TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental Stigma
T2 - Resident Responses to Living in a Contaminated Area
AU - Zhuang, Jie
AU - Cox, Jeff
AU - Cruz, Shannon
AU - Dearing, James W.
AU - Hamm, Joseph A.
AU - Upham, Brad
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © 2016 SAGE Publications.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - This article examined the extent to which residents living in the Midland–Saginaw–Bay City area in Eastern Michigan felt stigmatized due to industrial contamination. Seventy in-depth interviews were conducted with local residents, focusing on the extent to which they experienced three aspects of stigma—affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Results indicated that although some participants were not concerned with living in a contaminated community, local residents largely perceived dioxin as a risk to individual health and the local environment. Concern, shock, and irritation were typical affective responses at the time participants learned of the contamination. Several participants indicated a feeling of embarrassment and fear of being rejected by others because of the stigma associated with industrial contamination. Instead of actively seeking information about dioxin contamination and remediation, participants often relied on information provided to them by government officials. Behaviorally, participants avoided eating locally caught fish and prepared fish more carefully in order to avoid exposure to contaminants. As a whole, this study provided insight to understand affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to environmental stigma.
AB - This article examined the extent to which residents living in the Midland–Saginaw–Bay City area in Eastern Michigan felt stigmatized due to industrial contamination. Seventy in-depth interviews were conducted with local residents, focusing on the extent to which they experienced three aspects of stigma—affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Results indicated that although some participants were not concerned with living in a contaminated community, local residents largely perceived dioxin as a risk to individual health and the local environment. Concern, shock, and irritation were typical affective responses at the time participants learned of the contamination. Several participants indicated a feeling of embarrassment and fear of being rejected by others because of the stigma associated with industrial contamination. Instead of actively seeking information about dioxin contamination and remediation, participants often relied on information provided to them by government officials. Behaviorally, participants avoided eating locally caught fish and prepared fish more carefully in order to avoid exposure to contaminants. As a whole, this study provided insight to understand affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to environmental stigma.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84983614020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84983614020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0002764216657381
DO - 10.1177/0002764216657381
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84983614020
VL - 60
SP - 1322
EP - 1341
JO - American Behavioral Scientist
JF - American Behavioral Scientist
SN - 0002-7642
IS - 11
ER -