Nós, como Testemunhas de Jeová e cristãos, sabemos que iremos sofrer oposição: um estudo de caso sobre a gestão do estigma na Congregação T3 portuguesa – Maputo, 2025

Abstract

This monograph is entitled: “As Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians, we know that we will face opposition”: a case study on stigma management in the T3 Portuguese congregation – Maputo, 2025. The general objective is to analyse the strategies employed by Jehovah's Witnesses in managing religious stigma in interpersonal interactions, with a particular focus on young members of the congregation. The analysis is grounded in the theory of stigma and the management of spoiled identity, developed by Erving Goffman (2004). Regarding methodological procedures, we adopted a qualitative approach, using the case study as the procedural method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect empirical data from participants, and content analysis was applied for interpretation. The findings reveal that the experience of religious stigma varies depending on the social context. The factors contributing to the construction of stigma are multiple and interconnected, particularly considering the lifestyle distinctions and practices based on religious principles that often clash with dominant societal values. Stigma management is not merely an individual initiative but an institutionalised process, taught and reinforced within the organisation. The religious rationality that underpins this management is shaped by doctrine and organisational guidelines. Moreover, ethical daily conduct, calmness in the face of rejection, and the patient construction of a respectable public image serve as mechanisms for the deconstruction of stigma