SYG-1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Social Stigma, Voicemail, Dependent And Independent Variables
Document Summary
Trying to rule out individual disposition & characteristics (alcohol & drug abuse, poor interpersonal skills, behavioral problems) The (cid:862)negative credential(cid:863) associated with a criminal record represents a unique mechanism of stratification - it is the state that certifies particular individuals in ways that qualify them for discrimination or social exclusion. It is this official status of the negative credential that differentiates it from other sources of social stigma, offering greater legitimacy to its use as the basis for differentiation. Incarceration: effect of criminal record - stigma associated with criminal justice intervention and ways in which employers respond to this stigma in considering applicants. Criminal record chosen by pager for this study: A felony drug conviction (possession with intent to distribute, cocaine) and 18 months of (served) prison time. A drug crime (as opposed to a violent or property crime) was chosen because of its prevalence, its policy salience, and its connection to racial disparities in incarceration.
