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Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology pp 1713–1716Cite as

Self-Stigmatization

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Introduction

Self-stigmatization is a component of the broader social phenomenon known as stigmatization. The process of stigmatization involves labeling differences as undesirable and can result in social exclusion, disempowerment, and discrimination. While any aspect of human experience can be stigmatized if deemed abnormal or undesirable, recent research in psychology has focused primarily on stigmatization of “mental illness.” In his foundational writing on stigma, Goffman (1963) identified the internal consequences for the stigmatized individual as self-devaluation. He explained that once labeled as “mentally ill,” individuals may conclude that they must act accordingly and take on the label as an identity. Link (1987) developed Modified Labeling Theory to explain the consequences of interacting with the mental health system, which can include obtaining a label, being rejected or marginalized as a result, and potentially internalizing the social meaning of that label. While these...

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Geoff J. Bathje & Holloway N. Marston

Authors
  1. Geoff J. Bathje
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  2. Holloway N. Marston
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Correspondence to Geoff J. Bathje .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Thomas Teo

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Bathje, G.J., Marston, H.N. (2014). Self-Stigmatization. In: Teo, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_395

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_395

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5582-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5583-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Sciences

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