The Enigma of the Stigma

Stigmatization: what does it truly mean? For those who are constantly stigmatized, appearing normal becomes a common goal, one that can entrench a stigmatized person's existence. In Lerita M. Coleman's excerpt on stigmas called 'Stigma-An Enigma Demystified', the relationship between stigmatized and non-stigmatized people is further discussed.

Stigmas have three significant aspects: fear, stigma's primary affective part; stereotyping, its primary cognitive component; and social control, its primary behavioral component. Overall, people like to isolate themselves from stigmas in order to ensure that they themselves don't acquire the characteristics of the stigmatized group. The social context of an area determines who should be stigmatized. Certain regions favor characteristics such as tall, white, and male that would not be seen as desirable in another region. The group that contains those desirable characteristics in that social context will be superior and hold the power to stigmatize those who are inferior. Stigmatized and non-stigmatized groups are interconnected. They influence each other and determine each other's status in a region. If a stigmatized individual does not allow himself or herself to be influenced by what's expected of them, they question the status quo and the legitimacy of the non-stigmatized group.

Women are stigmatized every day... am I wrong? From the way we look, act, dress, and behave- there seems to be a way to break down every single part of our identity. It seems that women are further stigmatized when they stigmatize each other. Instead of coming together as one collective group, some of us bring each other down, call each other sluts, and try to step on each other to get ahead. Not only do we disconnect ourselves from other groups by stigmatizing each other, we edge on men to treat us like crap.

I can go on for days but I'll end it here...what are YOUR thoughts on this?