“Whenever I Searched St. Louis, the First Thing I Saw Was the Murder Rate.” Community Perceptions of Living in Stigmatized Geographies

• In Event: Exploring Conceptualizations of Safety: Gender, Stigma, and Public Discourses

Abstract

Stigmatization within the context of communities is not a novel concept. Evolving from Goffman’s (1963) concept of social stigma and the handling of spoiled identities, numerous scholars have coined different terms, such as “deprived areas” (Taei et al., 2023), “territorial stigmatization” (Wacquant, 2007), and “stigmatized neighborhoods” (Ropert & Di Masso, 2021). With this theoretical framework in mind, we seek to better understand how individuals make sense of territorial stigma and its negative consequences. We use data from interviews (n=96) and focus groups (n=28) from three locations- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Missoula County, Montana, and St. Louis County, Missouri - to conduct an in-depth examination from the perspective of both criminal legal system actors and system impacted individuals. Participants' discussions revolved around historical inequalities underlying the stigmatization of their community, such as decades of segregation, racial discrimination, and disinvestment. Stigma practices by the media coverage and police practices were also frequently reported. To cope with spatial stigma, participants utilized a myriad of submission and resistance strategies. Findings contribute to a larger discussion around the creation and perpetuation of stigma and its impact on historically disenfranchised communities.

Authors

• Konstadina Spanoudakis, University of Missouri-St. Louis

• Claire Greene, Webster University

• Lee Ann Slocum, University of Missouri-St. Louis