Psychology

My nephew, now 7 years-old, is handsome. In fact, if I were to be asked, I would say that he stands out as the most handsome toddler from among his male-siblings and cousins. Perhaps, because he is handsome, his childhood was peppered with attention and favors from his family. But when he turned 4, and the time for him to attend primary schooling started, things turned out quite differently. It would be learned that he had strains of mental retardation. He was not really within the borders of what we may call mentally retarded or autistic. But his evident difficulty in grasping even the most basic of skills and reasoning proved to be sure catalyst for stigma, both for him and his mother, who by the way became a widow before she turned 28.

Scope of the Paper
What I intend to do in this paper is to capitalize on my experiences to build up concise analysis of the impacts of stigma, specifically that which pertains to the sufferings which my nephew and his mother experienced on account of his mental retardation. As such, this paper is not a full-dress thesis on the impact of stigma to little children and parents. Instead, what I intend to do is to explicate and  most importantly  validate the key concepts which I shall be gathering from research and personal understanding of stigma and prejudice.

Stigma and the Suffering It Breeds
Stigma can be defined and described in many ways. But what is enduring in all its characterizations is that stigma has something to do with disgrace or reproach in ones reputation (The American Heritage, 2010). This stems from the fact that the prejudiced connotations rendered to persons with disabilities do engender the development of a whole range of prejudice, intolerance and preconception, which in turn merely contribute to the marginalization of those deemed fit or belonging to the said label (Mason, 2001, p. 18). As such therefore, stigma is essentially related with prejudice and discrimination. Hardcastle and Hardcastle (2003) moreover note that people with mental problems are more vulnerable to experiencing morbidity in the manner by which they are being treated (p.3).

My little nephews mental retardation did not fully manifest until he attended pre-K schooling. While there were already serious concerns raised in view of his delayed speech and his abnormally high level of preponderance to lonesomeness, the way by which he was treated as a little toddler was comparably the same as with his other siblings and cousins. However, as soon as my nephews pre-K teachers recommended formal tests to verify his gradually manifesting mental retardation, attitudes towards him began to slowly change. I have known of adults who have deliberately referred to him as that little retard, inasmuch I once saw many of his playmates calling him by derogatory labels. I was therefore a witness to the unfortunate radical change of treatment towards my nephew  i.e., from being the favored handsome little toddler to that little retard sitting quietly in one corner of the room.

It would be difficult to present the many factors which can help explain why people stigmatize differently-able people. But Heatherton, et. al., contend that, because group living is highly adaptive for human survival and gene transmission, people will stigmatize those individuals whose characteristics and actions are seen as threatening or hindering the effective functioning of groups (2000, p. 34.). And I find this observation very true in the case of my nephew. In many incidences, I have seen well-meaning people asking the mother about the future of the little boy. Many relatives have, in fact, pointed out the grim prospects of the boys future life i.e., questions like What kind of work would he have, or Can he handle serious relationships, or Would he make a good husband are commonly asked.

But the severe impact stigma is surely not limited to the outward ugly perception of the world against certain individuals manifesting strains of mental or physical challenges. According to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, the stigmatization of the patient with mental illness (can) extend to family members insofar as coping with stress, created by other peoples reaction, can become problematic at times (2010, n.p.). I can resonate with my experience to validate this observation pretty well. The stress which stigmas generate for the boys mother did prove to be a little too bearing at times. It is not uncommon for her to literally drag my nephew away from his playmates who have developed a habit of ridiculing him. As indeed, it would appear to me that she has developed an unconscious habit of defending her sons reputation, in manner being behaviorally rough, when she figures in a heated conversation about her son.

Conclusion and Realizations
I wish to end this paper with an affirmation that societal stigmas against mentally challenged individuals do present serious problems for them and their families. In my experience, I have seen the seeming systematic marginalization of my nephew and the equally burdensome stress which his condition impinges upon his mother. Herein, I realized that my experiences have validated the concepts and theories which I have gained from my short research. In other words, I do in fact agree for most part with the concepts that were quoted in the study, insofar as my experiences with my nephews mental retardation have validated them. Furthermore, I have come to realize the ugly ramifications of stigmas, both for those discriminated against, as well as for their immediate families and wish that, inasmuch as I am aware of the sufferings of my nephew and his mother, I may not add more insults to the already injurious wounds severely suffered by those who have been prejudiced by the society on account of the unfortunate conditions.