Shame: The Politics and Power of an Emotion

by David Keen Narrated by Julian Elfer

Overview

The uses of shame (and shamelessness) in spheres that range from social media and consumerism to polarized politics and mass violence



Today, we are caught in a shame spiral-a vortex of mutual shaming that pervades everything from politics to social media. We are shamed for our looks, our culture, our ethnicity, our sexuality, our poverty, our wrongdoings, our politics. But what is the point of all this shaming and countershaming? Does it work? And if so, for whom?



In Shame, David Keen explores the function of modern shaming, paying particular attention to how shame is instrumentalized and weaponized. Keen points out that there is usually someone who offers an escape from shame-and that many of those who make this offer have been piling on shame in the first place. Self-interested manipulations of shame, Keen argues, are central to understanding phenomena as wide-ranging as consumerism, violent crime, populist politics, and even war and genocide. Shame is political as well as personal. To break out of our current cycle of shame and shaming, and to understand the harm that shame can do, we must recognize the ways that shame is being made to serve political and economic purposes.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Fascinating."—-Charlie English, The Guardian

"Shame genuinely enlightens."—-Boyd Tonkin, The Spectator

"In the year in which more than four billion people will go to the polls, and conflict rages in Europe and the Middle East, David Keen’s Shame: The politics and power of an emotion will be seen as a particularly thought-provoking exploration of how shame can be mobilized in a wide variety of contexts – from elections to war to the economy – to the benefit of some and the detriment of many."—-Hannah White, Times Literary Supplement

Kirkus Reviews

2023-06-20
A study of how an overdose of shaming and corresponding shamelessness has made reasoned debate impossible.

You should be ashamed of yourself. In today's polarized, overheated political environment, it has become the go-to attack for one’s enemies. But what does it mean, and what role does shame play in modern society? Keen, a professor of conflict studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, delves into these issues. He differentiates shame from guilt, noting that guilt relates to a particular action, while shame makes the person question their own worth. In this sense, shame is much more damaging and internalized, and it can generate deep-seated psychological problems. Keen sees shame as essentially a social construct, arising when fundamental rules or norms are broken. Shame can have a positive side if it acts as a spur to a reconsideration and improvement of one's life, but in many cases, it can eat away at a person for decades. The author is well versed in the subject matter, but some of the chapters don’t connect to his theme. He makes his intense dislike of Donald Trump abundantly clear. While it’s undeniable that Trump has demonstrated shamelessness many times during his life, these passages feel more like polemic than academic analysis. There are plenty of examples of shamelessness on the left of the spectrum that could have balanced his account. In fact, Keen admits that trying to shame someone often turns into a counterproductive exercise, with the target displaying the attacks as a sign of standing up to enemies. The author claims that he seeks "to hold up this murky object of shame to the light.” It’s a worthy objective, but the book would have been more effective with greater discipline and less hyperbole.

Keen synthesizes a wealth of research to explore the dynamics of shame, but a lack of focus leads to mixed results.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159395191
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos