Shame and Social Control Revisited

Abstract

The author elaborates on her 1975 article by showing the evolutionary value of shame in maintaining social structures by enforcing values. Specific shame-related survival conclusions, taken into the organism at various stages of development, operate in the same manner as instinct does in lower animals to enforce survival strategies and corresponding behaviors throughout life. Vulnerability to shame is necessary to maintain standards, but it can also lead to dysfunctional reactions in adults because of harmful shaming in childhood. Antidote treatment for such experiences is described, and the technique is illustrated with case examples. Emphasis is placed on how shame and guilt must be distinguished from one another in clinical treatment. At their origin, shame reactions are nonverbal and require “translation” into language, whereas guilt reactions are formed at later stages when the child possesses linguistic ability.