What underlies and maintains the process of stigma? Explanatory models.
”We believe the person with a stigma is not quite human. On this assumption we exercise varieties of
discrimination, through which we effectively, if often unthinkingly, reduce his life chances. We construct
a stigma-theory, an ideology to explain his inferiority and account for the danger he represents…We
tend to impute a wide range of imperfections on the basis of the original one… Further, we may perceive
his defensive response to his situation as a direct expression of his defect, and then see both defect
and response as just retribution for something he or his parents or tribe did, andhence a justification
for how we treat him.” - Erving Goffman (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity.
There are many theories and explanations for how stigma is created and maintained. But there is no simple explanation for this process, which is embedded and interconnected between thoughts, emotions and actions on both individual, social and structural level.
Individual processes On an individual level stigma can be explained in terms of naturally occurring cognitive structures. Human nature is to categorize and make sense of information we have around us. We routinely categorize objects and events that we encounter, without thinking about the consequences. This process creates our “schemas” or mental representations that help us make sense of the information around us. Even though these are necessary and serve as our guide to give us shortcuts when we sort through information, these also influence how we perceive the world and help us make quick judgments based on our already existing beliefs and expectations, therefore creating stereotypes. |
Structural processes Both individual and social processes lead to discriminating structures in our culture and society, which further maintain stigma. There are primarily two types, institutional and structural discrimination. Institutional discrimination manifests as laws, policies and procedures that restrict people of lower rank, often discriminated and stigmatized individuals, of rights and opportunities. An example of institutional discrimination of people with mental illness is that approximately 35% of states restrict the right of an individual with mental illness to vote, more than 40% limit the right of people with mental illness to remain married and about 40% of the states limit parents with mental illness the child custody rights. Even when those restrictions sometimes can be justified, too often they are based not on individual’s current condition, but on individual’s history of mental illness. Structural discrimination present in our society can be seen as insurance that lacks mental health coverage, less money allocation to research and treatment in comparison to other health related disorders as well as how psychiatric institutions often are designed in terms of isolated location and exclusion from general medical services. Other indicators of stigmatizing characteristics of the mental health system in the US is often having patients’ opinions ignored in treatment planning, coercive and forced treatments, placement only based on diagnosis, lack of privacy and sometimes dehumanizing actions. See references: Hinshaw, S.P. (2007), Corrigan, P.W., Kerr, A., & Knudsen, L. (2005), Corrigan, P.W. (Ed.). (2005), Crisp, A., Gelder, M., Rix, S., Meltzer, H., & Rowlands, O.(2000), Rüsch, N., Angermeyer. M.C., & Corrigan, P., W. (2005), Davey, Graham, C., L. (2013), Rüsch, N., Angermeyer. M.C., & Corrigan, P., W. (2005). |