Guilt in a Fluid Culture? A View from Positioning Theory

Abstract

What is the status of guilt as an emotion in postmodern society? According to Zygmunt Bauman, postmodern consumer society supplies a cultural context in which guilt loses in importance. By definition, guilt is connected to a breach in shared rules, but rules and norms have allegedly become fluid today, thereby rendering clear breaches and ensuing guilt rare events. In this article, I provide an analysis of the emotion of guilt, notably by using the conceptual resources found in the emerging paradigm of positioning theory. By analyzing one public event in some detail—Bjarne Riis’ confession that he had used performance enhancing drugs as a professional cyclist—I argue that Bauman’s verdict must be challenged: From the debate in Danish society following Riis’ confession, I conclude that although the exact nature of guilt may have changed in consumer society, guilt is still seen as an important, and in many cases warranted, moral emotion.