Full Description
Steve Sussman explores the origins, evolution, and future directions of stigma research and health, providing detailed insights into the impact of stigmatization on quality of life and health behavior outcomes.
Stigma is examined through three levels of analysis - individual, microsocial, and structural - to evaluate its effects on the physical and mental health of various populations. These populations include individuals with mental illnesses, substance addictions, incarceration, homelessness, physical diseases, disabilities, or physical differences, and LGBTQ+ populations. Chapters also investigate stigmatization as a function of age, gender, socioeconomic status, occupation, ethnicity, and religion. Sussman traces the development of stigma assessment, examining research methods such as social distance scales, surveys, and qualitative approaches. Furthermore, Sussman identifies key barriers to reducing stigmatization, presenting solutions across multiple levels, including changes among stigmatized individuals, to those who stigmatize them, and broader structural reforms.
Understanding Stigma and Health is an invaluable resource for scholars and students across the social sciences, including those in the fields of social psychology, health psychology, health behavior research, sociology, social work, health policy, and public health.
Contents
Contents
Preface viii
PART I Stigma concepts and methods
Introduction to Part I 2
1 History of the study of stigma and current concepts 3
2 Levels of stigmatization (the stigma complex) 18
3 Methods of the study of stigma 26
PART II Stigma research areas: populations
Introduction to Part II 41
4 Mental illness, substance use disorder, incarceration,
homelessness 44
5 Physical diseases 64
6 LGBTQ+ 78
7 Demographics: age, gender, SES, occupation 91
8 Physical disabilities or differences, physical appearance 105
9 Ethnicity and religion 116
PART III Solutions to stigmatization
Introduction to Part III 128
10 Resolving stigma: changing oneself 131
11 Resolving stigma: changing others 141
12 Barriers to change, future needed research directions,
concluding comments 155
References 164
