Nonetheless, through the use of autobiographies and case studies Goffman analyzes stigmatized individuals and their experiences. Overall, he looks at the variety of strategies that stigmatized individuals’ use to respond to their situations, such as dealing with rejection and how to project themselves to others. Goffman provides use with the two sides of the story; it not only captures the experiences of the stigmatized, but also of those who label them. Therefore, I argue that stigma is something established by society, and it is this that not only limits and constrains individuals, but also forces them to want to be different
To start off, what I found really interesting was the way the book starts. The letter to a "Lonelyhearts" captures the experience of a girl who has been stigmatized for being "born without a nose." Nonetheless, the interesting part is that the letter concludes, "Ought I commit suicide?" In my opinion this short letter, sets the tone for a book that addresses the alienation and categorization of those different …show more content…
Therefore, it is clear that stigma has/is present in each of your lives, however we all experience it in different ways. From a personal experience, stigma has always been present in my life. Whether is was my skin color, or class background those are stigma symbols that I carry with me everywhere I go. Nonetheless, the media and society tend to stigmatize my people by referring to us as criminals, or stigmatize us based on teen pregnancy. I might not fall under the categories but the way I look makes me a possible