Abstract:

This conceptual paper develops a macro-structural theory of stigma that clarifies how (de)stigmatization processes contribute to the reproduction and transformation of social order. Building on Goffman’s interactionist legacy and subsequent sociological and organizational work, I start by reviewing the aims and ontologies that have structured stigma scholarship in both fields and problematize fundamental questions about the social function, origins, and trajectories of stigmas and (de)stigmatization. Drawing on Gramsci’s (1971) theory of hegemony, I then advance a framework specifying four mechanisms through which (de)stigmatization processes shape social order: stigmatization as subaltern groups fragmentation, stigmatization as hierarchy and coercion legitimation, destigmatization as stabilization through passive revolution, and (de)stigmatization as hegemonic bloc formation. The framework is power-sensitive yet non-deterministic and ideology-sensitive yet agnostic. It delineates an emancipatory research agenda asking how various forms of organizing rely on socially harmful stigmas, and how stigma may be strategically redirected toward activities and behaviors that perpetuate social or environmental harm.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Critical Management Studies

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Mr. Léo Marante