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.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Will provide as when required.
References
Bharti, P., & Pandey, J. (2012). Development of a measure of dehumanization in Indian. Journal of Social Science Researches, 9(1), 27–33.
Bhanot, D., Singh, T., Verma, S. K., & Sharad, S. (2021). Stigma and discrimination dring COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in public health, 8, 577018. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.577018.
Branscombe, N. R., Schmitt, M. T., & Harvey, R. D. (1999). Perceiving pervasive discrimination among African Americans: Implications for group identification and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(1), 135–149. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.1.135
Chattopadhyay, A. (2013). Poverty and social exclusion in India. Rawat Publications.
Corrigan, P., Larson, J., & Rϋsch, N. (2009). Self-stigma and the ‘Why-Try’ effect: Impact on life goals and evidenced-based practice. World Psychiatry, 8(2), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00218.x
Costello, K., & Hodson, G. (2011). Social dominance-based threat reactions to immigrants in need of assistance. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 220–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.769
Dovidio, J. F., Major, B., & Crocker, J. (2000). Stigma: Introduction and Overview. In T. F. Heatherton, R. E. Kleck, M. R. Hebl, & J. G. Hull (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Stigma (pp. 1–28). The Guilford Press.
Freire, Paulo (1972). Education: domestication or liberation? In: Prospects. Quarterly review of education. Vol. II, No. 2, pp. 193–202
Garthwaite, K. (2016). Stigma, shame and “people like us”: An ethnographic study of foodbank use in the UK. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 24(3), 277–289. https://doi.org/10.1332/175982716x1472195431492
Goff, P. A., Eberhardt, J. L., Williams, M. J., & Jackson, M. C. (2008). Not yet human: Implicit knowledge, historical dehumanization, and contemporary consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 292–306. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.94.2.292
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice-Hall.
Haslam, N. (2006). Dehumanization: An integrative review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 252–264. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr1003_4
Herek, G. M. (1999). AIDS and stigma. American Behavioral Scientist, 42, 1106–1116.
IANS. (2020). Migrant Workers Sprayed with Disinfectant in UP. The Times ofIndia (2020). Available online at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/migrant-workers-sprayed-with-disinfectant-in-up/articleshow/74888075.cms Accessed March 30
Iceland, J. (2013). Poverty in America: A handbook. University of California Press.
Jacoby, A. (1994). Felt versus enacted stigma: A concept revisited: Evidence from a study of people with epilepsy in remission. Soc. Sci. Med, 38(2), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(94)90396-4
Leyens, J. P., Paladino, M., Rodriguez, R., Vaes, J., Demoulin, S., Rodriguez-Perez, A., & Gaunt, R. (2000). The emotional side of prejudice: The attribution of secondary emotions to ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 186–197. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0402_06
Mehta, A., & Shah, A. (2003). Chronic poverty in India: incidence, causes and policies. World Development, 31, 491–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(02)00212-7
Mickelson, K. D., & Williams, S. L. (2008). Perceived stigma of poverty and depression: Examination of interpersonal and intrapersonal mediators. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 27(9), 903–930. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2008.27.9.903
Narayan, D., Patel, R., Schafft, K., Rademacher, A., & Koch-Schulte, S. (1999). Can anyone hear us? Voices from 47 countries. Poverty Group Prem: World Bank.
Nelson, M. (2002). The challenge of self-sufficiency: Women on welfare redefining independence. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 31, 582–614.
Newell, J., Karki, D., & Baral, S. (2007). Causes of stigma and discrimination associated with tuberculosis in Nepal: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 7, 1.
Pandey, J., & Singh A.K. (1985) Social psychological responses to perceived and objective indicators of poverty in India. In I.R. Lagunes& Y.H. Poortinga (Eds.), From a different perspective :Studies of behavior across cultures. Holland, Lisse :Swets&Zeitlinger, B.V.
Planning Commission Report (2012), Planning commission perspective planning division government of India
Prilleltensky, I. (2004a). Validezpsicopolitica: el proximoreto para la psicologiacomunitaria (Psychopolitical validity: The next challenge for community psychology). In M. Montero Introduccion a la psicologiacomunitaria. Buenos Aires: Paidos.
Prilleltensky, I. (2004b). Review of Elena MustakovaPoosardt’s critical consciousness praeger. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology., 14, 500–501.
Prilleltensky, I. (2004c). Review of Alexa Hepburn’s introduction to critical social psychology. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 14, 49–51.
Prilleltensky, I. (2004d). Wellness, disability and psychopolitical validity. Society for Disability Studies. St. Louis, June 3–6.
Prilleltensky, I. (2004e). Wellness, justice and disability. Canadian Disabilities Studies Association, Winnipeg, Canada. May 29–30.
Prilleltensky, I. (2004f). Justice and disability in personal, relational and collective wellness. Poster session. World Congress of Rehabilitation International. Oslo, Norway, June 21–24.
Raphael, D. (2004). Introduction to the social determinants of Health. In D. Raphael (Ed.), Social determinants of Health: Canadian perspectives (pp. 1–18). Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Reid, C. (2004). The wounds of exclusion: Poverty, women’s Health, and social justice. Qual Institute Press.
Reutter, L., Veenstra, G., Stewart, M., Raphael, R., Love, R., Makwarimba, E., et al. (2006). Public attributions for poverty in Canada. Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 43, 1–22.
Reutter, L. I., Stewart, M. J., Veenstra, G., Love, R., Raphael, D., & Makwarimba, E. (2009). “Who do they think we are, anyway?”: perceptions of and responses to poverty stigma. Qualitative Health Research, 19(3), 297–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732308330246
Ruback, R. B., & Pandey, J. (1991). Crowding, perceived control, and relative power: An analysis of households in India. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 21(4), 315–344.
Rusch, N., Angermeyer, M. C., & Corrigan, P. W. (2005). Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences and initiatives to reduce stigma. European Psychiatry, 20(8), 529–539.
Sellers, R. M., & Shelton, J. N. (2003). The role of racial identity in perceived racial discrimination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1079–1092. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.1079
Scambler, G. (2004). Reframing stigma: Felt and enacted stigma and challenges to the sociology of chronic and disabling conditions. Social Theory and Health, 2, 29–46.
Schweiger, G. (2019). Humiliation and Child Poverty. In: Brando, N., Schweiger, G. (Eds.), Philosophy and Child Poverty. Philosophy and Poverty (PPOV vol 1) (PP. 127–144). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22452-3_7
Stuber, J., & Schlesinge, M. (2006). Sources of stigma for means-tested government programs. Social Science and Medicine., 63(4), 933–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.01.012
Tam, T., Hewstone, M., Kenworthy, J., Cairns, E., Marinetti, C., Geddes, L., & Parkinson, B. (2008). Post conflict reconciliation: Intergroup forgiveness and implicit biases in Northern Ireland. Journal of Social Issues, 64, 303–320. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2008.00563.x
Trani, J.-F., Bakhshi, P., Kuhlberg, J., Narayanan, S. S., Venkataraman, H., Mishra, N. N., & Deshpande, S. (2015). Mental illness, poverty and stigma in India: A case-control study. British Medical Journal Open, 5(2), e006355–e006355. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006355
The Tribune (2020). Migrant workers sprayed with disinfectant in South Delhi,Civic Body Says' by mistake'.
Verma, S., Bharti, P., & Singh, T. (2018). Does stigma always has negative consequences? Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 28, 495–507. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2382
Walker, R. (2014). Poverty, Shame, and Stigma. The Shame of Poverty, 49–66. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199684823.003.0004
Wani, F. A., Songara, M., &Wani, T. A. (2016). Make in India: Poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Journal for Studies in Management and Planning, 2(12), 160–167. https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fedupediapublications.org%2Fjournals%2Findex.php%2FJSMaP%2F
Watson, A. C., Corrigan, P., Larson, J. E., & Sells, M. (2007). Self-stigma in people with mental illnesses. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33(6), 1312–1318.
Weiner, B., Perr, R. P., Magnusson, J. (1988). An attributional analysis of reactions to stigmas. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55(5):738–748. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.55.5.738
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
Funding
Author received no specific funding for this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
Author declares that he/she has no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Consent to participate
Taken from participant.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Bharti, P. Poverty and Stigma. Psychol Stud (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00726-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00726-6