“You are filthy, cursed, and impious”: A story of stigmatization by the loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

Through writing differently, this article aims to give in-depth insights into the intimate and painful experiences of stigmatization during the coronavirus pandemic. It reveals the extent to which the social stigma attached to coronavirus has proliferated “otherness” even among the family members. The coronavirus was linked to filthiness, impiety, and a curse, which led to heart wrenching gossips, social rejections, and exclusions both within the family and beyond. This study contributes to our cultural understanding of social stigma associated with the coronavirus, the “otherness” it has created among the family, and the way it has affected one's psychological health and wellbeing through alternative writing.