Social Stigma of "Euro-orphanhood"

In this article we discuss results of an experiment that tested consequences of stigmatizing children with the linguistic label of "euro-orphan", as contrasted with other labels (e.g., children of parents who temporarily live abroad) The study was grounded in following theoretical approaches: (1) Goffman᾿s theory of stigma; (2) linguistic determinism and (3) social constructivism. It was assumed that the specific use of language (terms used to describe social reality) may be a cause of stereotyping and stigmatization of people belonging to various social groups. These processes are often automatic, e.g. they trigger cognitive structures (schemata), affects or behaviors that favour or disfavour other people. Experimental findings showed that the stigmatization process of 'euro-orphans᾿ was not homogeneous or universal and that it should be evaluated through additional contextual variables peerReviewed publishedVersion