My primary interest regards re-thinking the way we conceptualize the cause, impact and remedy of internalized oppression—and understanding it's relationship to mental health.
Internalized oppression and self-stigma are terms used to describe an intrapersonal experience in which stereotypes, prejudice or discrimination—whether real or imagined—cause an individual to develop a negative self-image based on their membership within a socially marginalized group.
One’s experience of internalized oppression can include believing in negative stereotypes of oneself or one’s group, feeling pressure to disown, cover or conceal one’s group membership, or experiencing identity-based shame.
My interest in internalized oppression can be organized into four overarching questions:
1) What are the personal and contextual risk factors for experiencing internalized oppression?
2) What are the negative health consequences—temporary or enduring, mental or physical—of internalized oppression?
3) What therapeutic, psychosocial or community interventions successfully reduce social stigma and support individuals struggling with internalized oppression?
4) In what ways do the answers to the above questions converge or diverge when considering different types of internalized oppression (e.g., internalized racism, internalized heterosexism, internalized sexism, etc.)?