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Alienation facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Alienation is a feeling of being left out or not belonging. It's like feeling disconnected from people around you or even from yourself. This feeling can happen in different parts of life.

Alienation in Psychology

In psychology, alienation means how well people fit in with their friends or groups. It's about feeling connected at school or work. For example, if you feel like you don't fit in with your classmates, that could be a type of alienation. Psychologists study how people feel connected to others. They also look at how people relate to their social groups.

Alienation in Society

In sociology, alienation is a bigger idea. It's about how people feel connected to their whole society. A good example is how people feel about their job or work.

Work and Alienation

The thinker Karl Marx wrote about alienation at work. He said that people can feel alienated when they do work they don't enjoy. This can happen if a job is boring or doesn't use a person's true talents. Many people have to do jobs they don't like to earn money. This can make them feel separated from their true selves. Their actions (working) don't match their feelings (dislike for the work).

On the other hand, a person might feel very connected and strong if they do a job they love. Feeling connected and strong is the opposite of alienation.

Alienation in Philosophy

Alienation is also an important idea in existentialism. Philosophers like Sartre and Camus wrote about it. They explored how people might feel disconnected from the world or from finding meaning in life. This feeling of not belonging or searching for purpose is a key part of their ideas.

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Alienation Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.