The Social Psychology of Stigma

Stigma is an affectively charged word that triggers responses such as denial and defensiveness. At a conscious level, stigmatization is something "bad" that "we" don't do but that "others" may do. It is this presumption that is challenged by the contributors of The Social Psychology of Stigma through a well-organized and critical review of theory and research in the area.

The book's organization around a conceptual framework that is described in the first chapter facilitates the reader's understanding of the following chapters. Stigma thus becomes a dynamic, situation-specific, nonpathological process presented along a three-dimensional model comprising the perceiver-target dimension, the personal-group-based identity dimension, and the affective-cognitive-behavioral dimension. The book is divided into three parts, each of which addresses a different element involved in the stigmatization process—the perceiver, the stigmatized, and the social interface.

Causes, functions, and justification of stigma are discussed in the chapters focusing on the perceiver. Chapters 2 and 3 are particularly effective in integrating individual and collective aspects in the creation of stigma. The four chapters included in part 2 address self-esteem, self-perceptions of the "social token," and the impact of stigma on the cognitive processes of the stigmatized. This thought-provoking section is one of the book's major contributions. For example, in chapter 6 the conceptualization of self-esteem as a trait is challenged with the postulation that self-esteem "is constructed in the situation as a function of the meaning that the situation has for the self." The relevance that the "perceived" meaning of the situation has for the stigmatized is further elaborated in chapter 7, where the "episodic construal" construct is introduced. This construct illustrates the complexity of the links between "public acts and private self-views" and provides an excellent foundation for the chapters that follow, which address the toll that stigma has on cognitive abilities and coping.

The final section of the book focuses on the social interface between perceivers and targets. The chapters on age and physical disabilities, two specific categories of stigma, are especially timely given current trends in the composition of our society.

The Social Psychology of Stigma is not easy reading. However, it provides original and valuable insights into an issue that psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers face in clinical practice. This book can also serve as a good reference for cultural competence training for graduate students in health-related disciplines.

Dr. Dassori is assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.