Navigating Social Stigma: Who has it and what can we do about it?

Catalog description

A growing number of people have socially derogated (i.e., stigmatized) attributes that are visible (e.g., gender, race, and weight) or concealable (e.g., mental illness, sexual identity). In this class, we will examine theories and research on the psychology of stigmatization. Specifically, we will explore the psychological origins of why we stigmatize certain groups in society and how this label as “stigmatized” negatively impacts people living with stigmatized identities (e.g., poorer mental and feelings of belonging with others). By the end of this course, students will be able to critically examine and discuss research related to stigma for people with varied stigmatized identities while developing a plan to combat stigma in a topic area of the student’s interest (e.g., in healthcare, education, the media, and relationships).