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Stigmatization

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Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics

Abstract

This entry reviews the definition, public health consequences, and moral status of stigmatization. Stigmatization involves identifying and marking an undesirable characteristic in a way that narrows a person’s social identity to that characteristic. The consequences of stigmatization include marginalization and, in some cases, dehumanization. Stigmatization often contributes to poor global health outcomes, particularly for the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases and mental illness. In other cases, however, such as smoking cessation, stigmatization may result in improved health outcomes. Both consequentialist and non-consequentialist frameworks address the ethics of using stigmatization as a public health tool although these theories reach different conclusions.

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Further Readings

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 Bowdoin Square 6th Floor, Boston, MA, USA

    Justin Chen MD, MPH

  2. Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Institute for Patient Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Francis Street, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrew Courtwright MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Justin Chen MD, MPH
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  2. Andrew Courtwright MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin Chen MD, MPH .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Duquesne University Center for Healthcare Ethics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Henk ten Have

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Chen, J., Courtwright, A. (2015). Stigmatization. In: ten Have, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_404-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_404-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05544-2

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