- 1 of 7 - Associative Stigma
Are you familiar with any of the following situations?
Children in school telling a kid they have “cooties”, and then by association, any friends of that kid or in contact with them has cooties, too.
A family hides details of another family member to avoid “consequences” as depicted in the movie LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.
Parents like those in the movie Girl, Interrupted focused more on keeping family secrets to avoid a “holiday party crisis” than supporting their daughter through tough times.
More than likely, you have experienced one or more of these situations either in real life or through TV shows and movies. Each situation provides an example of someone being marked with shame or disgrace and then others are also marked by association - AKA associative stigma or stigma by association - or they fear being marked through association. While impact from these situations can range from childish to extreme, each cause harm.
Continuing to explore and learn about stigmas through my personal Mission StigmaFree, associative stigma was the first type/category of seven main stigma types I unpacked. Two weeks ago, I did not know the expression “associative stigma” but I would support empowerment over shame regardless of being direct or by association. Learning about associative stigma reaffirms my passion and dedication to lead with empowerment, not shame and blame.