Stigma management : an exploratory study on middle class Chinese naturalised citizens

Abstract

Drawing on in-depth data from interviews with self-identified middle class naturalised citizens who originated from Mainland China, this study aims to explore the ways in which youth naturalized citizens negotiate their national identity in the face of stigma. Adopting Goffman’s work and neo-Goffmanian literature on stigma, this study examines (a) the stigma and double consciousness experienced by stigmatized individuals, and (b) the stigma and identity management strategies employed. Notwithstanding the limitations of nonprobability sampling, this study reveals three key strategies: distancing, selective disclosure, and situated identity. Notably, the findings mirror those of neo-Goffmanian studies that reflect the diversity of the stigmatized; it suggests that the stigma management strategies employed by respondents change depending on the visibility of stigmatizing traits and the varying motivations of the participants in the face of stigma or potentially stigmatizing circumstances.