Stigma

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The term “stigma” originated from the Ancient Greek word "stigmata" which referred to “bodily signs designed to expose something unusual and bad about the moral status of the signifier” (Goffman, 1963, p. 11). There are varying definitions of stigma, however, reflecting the phenomenon’s complexity. One conceptualisation is that it refers to the “labelling, stereotyping, separating, status loss, and discrimination" (Link & Phelan, 2001, p.382) which co-occurs in power situations in such a way that leads to interrelated, negative social consequences for the stigmatee(s).

• Examples - on this page, contribute to and discuss examples of stigmatisation

1. Goffman, E. (1963). STIGMA: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books Ltd.
2. Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 363-385.

• Social distance {Wikipedia}
• Social stigma (Wikipedia)