The aim of this special issue is to contribute to the advancement of current knowledge on social stigmatization. Progress in this area has been thwarted by seemingly incompatible findings and unresolved debates. This special issue includes contributions that bear on some of the most important debates in this area. In addition, this issue includes novel perspectives and alternative views to these issues. The issue highlights the social contextual and interactive nature of stigmatization that determines its impact and consequences for those who are stigmatized.

Manuela Barreto has a PhD in Social Psychology from the Free University, Amsterdam, was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Leiden University, the Netherlands, and is now a researcher at the Centre for Social Research and Intervention, Lisbon, Portugal. Her research interests are on the psychology of the disadvantaged, exemplified by her work on identity respect, reactions to prejudice and discrimination, and the psychology of concealed identities.

Naomi Ellemers has a PhD from the University of Groningen and is currently a Full Professor in social and organizational psychology at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Her research focuses on group processes and intergroup relations, and their effects on social behaviour in organizations. Dr. Ellemers has published extensively on this topic, for which she received several substantial research grants.