Week 8 - Stigma and discrimination Flashcards
Why is studying STIGMA important?
- decrease barriers
- to educate and have a better understanding of how to avoid these situations
-decrease negative attitudes - it impacts HEALTH –> social isolation INCREASES risk of MORTALITY!!!
What is seen as the “umbrella term”?
Stigma
What is considered “under the umbrella” term? (x4)
- negative attitudes
- stereotypes
- prejudices
-discrimination
What are negative attitudes?
- came from sociocultural conditioning at a very young age
- body is seen as beautiful
- disability = sick role, poverish, burden to economy
- status DEGRADED if you had a disability
What is a STEREOTYPE?
- built off of negative attitudes
- GENERALISATION!
- can be negative or positive
- ex: woman cannot drive, french people are romantic, asians are good at math
What is a PREJUDICE?
- to JUDGE BEFORE
- making a VALUE JUDGEMENT –> about someone or group of people without sufficiently knowing them
- based on a stereotype
- it is a BELIEF
- ingrained in us by social environment
- ex: racisim/antisemitism = belief that race, skin color or culture makes people inferior or superior
- ex: class prejudice –> certain classes are superior or inferior
How do we undo prejudice?
through SELF REFLECTION!!!
What is DISCRIMINATION?
to ACT ON a prejudice in a DIRECT or INDIRECT manner
ACT or a GESTURE
Isolate and treat people/group of people differently based on..
What groups are more vulnerable to discrimination?
- race, colour, national or ethnic origin/ religion
- women
- people with disabilities
- older adults
What is the difference between DIRECT and INDIRECT discrimination as an example?
DIRECT = not getting a job due to race or ethnicity
INDIRECT= happens through another person, organization, or policies/rules (not intended to exclude but they do)
- did not get a job because or race due to the company the store hired to choose applicants and filter out candidates based on certain requirements
What is Stigma?
- the possession of some attribute or characteristic that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context
- SOCIAL CONSTRUCT –> US (don’t have characteristic) vs THEM (do have characteristic) society!!
- tied to deviance –> attributes made them different, therefore, BAD!!!
What is created in an US vs THEM society?
Person with disability cannot be independent
We must make decisions for them
sees that “they” are different
POWER IMBALANCE
What are the 6 dimensions of STIGMA?
- Concealable
- Course of Mark
- Disruptiveness
- Aesthetics
- Origin
- Peril
What is the dimension CONCEALABLE?
How apparent the characteristic is to others
ex: fibromyalgia and pain
What is the dimension COURSE OF MARK?
Whether the characteristic becomes more apparent with time
ex: parkinsons disease
What is the dimension DISRUPTIVENESS?
Does the characteristic interfere with social interactions
ex: bipolar disorder, ADHD, hearing impairment
What is the dimension AESTHETICS?
Degree to which the characteristic is unpleasant to others
ex: people with amputated limbs, facial disfigurements
What is the dimension ORIGIN?
Perceived level of the individual’s responsibility in acquiring the characteristic (“blame the blame”)
ex: teen mom, lung cancer (came from smoking), car accidents
What is the dimension PERIL?
danger that others perceive towards the characteristic in social contexts
ex: AIDS, COVID (in terms of someone coughs and you think covid)
What are the 4 types of Stigma?
- Social stigma/ public
- self-stigma
- label avoidance
- structural stigma
What is social stigma?
when the general public endorses stereotypes about disease and disabiltiy and then discriminates against them
STRONGLY influenced by MEDIA
What is self-stigma?
public stereotypes directed inwardly, towards oneself
ex: person with intellectual disability could be
step 1: conscious that “most people” think that people with ID are stupid
step 2. agree with stereotype “they’re right” and
step 3. apply it to themselves to say “I am stupid”
What is Label avoidance?
process whereby individuals decline or refuse to engage with specific types of services in order to avoids being labelled or stereotyped
What is structural stigma?
includes both intentional and unintentional private and public insitutional rules, regulations, and norms
regulations, and norms that discriminate against individuals with stigmatized conditions
ex: interventions that isolate people with psychiatric or developmental disorders (bed restraints)
