She, the Other: Analysis of Social Stigma and Intersectionality in Where the

Crawdads Sing (2022)

ABSTRACT
This research discusses the various acts of social stigma that the main character of the film
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), Kya Clark, experiences, which are marked by social
inequality. This research aims to explore the social stigma faced by the main character and how
it leads to social injustice in her life, with the intersecting identities that contribute to her
unequal social experiences throughout the film. In terms of methodology, this research
employs a qualitative method using comprehensive textual analysis, dialogue, and narration to
examine this research’s issue portrayed in the film, which selects sources based on relevance
to the social stigma & intersectionality in society. The theories used are the stigma theory by
Erving Goffman and the intersectionality theory by Kimberlé Crenshaw. The result shows that
the main character experiences character stigma, due to her visible or discredited stigmatizing
characteristics and intersectionality within gender, social class, and rural living as the causes
of her marginalization. The effects of this social stigma and intersectionality are social
isolation, rejection, labelling, and discrimination. In conclusion, this research highlights the
harmful consequences of social stigma and intersectionality, which can lead to serious
repercussions and profoundly affect a person's life negatively. This research serves as a
reminder for readers to encourage the importance of a supportive social environment that
fosters mutual help and appreciation for each other. The mindset of a progressive society will
be characterized by open-mindedness, insight, and a capacity to fight social stigma,
intersectionality, social injustice, marginalization, and social interaction.
Keywords: Social Stigma, Intersectionality, Social Injustice, Marginalization, Social
Interaction

Introduction
Humans are known to be naturally engaged in social interactions with other individuals
around them, and unfair behavior may occasionally arise within these interactions. According
to Bardis (1979), social interaction encompasses actions and reciprocal influences among
individuals, groups, or social systems. In everyday life, the forms of interaction can be very
diverse, ranging from simple conversations to cooperation in groups. Bardis continued that
social interaction is the basis for the formation of social relationships and other social processes
in society. Human behavior displayed in social interactions then reflects how an individual is
treated within their social environment, whether they experience fairness or unfairness. Unfair
behavior shown by individuals may not primarily be caused by malicious intent, but also due
to the unconscious failure to make just or ethical choices in which it occurs systematically
(Chugh et al., 2005 as cited in Ganegoda, 2012). Such behavior can then lead to differential
treatment of others, which reflects deeper patterns of injustice. This shows how crucial it is to
acknowledge the importance of treating others with fairness. Unfairness may result in
exclusivity, where an individual is socially excluded and unable to engage in the surrounding
community's fundamental economic and social activities (Chakravarty & D’Ambrosio, 2006).
This exclusivity is portrayed in the film Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), in which social
stigma leads to the marginalization of the main character, Kya Clark, from her community.
Social stigma remains as a common occurrence in society. Herek (2009) stated that the
definition of stigma is the negative regard, inferior position, and relative impotence collected
by society that are given to individuals or groups who have a specific characteristic. Stigma is
also defined as a social phenomenon where the subject of stigmatization is communities,
however, it is the individuals who are affected by it (Andersen et al., 2022). Stigma is
considered to be a label that is socially constructed, and what is perceived as stigmatizing
transcends beyond culture and time (Crocker et al., 1998; Jones et al., 1984 as cited in O’Brien,
2005). According to Dovidio et al. (2003), stigma is strongly connected to how the society
assigns value or status to different social identities. They added that stigma occurs due to the
existence of social construction that encompasses two fundamental components, which are the
different forms of identification given to individuals due to their particular characteristics and
the perception as less valuable. Therefore, social stigma is formed by how the society perceives
individuals who are considered to be out of the ordinary. The experiences of stigma then impose
social stress on individuals or groups who are stigmatized, leading to a wide range of adverse
effects.
Stigma-related stressful life events are acute stressors in that they occur relatively
infrequently when compared to other stressors and tend to stem from an isolated event. These
events manifest in direct experiences of discrimination or other events brought on by prejudice.
Hate crimes are a prime example of stigma-related stressful life events, and occur when a
person or group is targeted, usually for assault or harassment, because of a stigmatized status
or identity (Herek, 2009b; King, Messner, & Bailer, 2009). Social stigma produces adverse
effects that impact the lives of individuals and cause dysfunction in social roles. According to
Frost (2011), the stigmatized experiences social stressors, which are conditions that require
individuals to adjust from an isolated event related to their identity, both intrapersonal and
interpersonal, within their environment from negative prejudices (Meyer, 2003a; Pearlin,
1999). The repercussions of social stigma can result in a sense of ambiguity, which may be
reflected both in the subconscious mind and as concrete emotions, including fear and danger
threats regarding events that may not actually occur (Lawrence et al. 2007). Frost (2011) asserts
that social disparities arise within stigmatized groups, where their rights, freedoms, and
resources are restricted in comparison to non-stigmatized groups. Despite the existence of laws
that prohibit, many stigmatized individuals remain unprotected from diverse discriminatory
experiences due to inadequate policies, thereby exacerbating social inequality (e.g., Herek,
2006, 2007). The concept of stigma is derived from the imbalance of power between the
societies, where some hold more authority than others (Link & Phelan, 2001). Subsequently,
social stigma manifests through various perpetration of social stigma that are conceptually
distinct, namely:
 1. Structural inequalities stem from societal processes that validate social stigma, which
can perpetuate negative connotations. When an individual or group is excluded from
societal participation, their social status remains inferior to that of non-stigmatized
groups (Frost, 2011).
2. Stereotypes and prejudices are interrelated concepts within the framework of social
stigma. Stereotypes formed through generalizations or exaggerated perceptions of the
behaviors of individuals or groups, which arise from subjective biases based on
inaccurate information (non-objective). Prejudice manifests when an individual harbors
feelings or opinions that are not grounded in factual evidence, leading them to adopt
attitudes and judgments towards others that align with existing stereotypes (Allport,
1954; Devine, 1989). (Frost, 2011).
3. Discrimination refers to the unfair or unequal treatment of individuals or groups based
on specific characteristics such as race, religion, gender, or social status, resulting in
differential treatment and restrictions on their rights due to their stigmatized status
(Allport, 1954; Major & O'Brien, 2005). Furthermore, stigmatized individuals are often
marginalized or excluded without social support from individuals or institutions
(McConahay, 1983; Swim, Aikin, Hall, & Hunter, 1995; Swim & Cohen, 1997).
Films have long been raising social issues, including social stigma. One of the films
that reflects such an issue is Where the Crawdads Sing (2022). To explore the social stigma
experienced by the main character, this paper employs the stigma theory proposed by Erving
Goffman. According to Goffman’s theory, stigma is a characteristic that makes someone looked
down upon by society because they are considered different from the prevailing norm. Stigma
does not come from the individual themselves, but is formed in social interactions that give
negative labels to differences. In his theory, Goffman divides stigma into three types, namely
physical stigma, personal character stigma, and stigma due to membership in a particular group
(Bos et al., 2013). Goffman defines stigma as a disgrace and a social outcast or disqualification.
Stigma affects their thoughts, behaviors, and treatment experiences, in addition to impacting
their social interactions and self-identity (Şamar et al., 2023). People whose stigmatizing
characteristics are clearly visible are called discredited, while those who are not yet visible are
called discreditable. Stigma can have a major impact on a person's social identity and influence
how they are treated in society (Bos et al., 2013). Goffman's theory is important because it
explains that stigma is highly dependent on social context and is not fixed. Until now,
Goffman's thinking is still used as a basis for understanding various forms of social
discrimination (Bos et al., 2013). Goffman sees stigma as a social process, not just an individual
problem, as how society creates labels and unfair treatment of people who are considered to be
“different.”
Another theory employed in this paper is the intersectionality theory, proposed by
Kimberlé Crenshaw. The origin of intersectionality began with the issue of racism experienced
by minority women in the U.S.A. (Atewologun, 2018). Hancock (2011), Haris & Leonardo
(2018) stated that the concept of intersectionality introduced by women of color is a social and
liberation movement (Faham, 2019). Kimberlé Crenshaw, the figure behind the emergence of
this term, views that the treatment of minorities, which should be treated equally, must be seen
through discrimination based on race and gender. The Intersectionality definition itself is a
critical framework looking at the interdependencies and interconnection of social categories
and systems to explain social justice and inequality for social change in organizations and social
institutions (Atewologun, 2018). Other opinion by Hulko (2009), intersectionality is
extensively as a cohesive set, theoretical concepts, methods of analysis, and belief systems.
Because of its broad use, intersectionality can be employed as a theoretical lens to analyze
social issues surrounding discrimination, marginalization, and particularly how minor groups
and as individuals reach equality in society. In understanding social equality, this theory
highlights the injustices within multiple aspects of identity for individuals. The use of
intersectionality as a theoretical framework is then suitable for this paper to explore intersecting
social identities that cause unequal experiences the main character faces within the film.
Several research studies have been conducted to analyse the film Where the Crawdads
Sing (2022) from various perspectives. A study by V.N.A. Susanto, A.A. Anasai, Hariyono,
R.U. Pasopati (Susanto et al., 2023) explored the film using Giorgio Agamben’s concept of
“Homo Sacer” to examine how the concept is illustrated through the labelled main character,
Kya, as a ‘Marsh Girl’. Their result indicates that a label given to the outcast main character
affects how she is treated in society, as she has fewer opportunities and receives biased
judgments. In another study, T. Amarthalia, Y. Sudarisman, B.F. Syarifudin (Amarthalia et al.,
2025) examined the reflection of women's struggles through Kya’s character by using a
feminist approach. Their research found five stages of how Kya reflects women’s struggles,
including independence, freedom, social stigma, discrimination, harassment, and oppression.
Furthermore, A.S.R. Adawiah (Adawiah, 2024) discussed the film by exploring the relationship
between nature and women’s empowerment using an ecofeminist approach. Her research
shows that there is an ecological interconnection between Kya and her rural environment,
which is presented by the themes of marshland, animals, and wind. Additionally, the connection
between women’s oppression and nature, illustrated through male treatment, patriarchal
exploitation, including Kya’s resistance to it, and the role of nature in hiding Kya’s
involvement in the murder of a male character, is found within her research.
Based on previous research, several issues have been discussed regarding
marginalization, the reflection of women’s struggles, and the connection between nature and
women’s empowerment. However, none of the research has explored social stigma and its
adverse impacts specifically within the context of the film. Although the issue of
marginalization has been brought up previously, this research expands on the issue by exploring
the various social identities that contribute to the main character’s marginalization. Therefore,
this research aims to explore the social stigma that the main character experiences and how it
leads to social injustice in her life within the theoretical frameworks of stigma theory and
intersectionality.

METHOD
The object of analysis in the film Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) describes how
society forms social stigma and social injustice towards individuals who are considered
different. The focus of this research is on the main character, Kya Clark, who experiences social
injustice caused by society that reflects the unfairness of human behavior in which individuals
treat one another. This research further explores how social conditions unveil the response of
the main character in responding to social injustice. Additionally, this research examines the
issue of social injustice using a qualitative method that emphasizes on collecting data through
comprehensive observation and exploration of social phenomena. To find relevant data, the
writers started the data collection process by watching the film Where the Crawdads Sing
(2022). The research aims to investigate the representation of how social injustice is depicted
and how characters respond through a detailed exploration of the film’s text, including
narration, dialogue, character portrayals, and the background of social interactions. The next
step in analysis, the researchers understand, highlight, categorize, and analyze the implied
meaning of specific passages. To enhance the data analysis, this research added supplementary
information from secondary sources such as e-books, academic journals, articles, websites, and
other sources related to the issue of social injustice. The researchers also explore various social
phenomena, including social stigma and intersectionality, which are discussed through the
theoretical frameworks of Goffman’s social stigma theory and Crenshaw’s intersectionality
theory that influence the main character.

★ Title ideas
1. Crawling Alone in Society: Analysis of social stigma and intersectionality in
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
2. The Wild and The Wounded: Analysis of social stigma and intersectionality in
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)