Stigma – According to Webster’s dictionary, “stigma is the disapproval of, or discrimination against a person based on perceivable social characteristics that serves to distinguish them from other members of a society.”
All of us are affected by social stigma. On occasion, we are the victim of it. Other times we can perpetuate it. Stigma and bias can result from the best of intentions as easily as it can be the result of ignorance. People may want to impose their concept of “what is right” or to help someone to “avoid making a mistake.” Stigma is especially prevalent for people who suffer from poverty or are from marginalized communities.
If we can become aware of the dangers of stigma, understand the consequences, and accept that we all can use this knowledge to remove the barriers created by stigma.
Consider the following actual examples of stigma …
… A food insecure person feeling anxious and embarrassed standing in line outside of a food bank in full view of their friends and neighbours.
Stigma = Public Shame.
… A parent worrying about what kind of questions will be asked during there “intake” discussion. Afraid that if they answer the questions incorrectly then their children will go hungry.
Stigma = Fear of processes they don’t understand
… Anyone commenting that the assistance offered by food organizations is a “hand out” rather than a “hand-up.”
Stigma = Dismissive of the importance of language
… A food insecure person being told by a store clerk, when they are buying dog food that, “If they are poor, they shouldn’t have a dog.
Stigma = Dismissive of the need for companionship
… A volunteer from a local food organization stating, “We don’t have any homeless people in our community.” This dedicated, middle class, retired volunteer, with the best of intentions is completely wrong. They don’t see vulnerable people in their neighbourhood so they must not exist.
Stigma = Ignorance of what they can’t see
… A local politician making a speech saying, “People just need to get a job, they need to pull themselves up by their “bootstraps”. By grouping poor and food insecure people under one generic label and they assume a job will solve all of their issues without appreciating any of the circumstances that vulnerable person encountered.
Stigma = Low income people just need to try harder
… A politician voting against “guaranteed personal income or living wages” because of the belief that it is an “incentive for low-income people not to work” or because it makes it easier for people to “get a free-ride,” when many of their wealthy supporters use tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes.
Stigma = Low-income people are just lazy
… The mistaken belief that food organizations have a duty to prevent fraud by policing “food bank shopping.” Client of some food organizations are going to multiple organizations because many food banks only give out 3 or 4 days worth of food at a time.
Stigma = food insecure people cannot be trusted
… A Board of Directors not supporting a policy that provides clients with a gift card instead of food. The gift card would give clients the dignity of choosing what food they want to buy for themselves. The Board of Directors don’t want clients spending the money on cigarettes, alcohol, or junk food instead of “real food.”
Stigma = Low-income people cannot make good decisions
… A volunteer commenting loud enough for a client to hear, “that person has an I-Phone, if they have enough money for that, they don’t deserve a handout?” The volunteer doesn’t know the phone may be a refurbished model or that many government programs are only accessible if the client has a smart phone.
Stigma = Low-income people can’t prioritize
… An intake volunteer asking a parent for proof of id’s for their children at home. The volunteer insists that the parent either provides physical proof or must bring the children in order to get food. The volunteer does not even consider the psychological trauma for the children.
Stigma = Low-income people can’t be trusted and don’t deserve to be treated with dignity.
… The conviction that some business lobbyists have that, “Businesses can’t afford to pay a living wage,” without acknowledging the social and economic benefits of not allowing people to earn enough money to have a basic standard of living.
Stigma = A living wage is a burden rather than a responsibility
… The belief that it is an acceptable practice to distribute “expired” food products to clients with the attitude that food insecure people “should be grateful to get what is being offered.”
Stigma = Vulnerable people should be grateful for any assistance
… The belief that gift cards are not appropriate donations for Christmas Toy Drives because parents might not spend the money appropriately.
Stigma = Low-income people cannot make good choices
… The argument from some volunteers that food bank clients “don’t want fresh fruit or vegetables” because the clients prefer canned products, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Stigma = Assuming everyone has the same preferences as the volunteers
… The unwillingness of some organizations to recruit new, more diverse volunteers because “new people always want to change things.”
Stigma = Fear of losing control
… Some clients who believe other people deserve help more than they do. For example, an elderly client who was eating cat food because they believed there were other people who were worse off than she was.
Stigma = Guilt for wanting help
… A senior who prevented his wife from going to a food organization because all of his friends and neighbours would know that he had failed as a provider.
Stigma = Fear of public shaming or embarrassment
… People not understanding the size and scope of food insecurity in their region. For example, believing that by donating some non-perishable items, people are solving the food insecurity issue. Everyone needs to realize food insecurity is a symptom of poverty and the lack of affordable and safe housing. Many members of the public are shocked to find food insecure people are spending upwards of 80 to 100% of their income on housing, forcing them to choose between eating and having a home.
Stigma = Ignorance of the real problem in their region
… A volunteer complaining that certain clients come back every time they can, without realizing the volunteers are the only people some these clients have to interact with.
Stigma = Dismissive of importance of human contact
These types of comments and situations have happened and continue to happen because as a society, many of us are unaware of the multitude of circumstances that vulnerable people face. As a community, we need to try to be aware, to understand and appreciate that people are suffering from stigma. Food insecure and vulnerable people deserve the same dignity and respect that most of us take for granted.
To underline the importance of eliminating stigma, note that statistics show that only one in four people who should use a food bank actually will, and stigma is one of the leading causes.
Stigma causes real damage, this “Awareness” post is the first of two, in an upcoming post, we will examine “Understanding and Acceptance” as ways to overcome stigma, not only for the victims, but also so that we avoid perpetuating stigma ourselves.