Lecture 16: Stigma & Labelling Theory Flashcards
etiology of labelling theory
society’s responses to individuals’ behaviours and thoughts
basic idea of labelling theory
people who are labelled as deviant and treated as deviant become deviant
3 key aspects of labelling theory
- primary vs. secondary deviance
- access/exposure to subcultures
- identification with mental patient role
primary deviance
- An initial act of deviance
- In the context of mental illness, when someone first starts to display symptoms of mental illness
- Everyone will break a norm in their life for whatever reason
- Labelling theorists are not concerned with primary deviance
secondary deviance
- How a person responds to being labelled as deviant and makes the level part of their identity
- This is particularly consequential when rule-breaking acts are repeated, severe, highly visible, and people who are enacting deviance have lower levels of societal power
- Once an individual has been labelled as deviant, they will likely experience differential treatment because of this label
access/exposure to subcultures
- The differential treatment that may accompany labels of deviance may block access to normal or conventional avenues
- Ex. somebody who has been admitted to a mental health facility and has their freedoms restricted
- People who have been labelled as deviant are more likely to be exposed to deviant subcultures that reinforce their deviance
identification with mental patient role
- Due to differential treatment, people may start to identify with their label over time
- Thus, individuals must perform actions and behaviours to continue to develop and maintain that identity
modified labelling theory
- Mental illness is not the direct cause of labelling
- Labelling & stigma jeopardize the life circumstances of people with mental illness
- Expectations of rejection and discrimination guide how mentally ill people navigate the world
- This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where these actions (ex. avoidance) reinforce stereotypes about mental illness
“package deal” of mental illness
- Being labelled with a mental illness has both pros and cons
- It can bring new opportunities and resources for treatment and medical care
- It can bring stigma and discriminatory treatment from others
- Often, people cope with the “package deal” by denying that they have a problem, refusing treatment, or leaving treatment early
pros of labelling theory
- Bring potential biases to the forefront
- Reminder that mental illness is a social product (in part)
- Highlights the persistent problem of stereotypes
cons of labelling theory
- Limited explanatory power
- Ignores the role of informal labelling
- Problematic assumptions
problematic assumptions of labelling theories
- Behaviours are solely linked to a label
- Behaviours and symptoms may stop if the label suffices
- Labelling and differential treatment are the causes of psychological symptoms
- People will lose their agency once they are labelled
multiple definitions of stigma
- The mark or label that is used as as social designation
- The link between a label and a negative stereotype
- The propensity to exclude/ discriminate against a designated person
Link & Phelan on stigma
Stigma is a relationship among 6 interrelated components:
- Distinguishing and labelling differences
- Associating differences with negative attributes
- Separating “us” from “them”
- Negative emotional responses
- Status loss & discrimination
- Dependence on power
distinguishing and labelling differences
- Most differences among humans are not considered very relevant
- But, other types of differences are highly socially salient
- Which characteristics become socially salient are important components of stigma
Associating differences with negative attributes
The process of linking a difference to a negative stereotype
Separating “us” from “them”
- Occurs in the way that we label people
- Reinforces that the labelled person is fundamentally different from us
negative emotional responses
- People who stigmatize may respond to those who are stigmatized with emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear, and irritation
- People who are stigmatized often pick up on these negative emotions, and may respond with emotions such as shame, anger, fear, and alienation
status loss & discrimination
When people are labelled, it sets the foundation that it is okay to reject and exclude these people from society
dependence on power
- Stigma depends on social, cultural, economic, and political power
- Only people who have power can stigmatize others
status loss
- The downward placement of a person in a status hierarchy due to a person’s reduced status in the eyes of others
- When people experience status loss, they lose power, which can further prevent them from achieving their desired goals
manifestations of stigma
status loss & discrimination
types of discrimination
- individual
- interactional
- internalized
- structural
individual discrimination
- person A treats person B differently because person A holds prejudicial attitudes about person B
- not always overt
- subconscious
interactional discrimination
emerges in the back-and-forth interactions between two people
internalized discrimination
people start to receive negative messages about mental illness from society from a young age, and they may absorb these stereotypes as part of their normal socialization. If one becomes mentally ill, these beliefs can shape how one values themselves
structural discrimination
occurs when social policy or other institutional processes disadvantage stigmatized groups over time
the power of mental-illness-related stigma
- Attitudes, emotions, and beliefs, as well as power differences drive stigma processes
- Negative stereotypes have persisted over time
- Limits to biomedical and genetic explanations
- “Associative stigma”
associative stigma
stigma against the children or relatives of a person with mental illness
