national minorities;
  • sociomarginals: groups of people in the process of unfinished social displacement;
  • political outcasts: such people are not satisfied with legitimate rules and legal opportunities for socio-political struggle;
  • biomarginals: their health ceases to be the concern of society;
  • age marginals: formed when ties between generations are broken;

At present, marginalization is not a progressive process, but it is worth paying attention to in order to keep abreast of developments in public life.