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Poverty and Stigma

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Abstract

The poor, oppressed, and victimized continue to suffer discriminatory practices of India's dominant others. The study reports social and psychological experiences of the downtrodden section of the Indian society and reflects their concerns of being subjected to dehumanizing and stigmatizing experiences. Sixty-three respondents—residents of unauthorized, highly deprived slums of Allahabad city—were participants in the study. The findings revealed that perceived poverty correlated positively with experiences of stigmatization and dehumanization. The participants also had lower self-esteem and were more down on perceived well-being. The results suggest that dehumanization and stigmatization have implications for actualizing human potential. Results also implied that poverty had psychological consequences. In addition to economic and social disadvantages, they experienced dehumanization and stigmatization.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support to carry out the project to the Centre of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences and Advanced Centre of Psychology, University of Allahabad

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  1. Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Gandhinagar, India

    Pankaj Bharti

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  1. Pankaj Bharti
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Correspondence to Pankaj Bharti.

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Bharti, P. Poverty and Stigma. Psychol Stud (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00726-6

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