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The Stranger
This theory was originally penned by Georg Simmel. The Stranger is a concept in which a person is close enough to know what is going on, yet far enough away to be questioned or asked about an input on the subject the group is contemplating. On the subject of The Stranger, George Ritzer writes in Contemporary Sociolagical Theory and Its Classical Roots that, "If she came too close, she would no longer be a stranger; she would be a member of the group.  However, if she was too far away, she would cease to have any contact with the group.  Thus, to be a stranger involves a combination of closeness an distance." (Ritzer, 2003) This is not always a negative thing though. With a Stranger you get an unbiased decision or opinion if you were to ask the stranger his or her opinion on a matter. The Stranger has nothing to gain for his or hers own personal agenda therefore many times having this unbiased opinion is a good thing to deal with.

Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel was born in March of 1858 in Berlin. At a young age Simmel's father died. This is relevant in that upon basically being orphaned and living with a different family, he grew up somewhat of a stranger to his own family. This is interesting in that in a way Simmel lived out his own theory. The Website, Sociology in Switzerland writes that, "Simmel's relation to his domineering mother was rather distant; he seems not to have had any roots in a secure family environment, and a sense of marginality and insecurity came early to the young Simmel." While growing up in a family of 7 children during this time period was not a rare thing, contrastingly not being extremely close to his family is shocking. In his later years, Simmel went on to write more than 30 books, as well as nearly a hundred articles. His field was that of Sociology and is still looked at today as one of the more influential people to handle this subject.

How Is This Theory Used
The theory of The Stranger has been used throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and even the beginning of the 21st century to help people figure out how they are living their lives and whether society approves or disapproves of them. This has occurred due to the fact that having a neutral input on a subject has been more and more important. To compare this theory, one would liken it to the stance Switzerland takes on world views and policies. The country more or less sits back, and watches and listens. While the country is neither a "powerhouse" nor a "poor country", it is always right outside waiting for another country to ask for input. Yet they stay far away so that they are not hated like many other countries are. The Stranger is much like Switzerland in that it is the acquaintance everyone knows about that is relaxed and seems uninterested in the surrounding world, yet keeps its eyes and ears open and quietly processes the problems going on in everyday life. They offer advice when asked but for the most part are close by just waiting and listening. When Simmel coined this theory a century ago, it would have been hard to believe that we would still look at it today as relevant. However, just as other major theorists before him, his theory has been able to withstand the scrutiny of more modern Sociologists and he is still very much relevant in our everyday life and in Social Theory.

Is This Theory Used Today?
When Georg Simmel went out and thought of this theory, many would have found it far fetched that we would still be talking about it today. However, this theory is taught in many Intro to Sociology classes as well as in Social Theory classes. The importance of the theory seems to be going strong to this day. With the theory being taught in classrooms worldwide, it is easy to see why Georg Simmel has lasted this long through time, his theory still intact and his writings still looked at and studied.

Charles Lemert writes that, "In the whole history of economic activity the stranger makes his appearance everywhere as a trader, and the trader makes him as a stranger. As long as production for one's own needs is the general rule, or products are exchanged within a relatively small circle, there is no need for a middleman within the group.  A trader is required only for good produced outside the group.  Unless there are people who wander out into foreign lands to buy these necessities, in which case they are themselves "strange" merchants in this other region, the trader must be a stranger; there is no opportunity for anyone else to make a living at it." (Lemert, 180, 2004) The world needs strangers to thrive, it needs people who will give opinions or act as middleman to help make a transaction a fair one.

How Relevant is This Theory?
The theory in itself is somewhat confusing at first glance. The thought of a Stranger in our everyday life seems to cause perplexing feelings when reading about it. However, Simmel essentially put a name to something that we all do in our everyday lives. It is hard to walk anywhere in the United States, let alone the world without wondering how people we pass by view us let alone their opinions on everything from our lifestyle choices, to politics, even down to our clothing of choice. We want to feel that others are seeing us the way that we want to be. Whether we use this theory consciously or subconsciously, the fact is, it is used, often times more than we will ever realize.