Ostracism and social exclusion

Ostracism is a form of social punishment. It appears due to prejudices, racial or sexual discrimination, personal beliefs or values. However, we can also suffer ostracism and social exclusion in the work environment or in our romantic relationships. Let us think that every rejection experienced in any of these social dimensions It can have serious consequences for those who suffer from it.

The term ostracism comes from the Greek ostrakon, a practice by which those citizens who posed any threat to the community were condemned by vote to exile. Currently, it is a phenomenon that occurs as a result of a tacit consensus and can be shown in a more or less subtle way or in an open and explicit way.

The need to belong

Human beings have a great need to belong, to identify with a group, even if it is small. Affiliation with other people brings us many psychological benefits and reinforces our group and individual identity.

Human beings are social by nature and the need to belong has an evolutionary and survival background. In this sense, Ostracism and social exclusion are threats to belonging and endangering it triggers processes whose study is leaving us with surprising information.

Relationship between social belonging and the Self

The concept of the Self in psychology has been the subject of numerous investigations, and even more conjectures. Within the wide spectrum of meanings that are used, Two of the proposals made by Leary and Tangney are those that seem to be related to social belonging:

Self-awareness or the self-conscious self: is the one who records our experiences, feels our feelings and thinks our thoughts. He is the Self through which we are conscious of ourselves. He is the knowing ISelf-regulation: It is the Self that executes and acts. It is the ability we have to adapt our behavior in order to position ourselves in the world in the way we want to be. It is the regulator that allows us to control ourselves and consciously direct ourselves towards our ideal Self.

From reflections on ourselves and our experiences (self-awareness) we can regulate and adjust our behavior in the desired direction (self-regulation). This is the process that facilitates us get closer to the person we want to be.

When we feel rejected or victims of ostracism and social exclusion, the act of looking inside and reflecting on ourselves (self-awareness) becomes something extremely unpleasant that we tend to avoid. Without these reflections, self-regulation is not possible. All of this implies an important distance between the Self and the Ideal Self.

Effects of ostracism and social exclusion

The effects and consequences that ostracism and social exclusion have on the individual who suffers from it are various, and each of them probably deserves a separate article. They affect us on the physical and psychological levels.

In 2009, the University of California discovered the link between social rejection and physical pain: the OPRM1 gene. We knew that social exclusion activates areas of the brain related to stress. But in addition, recent studies showed that Ostracism also activates areas associated with physical pain. Specifically the posterior dorsal insula. It is believed that these findings may help explain diseases such as fibromyalgia.

In addition to the negative consequences for physical health, social exclusion causes a decrease in prosocial behavior in the victim that prevents you from experiencing empathy. Cognitive capacity and intellectual performance are also diminished; especially all those complex cognitive tasks that require attention and conscious control. It also affects emotional behavior and especially the levels of aggressiveness in the individual.

Violence, social exclusion and self-regulation

Years ago, theories that tried to explain the relationship between violence and social exclusion maintained that People with low intellectual level had difficulties adapting to social life. This lack of adaptation would increase their level of aggressiveness, which gave way to violent behavior. This would be one of the paths that would lead to social exclusion.

Today we know that the process is different. The studies by Baumeister and Leary showed that is the alteration of the self-regulation of the egoas a consequence of ostracism and social exclusion, one of the factors that cause violent behavior, and not the cultural level of the individual.

How do we face social rejection?

People with a strong need to belong often develop antisocial behavior. after having felt/suffered rejection. If they consider it an unfair act against them, they may develop reparative responses that avoid social contact. Or, on the contrary, there may be an increase in prosocial behaviors and interest in generating new ties.

People With a more independent self-concept, they prioritize their individual goals over group goals.. The social rejection suffered by this type of people can produce an increase in their creativity.

Ostracism and social exclusion are associated with negative consequences as the essential aspects of the Self are affected. When you are a victim of rejection, it is important to recover the process of self-awareness and reflection on our experiences and our attitudes, and thus create a good opportunity for self-regulation of our behavior that helps balance our relationships.

Bibliographic references

Magallares Sanjuan A. Social exclusion, rejection and ostracism: main effects. Psychology.com. 2011 ;15:25. Available in: .

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