Exploring insider and outsider perspectives through named examples
Insiders are those people who feel at home in a place and may:
- Have been born in that place
- Hold citizenship for that place
- Be fluent in local language and conform to idioms
- Conform to social norms and behavioural traits common in that place
Outsiders are the opposite. Lots of factors can contribute to this feeling, which can change
over time:
- Not belonging to the main ethnic group
- Unfamiliar with local customs or social norms
- Struggle to find particular foods that they are accustomed to
- Architecture or buildings and vehicles might be different
Over time these feelings of unfamiliarity may change as people get used to the place
and integrate into society, they might begin to feel like insiders. Examples: new
school students, moving to a new house, new job.
Clustering:
All around the world ethnic groups tend to cluster, possibly because people feel more at
home surrounded by other people of the same ethnicity.
The clustering means that the area will adapt toward that culture over time, which may
attract more people from that ethnicity to move there.
Perspective of place:
This may change as people begin to feel like outsiders having initially identified as insiders to
a place. For example, large influxes of immigrants into an area can change the
characteristics of a place: High street shops, new restaurants, bars etc.
Original residents might then begin to feel their surroundings becoming unfamiliar and then
become outsiders. Or alternatively some people may embrace multiculturalism and the
changes that occur. Diversity can make places appealing too.
Gentrification:
Gentrification is the process of renovation and improvement of housing to suit a middle-
class audience, usually leading to higher house prices. Gentrification can cause insiders to
feel like outsiders over time; entire districts can change and adapt to suit a different
audience, meaning insiders may feel like they don’t fit in with the culture or the class.
In Berlin, for example, many areas are becoming renovated to fit the new trendy feel of the
city, leaving old residents not only isolated, but unable to keep up with higher rents.
Regeneration:
The feeling of being an outsider can also occur after large scale regeneration projects which
lead to changes in place character. The demolition and reconstruction of buildings,
investments in new facilities and a subsequent better quality of life can alter the
demographic area. This can potentially cause the original population to feel like outsiders.
An example of regeneration can be seen I Stratford for the 2012 Olympic games. The area,
Insiders are those people who feel at home in a place and may:
- Have been born in that place
- Hold citizenship for that place
- Be fluent in local language and conform to idioms
- Conform to social norms and behavioural traits common in that place
Outsiders are the opposite. Lots of factors can contribute to this feeling, which can change
over time:
- Not belonging to the main ethnic group
- Unfamiliar with local customs or social norms
- Struggle to find particular foods that they are accustomed to
- Architecture or buildings and vehicles might be different
Over time these feelings of unfamiliarity may change as people get used to the place
and integrate into society, they might begin to feel like insiders. Examples: new
school students, moving to a new house, new job.
Clustering:
All around the world ethnic groups tend to cluster, possibly because people feel more at
home surrounded by other people of the same ethnicity.
The clustering means that the area will adapt toward that culture over time, which may
attract more people from that ethnicity to move there.
Perspective of place:
This may change as people begin to feel like outsiders having initially identified as insiders to
a place. For example, large influxes of immigrants into an area can change the
characteristics of a place: High street shops, new restaurants, bars etc.
Original residents might then begin to feel their surroundings becoming unfamiliar and then
become outsiders. Or alternatively some people may embrace multiculturalism and the
changes that occur. Diversity can make places appealing too.
Gentrification:
Gentrification is the process of renovation and improvement of housing to suit a middle-
class audience, usually leading to higher house prices. Gentrification can cause insiders to
feel like outsiders over time; entire districts can change and adapt to suit a different
audience, meaning insiders may feel like they don’t fit in with the culture or the class.
In Berlin, for example, many areas are becoming renovated to fit the new trendy feel of the
city, leaving old residents not only isolated, but unable to keep up with higher rents.
Regeneration:
The feeling of being an outsider can also occur after large scale regeneration projects which
lead to changes in place character. The demolition and reconstruction of buildings,
investments in new facilities and a subsequent better quality of life can alter the
demographic area. This can potentially cause the original population to feel like outsiders.
An example of regeneration can be seen I Stratford for the 2012 Olympic games. The area,
