Stigma and social welfare

Abstract

In this chapter, Robert Pinker discusses the concept of stigma as it relates to social welfare. He considers a number of empirically testable hypotheses in the form of a model of social welfare that could be used to classify welfare systems on the basis of their stigmatising propensities. His aim is to come up with a theory explaining why people are elevated or debased in exchange relationships and to show whether, in everyday life, there is a distinction between ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ of services. Pinker describes three variables related to this distinction between the welfare roles of ‘giver’ and ‘receiver’: depth, distance and time. Pinker concludes with the argument that the phenomenon of stigma is central to understanding the structure and aims of welfare services and the balance of power within societies where institutionalised forms of conflict are common.

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