Essay on Sociology and Stigma

Submitted By fnusrat2
Words: 429
Pages: 2
Open Document
Stigma and the Politics of Visible/Invisible Disabilities

SOSC 3920 6.0 Disability and Society
September 29, 2014

Goffman and Stigma
• Erving Goffman (1963) Stigma: Notes on the
Management of Spoiled Identity
• Canadian-born sociologist (1922-1982)
• Asylums (1961)
• Stigma → autobiographies and case studies to analyze stigmatized persons’ experiences of being marginalized
(people with physical and mental impairments, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc.) → persons not considered
“normal”

Stigma stigma = a trait or characteristic that is constructed as “undesirable”
• is established as undesirable through process of stigmatization • Is built upon notion of difference → casting some qualities or traits as desired (superior) and others as undesirable
(inferior)
• operates through stereotypes → Cameron (ch. 46) → “vivid but simple representations that reduce individuals/groups to a set of exaggerated and generally negative characteristics”
• forms basis and rationalization for discrimination

Three Types of Stigma
• character traits
– “deviation” from what is generally viewed as
“normal” behavioural traits

• physical
– visible physical differences/deformities

• group identity
– particular race, nation, religion, etc.

Stigma
• stigma is used to organize and construct social relations (power) → establishes an individual’s or group’s place in social hierarchy
• traits viewed as “desirable”/superior associated with those who hold status and power in a particular context or society → while “undesirable” traits linked with individuals/groups that are deemed “inferior” and who are then subordinated and marginalized based on their supposed “inferiority”
• Brown (ch. 11 in Davis) → stigma = “powerful and pernicious social tool” that operates dialectically to simultaneously privilege one set of traits or a group while denigrating its opposite → “two sides of same coin”
• stigmatized people are needed in order for non-stigmatized to feel good and positive about themselves

Goffman and Stigma
• stigma = a modern form of branding or “marking” → establishes a “spoiled identity” that discredits by separating
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Sociology and Stigma

What Elements Create A Social Structure

generation to the next • Microsociology deals primarily with the small interactions of daily life THINK Sociology, Second Edition John D. Carl Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. By studying workers in the United States and France, Michéle Lamont illustrates that there is a clear link between the smallscale and large-scale components of a society. THINK Sociology, Second Edition John D. Carl Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social Structure…

Words 2588 - Pages 11

Reflection Paper On Deviance

Damir Harris Dr. Mokgadi 3/8/13 Sociology Reflection Paper #3 1. Deviance - is any behavior that violates social norms, and is usually of sufficient severity to warrant disapproval from the majority of society. Deviance can be criminal or non-criminal. * Today, Americans consider such activities as alcoholism, excessive gambling, being nude in public places, playing with fire, stealing, lying, refusing to bathe, purchasing the services of prostitutes, and cross-dressing—to…

Words 539 - Pages 3

Bibliography For Deviance Essay

Clinard, Marshall B. and Robert F. Meier. 2011. Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Curra, John. 2011. The Relativity of Deviance. 2nd ed. Thousand Island, CA: Pine Forge Goffman, Erving. 1963. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity.Touchstone. Goode, Erich D. and Angus Vail. 2008. Extreme Deviance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. Hughes, E.D. 1945. “Dilemmas and Contradictions of Status” American Journal of Sociology (50). Johnson, Jennifer E., Christianne Esposito-Smythers…

Words 363 - Pages 2

Labeling Theory Of Deviance Analysis

Joeimy Gonzalez Sociology II November 4, 2015 Northeastern University Describe the labeling theory of deviance. What basic insight about deviance is offered by this approach? How is the labeling process different in cases of primary deviance and secondary deviance? What is the importance of stigma in labeling analysis? Write 300-350 words. Labeling theory is an approach to deviance that explains why certain individuals are viewed as deviants and others engaged in the same behavior are…

Words 426 - Pages 2

Essay about Goffman's Thesis on the Stigmatized Body

SC2027 Sociology of Health Illness and the Body Goffman’s thesis on the ‘stigmatized body’ Word Count: 1,967 Using two contemporary examples, explore Goffman’s thesis on the ‘stigmatized body’. The ancient Greeks used stigma to refer to a fault used to expose something unusual about a person’s moral status, a person bearing this stigma would often be described as a blemished person, ritually polluted, and to be avoided, especially in public places. Christians later divided the metaphor…

Words 1774 - Pages 8

Sociological Perspectives On Health And Social Care

Introduction: In the intricate tapestry of human existence, health and illness are not merely physiological states but deeply embedded social phenomena. Sociology, with its focus on the complexities of human interaction and societal structures, offers invaluable insights into understanding the experience of illness and the broader dynamics shaping health and disease within society (Brown et al., 2019). At the heart of this endeavor lies a concerted effort to unravel the multifaceted layers of illness…

Words 1315 - Pages 6

The Pros And Cons Of Medicalization

Medicalization is defined as, "the process where human experiences that are ‘non-medical’ problems become to be defined, experienced and treated as medical problems" (Handbook of medical sociology, p. 152). Dr. Peter Conrad, one of the main contributors, stated, “the act of medicalization is neither good nor bad." He emphasized that it is necessary to study medicalization but, “without making any judgments on whether or not these are medical issues” and remaining skeptical on the matter. Medicalization…

Words 470 - Pages 2

Deviance Without Victims Essay example

as of recent that have also accepted homosexuality as part of life and it certainly does not make their deviance list. We, however live in a society where homosexuality is still considered a deviant occurrence. This proposal aims at removing that stigma and reclassifying homosexuality as non-deviant behavior. We should focus more on the deviance categories that hurt people and communities, homosexuality when left alone and not stigmatized, does not hurt anyone- it is a victimless deviance in its…

Words 347 - Pages 2

Individual Uniqueness and Social Work Essay

difference and self. Our sense of self can be conceptualized into statuses. Of those statuses our master status is the one we identify with, the most of the time. Within this paper, I define what I believe to be my own master status, alone with its stigmas and privileges. This paper also examines how ones individual experiences and definitions of differences affect how you as a social worker. Individual Uniqueness and Social Work Society has influenced the masses, whether those…

Words 1504 - Pages 7

Stigma Research Paper

word “stigma” was used to refer to the marks left on Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. In sociology, however, “stigma” is used “to refer to bodily signs designed to expose something unusual and bad about the moral status of the signifier” (Goffman 1). The text also refers to stigma as something which is “used to refer to an attribute that is deeply discrediting” (Goffman 3) and an “undesired differentness from what we had anticipated” (Goffman 5). Based on this evidence, it is clear that stigma is…

Words 1590 - Pages 7