The stigma turbine:A theoretical framework for conceptualizing and contextualizing marketplace stigma

Stigmas, or discredited personal attributes, emanate from social perceptions of physical characteristics, aspects of character, and “tribal” associations (e.g., race; Goffman 1963). Extant research emphasizes the perspective of the stigma target, with some scholars exploring how social institutions shape stigma. Yet the ways stakeholders within the socio-commercial sphere create, perpetuate, or resist stigma remain overlooked. We introduce and define marketplace stigma as the labeling, stereotyping, and devaluation by and of commercial stakeholders (consumers, companies and their employees, stockholders, institutions) and their offerings (products, services, experiences). We offer the Stigma Turbine (ST) as a unifying conceptual framework that locates marketplace stigma within the broader sociocultural context, and illuminates its relationship to forces that exacerbate or blunt stigma. In unpacking the ST, we reveal the critical role market stakeholders can play in (de)stigmatization, explore implications for marketing practice and public policy, and offer a research agenda to further our understanding of marketplace stigma and stakeholder welfare

Don\u27t Be a Nerd in Front of a Gangsta: Exploring Coping Strategies, Identity Management, and Marginalization in Gifted Adolescents

Gifted children are unique individuals with advanced intelligence, superior reasoning skills, and the ability to think critically, creatively, and abstractly. However, they often experience social isolation because they are sometimes stereotyped as nerds and geeks. Gifted children are considered at-risk youth because they are prone to depression, contemplating suicide, dropping out of high school and becoming underachievers. The current study explored the marginalized status of these students, identified social coping strategies these children use, and examine how these children manage multiple identities. A qualitative method was used to analyze data. The study found that gifted children may be marginalized by their peers because of their perceived privilege. Gifted children employ a variety of communication strategies to cope with their marginalized status. They also use communication as a way to express identity in peer groups. Additionally, the existence of another marginalized group was discovered; this is a group of high achieving children whose IQs do not qualify them to be labeled as gifted. These children are not accepted by their gifted peers because they are too dumb” and they are not accepted by their non-gifted peers because they are too smart.