Stress and Oppressed Social Category Membership

Abstract

Stress, an extreme condition of psychological strain, is often a result of prejudice or discrimination that an individual; as a part of a cultural, sexual, or racial minority; may face in everyday life. This chapter illustrates the conceptual and empirical linkage of prejudice and discrimination to such stressful conditions. As society and its approach toward races have evolved, the studies outlined here have been based on “oppressed groups” determined as per the 20^th century American socio-cultural context. To understand stress due to prejudice, it is imperative to analyze the occurrence of daily events in the life of an individual that may lead to prejudice or discrimination. Here, it should also be noted that events that stand out as stressors for oppressed groups may not necessarily have the same impact on non-oppressed groups. Understanding the psychological traditions basis, the Lazarus and Folkman models also help in understanding stress in relation to appraisal. Research has shown that various life events produce stress in women more easily as compared to men. Another perspective on stress highlights that stress can be categorized as an “organismic response.”