stig·ma /ˈstigmə/
noun
1. a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
Our Goals
The goals of our project are multifaceted. Essentially, we translate medical journals into reader-friendly blog posts through our student run multi-author blog (MAB) section, and provide an interactive support forum so that our users can garner a more holistic perspective of stigmatized illnesses. We have also created a platform for readers to share their experiences with illness, giving other readers unique insight into the world of illness.
Purpose
The public has access to a wealth of information on illnesses, however there isn’t a lot on how those illnesses are perceived by the public. Due to current stigma attached to various forms of illnesses, those suffering from them can feel hesitant to seek treatment or counseling. By making this information available to the public, we hope to educate people on how to appropriately address stigmatized illnesses, and how to eradicate the stigma associated with them.
Core Theories
1. Using Education to Challenge Misconceptions
Historically, we fear what we do not understand. Illness can bring on tremendous anxiety for this reason. Although medical science has done a great deal of work to invent the most cutting edge treatment options available, academic journals are full of medical terminology and jargon which makes the literature quite difficult to understand. We’re working to convey the same information in more simple terms to better inform the world around us.
2. Empathy Through a Broader Perspective
Too often, when we think of someone who has a chronic disorder, we look at them through the lens of their illness. We see them as not quite normal, a burden to society, or some foreign entity that we will never be able to understand What if we shifted this perspective by opening our hearts and minds to what these people are truly experiencing? What if we consciously decided to change how the world sees people with stigmatized illnesses?
Education: A Three Step Process
We know, sometimes science can get complex. We want to make peer reviewed literature of an illness from scientific databases accessible to the public. This will work in a three-step process.
1. Students who are familiar with the illness or stigma in question will review peer reviewed literature and draft an article on their assigned topic.
2. A professional from the University who is an expert in their field and is currently doing research on that illness will review the post to ensure its validity and accuracy.
3. Articles will be posted on www.humanologyproject.org for the public to view!
Share Your Story
We are working to create a support forum where individuals who are affected can share their stories on the website. If you have a story to share, visit our contact page and send us an email with your story. You can also choose to write anonymously.
How You Can Help
Look at the website! Share your story! Spread the word! Send us feedback! We want this website to reach every corner of the world, and for this information to be accessible to anyone and everyone because sometimes ignorance can lead to much more harm than bliss.
Meet The Humanologists →
Patients are profoundly affected by society’s perception of their illnesses. So much so, that their own well-being can be at stake. In a TEDx Talk, founder of the Humanology Project, Neha Kinariwalla, explains why this perception matters, and more importantly, what we can do to change it.
In this thought-provoking talk, Kinariwalla speaks of her journey through understanding stigma and what she is doing to reduce it. Equipped with destigmatizing theories of education and empathy, she presents The Humanology Project as a website devoted to destigmatizing illnesses.