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Experience Of Stigmatization And Discrimination Of Former Psychiatric Inpatients, Amy Rappaport

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

In our culture as well as other cultures, there are social norms that are prescribed and expected to be followed. If an individual does not act in accordance with these social norms, there are often consequences. In Edgerton's (1971) article, "Anthropology, Psychiatry, and Man's Nature," he states, "Sometimes, of course, the sanctions against deviant behavior are supernatural, consisting of immediate and horrible punishment by gods, spirits, ancestors or the like" (p. 45). In present day culture in the United States, the researcher contends that there are both traditional and modern belief systems that serve to ostracize the stigmatized deviant.