Josser

Josser is a term used to describe someone who was not born into a circus family, and has not married into a circus family, but is in circus nonetheless.

Jossers are not rare, but few remain in circus for any long period of time. It is very seldom that a Josser is seen in the upper hierarchy of a professional circus, their status is usually seen as lesser than that of someone of circus descent. This is due to the aforementioned dedication issue. Jossers are at a disadvantage in modern circus, because generally speaking they have not been raised in a circus discipline, or trained to the extent of their circus-born coworkers. Amateur acts (i.e. amateur clowns) are not considered Jossers unless they have worked in larger scale circus.