Module: Sociology and Everyday Life
Week 9: Goffman – Stigma (Personal Identity)
Goffman tends to ignore the social structures of society. He focuses on the micro.
Passing = an individual attempting to pass off as normal.
Attempts to pass off as normal has a significant consequence and Goffman says can
be worse than admitting that you have a stigma.
Three different types of identity
Social identity there should be a match between actual and virtual identity.
Stigma arises when we are not what we ought to be.
Personal identity how individuals manage information about themselves – it
determines how other people view them.
Ego identity
Social Identity (first chapter)
It’s not just about social attributes, but personal attributes as well.
There are three types of stigma:
- Bodily – these are easy to spot
- Character – can only be found out by getting information about somebody.
Example: someone having an extramarital affair. Character stigmas may
vary over time.
- Tribal/group/family identity – where the broader group you belong to is
stigmatised.
The discreditable – those who managed to hide their stigma. There is always the risk
that it might come out. The people in this group are engaged in passing activities.
They make sure that others are unaware of the stigma that they possess.
Moral career
The journey that people went on in coming to terms with their identity. The
psychological barriers that they face. They come to a sense of peace with who they
are. You achieve a sense of tranquillity.
When we are growing up, we understand what it is to be normal (the I, the me and
the generalised others). Example: through role-playing games when we are young.
We understand what deviations from normal are.
Week 9: Goffman – Stigma (Personal Identity)
Goffman tends to ignore the social structures of society. He focuses on the micro.
Passing = an individual attempting to pass off as normal.
Attempts to pass off as normal has a significant consequence and Goffman says can
be worse than admitting that you have a stigma.
Three different types of identity
Social identity there should be a match between actual and virtual identity.
Stigma arises when we are not what we ought to be.
Personal identity how individuals manage information about themselves – it
determines how other people view them.
Ego identity
Social Identity (first chapter)
It’s not just about social attributes, but personal attributes as well.
There are three types of stigma:
- Bodily – these are easy to spot
- Character – can only be found out by getting information about somebody.
Example: someone having an extramarital affair. Character stigmas may
vary over time.
- Tribal/group/family identity – where the broader group you belong to is
stigmatised.
The discreditable – those who managed to hide their stigma. There is always the risk
that it might come out. The people in this group are engaged in passing activities.
They make sure that others are unaware of the stigma that they possess.
Moral career
The journey that people went on in coming to terms with their identity. The
psychological barriers that they face. They come to a sense of peace with who they
are. You achieve a sense of tranquillity.
When we are growing up, we understand what it is to be normal (the I, the me and
the generalised others). Example: through role-playing games when we are young.
We understand what deviations from normal are.
