ABSTRACT
Today, the term ‘stigma’ may well carry a negative connotation but, etymologically, the origins of the semantic derive from the Greek word referring to a tattoo mark. More specifically, this was the branding of a name with the use of a hot iron impressed on people to show that they were devoted to the services of the temple. Later this religious message was somewhat secularised to designate the marking of an individual as a slave or criminal, which is an early indication that the concept of stigma is not static and fixed but one that is influenced by the social changes over any given epoch. This changing dynamic of stigma and its corollary, social exclusion, will be emphasised throughout this book. Even in contemporary times society’s beliefs and attitudes continue to influence the meaning of stigma as we understand it in terms of our own culture and societal context. The profound and dramatic world events that shake the foundations of a society cause its individuals to reconsider, reflect, and re-prioritise what is considered as really important to their individual communities. It is at such times that notions of stigma and social exclusion are shaken and re-formed, and the boundaries defining what was considered to be obviously deviant at another period of our time become blurred and indistinct. Such social movement emanates from the normative prescriptions according to a society’s structure, function and influences, logically leading to questions relating to the causes of such changes. It is suggested that, while some situational conditions move to a state in which they appear to carry less potential to create stigma, others arise to increase the likelihood of creating difference. There are also strong cultural differences in what is considered a stigma, as well as regional variations within wider social contexts. From national values to gang-cultural codes, the variety of rules and taboos which may be transgressed can all elicit the process of marginalisation and contribute to the formation of stigmatised conditions.
