Devaluation and Revaluation as Dynamic Social Processes: The Case of Psychedelic Stigma

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Medical Humanities

Background:

• Stigma theory traditionally focuses on social devaluation.
• Limited attention has been given to the positive revision of stigmatized attributes over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the concept of 'revaluation' within stigma trajectories.
• To analyze the dynamic processes of stigma change using 'stigma mutation' theory and assemblage theories.
• To illustrate revaluation with a case study of psychedelic drug stigma.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical expansion of stigma concepts.
• Analysis of 'stigma mutation' theory and assemblage theories.
• Case study analysis of academic texts and media articles on psychedelic stigma.

Main Results:

• Introduced 'revaluation' as a key process in stigma trajectories, alongside devaluation.
• Psychedelic drug stigma, despite historical lineage, is undergoing social revaluation.
• Drivers of revaluation include Western biomedicine's therapeutic interest in psychedelics.

Conclusions:

• Stigma is dynamic, involving both devaluation and revaluation processes.
• These processes can occur simultaneously and interact in complex ways.
• Understanding stigma trajectories requires considering global and local connections and historical context.