Varieties of the shame experience: Social, interpersonal, and intrapsychic.
Item
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Title
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Varieties of the shame experience: Social, interpersonal, and intrapsychic.
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Identifier
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AAI9218242
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identifier
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9218242
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Creator
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Karen, Robert Benjamin.
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Contributor
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Adviser: I. H. Paul
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Date
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1992
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical | Psychology, Developmental | Sociology, Social Structure and Development
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Abstract
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The Shame experience is divided into five categories: Universal Shame, which is typified by the Christian belief that all people are sinners; Situational Shame, which arises when one violates a social norm; Class Shame, typified by feelings of inferiority or self-hatred based on membership in a demeaned group; Existential Shame, a valid recognition of shortcoming that often leads to personal growth; and Narcissistic Shame (NS), an irrational and deeply held negative evaluation of the self which often derives from childhood experience.;An historical account is given of how the shame experience in Western society has changed as society has changed. In the feudal period Class Shame and Universal Shame were most important. Afterwards there was a rise in Situational Shame as manners and propriety became imperative to a developing society. Since the industrial revolution NS has grown more dominant.;The rise in NS is attributed to the alienation of human bonds; the rise of competitive capitalism; an increased emphasis on what a proper person must be as opposed to the former emphasis on what he must do; a heightened self-consciousness due to the spread of psychological ideas and the advent of television; a decline in rituals and role models; the break-up of the extended family; and the growing power of bureaucracies.;The link between power and shame is traced, and the author notes that the shift to NS has been accompanied by a rise in interpersonal politics, in which domination and a sense of emotional well-being are achieved by exploiting the shame of others.;The clinical importance of NS is explored, and case illustrations are given. The author notes the dangers of ignoring shame in treatment or confusing it with guilt and suggests the pitfalls to which various psychotherapies are prone. A therapeutic stance is suggested. When psychotherapy deals successfully with shame, it works because the patient's sense of self expands beyond the boundaries of the felt inadequacy; a trusted other accepts the perceived flaw as human; self-compassion is activated; and the patient is free to stop his compulsive flight from the consciousness of shame and to rationally examine hated aspects of the self.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
