Final answer:
Stigma refers to marking individuals as flawed based on characteristics, leading to discrimination and social exclusion, often observed in healthcare settings for certain diseases and in subtle societal discrimination
Step-by-step explanation:
Stigma refers to characteristics that mark individuals as deviant, flawed, tainted, and discounted in our minds, according to sociologist Erving Goffman's 1963 work. These characteristics can be related to various conditions, such as illnesses or disabilities, and can lead to discrimination and unfair treatment. For instance, mental disorders, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and skin disorders are often stigmatized in society, impacting patients' access to care and quality of facilities. Furthermore, stigma can result in individuals being labeled by their illness or disability, which overshadows their full identity, as interactionists and functionalists in sociology might argue. In addition to healthcare, stigma can also manifest in subtle forms of discrimination in society that are often hard to legislate against, such as selective inhospitality towards people of a certain race or ethnicity. Over time, cultural changes are needed to recognize and control such subtle discrimination.
It's crucial to differentiate between stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and racism, which are related but distinct concepts. Stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations that may lead to prejudice (–negative attitudes and feelings toward an individual) and discrimination (–the unfair treatment of an individual based on group identity), which can both arise from and reinforce stigma.