Goffman, Erving (stigma and total institutions)

Erving Goffman, a sociologist, studied how society labels and treats individuals with certain attributes—what he called "stigma." Stigma occurs when a person is seen as different or undesirable, leading to discrimination or social exclusion. He also explored "total institutions," like prisons or mental hospitals, where people's identities are reshaped because they are cut off from society and subjected to strict routines. These concepts reveal how social systems influence personal identity and how individuals navigate acceptance and marginalization within society.