Stigma

The acclaimed sociologist's landmark, compassionate work on how society treats those who are different

'By definition, of course, we believe the person with a stigma is not quite human'

In ancient times stigma were physical marks branded on people considered unfit to be in society. Today social stigma shames those seen as 'abnormal' in more insidious ways. Erving Goffman's defining sociological study draws extensively on the lived experiences of those who have found themselves ...