Definition
Stigmatization is the process whereby a mark or attribute – culturally understood as devalued and discrediting – is recognized in, or applied to, an individual or group of individuals by another more powerful group of individuals. This stigmatizing mark works to differentiate and separate marked individuals (“them”) from unmarked individuals (“us”) because of the associated judgment that persons so marked are tainted and lesser. Rooted in normative judgments, stigmatization reduces the individual from a complex whole and “usual” person (Goffman, 1963, p. 3) to this single tainted and discounted trait. Effected through interaction, stigmatization involves a combination of negative stereotyped beliefs, prejudiced attitudes, and discriminatory behavior toward marked individuals. It takes place at both the interpersonal and broader systemic levels. Persistent and pervasive, it affects many if not all aspects of an individual’s life and results in significantly reduced life...
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Fudge Schormans, A. (2014). Stigmatization. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2871
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