PSYC12H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Erving Goffman, Threat Model, Cleft Lip And Cleft Palate
Document Summary
Stigma: the possession of a trait/characteristic which is devalued by society, the stigmatized are discriminated against, e. g. , blemishes to one"s character - such as rapists. Stigma has been linked to poor mental health, physical illness, academic underachievement, infant mortality, low social status, poverty, and reduced access to housing, education, and jobs. Attributing negative events to discrimination (vs. to the self) When members of stigmatized groups encounter negative outcomes, one way they may cope with the threat to their self-esteem is by blaming the outcome on discrimination rather than on themselves. In other words, although devaluing and withdrawing effort from domains in which one is negatively stereotyped and treated unjustly may protect self-esteem, it may come at the cost of success in those domains. American students who had previously reported low-levels of ethnic group identification identified even less with their ethnic group, whereas previously highly identified latino american students identified even more strongly (mccoy & major).
