“You Can't Eat WHAT?” Managing the Stigma of Celiac Disease

Abstract

Drawing on modified labeling theory and the concept of symbolic entrapment, the goal of the current research is to examine the perceptions and management of stigma associated with Celiac Disease (CD). Through an assessment of life history narratives from a sample of adults with the disease, we find that the younger subjects who were most recently diagnosed with CD reported the most significant problems with disease-related stigma, social activities, and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, we find that the subjects utilize a variety of stigma-management strategies to protect their pre-disease identities.

Notes

¹There is likely a selection bias in determining who agreed to complete the semi-structured interviews. Presumably, the respondents who are most comfortable and who have more experience discussing the disease and their experiences with the disease are most likely to volunteer for the interview. Although selection bias is a valid concern, the assumed bias is likely in the conservative direction, given that those with the most negative/stigmatizing experiences with CD would likely be the respondents most uncomfortable providing an interview.

²To protect the confidentiality of responses, we collected age data in ranges rather than exact age: 3 of the interview respondents were 18–29, 4 were 30–39, 2 were 40–49, 4 were 50–59, and 2 were 60 or older.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ryan D. Schroeder

RYAN D. SCHROEDER is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Louisville. His research interests include criminal desistance processes, family functioning, emotional development, health, and religiosity.

Thomas J. Mowen

THOMAS J. MOWEN is a doctoral student at the University of Delaware. His research interests include criminology, delinquency, and sociology of education. His recent research has appeared in Justice Quarterly, Youth & Society, and Education and Urban Society.