Marginality, Stigma, and Communication
Goffman (1963) popularized the concept of stigma through his well-cited book, Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. He defined it as “an attribute that is deeply discrediting,” which reduces the bearer “in our minds from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one” (Goffman 1963, 3). Stigmatizing attributes include “abominations of