Sometimes shaming, whether it’s online or in person, can be fatal. In Beyond Bullying: Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Bullying, and Violence (Oxford University Press, 2015; 256 pages), Jonathan Fast, associate professor of social work at Yeshiva University, describes the dark underbelly of shame. Fast admits that at low levels, shame can be beneficial—signaling, for instance, when we have behaved inappropriately—but when unhinged, it can become a weapon. Fast delves into the psychology and sociology of shame and concludes that this powerful emotion is the common thread explaining the recent rise in domestic terrorism and gun violence, school and online bullying, and suicide among adolescents. He hopes that by understanding shame—why we feel it and how it can fester—we can develop strategies to prevent the acts of violence and hate that are motivated by it.
But is it possible to put humiliation to good use? In Is Shame Necessary? New Uses for an Old Tool (Pantheon, 2015; 224 pages), Jennifer Jacquet, an assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University, argues that shame can be an effective, nonviolent tactic to promote positive change if targeted appropriately. Shaming powerful groups (governments and corporations) or dominant individuals (CEOs and the wealthiest 1 percent in the U.S.) may help us challenge potentially harmful decisions or behaviors and promote political and social reform.
