Product Description

Sociologist Gerhard Falk examines the social psychology that motivates this process of exclusion, focusing on the outcasts in contemporary American society and comparing current experience with examples from the past. Referring to the work of Emile Durkheim and Erving Goffman, Falk reviews the whole range of stigmatised people from the mentally ill to ordinary people with unpopular occupations, like undertakers and trash collectors. Amid the wide diversity of stigmatised persons, he finds two basic types of outsiders: the 'existential' and the 'achieved'. The first group comprises those who are stigmatised because of their very existence, regardless of their specific actions: the mentally handicapped, for example. The second group describes those whose actions or life conditions have resulted in stigma: from high achievers (often subject to resentment) to criminals. Falk also looks at the ways in which writers past and present have dramatised stigmatised characters in literature. This fascinating overview of a long-standing and widespread social problem will be of interest to all those concerned about creating a more fair-minded society.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #197123 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.17 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 376 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Stigmas which derive from the Greek "stig," meaning "to prick" (referring to the tattoos used to mark slaves) now come in a frighteningly wide variety, emerging everywhere from the Columbine High School shootings to social politics surrounding immigration. In this general overview, Falk (Sex, Gender and Social Change), professor of sociology at SUNY Buffalo, looks at how large segments of the population Jews, women, homosexuals, the mentally challenged, single people, prostitutes, Native Americans, African-Americans, the overweight and even the successful are stigmatized. Beginning with a broad theory of the uses and abuses of stigmatizing, including the differences between societal and situational deviance, Falk discusses the intricacies of how specific groups are branded and resist the cultural stigmas placed upon them. At his best, Falk is as comfortable quoting data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics as he is questioning the religious underpinnings of Alcoholics Anonymous or evaluating studies of prison-release programs. Too often, however, this wide-ranging book feels overly ambitious and incomplete. Falk fails to map out the deeper subtleties of his topic, such as when he touches on a postmodern critique of race, but then lapses into more traditional commentary. He also confuses the reader as he moves from the Salem witch trials to the McMartin preschool case or a discussion of homophobia. But despite these flaws, there is a wealth of solid material here his prcis of anti-Indian themes in U.S. literature is concise and insightful which makes the book particularly appropriate for readers with sweeping interests, and for newcomers to sociology.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"...a well-researched and clearly written book...this thoughtful text is highly recommended..." -- Choice, January 2002

From the Inside Flap
Many of us have experienced social stigma at some time in our lives: we may have been ridiculed because of our religion, our ethnic group, our race, or our gender. But what exactly is stigma and how does it come about? What is it in human nature that leads us to label some people as insiders and isolate others as outsiders? How do we choose some members of our society for special, often cruel treatment--and why do we do it? If we could understand and acknowledge the individual and social underpinnings of stigmatization, would we as a society choose to reduce or eliminate its negative effects?

Sociologist Gerhard Falk examines the social psychology that motivates this process of exclusion, focusing on the outcasts in contemporary American society and comparing current experience with examples from the past.

Falk reviews a whole range of stigmatized people, from the mentally ill to ordinary people with unpopular occupations like undertakers. Amid the broad spectrum of people undervalued by society, he finds two basic types of outsiders: the "existential" and the "achieved." The first group comprises those who are singled out because of their very existence, regardless of any specific actions they may have performed: for example, the mentally handicapped, the obese, homosexuals, single women, and the old. The second group describes those whose actions or life conditions have resulted in society marking them for special treatment: among these are highly successful people who are suddenly defamed or denounced, the homeless, ex-convicts, prostitutes, and the foreign-born.

This fascinating overview of a long-standing and widespread social problem will be of interest to all who seek tolerance, fairness, and equality in society.