Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/may.2020.56.01.02
Stigmatization of Alcoholics and Other High-Risk Social Groups – in Relation to Gender and Type of Vocation
Dražen Kovačević
; Neuropsychiatric Hospital Dr. Ivan Barbot, Popovača, Croatia
Ana Pavelić Tremac
; Neuropsychiatric Hospital Dr. Ivan Barbot, Popovača, Croatia
Tonko Carić
; Institute of Anthropology, Zagreb, Croatia
Joško Sindik
; Institute of Anthropology, Zagreb, Croatia
Narcisa Manojlović
; Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Apart from functional problems that arise from the fact that they belong to certain vulnerable social categories (individuals with chronic illnesses and conditions, individuals belonging to minorities and marginalized groups, etc.), members of these groups also face the feeling of distancing and/or rejection by others, including health professionals. The main purpose of this research is to determine social distances towards alcoholics compared with other high-risk social groups and to check for possible differences in social distances (and stigmatization) of alcoholics with regard to gender and occupation type. On a sample of 230 respondents (a deliberate sample of health and non-health professionals, heterogeneous by socio-demographic characteristics), using the Bogardus social distance scale, we investigated social distances for certain social groups: drug addicts, alcoholics, homosexuals, mentally ill individuals and individuals with physical disabilities. The results have shown that individuals with physical disabilities are the least stigmatized group, while the most stigmatized are drug addicts, with alcoholics being second according to social distance. A similar trend was also found in groups of subjects of different sex as well as different types of occupation, with an exception that alcoholics were the most stigmatized group among health professionals, while drug addicts were second most stigmatized group. Sexual differences in social distance towards alcoholics have not been confirmed, nor the differences between the two observed groups of occupations. The research results provide the basic guidelines needed to design the process of destigmatization of alcoholics, as well as other vulnerable social groups studied, in the populations of both health and non-health professionals of both sexes.
Keywords
high-risk social groups; alcoholics; social distance; stigma; health and non-health professionals
Hrčak ID:
233900
URI
Publication date:
20.5.2020.
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