Another reading of classical concepts: Reactualization of the Simmel’s stranger and the enemy on the case of contemporary migration from the middle east

Abstract

Although formalism is mostly often considered to be an outdated theoretical orientation in sociology, Simmel?s short essay on stranger has made a very large influence on authors throughout the twentieth century. In contemporary sociology, Simmel?s name is often mentioned in studies of migration from the Middle East because they have re-actualized the question of a strangeness and interpretative models of constructing otherness between the native population and newcomers. The aim of this paper is to show how a classical sociological concepts can serve as a valid starting point for the study of the contemporary social phenomenon. Emphasis is placed on the distinction between stranger and enemy in Simmel?s essay on the stranger which is under-explored. This distinction will be especially important when we analyse the attitude of the West towards Muslim migrants whose arrival in Europe is accompanied by discourses of risk and the alleged inevitability of conflict between civilizations.