Almost Equal: Consumption under Fragmented Stigma

Abstract

How do historically stigmatized social groups consume strategically when they have achieved greater recognition, status, and respectability in society? Based on a seven-year interpretive social representations analysis of gay men in Germany, the authors first show that dominant, stigmatizing representations of such groups do not ameliorate uniformly and for all. Instead, they fragment into oppressive, enabling, and normalized societal representations that different consumers encounter to different degrees in their everyday lives. In the wake of these societal shifts, the stigmatized group itself disintegrates into five representational subgroups, referred to as underground, discrete, hybrid, assimilated, and post-stigma social groups. These subgroups use consumption for different and partly opposing strategic purposes, such as hiding and denial, collective resistance, and deconstruction of differences. The authors synthesize their findings into a conceptual model of consumption under fragmented stigma that extends prior research on consumption under dominant and total stigma configurations and suggests ways in which consumption can mitigate but also reinforce stigma. In doing so, they also shed light on the complex lived experiences of a vulnerable social group that has become almost equal.

Bleak signs of our times: Descent into ‘Terminal Marketing’

“…Arnould and Thompson, 2005; Graeber, 2011) to communicate combinations of collective affiliations to oneself and others. They may be fraught with frustration (Holt and Thompson, 2004; Scaraboto and Fischer, 2013), stymied by stigma (Eichert and Luedicke, 2022; Liu and Kozinets, 2021), and complicated by contradictions (Canniford and Shankar, 2013; Kozinets et al, 2010), but the agentic character of these projects is rarely questioned, nor the market-based mechanism through which they are pursued (Askegaard and Linnet, 2011; Bradshaw, 2013). While there are exceptions to this norm (Thompson et al, 2013), interpretive marketing continues to typically write consumers into problem-solving ‘protagonists’, saving themselves and their world through better market choices.…”

Reclaiming the witch: Processes and heroic outcomes of consumer mythopoesis

“…Sometimes, witches come out of the 'broom' closet, revealing their identity to the world and furthering their process of reclaiming the witch myth. As in the case of LGBTQIA+ individuals, the process of coming out may lead to stigmatisation experiences (Eichert and Luedicke, 2022). Although for some witches coming out is a form of empowered identity performativity, others experience discrimination from significant others, acquaintances or social media audiences due to negative representations of witches as Wicked, Self-deluded or Charlatans.…”

“…Coming out as a witch is not always safe and can entail stigmatisation, coming both from those who deny the existence of magic and consider witches Charlatans or Self-deluded individuals and those who, relying on the Wicked witch myth, associate witches with Satanism. Witches face fragmented levels of stigma (Eichert and Luedicke, 2022) and select the audiences to whom they come out: other witches, partners and friends rather than, for example, family and co-workers; social media audiences using a pseudonym; or coming out fully.…”

This is your brain on stigma: Stigma attributions resulting from drug-related social marketing

“…Stigma research has investigated the contemporary impacts of stigma, taking a wider perspective of stigma's influence on people and communities (i.e. Eichert & Luedicke, 2022;Major et al, 2018). When evolutionary motivations are examined in isolation, the broader effects of stigma can be missed.…”

“…This dissonance from group identity was shown as a way to cope with the stigmatised identity of being a person who used drugs. In line with consumer research, drug consumption habits could be used as a way to differentiate oneself, retain social capital and resist being stigmatised (Crockett, 2017;Eichert & Luedicke, 2022). By validating their appropriate use and devaluing the inappropriate drug use of others, PWUD accounts protect themselves by making themselves distinct from others in the out-group.…”