Facing Stigma: A Study of Stigma Message Effects about COVID-19 Sufferers on Marked Supporters in Kauman Village Yogyakarta

Abstract

The stigma about COVID-19 sufferers along with the effects of stigma messages is now increasingly attached to the lives of people, especially those living in the environment around COVID-19 sufferers and or survivors. Not only for sufferers, said stigma today is also attached to marked supporters because of its existence that has a close relationship with sufferers. Stigma arises as a result of the community's complete lack of understanding of COVID-19 itself. The effect is not missed in influencing the communication between individuals and each other. This also happens in Kauman Village Yogyakarta where stigma and its effects are felt by many marked supporters. This is unique because so far the stigma has hit the sufferer more often, but not in this case, the stigma is more about marked supporters. Seeing the phenomenon, the question arises how stigma affects the relationship of marked supporters to the community in Kauman Village Yogyakarta after the message of stigma. This study uses a case study method. The focus of this study is the stigma about COVID-19 sufferers who hit marked supporters and the effect of stigma messages that appear on marked supporters after being hit by stigma messages. The findings suggest that the effect of stigma messages on each individual results in different findings depending on how the acceptance of the stigma message is then able to influence the interpersonal relationship between the marked supporters and the public in general.