Following Simmel’s revelation of the sociological significance of “strangers”,From Parker to Schutz to Bowman,They all noticed the different positions of "strangers" in the complex changes of modern Western society。Zygmunt Bauman is known as "the greatest contemporary sociologist writing in English",His sociological research is keenly insightful and pioneering。In his work spanning more than half a century,The concept of “Stranger” has the most general power to summarize the individual’s living situation。Bauman conceptualizes strangers from the perspective of the app bet365 download other,Exploring how strangers symbolize the contradictions that order construction seeks to destroy,To uncover and gain a deeper understanding of the root causes behind app bet365 download marginalization and cultural exclusion。As a app bet365 download relationship,The category of stranger is not fixed,But unstable、Flowing,and varies with different app bet365 download contexts。Therefore,Bauman did not formulate a specific proposition about "strangers",Rather, it is shown as a product of society in different periods。His discussion of strangers demonstrates relational and intersubjective concepts of identity construction,In this concept self-identity is constituted through opposition to the other。In other words,Stranger identity is subject to a different logic of opposition,To establish the difference of its existence。
The stranger as the other in the modern app bet365 download
Modern planning is eager to pursue universality,Hope to establish harmony、Orderly order,To bring stability and predictability to the app bet365 download world。But in Bowman’s opinion,The contradictory relationship between order and chaos represents the essence of the modern app bet365 download world。Modernity’s passion for constructing order lies in overcoming contradictions and contingency,Related to the suppression and rejection of strangers。“‘Stranger’ does not have a positive connotation” (Simmel),The typical stranger who is the other of order is the dust of an orderly and pure world,It is also a potential threat to the stability and fixed boundaries established by modernity。From the perspective of the will of order,The practice of modern countries building order and exclusivity through rational legislation,The "stranger" as the other of the order threatens the certainty of the order,It also overshadows the clearly visible borders。In other words,Order is a dual practice,Including structured activities that are meaningful to the world,Also includes distinguishing different groups,To control the reproduction of a specific society。
According to the master plan of the Enlightenment,Modern man should become a member of society by accepting the abstract value of work and country。The nation expresses a sense of belonging greater than its independent parts,The app bet365 download stratification structure based on work achievements determines a person's position in society。But strangers as an inevitable by-product of a given app bet365 download order,There is no (and cannot be) a place in the ordered territory。Therefore,Bowman discusses the different ways modern society treats strangers,To a large extent, following Lévi-Strauss, he proposed two strategies for transforming "strangers",That is, "assimilation strategy" and "exclusion strategy"。In a nutshell,The "assimilation strategy" is to try every means to assimilate strangers,Give them new order and rules through metabolism,Making "strangers" similar to "our" culture or language,Thus reducing their sense of strangeness。The "exclusion strategy" is to try every means to expel strangers,Confining them outside the boundaries of controllable areas,Or lock them in specially designed institutions or ghettos,To ensure a safe distance from “us”。However,Modernity uses both assimilation and exclusion strategies,Attempting to exclude strangers culturally and physically,Create a world without strangers。As criticized by Bauman,The ambition of modern society to construct app bet365 download order has led to a form of legalization and bureaucracy,This cannot be understood outside of the ordering tendencies and technological rational achievements of modernity。
app bet365 download the other in modern culture
Bowman believes,Culture is an expression of human activities that create meaning and order。Culture as structure can be interpreted as a practice,“Creating the world of objects through practice,Transforming the inorganic world,Man proves that he is a conscious quasi-being" (Marx)。From an ontological point of view,Structure is the inherent ability of human beings to build the world,Human beings not only shape the world,Also shaped by the world。In Bowman’s opinion,The structured activity of human beings shaping the app bet365 download world through structured cultural practices is an asymmetric process,This process “places the ward within the sight of the guardian/caretaker” (Bowman)。In other words,The degree of control one group has over another depends on the extent to which the former can determine and predict the behavior of the latter。According to Bauman’s examination of culture,We can see clearly,The establishment of a specific app bet365 download and cultural order,Not just a way for humans to structure their own world in their efforts to understand it,It is also related to human beings’ own sense of belonging。Because culture is a structural activity,Human beings have only achieved a collective identity that is crucial to their sense of belonging。Human beings have not only found a specific place in the world,And also found a way to determine whether another person belongs to a group: determine whether a person is an in-group or an out-group。People in the group constitute a collective "we",Represents friends、Community and proximity to others,And outsiders constitute a collective "they",Represents an enemy or outsider,and placed at a distance。
However,When the stranger is the cultural other,The boundaries become blurred and uncertain。Bowman thinks,The cultural other is not about reinforcing boundaries,Rather, problematize boundaries。At this level,The stranger as the cultural other appears as a third boundary category between the two established categories,Threatening the identities of in-groups and out-groups。Based on Bauman’s research,Strangers do not constitute a app bet365 download basis、Independent groups of cultural or ethnic similarities,They cannot be classified,Cannot be classified either。The stranger embodies the "non-placement" that exists between given categories,That is, neither "in the group" nor "out of the group",Neither "friend" nor "enemy",His appearance heralds a disturbance in the culture he enters。Therefore,The app bet365 download construction of strangers is different from the app bet365 download construction of in-groups and out-groups,But it is constructed in a contradictory subject position between the two。In this case,Bauman introduces the concept of contradiction and describes the stranger as a "mixture of absolute contradictions"。Therefore,Modern engineering is to maintain and control app bet365 download order,Repulsion of strangers expressed in terms of cultural incompatibility or unmixability。
app bet365 download the other in consumer society
“All societies produce strangers;But every society produces its own strangers,And they are produced in a unique way。”(Bauman) Be a rational person、Orderly、Transformation of a solid modern society into a fluid one、Globalized consumer society,New app bet365 download categories emerge and develop,In turn forms the basis for the reshaping of the deviant stranger。Bauman pointed out in his description of consumer society and the app bet365 download other on which it depends,The stranger as the other in consumer society is represented by the "defective consumer" or the "new poor"。In consumer society,Capital controls the market,Then those who control capital construct app bet365 download order to a large extent,Rather than being constructed by app bet365 download order。This position of control and dominance over others breeds new inequalities,Because consumers are arranged according to the market structure and consumption ability,So qualified consumers consider themselves free,“To maximize existence through the systematic development of all potential enjoyments” (Baudrillard)。However,In a consumer society organized around choice and freedom to consume,Those who are unable to exercise their freedom are considered defective consumers。Here,Bauman uses the concept of stranger to conceptualize opposing identities。The relationship between self (qualified consumer) and other (defective consumer) is based on the other's reaffirmation of self's identity,To maintain self-identity。In Bowman’s opinion,Strangers (defective consumers) defined by consumer society,Not contrary to needs,In contrast to its own consumption power。Therefore,Defective consumers do not constitute a functional obstacle to consumer society,But the way of existence and maintenance of consumer society。
In addition,Bauman also discusses the stranger as "forced tourist" or "wanderer" from the perspective of globalization。In Bowman’s opinion,Just as spending power determines whether a person is a qualified consumer,Access to global space and mobility underlie the most important types of app bet365 download stratification,It determines a person’s position in the world order。In the postmodern pluralistic world,The world is divided into tourists and forced tourists,Or tourists and vagabonds,The latter belongs to the new stranger。Tourists are free to stay or move as they wish,When new、More exciting opportunities when calling them elsewhere,They can give up their current position。Therefore,Globalization is for tourists’ dreams and aspirations。The reason why tourists move,Because they find the accessible world irresistibly attractive,Wanderers do not have the freedom to choose whether to move or not。The homeless have been in a state of homelessness,Or be banned from leaving your place,Or be forced to leave。Wanderers share characteristics with defective consumers,They all represent different things、Conflicting people,Because they have the unnecessary characteristic of lingering at the door of an orderly society。Exactly in this way,Bauman understands the homeless as a tourist’s nightmare,Suggests that if tourists cannot cope with the stress and anxiety caused by the "mobile life" of global consumers,will become its own other。
It can be seen from the above analysis,In Bowman’s opinion,The grand project of modernity is threatened by being the order and cultural other,And try to marginalize the stranger as the other,But actually relies on these others to construct itself。In fact,The desire for order and the desire to establish identity through difference has not diminished。As a possible solution to the stranger problem,A more flexible way of living with it is preferable。For this,Bauman proposed the moral responsibility of "being for others" based on the analytical framework of the three connotations of "stranger",That is, using a moral attitude to enhance love and responsibility with app bet365 download,Finally achieve harmonious coexistence with app bet365 download。
(This article is a phased result app bet365 download Heilongjiang University graduate student innovative research project “Research on Zygmunt Bauman’s Postmodern Ethical Thought” (YJSCX2022-014HLJU)
(Author’s unit: School of Philosophy, app bet365 download)
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