The concept of stigma, in the context of social psychology, was defined in 1963 by a sociologist Erving Goffman. In his book, Stigma, Goffman referred to stigma as an “attribute that is deeply discrediting” and that may result in an individual being rejected by a wider society. Such attribute may be visible -such as one’s skin tone - or hidden, such as one’s state of mental health.
Goffman considered stigma to be a crucial part of one’s social life and suggested its presence in routine micro-level interactions. Goffman’s definition of stigma incorporates several discredited attributes, including “tribal stigmas” (e.g ethnicity), “physical deformities” (e.g. disability) and “blemishes of character” (e.g. mental ill health).
For example, one stigma that is still extremely prominent in the workplace is around mental ill health. Individuals with mental health conditions are sometimes unjustly accused as being dangerous, inept, unfocused, or impulsive due to the common misconception around mental ill health.
