From Grace to Violence: Stigmatizing the Medical Profession in China

Abstract

This study examines how the once prestigious medical profession in China has become the subject of criticism and accused of pervasive impropriety to the point of inducing widespread violence from patients. Drawing on archival documents, media articles, interviews, and secondary sources, we trace the lengthy and uneven trajectory by which the profession moved away from enjoying widespread collective approval toward ambivalence and eventual stigmatization. We develop a process model of professional stigmatization that identifies the dynamics that precipitate and then catalyze that trajectory and highlight the underpinning mechanisms. By unpacking the complex process of stigmatization, the study extends existing understanding of how aspects of stigma emerge and are attached by different stakeholders to a profession and the consequences that follow. We conclude by highlighting the implications for research on stigma and the challenge of stigma containment.