Shame society
Encyclopedia
In cultural anthropology
, a shame society is the concept that, in a given society, the primary device for gaining control over children and maintaining social order is the inculcation of shame
and the complementary threat of ostracism
. A shame society is contrasted with a guilt society
in which control is maintained by creating and continually reinforcing the feeling of guilt (and the expectation of punishment now or in the hereafter
) for certain condemned behaviors.
was long held to be a good example of one in which shame is the primary agent of social control
. The first book to cogently explain the workings of the Japanese society for the Western reader was The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
. This book was produced under less than ideal circumstances since it was written during the early years of World War II
in an attempt to understand the people who had become such a powerful enemy of the West. Under the conditions of war it was impossible to do field research
in Japan.
Nevertheless, depending on the study of members of that culture who were available for interview and study in the West, namely war prisoners at detention centers, as well as literary and other such records pertaining to cultural features, American anthropologist and folklorist Ruth Benedict
drew what some regard as a clear picture of the basic workings of Japanese society. Her study has been challenged and is not relied upon by anthropologists of Japan today.
uses shame as one modality of control, but its primary dependence rests on guilt
, and, when that does not work, on the criminal justice
system.
Paul Hiebert
characterizes the shame society as follows:
Personal desires are sunk in the collective expectation. Those who fail will often turn their aggression against themselves instead of using violence against others. By punishing themselves they maintain their self-respect before others, for shame cannot be relieved, as guilt can be, by confession
and atonement. Shame is removed and honor restored only when a person does what the society expects of him or her in the situation, including committing suicide if necessary. (Hiebert 1985, 212)
Culture-specific
Cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans, collecting data about the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities. Anthropologists use a variety of methods, including participant observation,...
, a shame society is the concept that, in a given society, the primary device for gaining control over children and maintaining social order is the inculcation of shame
Shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
and the complementary threat of ostracism
Social rejection
Social rejection occurs when an individual is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or social interaction. The topic includes both interpersonal rejection and romantic rejection. A person can be rejected on an individual basis or by an entire group of people...
. A shame society is contrasted with a guilt society
Guilt society
In cultural anthropology, a guilt society is the concept that the primary method of social control in a given society is the inculcation of feelings of guilt for behaviors that the individual believes to be undesirable...
in which control is maintained by creating and continually reinforcing the feeling of guilt (and the expectation of punishment now or in the hereafter
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
) for certain condemned behaviors.
Japan
The society of traditional JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was long held to be a good example of one in which shame is the primary agent of social control
Social control
Social control refers generally to societal and political mechanisms or processes that regulate individual and group behavior, leading to conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society, state, or social group. Many mechanisms of social control are cross-cultural, if only in the control...
. The first book to cogently explain the workings of the Japanese society for the Western reader was The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture is an influential 1946 study of Japan by American anthropologist Ruth Benedict written at the invitation of the U.S. Office of War Information in order to understand and predict the behavior of the Japanese in World War II by reference...
. This book was produced under less than ideal circumstances since it was written during the early years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in an attempt to understand the people who had become such a powerful enemy of the West. Under the conditions of war it was impossible to do field research
Field research
Field research is the collection of raw data in natural settings. It helps to reveal the habits and habitats of various organisms present in their natural surroundings...
in Japan.
Nevertheless, depending on the study of members of that culture who were available for interview and study in the West, namely war prisoners at detention centers, as well as literary and other such records pertaining to cultural features, American anthropologist and folklorist Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict was an American anthropologist, cultural relativist, and folklorist....
drew what some regard as a clear picture of the basic workings of Japanese society. Her study has been challenged and is not relied upon by anthropologists of Japan today.
Western society
Contemporary Western societyWestern culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
uses shame as one modality of control, but its primary dependence rests on guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
, and, when that does not work, on the criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
system.
Paul Hiebert
Paul Hiebert
Paul Gerhardt Hiebert was a Canadian writer and humorist best known for his book Sarah Binks , which was awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 1948. A sequel, Willows Revisited was published in 1967....
characterizes the shame society as follows:
- Shame is a reaction to other people's criticism, an acute personal chagrin at our failure to live up to our obligations and the expectations others have of us. In true shame oriented cultures, every person has a place and a duty in the society. One maintains self-respect, not by choosing what is good rather than what is evil, but by choosing what is expected of one.
Personal desires are sunk in the collective expectation. Those who fail will often turn their aggression against themselves instead of using violence against others. By punishing themselves they maintain their self-respect before others, for shame cannot be relieved, as guilt can be, by confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
and atonement. Shame is removed and honor restored only when a person does what the society expects of him or her in the situation, including committing suicide if necessary. (Hiebert 1985, 212)
Romani
To the Roma, though living as local minorities in mostly Christian or Islamic societies, the concept of lajav ("shame") is important, while the concept of bezax ("sin") does not have such significance. This concept probably stemmed from millennia of living on the edges of other civilizations.See also
- Guilt societyGuilt societyIn cultural anthropology, a guilt society is the concept that the primary method of social control in a given society is the inculcation of feelings of guilt for behaviors that the individual believes to be undesirable...
- Honor
- ShameShameShame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
- Face (sociological concept)Face (sociological concept)Face, idiomatically meaning dignity/prestige, is a fundamental concept in the fields of sociology, sociolinguistics, semantics, politeness theory, psychology, political science, communication, and Face Negotiation Theory.-Definitions:...
Culture-specific
- LajjaLajjaLajja is a novel in Bengali by Taslima Nasrin, a writer of Bangladesh. The word lajja/lôjja means "shame" in Bengali and many other Indic languages. The book was first published in 1993 in the Bengali language, and was subsequently banned in Bangladesh, and a few states of India...
- NamusNamusNamus is the Arabic word of a concept of an ethical category, a virtue, in Middle Eastern patriarchal character...
- SeppukuSeppukuis a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
- The Arab MindThe Arab MindThe Arab Mind is a non-fiction cultural psychology book by cultural anthropologist Raphael Patai, who also wrote The Jewish Mind. The book advocates a tribal-group-survival explanation for the driving factors behind Arab culture....
Further reading
- Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, 1946.
- Hiebert, Paul G., Anthropological Insights for Missionaries, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985
- Christopher ShannonChristopher ShannonSergeant Christopher James Shannon was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-External links:...
, "A World Made Safe for Differences: Ruth Benedict's The Chrysanthemum and the Sword," American Quarterly 47 (1995): 659-680.