Topics in Social and Personality Psychology: Being Different: The Psychology of Social Stigmas

This seminar will focus on the social and psychological experiences of people who possess (or are believed to possess) some attribute, or characteristic, that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context. A variety of topics will be discussed, including: how stigmatized individuals view their identities in society; the mental and cognitive consequences of being a member of a stigmatized group; how stigmatized individuals cope with their stigmatization; and interactions between stigmatized and nonstigmatized individuals.