Social stigma is an academic concept and research area within the social sciences that investigates the processes by which individuals or groups are devalued, discredited, and ostracized based on perceived attributes or characteristics deemed undesirable by dominant social norms. This concept examines the social marking and labeling of differences, the association of these differences with negative stereotypes, and the subsequent status loss, prejudice, and discrimination experienced by stigmatized individuals and groups, highlighting its significance in understanding social inequality, health disparities, and identity formation.