The following interview extract comes from a study focusing on

peoples experiences of not-belonging. Study this and using IPA

come up with some themes, which we will discuss in our next
class:
SOPHIE 22 years old Study on sense of not belonging

Summary:
Feelings of isolation
Sense of not belonging and
alienation

I:

Thanks very much for agreeing to this This first thing is,
in what sense do you think you dont belong, is it global,
specific?

Themes:

P:

Um, I think everybody goes through their alienation. And

Id say mine my sense of not belonging started very early,
probably around the age of 12 or 13, probably fairly
common in adolescence. Wed moved from Ireland to the
United States, so initially it was a huge culture shock. And
it was not a time when being a Celt was cool, in fact being
an immigrant was not cool to the area that I lived in. And I
was shown very early that I was less than, and I was
bullied fairly horrifically for about 4 years when I moved. I
mean the Irish education system had set me up to be
quite intellectually advanced, but really I mean I was a
little girl at the age of 12, knee socks, waist length hair and
I was going to an American school where they were
physically developed. I mean girls are women at the age of
13, make-up, the whole bit. So it was very early for me, I
spoke funny, I looked funny, I looked different, I was from
an immigrant family, my parents although they were quite
intellectually advanced were quite conservative on other
issues and I was always told at home youre not an
American, youre not an American, and then when I
was in school, youre not an American, youre not an
American, so that sense of isolation started very, very
rapidly for me. Bullying, physical violence, a lot of it, by
boys funny enough.

Social exclusion

Moving to new country

Culture shock, felt like an
outcast, not cool
Stigma to being an
immigrant, feelings of
inferiority, experienced
bullying, treated differently
Educationally and
intellectually advanced, but
physically young for age
compared to peers
Problems with self-identity
Felt different to other
children as an immigrant
Intellectual but
conservative upbringing.
Early reinforcement of not
being American and from a
different culture caused
feelings of isolation from
outset.
Bullying and physical
violence from mostly boys
due to being different

Sense of being a social

misfit continued after
school
Feelings of hurt, fragility
and upset.
Not being able to flourish

I:

Because of the difference?

P:

Yeah, yeah, because of the difference, very rough

I:

And did that stay with you, that sense of not fitting in, stay
with you beyond those years?

P:

Absolutely, yes it made me very tough in a lot of respects,

like inside Id be crumbling, and very upset and very fragile

Culture
Social categorization
Social identity theory
Self-categorization

Social comparison - others

Social desirability
Sense of self and collective
self, being Irish and not
American

Prejudice gender
Prejudice- culture
Bullying
Infra (De) humanization

Trying to make sense

Social identity problems

Developed a physical and

mental strength in
response to the violence
and bullying.
Sees self as fragile and
intellectual, but behaves
aggressively and
defensively.
Confrontational and fights
a lot.

and very hurt. I felt like I couldnt grow, I couldnt develop.

Um but it made me very tough, it made me physically
tough, it made me mentally very tough, um, I would fight
a lot, a lot of verbal fighting with my classmates, and there
always seemed to be a core of bullies you know a group of
ten whose main job was to torture those who sort of
didnt fit. Um and I would physically, Id physically fight
boys, I literally had no fear, I got to the stage where I had
no fear of being physically hurt at all.

No fear of being hurt

Summary of Themes:
Social themes:

Social exclusion

Cultural identity

Social categorization

Social identity theory

Social comparison - others

Social desirability

Social identity problems

Self-Identity themes:

Self-categorization

Social identity theory

Sense of self and collective self

Being Irish and not American

Trying to make sense of self

Self-perception.

Self-development
Coping Strategies:

Cognitive Dissonance

Self-preservation

Defensiveness and agression

Social bias and discrimination themes:

Prejudice gender

Prejudice- culture

Bullying and Aggression

Infra (De) humanization

Attitudes and Behaviour

Group

Self

Family

Self-perception.
Self-development
Attitudes and Behaviour
Coping Strategies
Cognitive Dissonance
Discrimination
Social disadvantage