SOC311H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Stereotype Threat, Erving Goffman, Sex Offender Registries In The United States
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The mark of a criminal record
What is stigma?
Goffman 1963: an attribute that is deeply discrediting
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Link and Phelan 2001: a rationale for devaluing, rejecting and excluding
particular groups of individuals
Stigma happens with elements of labelling, stereotyping, discrimination,
status loss, and separation - they all co-occur together
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Based on this negative attribute someone is labelled with, a rationale is
constructed, excluding them from rights, opportunities etc
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Not inherent in the attribute but realized in interaction with the non-
stigmatized
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It is the reaction to the attribute that is important, specifically the reaction that
occurs when stigmatized groups interact with non-stigmatized groups
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Examples of stigmatized identities: individuals with MHI, race, homelessness,
addiction issues, health issues (HIV+), class, sexuality
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What are the consequences of stigma?
Us vs them dichotomy
Stigmatized individuals are different
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Overt discrimination
Being barred from employment, not being able to volunteer, loosing
benefits (access to public housing, food stamps)
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Stereotype threat
They know they are stigmatized - tension they feel in interactions b/c they
know people may react to them
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Fear that people may reject/devalue them
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Relationship between stigma and power
Negative labels
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Treat stigmatized worse, they do not have access to the same things as
those with higher power
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By stigmatizing, powerful groups can maintain unequal distributions of
resources in society and justify structures of inequality
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Marginalize certain groups, control their access to resources
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What is the connection between stigma and prisoner re-entry?
Existential stigma: no control over what you are stigmatized for (ex. Wheelchair
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Lecture 3
Saturday, January 26, 2019
2:21 PM
Existential stigma: no control over what you are stigmatized for (ex. Wheelchair
status)
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Achieved stigma: responsible for/played a role in their identity (Ex.
Incarceration), they did an action that resulted in their stigmatized status
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Expressive function of law means that incarceration results in shaming the
incarcerated
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Incarceration as 'achieved stigma'
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Denial of rights and resources for former prisoners
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Degradation experience - individuals are shamed, their identity is stripped and
replaced with one of convict / ex-convict
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Former prisoners and internalized stigma
Intense fear of stigmatization upon returning to society
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Stigma is rooted in cultural understandings of what is good/bad, normal/not
normal, positive/negative
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So the know they will face stigma when they are released from prison
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In prison they don't have access to traditional modes of maintaining self-respect
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They are constantly reminded that they are an inmate
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They are stripped of their identity
So they go through self-rejection
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By internalizing stigma, they are reinforcing public discourse about what is and
is not normal
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Subjective status of former prisoners
Schnittker and Bacak 2013 A mark of disgrace or a badge of honor
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US ladder
Top of ladder: best education, job, money
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Bottom of ladder: worst off, worst job, least money, worst education
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Place yourself on the ladder of where you feel your subjective status is
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No history of incarceration: 7
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Former prisoners: 5
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Community ladder
Envision the ladder in terms of community
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Top: person in community with highest standing
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No history of incarceration: 8
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Former prisoners: 5
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Significant decline in subjective status following imprisonment
Statistically significant
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Regardless of length of sentence, this subjective status was still the average for
those who have been incarcerated
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Study is hopeful b/c before we used to just think those who came from prison
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