Premium
Identity Concealment and Social Change: Balancing Advocacy Goals Against Individual Needs
Author(s) -
Pasek Michael H.,
FilipCrawford Gabrielle,
Cook Jonathan E.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12223
Subject(s) - situational ethics , social psychology , identity (music) , intervention (counseling) , psychology , self disclosure , social identity theory , public relations , visibility , stigma (botany) , process (computing) , internet privacy , political science , social group , computer science , physics , optics , psychiatry , acoustics , operating system
We consider the conflicting multilevel forces around concealment and disclosure that may weigh on individuals as they navigate life with a concealable stigmatized identity. In particular, we explore a tension that can arise between immediate personal motivations to conceal and the potential for disclosure to increase the visibility of a stigmatized group and normalize it, thus helping to change social attitudes and reduce structural stigma. We argue that personal benefits of disclosure are moderated by individual differences and situational characteristics. This suggests that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach that focuses exclusively or primarily on the benefits of disclosure can be problematic. We thus recommend that any intervention campaign that seeks to encourage disclosure should balance social advocacy goals with individual needs. We conclude with a discussion of possible intervention strategies that could be used to (1) help individuals manage the disclosure process and (2) help create more favorable organizational and civic climates where concealment is less necessary.