Intersectional Identities and Stigma Recovery

Abstract

Unethical behaviors (e.g., stealing) are viewed more positively when they benefit someone other than the unethical actor. Scholars argue actors can use this “prosociality” effect to restore their identities after they engage in deviant actions. We investigate whether this interactional resource is more available to some categories of people than others. We use the intersectionality literature to discuss how combinations of race and gender might influence whether a prosocial unethical behavior is defined in negative or positive terms. We use affect control theory to generate hypotheses about when the intersectional identities will lead to more negative or positive evaluations and labeling of the actor and behavior. In an online experiment, we find that the evaluation and labeling of an actor are less affected by prosociality when he is a white male. Women of both races and men of color can restore their identities, but only by behaving in a completely prosocial way.

Multilevel Stigma and Its Associations with Medical Care Ratings Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in HPTN 078

“…Previous literature has documented the relationship between stigmatization, race, healthcare access, and retention among clients who are African American, MSM and living with HIV; reasons for these consistent inequities include structural racism which propagate medical mistrust, lack of training in LGBTQ health care and diversity among providers, greater burden of barriers to care like housing insecurity, food insecurity, mental health challenges, and/or less financial resources to remain in care and virally suppressed. 16 , 18 , 22 , 38 , 41 , 42 Multi-level assessments of stigma should be prioritized to design and implement effective stigma reduction in healthcare settings for African American MSM clients 43 - 45 who have the highest rates of HIV and related negative health outcomes in the US. These poor outcomes are due to these multi-level challenges which impact their care outcomes at the individual level but require changes at the structural level.…”

“…Gunn et al 42 also note that stigma needs to be assessed consistently pre-post as well. Along with structural changes to challenge these processes, stigma reduction in healthcare settings that is cognizant of the multilayered, intersectional identities of African American clients who are sexual minorities and also MSM living with HIV can ensure equitable care receipt not just in HIV-specific areas, but can also progress national efforts to “end the HIV epidemic.” 26 , 43 - 46 …”

Interpreting Events Involving Police: Liberals, Conservatives, and Moderates in the Face of Ambiguity

“…Following Ramos and colleagues (Ramos et al, 2019;Ramos, 2022), research assistants also coded for sequencing when participants added contextual information that preceded the headline. For example, in response to the headline, Police officer kills dog, one respondent said, "The dog attacked the officer."…”

Whom to Help: Prosocial Behaviors and the Restoration of a Tarnished Identity

“…Previous studies of restorative actions using ACT have focused almost entirely on which emotional displays by victims and perpetrators affect impressions and sanctions (Robinson et al, 1994; Tsoudis, 2000; Tsoudis & Smith-Lovin, 1998, 2001; Zhao & Rogalin, 2017). More recently, Ramos et al 2019 show that prosociality, or benefiting others at the expense of the actor (Simpson & Willer, 2008), can repair a moral transgressor’s image to a different extent depending on the perpetrator’s race and gender. Current research has not explored other situational elements that, according to ACT, should qualify the effect of prosociality on an actor’s impressions.…”

“…Research in this vein has largely focused on how emotional expressions during confessions affect impressions about the perpetrator and recommended sentences (e.g., Robinson et al, 1994; Tsoudis & Smith-Lovin, 1998, 2001). More recently, Ramos et al (2019) have shown that prosociality after a misdeed can restore a positive impression to various degrees depending on the race and gender of the perpetrator. While these studies have improved our understanding of restorative actions, other important situational features have been ignored.…”