Management of stigma

stigma management

active attempts to manage stigma for oneself and others

approaches differ based on visibility of stigma

1. concealable → decide wether to reaveal or not

2. non concealable → find a way to counteract perceptions of taint

concealable stigma management

1. conceale

2. reveal

3. signal

conceale

often bacause of worry about negative consequences

sometimes psychological cost: research has found that being your ethentic self at work is related to better job attitudes and workplace experience

revealing

Acknowledging a stigma has been found to decrease perceptions of interpersonal discrimination

Discussing stigma as if it was a source of stregth

Downplaying stigma as non-central and not problematic for the job

Presenting individual information so the audience can see them as unique individual rather than a member of the stigmatised group

signaling

dropping hints, cues, implicit messages

often serves as a test before disclosure

Non concealable stigma

• stigma from personal characteristics

• stigma from occupational characteristics

stigma from personal characteristics

assertive tactics → show overt positivity (obsese)

defensive tactics → communicating remorse, apology, regret (ex gang member)

Information management tactics → acknowledge the stigma

stigma from occupational characteristics

• ideoligical tactics → involves changing the menaing of the assigned work

• boundary management tactics

ideological tactics typylofgy

reframing → grabage to recycling agent

recalibrating → emphaise the stregth required to perform the work

refocusing → shift attention to nonstigmatised features of the job

boundary management tactics typology

configuring boundaries → topless dancers might feel superior than nude dancers

create social buffer → surround yourself witth similar others to create a shield from outsiders stigmatisation

Concealing stigma table

Non concealable stigma table