Social Contact Theory: A Framework for Understanding AIDS-Related Stigma

How do sociologists understand the social stigma that is attached to individuals living with HIV/AIDS? In this article, I offer four criticisms of the AIDS-related stigma scholarly literature. Furthermore, I propose a new framework for understanding AIDS-related stigma: Allport’s social contact theory. I discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing social contact theory to examine AIDS-related stigma, as well as how the theory could be employed in both quantitative and qualitative research.