SOC 2210 - STIGMA

Lemert (1972) argues that studies of deviant behavior need to confront what two problems

(1) How deviant behavior originates (2) How deviant acts become symbolically attached to certain persons and what the consequences of such attachment are for those individuals

Lemert (1951) came up with two concepts of deviance ...name them

(1) Primary Deviance (2) Secondary Deviance

Types of stigma?

(1) Public Stigma (2) Self-Stigma (3) Institutional Stigma

Mental Health Stigma can be divided into what 2 distinct types ?

(1) Social Stigma (2) Perceived stigma or self-stigma

Labeling Theory

- A psycho-social theory - The foundations for this theory result principally from the work of two American psychologist, Edwin Lemert and Howard Becker - This theory has emerged as a major sociological approach to understanding mental disorder

Reactions to Stigma

- Fear/Rejection - Denial of services -Acute loss of self esteem

Define "perceived stigma or self-stigma"

- Internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination - Perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatment outcomes

Name "Social factors" in mental disorder

- Social Class (social causation and social selection or drift) - Race and Ethnicity - Urban Environment - Marital Status

How did Erving Goffman define "stigma"

-He defined stigma as a special kind of gap between virtual social identity and actual social identity . - "The process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identiy

3 forms of stigma as categorized by Goffman

1. The experience of a mental illness 2. A physical form of deformity or an undesired differentness 3. An association with a particular race, religion, nationality,etc

STIGMA (Labeling)

A label that's almost impossible to ever shed. They believe that once family and friends find out about their illness, they'll be scorned. May try to hide symptoms and not stick to treatment regimens

What is "Secondary Deviance"

A situation in which a person is relegated to a deviant role (i.e. Being deviant is thought to be a typical characteristic of that individual

What is "Primary Deviance"

A situation in which a person who is "normal" acts differently or strangely, but the behavior is rationalized as atypical by others because it is perceived that this is not the person's own characteristics

Reaction to Stigma ( Define Fear/Rejection)

Due to stigma, the typical reaction encountered by someone with a mental illness (and his or her family members) is fear and rejection

Reaction to Stigma (Define Acute loss of Self Esteem)

Due to the stigma associated with the illness, many people have found that they lose their self-esteem and have difficulty making friends

Link and Phelan (2001) defined stigma in terms of the presence and convergence of 4 interrelated components...What is the 1st?

First, people distinguish and label human differences

Link and Phelan (2001) defined stigma in terms of the presence and convergence of 4 interrelated components...What is the 4th?

Fourth, As a result of the first 3 components, labelled individuals experience status loss. Finally, the process of stigma placement, and therefore management, is dependent on the degree of one's access to social , economic, and political power

What is the origin of the word "stigma"?

Greek Origin Was originally used to describe a physical scar on a person's body (i.e. Slave, criminal)

Name the Component Flow Chart per Link & Phelan

Labelling>>Negative Stereotypes>>Seperation of "us" from "them" >>Status loss and Discrimination

Cycle of Stigma

MARKER>>>STIGMA>>>DISCRIMINATION>>>DISADVANTAGES>>>LOWER SELF-ESTEEM>>>MORE DISABILITY>>>LESS RESISTANCE>>>MARKER

Define "Institutional Stigma"

Occurs when assumptions about persons are translated into public policy and funding decisions that discriminate against people with mental illness

Define "Public Stigma"

Occurs when health care providers, employers and the general public develop and sustain negative stereotypes about people with mental illness

Define "Self Stigma"

Occurs when individuals with mental illness apply negative stereotypes to themselves

Define "social stigma"

Prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given

Differences between Public Stigma & Self Stigma (PREJUDICE)

Public Stigma : Agreement with belief and/or negative emotional reaction (i.e. Anger and Fear) Self Stigma: Agreement with belief Negative emotional reaction (i.e. Low self-esteem, Low self-efficacy)

Differences between Public Stigma & Self Stigma (DISCRIMINATION)

Public Stigma: Behavioral response to prejudice (i.e. Avoidance of work and housing opportunities and withholding help Self Stigma: Behavioral response to prejudice (i.e. Failure to prsue work and housing opportunities

Differences between Public Stigma & Self Stigma (STEREOTYPE)

Public Stigma: Negative belief about a group (i.e. Dangerous, Incompetent and Weak of character) Self Stigma: Negative belief about "self" (i.e. Weak of character and incompetent)

Reaction to Stigma ( Define Denial of Services)

SOme have been denied adequate housing, loans, health insurance and jobs due to their history of mental illness

Link and Phelan (2001) defined stigma in terms of the presence and convergence of 4 interrelated components...What is the 2nd?

Second, Members of the dominant cultural group link labeled persons with certain undesirable attributes

STIGMA (Social Withdrawl)

Some people with mental illness become socially isolated, locked out of their community by the shame and embarrassment that stigma triggers

STIGMA (Social Distancing)

Stigma also leads to social distancing, in which people refuse to rent rooms to someone with a mental illness, don't want them as neighbors or co-workers or friends

Stigma definition regarding deviance...

Stigma is the resullt when persons are categorized as being deviant, or belonging to a stereotyped group, which makes them subject discriminatory behavior

Current meaning of the word "stigma"?

The phenomenon whereby an individual with an attribute which is deeply "discredited" by his/her society is "rejected'as a result of the attribute

Link and Phelan (2001) defined stigma in terms of the presence and convergence of 4 interrelated components...What is the 3rd?

Third, Negatively labeled groups or individuals are placed in distinct and seperate categories from the non-stigmatized

Define "Social Causation"

This suggests that lower-class people are more prone to mental disorder because they are more likely to experience social stress, suffer from psychis fraity, lack of medical treatment. -Low social status is a cause of mental illness

Define "Social Selection or Drift"

This suggests that mentally ill people from higher social classes often drift downward into the lower-class neighborhood...which means that the lower-class position is a consequence of mental illness among formerly higher status people