The Stigmatization of The Divorced Individuals

Abstract

When the studies on divorce are examined, it is understood that the act of divorce causes stigmatization of individuals. Studies show that divorced individuals are stigmatized with different stigmatizing concepts in different cultures. What makes this study different from other studies is that it reveals with which concepts and how divorced individuals in Turkey are stigmatized. Phenomenology was used as the research design in this study carried out with the qualitative research method. Phenomenology focuses on the experiences which are related phenomenon of individuals who have experienced phenomena that we have noticed but do not have a deep understanding of, and provides gaining in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon under research. Therefore, in this study, which is about the divorce experiences of individuals, the phenomenology pattern was preferred. The data were collected in a city located in the northwest of Turkey. Results showed that divorced individuals are stigmatized with six different concepts that are semantically opposite to the concepts that make up their male and female identities. In addition, it was concluded that the stigmatization process of divorced individuals occurs with the thought that they are unsuccessful in fulfilling their gender roles.