Explain the following quote from Simmel’s The Stranger: “The stranger is near and far at the same time, as in any relationship based on merely universal human similarities.”

What will be an ideal response?


No unique or specific qualities are shared with him that could in turn form the basis of a personal relationship. As a result, the stranger is seen not as an individual, but, rather, as a “type” of person whose particular characteristics make him fundamentally different from the group. This unique position of the stranger relative to the group allows him to provide services that are otherwise unattainable or “unfit” for the in-group to perform. In addition to these occupational consequences, the unique, unattached relation of the stranger to the larger group allows the stranger to adopt an objective attitude toward internal conflicts. Nonpartisanship grants the stranger a position of objectivity in efforts to resolve disputes.

Sociology

You might also like to view...

________ are the criteria used in evaluating objects, acts, feelings, or events as to their relative desirability, merit, or correctness

a. Values b. Norms c. Roles d. Symbols

Sociology

Which of the following is most likely to be related to growth and prosperity in a relationship?

A) A great deal of conflict, no matter how it is handled B) Conflict that is handled skillfully C) Conflict that is completely avoided D) An absence of conflict

Sociology

As part of the New Deal programs, the Roosevelt administration initiated

a. school-to-work programs b. public work projects such as the WPA and CCC c. a national network of enterprise zones d. the new international division of labor

Sociology

The ideological consensus among Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats, and various pressure groups includes the idea that __________

A) individuals’ failure to succeed is their own fault B) corporations’ failure to succeed is their own fault C) direct government subsidies to corporations exacerbate social problems D) the welfare safety net should be expanded

Sociology