The stigmatized group is unfairly marked
Stigmatization is a term that does not appear in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). The concept derives from stigma , whose etymological origin is found in the Latin word stigma (referring to a mark made on the skin).
A mark that is difficult to erase
A stigma , therefore, is a mark or imprint on the body. The notion is also used symbolically with respect to bad fame , disgrace or injury . The verb stigmatize , on the other hand, refers to marking someone , either physically (with a hot metal, for example) or abstractly (through an infamy or insult).
From these definitions, we can return to the idea of stigmatization . This is what the process and result of stigmatizing is called.
For sociology
Stigmatization is generally talked about in the field of sociology . For this science, a stigma is a characteristic or attribute that causes the individual who carries it to be considered part of an inferior, unacceptable or negative group .
Stigmatization, in this framework, consists of attributing a trait of this type to a person or a social group. Stigmatized subjects are discriminated against and rejected , and may be victims of verbal attacks or physical abuse. In some cases, stigmatization can lead to murder.
Since it is an act that is usually carried out by one community towards another, generally a majority towards a minority, sociology studies it to understand not only its origin but the way in which it spreads until it becomes a massive phenomenon . The starting point, which we could refer to as "the seed", is usually fear, which gives rise to unfounded hatred and results in a contempt that blinds those who feel it, to the point of preventing them from recognizing their mistake.
If everything ended in a feeling of one person towards another, it would be easier to correct and eradicate. However, hate spreads exponentially and in an impossible way to control until it reaches entire countries. There is no greater influence than that of parents on their children, and this bond is a channel through which stigmatization spreads infallibly. For this reason, we grow up feeling rejection towards other races and groups of people whom we have never met.
Motivation of the stigmatizer
He who stigmatizes is responsible for dehumanizing the stigmatized, whom he usually takes as a threat . It can be understood that, in this process, the stigmatizer seeks to reinforce his self-esteem , in addition to making the stigmatized person guilty of his evils.
Let's see what happened with the coronavirus pandemic . Many specialists warned about the existence of stigmatization of those people who contract COVID-19 : beyond health concerns, they are blamed for the spread of the virus and described as dangerous.
Stigmatization blinds us because it is usually unfounded
In this context, the stigmatization of people from China, the country where the virus supposedly originated, also took place. This idea gave rise to a wave of aggression of varying severity, without distinction of age or sex . This dark page of our history is an opportunity to understand the reach that such a regrettable and unfair attitude can have.
Returning to the motivation of the stigmatizer, in a case of global interest it is possible to analyze different layers. Broadly speaking, we can say that the governments that relied on this idea that "China was to blame" have surely benefited by taking away some of its power and influence, given that it is a power. The people, on the other hand, may have joined the trend of stigmatization to feel part of a group and calm their fear of getting sick.