Labelling and Stigmatization of Aids or Hiv Patients in Hong Kong

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Introduction

Labeling and stigmatization, no matter it is due to illness or difference in race, social status, occupation, etc., is a huge and complex problem and common in history which cause many conflicts and even wars in the world. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), not only applied to the labeling theory, it suffered the most. People discriminate AIDS more severe than other infectious disease. Stigmatization induces discrimination, which is more painful and stressful than physical discomfort of the illness itself. People infected with AIDS cannot gain sympathy but criticism instead. However, this situation is very serious globally, including Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, numbers of infected person multiply rapidly all over the world. According to William C. Cockerham (1998) reported in his book that the United Nation estimated, up to 40 million people, may be infected with AIDS by the year 2000. In Hong Kong, referred to fig.1.1-1.7, the situation is similar, the report of infected cases increase continuously.

So, before invention of new treatment or vaccination, preventing AIDS transmission is the most important issue, which can only be achieved by enhancing the understanding and minimizing discrimination by general public. It is because misperception promotes bias, but bias causing stigmatization and discrimination, which affects social order and civilization and also promotes transmission. To realize discrimination induced by bias, label and stigma, we¡¯ll look deeper into what labelling and stigmatization are, why AIDS infected person stigmatized the most, what the bad outcome will be and what extent the discrimination is in Hong Kong.

Definition

Labeling is a process of defining an act as a deviant behavior and applies ¡®diagnosis¡¯ (Jones, Linda, 1994, p.408), by informal (e.g. layman) or official (e.g. doctors, lawyer, police, social worker) social control agents. Therefore, label is a definition of normal or deviance, the labelled person lost his/her original, real identity. Instead, this label attach to the person, define the characteristics he/she possess, and indicate what type of a person he/she is (Phelan, J.C and B.G. Link, 1999, p.140-141). After labelling, primary deviance, the behavior oppose social norms, that can be unnoticed, ignored or rationalized previously, is transformed to secondary deviance (Jones, 1994, p.407), in this state, deviant role is applied and confirmed, societal response (e.g. stigma, avoidance, indifferent, compassion, caring, apathy) then start, that reflect social and psychological impact of the diagnostic label.

Stigmatization, is a process through which a label become a stigma, a deviant person become stigmatized (Goffman, 1963,Jones et al.

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