Stigmatization

ABSTRACT 
The Effect of Technology on the Psychology of Death and Dying:  An Empirical Phenomenological Study 
by 
Dana F. Hodgdon 

This study explored the lived experience of death in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) from the perspective of surviving family members.  More specifically, attention was placed on the experience of withdrawing life-support for a loved one.  A phenomenological approach was adopted, and a convenience sampling technique was
employed with family members in a community in Southern California.  Four (4) caregivers of dying patients were interviewed to explore the lived experience of removal of life-support for a loved one.  The caregiver reactions were categorized into seven themes that were common to all four participants: (a) overall experience, (b) mental perspective, (c) ambivalence about care, (d) perceptions of technology, (e) the decision,
(f) aftermath, and (g) suggestions for others.  The themes were discovered through implementation of transcendental phenomenology in which the researcher's past experience was bracketed out from interpretations of the interviews.  Thus, the participants’ words were taken without preconception to the greatest extent possible. 
Even though the outcomes were identical—the death of the patient—the circumstances leading up to the decisions were each very different.  Each circumstance had bio-ethical ramifications, including breaches in scope of practice, communication breakdown, and caregiver reactions.  The results suggest several areas of improvement including those
areas that were suggested by the participants themselves. 

The intention of this research is to shed light on this experience for mental healthcare professionals, such as psychologists and social workers who provide care for the families before, during, and/or after the experience of a loved one’s death in the ICU. Moreover, it is hoped that this research will help mental health clinicians to better understand the needs of professional healthcare providers who are exposed to these
untenable circumstances on a regular basis.

This article critically examines the recent literature on stigma that addresses the overspread association among the COVID-19 pandemic and racial and ethnic groups (i.e., mainland Chinese and East Asian populations) assumed to be the source of the virus. The analysis begins by reviewing the way in which infectious diseases have historically been associated with developing countries and their citizens, which, in turn, are supposed to become prime vectors of contagion. The latter extends to the current labeling of COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus,” that—along with a number of other terms—has fueled race-based stigma against Asian groups in the United States and overseas. This review further discusses the limitations of current COVID-19 antistigma initiatives that mostly focus on individual-based education campaigns as opposed to multisectorial programs informed by human rights and intersectional perspectives. Finally, the article ends with a call to the international public health commu...

Stigmatization is a socially and culturally constructed process, occurring in social interactions, whereby a person is labeled as different and then devalued, resulting in status loss and discrimination. In this article, we present four key arguments as to why qualitative research is imperative to understanding and changing stigma: (a) Stigmatization is complex and qualitative research is well-suited for exploring complex phenomenon; (b) Qualitative research is participatory and offers substantial opportunities for meaningful community engagement, which promotes agency and empowerment, and redresses power imbalances; (c) Qualitative research is imperative to effective stigma reduction; and (d) Qualitative research informs further scientific inquiry and plays an important role in ensuring that we focus on important and relevant aspects of stigma in our research. For each argument, we outline relevant literature and discuss our own experiences with conducting qualitative research on stigmatization. We lean on both theory and practice, paying attention to not only the outcomes of, but also the processes involved, in conducting qualitative research on stigmatization. We then address two criticisms of qualitative research that undermine its legitimacy. We conclude that to better understand stigma, to redress power imbalances, and to inform interventions and further scientific inquiry, we must continue to conduct qualitative research across stigmatized identities and conditions.

This study investigates witchcraft-related violence against women and children in Ikot Abasi community of Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. The possible factors that have promoted such violence form the central subject of the study. The study employed a survey research design. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were adopted to select 149 and 5 participants respectively; interview was the instrument employed for data collection and thematic analysis was the method adopted in the analyses of the data. The findings indicate a widespread belief in the existence and the effects of witchcraft on individuals' lives among the people of Ikot Abasi community, and such beliefs have promoted a subjective accusation and provoked animosity against women and children accused. The study concludes that the premises that form the basis for witchcraft accusations are baseless and unjustified because there are no clear measures that can be used to determine if a person is possessed. Also, the major factors that shaped participants' views on witchcraft and its accusation and that make women and children vulnerable are traditional and religious institutions, increasing liberation of women, physical disability among others. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a public enlightenment and campaigns against the danger in, and implications of associating problems to witchcraft.

Although FASD is first and foremost a health issue, it is a consideration in the justice system because individuals with FASD have contact as victims, witnesses and offenders. This chapter will draw on research with justice professionals to argue that there is an ethical need, and indeed an obligation, for appropriate training to better prepare police to work with clients that have FASD. By illustrating the ways in which many frontline workers misunderstand FASD, coupled with the stigma associated to FASD, this chapter argues that individuals with FASD have unique needs and the stakes in the justice system are simply too high to not have appropriate training in place to meet those needs.

Aim. The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of social stigma experiences reported by patients with schizophrenia and by people with other health problems. Method. The stigma subscale of the Consumer Experiences of Stigma Questionnaire (CESQ) was administered to patients with schizophrenia (n=153), recurrent depression (n=31), drug dependence (n=30), alcohol dependence (n=39), hematological malignancies (n=31), or cardiovascular disorders (n=33). Results. Multiple regression analysis showed that schizophrenia patients experienced stigmatization signifi cantly more often than did respondents diagnosed with hematological malignancies or cardiovascular disorders. Moreover, patients with schizophrenia were found to experience stigma at a level similar to that in patients with depression or alcohol dependence, but lower than that experienced by drug addicts. Conclusions. The study fi ndings confi rm that the stigma of schizophrenia is stronger than that associated with physical illnesses. However, people with schizophrenia were not found to experience stigmatization more often than people with other severe mental disorders.

In Adam Bede, George Eliot explores the way a society divides its members into categories and how these categories contribute to the formation of an individual’s identity. In the mid-nineteenth century authors in the naturalist tradition often discussed this dialogical relationship between individual and society, the specific roles for social gaze, the labeling and degrading. Eliot shows an acute of these labels that no one shapes identity without their influence. According to Nancy Anne Marck, Adam Bede introduces the theme of “emerging social consciousness” where the characters gain broader awareness of human interdependence through an experience of suffering (447). This is particularly evident when examining Eliot’s characters of “lesser fortune.” Once we’ve investigated how Eliot portrays these negative social forces throughout the novel, the labeling and the stigmatization, we will return to how Eliot addresses the larger question permeating her novel of education: how one judg...

Qualitative research provides opportunities to study bullying and peer harassment as social processes, interactions and meaning-making in the everyday context of particular settings. It offers the possibility of developing a deep understanding of the culture and group processes of bullying and the participants’ perspectives on peer harassment as well. It gives participants opportunities to discuss their own understanding and experiences of bullying in their own words. This article reviews qualitative studies on bullying or peer harassment in school (including some studies in which qualitative and quantitative methods — so-called mixed methods — have been used).

Aim

As the population ages, the problem of dementia increases and affects a growing number of people. People with mental illness are known to be stigmatised and this has been the subject of numerous studies. There have been contradictory studies assessing the stigma attached to dementia, and the majority focus on stigma at a social level and the public perception of people with dementia. There have been a number of projects that included a study group of people with dementia. However, to date, this topic has not been discussed in Poland. Hence, the aim of this paper is to carry out a literature review addressing this issue.

Perspective

The problem of stigma attached to dementia is particularly significant as it affects not only the subject, but also their family, friends and health professionals. As people with dementia develop cognitive impairment and lose their independence, stigmatisation leads to their social isolation, despite their need for care. Stigma has emotional, behavioural and social implications, including diminished self-esteem, a feeling of anxiety and the development of a sense of shame and a fear of the judgement of others. Family members also deal with the stigma, which manifests itself as embarrassment and anxiety and causes their circle of friends and acquaintances to decrease. Current studies show that professionals can also play a negative role in the process of labelling and stigmatisation of patients.

Conclusion

Stigma is a serious and common problem in dementia. It seems necessary to target this issue in research and social discourse.

המאמר דן בצורך לבטל את המונח "הפרעה" בתסמונת הפוסט-טראומתית, ולהחליפו במונח "פציעה". הדיון מתמקד בטראומת מלחמה (קרב וטרור) בלבד, ומציע כי במקרים אלה תיקרא התסמונת PTSI, (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury) ולאPTSD  (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). הצורך בשינוי מתעורר בשל ההשלכות הפרקטיות המשמעותיות שיש לדיוק בהגדרה לגבי הפצועים, אך מנומק גם בכך שהמונח "פציעה" מתאר בדיוק רב יותר את התופעה המוגדרת כיום כ-PTSD. המאמר מבסס את העדפת האפיון של התסמונת הפוסט-טראומתית כפציעה על היבטים מחקריים ועל סוגיות חברתיות-פוליטיות. לאחר דיון בקריטריון המחולל (קריטריון A1), נתמכת טענת המחקר בעדויות מתחום חקר המוח, ומובהרת חשיבות השינוי בהקשר של צדק הכרתי. במאמר נטען כי שינוי המינוח עשוי להקטין את התיוג של פצועי הנפש, לסייע להחלמתם, ולהגדיל את מספר הפצועים הפונים לטיפול. עוד נטען כי שינוי ההגדרה חשוב לחיילים שנפשם נפצעה בעולם כולו, וכי בישראל יש לו חשיבות מיוחדת גם לגבי אזרחים.

Les textes réunis dans ce livre étudient les langages de la stigmatisation et les réponses que des sujets stigmatisés peuvent produire, individuellement ou collectivement, pour s'en défendre. La stigmatisation se manifeste dans les discours d'une société donnée à un moment donné, elle se nourrit d'une culture de la haine et repose sur la construction arbitraire d'une domination. Désigner une différence, attribuer un nom injurieux, assigner un rôle, exclure, légitimer des actes de violence, telles sont les étapes qui scandent le processus de stigmatisation. Classes sociales, genres, origines, couleurs de peau, professions, confessions, appartenances politiques, maladies, handicaps apparaissent alors comme la justification de rejets, de violences symboliques et physiques. Pour lutter contre la discrimination et la ségrégation, des formes multiples de résistances voient le jour qui peuvent s'inscrire dans le registre du politique et du militantisme. Certains groupes se saisissent des mots et des images qui stigmatisent pour les resignifier, et ainsi proposer des représentations qui combattent les préjugés.

This book is about left-handedness and it covers both its history and the contemporary research. While few people would maintain that the condition is entirely of environmental origin, very little is known about its biological basis. There is even little agreement on how left-handedness should be defined. One thing that does come through loud and clear is the discrimination that left-handed people have faced. In Western countries, it was common until recently to force left-handed children to write, eat, sew etc. with their right hand and the practice was brutally enforced. Forcing children to sit on their left hand or tying it up was common. It has often had negative consequences for the children involved. For example, stammering is common among children who have been forced to use their right hand and the author points out that the stammer of King George VI, which was portrayed in the film, “The King’s Speech”, occurred when it happened to him. The practice has not entirely disappeared in the West, particularly among recent immigrants, and it is still common in China, India, Africa and the Islamic world. It is surprising how widespread it is. Most cultures associate “right” with good, sacred, and normal and “left” with evil, profane and deviant. These views have often been reinforced by religion and, for much of the 20th century, by science. Left- handedness has been associated with a variety of mental disorders, including schizophrenia, mental retardation, ADHD, and autism. It has also been associated with femininity, criminals, “primitives” and homosexuality. The author shows that, in spite of all the effort that has gone into establishing these links, there is no evidence to support any of them. They are simply attempts to associate one kind of stigma with another. Indeed, the negative consequences of the discrimination that left-handers have faced are far more serious than any problems that it is thought to involve. The book will be of special interest to left-handed people, particularly those who have suffered negative consequences as a result, and to members of other stigmatized groups. For the rest of us, it is an interesting case-study in the seemingly limitless capacity of human beings to discriminate against those who are different from themselves.

The public develops interpretations of physical and mental disabilities through a variety of resources, most notably representations presented by the news media. While disability scholars have long lamented negative portrayals of disabilities in the mass media (e.g., movies, fictional television programs, songs) as dehumanizing and devaluing, studies of news media depictions have been scant. The present study focuses on a salient mental disability—autism—to advance current scholarship about representations of disabilities in the news. Stigmatizing cues and framing techniques from news coverage of autism over a period of approximately 15 years suggest that journalists may be creating a threatening space for autism, particularly through the perpetuation of stigmatic cues in more than two-thirds of news coverage of autism, coupled with the selection of certain news frames. Implications for media and disabilities practice and scholarship are discussed.

Objective: To investigate the relationships between public stigma, stigma by association (SBA), psychological distress, perceived closeness, perceived heredity, and the type of family relationship among family members of people with a mental illness. Method: In this cross-sectional survey, data from 527family members of people with a mental illness were analyzed. Results: Perceptions of public stigma were found to be positively related to SBA and SBA correlated with greater psychological distress and
less perceived closeness. SBA also mediated relationships between perceived public stigma and psychological
distress, and between perceived public stigma and perceived closeness. Further, among participants who reported SBA, immediate family members showed lower levels of perceived closeness than extended family members. Also, the perceived heredity of mental illness was associated with perceptions of public stigma and psychological distress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that family members of people with a mental illness could benefit from education on mental illnesses, their treatment, and the extent to which they are hereditary. Additionally, particular attention should be paid to the psychological needs that arise from being a caregiver of someone with a mental illness.""

This study examines how stigmatization affects the identity and self-perception of non-offending persons with a sexual interest in children. To examine this, it analyzes a qualitative survey with non-offending persons with a sexual interest in children and posts from an online support group for them using a symbolic interactionist and hermeneutical perspective. It primarily uses Goffman’s theory on stigma, passing and stigma communities, Becker’s theory on outsiders, moral entrepreneurs and self-segregation and lastly Foucault’s theoretical framework on sexuality, disciplinary power and self-discipline. The study finds, that the identity and self-perception of non-offending persons with a sexual interest in children is affected very negatively by stigmatization: The individuals internalize the norms of society and many experience fear and disgust about themselves. Furthermore, many passing strategies are used, which is why many individuals experience a discrepancy between the actual and seeming social identity, which results in them not feeling true to themselves. The online support group is found to function as a supporting community but it also reproduces a negative view on persons with sexual interest in children through an exaggerated focus on anonymity.

Shaping built environment of psychiatric hospitals is a process that requires predominantly adaptation of introduced solutions to particular patterns of patient behaviour. In contrast to other health care facilities, a psychiatric hospital admits patients with severe disorders of various origins. In a majority of cases, admitted patients in severe condition pose threat to themselves and/or for those around them.

In this study, we explored stigma by association, family burden, and their impact on the family members of people with mental illness. We also studied the ways in which family members coped with these phenomena. We conducted semistructured interviews with 23 immediate family members of people with
mental illness. Participants reported various experiences of stigma by association and family burden. Social exclusion, being blamed, not being taken seriously, time-consuming caregiving activities, and exhaustion appeared to be the predominant
forms of stigma by association and family burden experienced by the participants. The participants used problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, separately or simultaneously, to cope with the negative impact of stigma by association and family burden. The results suggest that family members should have access to services to address these problems. Social, instrumental, and emotional support should be given to family members by community members and mental health professionals.

In accordance with the social information processing model, how adolescents attribute cause to a particular social situation (e.g., bullying) they witness or participate in, influences their online social information processing, and hence, how they will act in the situation.
Objective 
The aim of the present study was to explore how older teenagers explain why bullying takes place at school, and whether there were any differences in explaining bullying due to gender.
Methods 
Two hundred and fifteen Swedish students in upper secondary school responded to a questionnaire. Mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative methods) were used to analyze data.
Results 
The qualitative analysis resulted in three main categories and nine subcategories regarding accounts of bullying causes. According to the findings, the youth explained bullying much more often with individualistic explanations (bully attributing and victim attributing) than non-individualistic explanations (social context attributing). Furthermore, girls tended to provide a greater number of bullying explanations and were more likely to attribute bullying causes to the bully and the victim, as compared to boys.
Conclusions 
The findings provide insights into older teenagers’ understanding of why bullying occurs in school. The study also identified some gender differences but also some mixed findings regarding gender differences in comparison with previous research with younger participants. The authors concluded that more research has to be done to investigate age and gender differences.

Disgust sensitivity is said to relate to the individual’s tendency to stigmatise out-groups, such as for example sexual minorities. This essay proposes the hypothesis that this theory about disgust sensitivity also is applicable to the concept of internalised stigma. In an online survey members of the BDSM community Darkside (n=248) answered questions relating to their personal sense of disgust, empathy and internalised BDSM stigma. The following study showed significant correlations between the participants’ disgust sensitivity and their self-reported internalised stigma (r =.126, p<.05), which mirrors the expectations. It is concluded that disgust sensitivity does not only stand in relationship with the stigmatisation of out-groups, but also with the stigmatisation of the self in the case of an internalised stigma, here specifically the internalised BDSM stigma.

Gendered perceptions of the stigma associated with mental health care, an analysis of the social construction of gender and mental health care stigma, exploration of intersectional issues, and proposed solutions to reducing and eliminating stigma.

Men and women have their differences. In recent times, we have come to respect our differences more. In health, our differences may be a matter of life and death. Research has shown that women are more likely than men to visit the doctor or hospital (Payne, 2006, p. 76). Is this due to women having more health problems or a higher degree of openness to seeking and receiving treatment? In the field of mental health, the data is striking. Men are far less likely to seek counseling than women (Cox, 2014), especially if they are depressed or suicidal. According to Cox, this may be due to self-stigma, gender role conflict, and psychological openness (2014).

Whatever the reasons are, it is as pervasive as it is dangerous. A slew of recent mass shootings perpetrated by mentally ill individuals has recharged the national conversation about mental health stigma. People do seem to be discussing it as a national priority, but what can be done? First, it must be understood. Where is the stigma coming from? Who or what is perpetuating it? How does it relate to the social construction of gender? There is a strong likelihood that mental health stigma is even held and perpetuated amongst medical practitioners, counselors, and those in medical and mental health. What could that mean for potential mental health patients?

Social and perceived stigma are dangerous and destructive, and prevent people from seeking treatment. Psychological symptoms of mental illness are seen as threatening and uncomfortable, and cause people to treat those with mental illness and dangerous or unpredictable pariahs. This paper will explore these issues, especially from a gendered lens, and pose both explanations and proposed solutions to combating the epidemic of stigma.

This article is based on a qualitative study that set out to analyze the labels and terms attached to 28 people affected by albinism in villages in Kilolo district, Tanzania. Even though national and international attention to killings of people with albinism has attempted to improve general knowledge of albinism and reduce discrimination, most of the community members within the study had little knowledge of the (bio)medical explanations for albinism and tended to marginalize people with albinism. Framed within a wider moral discourse on illness, disability and socially appropriate behavior, albinism is mostly considered to be God’s will or the consequence of past misdeeds within the family, and many of the existing labels for people with albinism express such ideas.

The paper will examine the case of an Italian local celebrity, Palma Mattarelli, born in 1825, and at the significant age of 33, in 18 appeared with the five wounds of Christ. From that moment on, respected as Beata Palma in her surroundings, the extraordinary phenomena multiplied around her: ecstasies, visions, reception of the Host from Heavens into her mouth, apocalyptic prophecies. Her stigmata disappeared in 1865, except for her side wound. In the climate of renewed Catholic sensibility for extraordinary supernatural phenomena in the 1860s, Palma’s fame soon extended abroad. A self-professed enthusiastic promoter of a series of contemporary stigmatics, the medical professor of Clermont-Ferrand, Docteur A. Imbert-Gourbeyre, after his acquaintance with the Belgian Louise Lateau, payed a visit to Palma in 1871, and dedicated to these two stigmatics a two volume set: Les stigmatisées. Louise Lateau de Bois-d’Haine et Palma d’Oria  (Paris, Victor Palmé, 1873, I-II.) The lively account of Imbert-Gourbeyre illustrates how these extraordinary phenomena have been received, interpreted and promoted by a wider circle of devout patrons. While Louise’s fame continued to rise in the subsequent years, Palma’s celebrity was undermined by the hostility of the local church authorities, and an inquisitorial examination of her which ended in 1872 with a negative judgement, ranging her cause in the frame of “afettata santità”. After this even Imbert-Gourbeyre was advised not to republish his successful book on her. Yet, the extraordinary phenomena kept on recurring around her till her death in 1888.

Enquêter dans la durée auprès de « jeunes de banlieue » conduit à se poser régulièrement deux types de questions qui tendent à se présenter chacune sous la forme d'alternatives exclusives. Pourtant, leur dépassement constitue l'une des clefs pour aller au-delà des représentations les plus convenues. 1. Comment penser ensemble la pluralité et le commun au sein d'un groupe social dont la consistance et les contours dépendent précisément de la résolution de cette relation dialectique ? Il existe ainsi des « filles », des « garçons », des « cités » et des trajectoires mais qui forment néanmoins un objet d'étude et d'analyse en soi : « la jeunesse de banlieue » ou « des cités ». Et la relation entre un tel objet et ses déclinaisons – qu'elles soient géographiques, historiques, sociales, genrées, individuelles, etc. – fait pré-cisément problème quand, pour parler comme Ian Hacking, les « effets de boucles » entre la catégorie et les individus qu'elle désigne sont perma-nents 1. C'est ce que suggèrent les guillemets de mon titre : ce que et ce qui fait « le jeune de banlieue » ne peut pas être pensé sans ce qui en est dit publiquement. 2. Comment, pour ce faire, articuler dans un même discours l'agencement des propriétés qui forgent la singularité des individus et la force des déterminants et des déterminations sociales qui pèsent collectivement sur eux ? Prendre

This article explores the different ways in which gay men in Serbia perceive PrEP as a novel method of HIV prevention. In the article, I draw on data from my research on PrEP use among thirty gay men in Belgrade. The use of PrEP is still very low amongst gay communities in Serbia due to their rejection of PrEP and due to the stigma around PrEP use. In Serbia, the social significance of PrEP relates to HIV status disclosure on gay social/dating media. Paradoxically, on gay dating sites, the signifier "PrEP" blurs the line between HIV positive gay men-who have achieved undetectable HIV status through a potent ARV therapy-and those HIV negative gay men who use PrEP as a preventative tool against HIV transmission. In the article, I will argue that a new form of gay identity has emerged on gay dating apps in Serbia-"undetectable, on PrEP." This new identity emerges from confusion in HIV risk assessment. The use of PrEP has been seen as a marker to denote someone's HIV negative status and to protect them from HIV transmission. However, some gay men with an undetectable HIV status would like to be regarded as HIV negative even though they are not, and thus they use the signifier "on PrEP" to highlight their desire to claim an HIV negative status. PrEP has many symbolic valences: from HIV status disclosure to assumed promiscuity. As I will argue, while the health paradigm is of utmost importance for Serbian gay men, internalized stigma additionally drives the low uptake of PrEP amongst gay communities in Serbia, thus contributing to the confusion regarding PrEP use and the overall approach to HIV prevention. This article finds that those respondents who accept PrEP without stigma or confusion regarding their HIV status are also more willing and ready to recommend using PrEP to other gay men.

Práca sa zameriava na problematiku sociálnej stigmy spojenej so sexuálne prenosnými infekciami u mládeže. Cieľom práce je analýza vplyvu a dôsledkov sociálnej stigmy na myslenie, vnímanie a správanie mládeže v ČR v oblasti sexuality, sexuálneho zdravia a sexuálne prenosných infekcií. V rámci teórií sociálnej stigmy pracuje na základe hypotézy, že sociálna stigma spojená so sexuálne prenosnými infekciami predstavuje vážnu hrozbu pre ich prevenciu a schopnosť či záujem aktérov efektívne pristupovať k svojmu sexuálnemu zdraviu bez strachu, predsudkov a stereotypov. Hlavná výskumná otázka sa preto sústreďuje na to, aký
vplyv má stigma na manažment sexuálneho zdravia mládeže, aké faktory sú najdôležitejšie a ako ovplyvňuje ich vnímanie. V rámci tejto problematiky skúma prejavy či reflexiu sociálnej stigmy na základe analýzy rámcovania problematiky komunikačnými partnermi a partnerkami. Práca stavia na využívaní metód kvalitatívneho výskumu hĺbkových rozhovorov s mládežou,
ktoré analyzuje na základe metód naratívneho a diskurzívneho výskumu. V rámci svojho cieľa sa sústreďuje hlavne na priame či nepriame prejavy stigmy, vzdelávanie, využívanie ochranných mechanizmov, testovanie sa či fungovanie a dôsledky predsudkov a stereotypov. Počas rozvíjania problematiky interpretuje najproblematickejšie oblasti vyplývajúce zo
získaných dát výskumu, ktoré sa v závere snaží zhrnúť do formy, ktorá vysvetľuje, prečo je sociálna stigma sexuálne prenosných infekcií pre spoločnosť závažným problémom a zaslúži si viacej pozornosti.

Este capítulo pretende contribuir a comprender los procesos de construcción de la otredad en un contexto particular, el del neoliberalismo, como paradigma hegemónico. El análisis se orienta a reflexionar en torno a los debates teóricos más recientes sobre la articulación de las  dimensiones microsociales y estructurales del estigma como mecanismo legitimador de la desigualdad. Estas reflexiones se alimentan de hallazgos empíricos resultantes de mis investigaciones previas en un área de concentración de pobreza en la  periferia oriente de la Ciudad de México y en escuelas públicas a las que asisten jóvenes de los sectores populares.
Se trata de un esfuerzo de desclasificación, que intenta desmontar los mitos, estereotipos y estigmas sobre los pobres y sus lugares que subyacen en el discurso público y en el diseño de numerosas políticas públicas, procurando identificar cómo responden los sectores desfavorecidos a los procesos de estigmatización y culpabilización.

This article follows previous research arguing that skills of call center agents, which often include emotional labor, communication, procedural and substantive knowledge, and articulation work, are mostly invisible. Moving beyond previous analyses linking call centers to low-skilled standardized work, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork and transpositional analysis in the Philippines and the UK to show which real-world processes and written practices make agents' skills not only invisible and illegible to industry outsiders but also their managers. I argue that textualization practices such as data entry and script work are important, and that deemphasizing quantification in favor of qualitative assessment could produce better outcomes for agents and skill appreciation by others.

People with mental illness are not the sole recipients of stigmatisation; their immediate family members may be subjected to stigma by association. Through semi-structured interviews, we investigated experiences of stigma by association among 23 immediate family members of people
with mental illness. Participants reported experiencing stigma by association from community members, mental health professionals, and civil servants. Familial relationship, co-residence, and the gender of participants appeared to play a role in their stigma experiences; parents and spouses
reported different manifestations of stigma by association than siblings and children, participants who lived together with their family member with mental illness reported increased experiences of stigma by association, and in contrast to male participants, female participants reported others thinking they are overprotective and as such perpetuated, maintained, or sustained their family members’ mental illness. The relevance of these factors points to the need for tailored education and emotional support provision to family members of people with mental illness. Moreover, inservice training for mental health professionals should include the development of relevant social skills that enable the recognition of familial relationships and roles, and family members’ fears, concerns, and problems.

¿Cómo se ha desarrollado el mercado de talla grande en Chile? ¿Y cómo ha progresado la discusión sobre la aceptación de los gordos? Son preguntas que se resuelven en esta investigación. Se ha reconocido un marcado cambio demográfico reciente en la sociedad chilena y el resto del mundo. Han aumentado las personas con sobrepeso, los que llamamos gordos como si el término los describiera a todos. Esto ocurre a razón de que han sido estigmatizados socialmente.
Un movimiento de consumidoras, las fatshionistas, se hace representante de los gordos que les gusta la moda pero no encuentran ropa a su gusto en los mercados generales, y además defienden los derechos de los gordos a nivel humano y ciudadano. Reapropian el termo “gordo” y lo emplean sin su connotación negativa, más bien como un adjetivo como cualquiera: alto, flaco, rubio. El movimiento ha generado un choque con los cánones de belleza, lo que ha provocado marginación y rechazo en el mundo de la moda, pero de a poco gracias a un cambio de actitud de los actores relevantes, las consumidoras de tallas grandes han podido integrarse en el mercado de la moda. Sin embargo, no así se ha dado la situación del mundo laboral y la salud, donde aún son marginalizados.  En esos campos, los gordos piden protección legislativa, tal como el estado ha protegido a otros grupos estigmatizados, como los homosexuales. Este tema lleva a la discordia (palabra usada en este paper como oposición, desavenencia de voluntades u opiniones). Un estudio del mercado de talla grande nos lleva a entender las necesidades que este grupo estigmatizado da a conocer: ropa linda a su medida. Diversas empresas en Chile han acogido su reclamo y han tratado de satisfacer sus necesidades de la mejor manera, con una retribución publicitaria y de fidelización. Detallamos en este paper las diferentes posturas que la gente toma al tratar el tema de la aceptación de los gordos, como también los resultados de esta discordia. La investigación se ha realizado en mayor medida indagando a través de datos secundarios recolectados en la Internet. Leyendo comentarios de medios masivos de comunicación, réplicas de la gente a artículos de redes sociales, blogs de moda, entre otras áreas de discusión online, los autores analizan la situación actual del movimiento fatshionista y de la discriminación contra los gordos en Chile.

This article provides an overview of the phenomenon of labeling and stigma. Research studies are used to illuminate the many ways devalued or discredited identities negatively affect the health and well-being of stigmatized groups and additionally burden the socially and economically marginalized. In addition to conveying an understanding of the social process by which a stigma is developed and the role that culture plays in defining and determining any given stigma, this article offers ways in which social work professionals may counter stigma through education/awareness campaigns and in routine client interactions. Anti-stigma work is presented from social justice and ethical perspectives. Stigma as a social construct is discussed, along with its link to discrimination and prejudice. The article helps to unpack the meaning of stigma, including descriptions of the various forms, levels, and dimensions it may take, affecting all spheres of life, including the social, psychological, spiritual, and physical.

The aim of this study was to investigate how individuals;who had been victims of school bullying;perceived their bullying experiences and how these had affected them;and to generate a grounded theory of being a victim of bullying at school. Twenty-one individuals;who all had prior experiences of being bullied in school for more than one year;were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of data was performed by methods from grounded theory. The research identified a basic process of victimising in school bullying;which consisted of four phases: (a) initial attacks;(b) double victimising;(c) bullying exit and (d) after-effects of bullying. Double victimising refers to a process in which there was an interplay between external victimising and internal victimising. Acts of harassment were repeatedly directed at the victims from their social environment at school – a social process that constructed and repeatedly confirmed their victim role in the class or the group. This external victimising affected the victims and initiated an internal victimising;which meant that they internalised the socially constructed victim-image and acted upon this image;which in turn often supported the bullies’ agenda and confirmed the socially constructed victim-image. The findings also indicate the possible positive effect of changing the social environment.

The aim of this study was to investigate how individuals;who had been victims of school bullying;perceived their bullying experiences and how these had affected them;and to generate a grounded theory of being a victim of bullying at school. Twenty-one individuals;who all had prior experiences of being bullied in school for more than one year;were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of data was performed by methods from grounded theory. The research identified a basic process of victimising in school bullying;which consisted of four phases: (a) initial attacks;(b) double victimising;(c) bullying exit and (d) after-effects of bullying. Double victimising refers to a process in which there was an interplay between external victimising and internal victimising. Acts of harassment were repeatedly directed at the victims from their social environment at school – a social process that constructed and repeatedly confirmed their victim role in the class or the group. This external victimising affected the victims and initiated an internal victimising;which meant that they internalised the socially constructed victim-image and acted upon this image;which in turn often supported the bullies’ agenda and confirmed the socially constructed victim-image. The findings also indicate the possible positive effect of changing the social environment.

Un buen número de lo que-evocando la famosa novela de Ghoete-podríamos llamar afinidades electivas podrían ser explicadas, hoy, a partir de una doble tarea. Por una lado expresan una volundad de resistir a una tendencia excesiva a algo de lo que se habla mucho últimamente: la globalización, un proceso de homogeneización cultural que rasa las diferencias y las somete a parámetros de incidencia mundial. Pero no es menos cierto que esas nuevas adhesiones voluntarias también se oponen a una inclinación no menos poderosa hacia la más insoportable heterogeneización. Es probablemente cierto, en ese sentido, lo que se repite acerca de cómo se sufre el debilitamiento de los grandes referentes morales, políticos, religiosos y familiares, cada vez más desacreditados y cada vez más incapaces de otorgar significado a una vivencia crónicamente desorientada del mundo. Es en relación a este cuadro que las adscripciones voluntarias-del tipo que sea-parecen constituirse en mecanismos de enlace entre sujetos psicofísicos en pos de una dimensión comunitaria percibida como insuficiente. Dan satisfacción a una necesidad de pertenencia colectiva, pero también parecen en condiciones de propiciar una organización coherente del propio yo. Podríamos hablar, en cierta manera, de que muchas adscripciones personales que se producen al margen de las instituciones primarias de la sociedad expresan algo que podríamos llamar complexofobia , síndrome de miedo a inseguridades de toto tipo que ya no pueden ser aliviadas con el paraguas protector de la religión o de las grandes ideologías, y que se traducen en la búsqueda con frecuencia ansiosa de una simplicidad vital que la familia no puede ofrecer, a pesar de que fue esta instancia la que recibiera un día del mundo moderno la misión de propiciarla.