Passing & Stigma

Erving Goffman, a Canadian-born influential sociologist, coined the idea of passing in his novel, Stigma: Notes On The Management Of Spoiled Identity (1963). In his novel, he examines the extent to which individuals protect their identities through concealment. He describes passing as, “the management of undisclosed discrediting information about self” (Goffman, 1963). Passing focuses on the fact that not only is an individual endowed or prescribed with some kind of personally discrediting information about self, but that this information is undisclosed to others who observe and interact with that person. The social process of passing can only be understood in the context of stigma, a term to designate “tattoo marks” or other physical blemishes upon the body. Contemporary analogies include the expressions “branded,” “spoiled” or marked” to elaborate various factors that characterize stigma as “an attribute that is deeply discrediting” (Goffman, 1963). Passing is used to cope with being stigmatized and increase social acceptance. Goffman suggested that society uses collective characteristics about social groups to define how we will relate to individuals who are thought to be members of those groups. This social identity as he called it, is comprised of personal as well as structural attributes which are derived in the context of social settings. When an individual is endowed with a failing or shortcoming which has “more or less abiding characteristics, as opposed to moods, feelings or intents” (Goffman, 1963). A specific social example of this occurs in religion.

Religion

For example, the Muslim religion has been scrutinized for a long time following 9/11. Passing as a member of a different religion or as not religious at all is not uncommon among minority religious communities. Individuals pass on their religion to avoid the scrutiny and stigma associated with their religion. Following 9/11, many practicing Muslims were the center of hate crimes. Several Muslims refrained from wearing their traditional clothing as to not stand out or draw unwanted attention. Many females refrained from wearing the hijab as to avoid being the victim of hate crimes. By dressing differently, these Muslims were concealing their identity to be more socially accepted. Muslims also began practicing more inside the home than attending masses and other religious group meetings as to avoid potential discrimination or violence. An 18-year old Muslims student witnessed this first hand. He wrote, “Normally about 150 people would attend the weekly prayer service, and there were no more than 20 people,” he said. “That’s when it hit me that life was not going to be the same for me as a Muslim in America as it had ever been before.”

The Media & the Government

Anti-Muslim hate crimes are approximately five times more frequent than they were before 2001, according to the FBI. A social institution that oppressed the Muslim community greatly, was the government. Following the tragic events of 9/11, the government helped to divide the Muslim community from society as they blamed all/majority of Muslim’s religious beliefs for these atrocious crimes. This implied that Islamic practicers were the bad people and that other faith practicers and non-religious people were the good people. This widened the gap between Islam practicers and the rest of society. Another institution was media. The media played a huge role in causing moral panic around the Muslim community. The media portrayed Muslims as dangerous, untrustworthy, and traitors to this country. Because of these institutions oppressing Muslims, they could not stand up for themselves initially. Eventually, the Muslim community had enough and took to the streets demanding fair and equal treatment.