Stigma power and ombuds adjudication: A case study

Cowan, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9750-8262 and Cowan, Andrew 2025. Stigma power and ombuds adjudication: A case study. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Drawing on a study of large social housing providers subject to the Housing Ombudsman Service (“HOS”), we argue that the existing literature has missed an affective dimension of how organisations respond to Ombuds adjudications. We do so through the revival in the sociological literature of stigma, arguing that those providers have become the subject of “stigma power” - somewhat paradoxically given that they have been beneficiaries of the neoliberal economic policies of successive governments. We argue that this stigmatized identity is reproduced in the HOS’s small claims jurisdiction and super-investigations. Further, in contrast to the existing literature, this affective response to stigma is leading to stigma resistance in their interpretation of the HOS’ adjudicatory world; and, questions are being raised in the sector about the Ombuds’ legitimacy and compliance with their determinations.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics Research Institutes & Centres > Cardiff Centre of Law and Society (CCLS)
Subjects:	K Law > K Law (General)
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	1469-9621
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 November 2025
Date of Acceptance:	12 November 2025
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2025 14:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182379

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