A contribution from the Dicastery on one of the most widespread social phenomena, especially in times of great crisis

The major health crises that humanity has experienced have often led to a debate on the justified search for explanations and the search for responsibility and culpability. Thus, each epidemic throughout history has had its wave of stigmatization, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception to this logic.

In fact, when a major health crisis occurs, witch hunts or scapegoating becomes a way of exorcising collective fear through scenes of stigmatisation that often ends up disintegrating a social fabric already weakened by political, economic and social crises.

We publish here, in the original French version, a contribution from the Dicastery on this particularly widespread social phenomenon.

Resources

La stigmatisation liée au COVID-19 [FR original version]