Stigmology
The study of social stigmas—how they are constructed, attached to groups or behaviors, and used to enforce social order. Stigmology examines the processes by which certain traits (disability, illness, criminal record, non-normative identity) become markers of shame or danger, and how stigmatized individuals are excluded or disciplined. Drawing on Erving Goffman, critical disability studies, and race theory, stigmology reveals that stigma is not inherent in any trait but is socially produced and historically variable. It also studies resistance: how stigmatized groups reclaim, refuse, or reinterpret the marks of stigma.
Example: “Stigmology research showed how 'mental illness' became a catch-all label for social deviance—not because of science, but because of a history of institutional control.”
Stigmology by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 2, 2026
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