Anti-Stigma Strategies for Researching and Disseminating Findings: Insights From Qualitative Studies With Marginalised Populations

Abstract

This article discusses the anti-stigma potential of researching and disseminating findings. Based on first-hand qualitative research experiences, we shed light on how diverse interactional and interpretational contexts arising from researcher-research participants relationships established in the field may factor into the research process and analytical accounts. Drawing on interactional instances and the related dilemmas we encountered, we conceptualise three levels of embracing, navigating and (re)producing stigma (intrapersonal, interactional and outsiders level). As a result, we propose reflexive anti-stigma strategies that we advise embracing when working with marginalised groups and passing on the related findings. Our discussion relies on studies we conducted in Poland with female escort agency sex workers, two-mother families and people living with multiple sclerosis.