ulkoryhmä

Ulkoryhmä is Finnish for out-group and is used in sociology and social psychology to denote a group that is perceived as outside one's own social in-group. The concept contrasts with sisäryhmä (in-group), i.e., the group with which a person identifies. In group–out-group theory, ulkoryhmä dynamics influence attitudes, stereotypes, and behavior toward members of other groups. The term is descriptive rather than evaluative, but it is frequently involved in discussions of prejudice, discrimination, conflict, and intergroup contact.

The concept has roots in social identity theory and intergroup relations, and it has been widely used to study how boundary definitions shape perceived threat, competition, and solidarity. Researchers examine how boundaries are drawn, how prototypical traits of the ulkoryhmä are formed, and how contact or cooperation with the ulkoryhmä can reduce bias under favorable conditions. Experimental paradigms such as minimal group studies illustrate how arbitrary group assignment can produce in-group favoritism and out-group bias.

In practice, ulkoryhmä labeling can appear in workplaces, schools, and communities when groups are designated as outsiders or competitors, whether by ethnicity, nationality, ideology, or social role. The term does not imply immutability; perceptions of who constitutes the ulkoryhmä can shift with context, norms, and information. See also in-group, out-group, stereotype, prejudice, intergroup contact.