The Stigma Discourse-Value Framework

Although stigma was first theorized as a basic social process, its contemporary developments have been highly compartmentalized. Understanding the nature of stigma—how it operates across subjects and circumstances—requires a return to general theory. The authors take this general turn, focusing on stigma’s discursive element. Through combined case studies of race, disability, and fat stigma (134 interviews with 146 parents), they develop the stigma discourse-value framework (DVF) as a theoretical scaffold for stigma discourse studies. The DVF includes three value-oriented categories: stigma as deficit, value-neutral diversity, and value-added pride. Tracing commonalities and divergences within and between cases vis-à-vis the DVF, the authors show stigma discourse to be a multifaceted interpersonal process that variously reflects, reinforces, and challenges stigmatizing social structures.