Loss, Trauma, and Resilience by Pauline Boss

Author:Pauline Boss
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2018-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

WHAT HINDERS?

The following factors and conditions hinder the reconstruction of identity after the trauma of ambiguous loss.

Discrimination and Stigma

Among the most deleterious contexts in which to reconstruct identity after the trauma of ambiguous loss are those that stigmatize and discriminate against race, color, class, sexual orientation, disability, gender, age, religion, and culture. At fairly young ages we know where we are on this list and how the community around us views the list. Whether in school, on the job, in the clinic, or at our place of worship, we know early on whether or not a person’s identity fits family and community expectations. Schoolmates may yell stigmatizing epithets or ossify identities by labeling—the retard, the jock, the bimbo, the druggie, the nerd. Too often others in the community don’t look beyond the prejudiced identities. The problem worsens as the stigmatized persons shape their own identities by how others see and treat them. In this instance, seeing one’s self in the eyes of others has a negative influence on identity construction and reconstruction.

According to O’Brien and Kollock, examples of stigmatized identities are the homeless, mental patients, the poor, and people with unpopular religious beliefs, with the most stigmatized identities being “handicapped, homeless, ex-convict, hooker, drug addict, mental patient, [and] welfare recipient” (2001, p. 500). In many communities, stigma still follows the identities of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people. Many people of color still face discrimination and the stigma of racial slurs. It is important for professionals to understand that some identities, because they are stigmatized, cause ambiguous losses. Culturally and personally, prejudice can bring shame and the impulse to hide one’s authentic identity from others. Interaction is stifled and trust is rare. In this way, stigma and discrimination hinder resilience.

In some cases people who have suffered stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and genocide change their identities to pass as someone other than who they are. Passing as straight, as white, as a man or a woman—all may be related to safety and reconstructing an identity to escape a stigmatized identity (Crawford, 1993; Kroeger, 2003). Whatever the reason, trying to maintain an inauthentic identity strains resiliency and health.

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