3.2.1 The Outsider
Completion requirements
3.2.1 The Outsider
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On the Margins: Considering the Concept of The Outsider
Loose-leaf or lined writing paper often has red margins on the left and right sides to confine our writing and doodles to a designated area on the page, keeping our teachers happy. These left and right columns are usually "off limits" or outside our focus,
and most people strive to squeeze their writing between them.
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The idea of
margins
is also a metaphor of daily life. Most people stay in the "center of the page" in life, but every so often, someone strays outside the
margins
of society, to the fringe or the edge of life. Reasons for this include personal choice, actions,
alienation
, exclusion, misfortune, dysfunction, popularity, avoidance of societal norms, and being voiceless (
figuratively
or
literally
).
Although existing in the margins of a culture, population, movement, or faith are different paths, they are not necessarily negative paths (though they definitely can be). A marginal existence can occur because of differing opinions or viewpoints and it can be very positive. However, it can also be a place of complete ambiguity, or a gray area! Great leaders, artists, writers, and even comic book heroes have existed on margins outside of their society's perception of “normal”.
In the following assignment, you will research to find information, understanding, and knowledge about a movement, culture (or sub-culture), or person you do not know. Perhaps, your discovery might surprise or shock you! Maybe, you will need to share
it with others! Often, the best and most memorable learning experiences are those you encounter when you take a risk by exploring the unfamiliar.
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