Social stigma
Also known as: stigma
Social stigma is the social devaluation of a person or group based on a characteristic that marks them as different, such as an illness, identity, or behavior. Stigmatized individuals face negative labeling, stereotyping, and discrimination.
Social stigma is the process by which society marks a characteristic as discrediting and devalues the people who carry it. Sociologist Erving Goffman described stigma as a "spoiled identity" — an attribute that reduces a person, in others' eyes, from whole and normal to tainted and discounted. Common targets include mental illness, substance use disorders, HIV status, obesity, criminal history, and marginalized identities.
Stigma operates through a sequence: a characteristic is labeled, the label is linked to negative stereotypes, the labeled group is set apart as "them," and the group then experiences status loss and discrimination. It is useful to distinguish the related terms exams pair together: a stereotype is a generalized belief about a group, prejudice is the negative attitude built on that belief, discrimination is the negative behavior, and stigma is the broader social devaluation that encompasses the labeling and its consequences. Stigma can also be internalized — self-stigma — when individuals absorb society's negative views, damaging self-esteem and discouraging them from seeking treatment or support.
Stigma has measurable public health effects. Fear of being labeled deters people from seeking mental health care, addiction treatment, or HIV testing, and stigmatized groups experience chronic stress that worsens health outcomes — making stigma a driver of health disparities.
The MCAT tests social stigma in its psychology and sociology section alongside prejudice, stereotypes, and ethnocentrism, and the concept also appears in the CSCS curriculum's discussion of outdated stigmas surrounding female athletes and resistance training.
Key takeaways
- Stigma is the social devaluation of people who carry a characteristic society marks as discrediting.
- Goffman framed stigma as a "spoiled identity" that overshadows a person's other attributes.
- Stereotype is the belief, prejudice the attitude, discrimination the behavior — stigma spans the whole process of labeling and devaluation.
- Internalized (self-) stigma lowers self-esteem and deters people from seeking treatment.
- The MCAT tests stigma with prejudice and stereotypes, and the CSCS references stigma around female athletes and resistance training.