Stigma in Biology and Society: Marks, Social Exclusion, and Cultural Meanings

Biology and anatomy

• In general anatomy, a stigma can mean a small spot, mark, scar, or tiny opening on an organism.
• In flowering plants the stigma is the receptive tip of the pistil where pollen lands and germinates during fertilisation.
• Some single-celled organisms have a pigmented light-sensitive region often called an eyespot or stigma; examples include Euglena and Chlamydomonas, where it helps orient the cell toward light sources.
• In ophthalmology, astigmatism is an optical imperfection of the eye that causes blurred or distorted vision because the cornea or lens has an irregular curvature.

Social meaning and discrimination

• The term has long been used metaphorically to describe a "badge of shame"—a visible or perceived mark that leads to disapproval or loss of status.
• Social stigma refers to negative social attitudes and discrimination directed at people who possess an attribute, characteristic, or belief considered undesirable by a culture or group. A common example is weight stigma, where people who are overweight or obese face prejudice and stereotyping.

Sociology and psychology

Scholars study stigma as a social process that can marginalize individuals or groups. Research examines how stigma is created, how it affects identity and opportunities, and how people manage or resist stigmatizing labels. Work in this area explores legal, economic, and health consequences as well as interventions to reduce prejudice.

Culture and media

• Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, published in 1963, is a foundational book by Erving Goffman that analyses how people cope with attributes that others devalue.
• Stigma is also the title of a Japanese manga by Kazuya Minekura.
• In music, Stigma is the name of a 1992 album by the band EMF, and Vinnie Stigma is the stage name of the guitarist known for his work with the hardcore bands Agnostic Front and Madball.

Other uses

Historically and in religious contexts, stigmata can denote marks or wounds that resemble those suffered during crucifixion; the term is also used in various technical or disciplinary senses wherever a distinguishing mark or sign is relevant.