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Housing Stigmatization: A General Theory

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  • Mervyn Horgan

    (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph, Canada)

Abstract

This article treats housing stigmatization as a social process of symbolic ascription, connected to inhabitants, housing form, housing tenure, and/or housing location. Stigmatization research tends to focus on personal stigmatization, or to examine housing only in relation to territorial stigmatization, while housing research tends to focus on health and policy. This article demonstrates that housing stigmatization, which is differentiated from personal stigmatization and territorial stigmatization, is a viable unit of analysis in its own right for stigma research. Seven core elements are identified, showing that housing stigmatization is: (1) relational; (2) contextual; (3) processual; (4) reinforceable; (5) reversible; (6) morally loaded; and (7) treated as contagious. Comprehending the elements of housing stigmatization will benefit destigmatization efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Mervyn Horgan, 2020. "Housing Stigmatization: A General Theory," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 8-19.
  • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v:8:y:2020:i:1:p:8-19
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Peer Smets & Margarethe Kusenbach, 2020. "New Research on Housing and Territorial Stigma: Introduction to the Thematic Issue," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7.
    2. Bełej, Mirosław & Cellmer, Radosław & Foryś, Iwona & Głuszak, Michał, 2023. "Airports in the urban landscape: externalities, stigmatization and housing market," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).

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