Wow! eBook
The Culture of Shame
Author(s): Andrew P. Morrison (Author)
- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- Publication Date: 1 April 1996
- Edition: 1st
- Language: English
- Print length: 225 pages
- ISBN-10: 0345374843
- ISBN-13: 9780345374844
Book Description
In The Culture of Shame, Harvard psychiatrist Andrew P. Morrison argues that shame pervades our culture. From its early references in biblical stories to the works of philosophers such as Nietzsche and Sartre and contemporary novelists Philip Roth and Toni Morrison, the experience of shame emerges as a theme of human experience. Yet, until recently, professional psychology did not acknowledge the role of shame, focusing instead on guilt. Indeed, our modern culture, which emphasizes independence and personal responsibility, tends to view shame as the mark of an inferior or self-absorbed individual.
Shame, which Dr. Morrison defines as a feeling of intrinsic self-worthlessness, is now seen to underlie a range of psychological problems. With clarity and insight, Dr. Morrison traces the development of shame, from infancy through its more sophisticated forms, and explores the roots and expression of shame in our society. Shame gives rise to a wide array of disorders, including depression, addictions, and eating and sexual disorders, as well as emotional problems linked to trauma, gender, race, illness, old age, and infertility. In our society, shame manifests itself through alienation, lack of motivation, and feelings of meaninglessness.
In The Culture of Shame, Dr. Morrison exposes the many masks of shame and examines the way shame paralyzes us, individually and culturally. He explains the language of shame and its painful consequences. Through powerful case studies, he illuminates the impact of shame on the lives of individuals and how shame can be overcome.
Shame, which Dr. Morrison defines as a feeling of intrinsic self-worthlessness, is now seen to underlie a range of psychological problems. With clarity and insight, Dr. Morrison traces the development of shame, from infancy through its more sophisticated forms, and explores the roots and expression of shame in our society. Shame gives rise to a wide array of disorders, including depression, addictions, and eating and sexual disorders, as well as emotional problems linked to trauma, gender, race, illness, old age, and infertility. In our society, shame manifests itself through alienation, lack of motivation, and feelings of meaninglessness.
In The Culture of Shame, Dr. Morrison exposes the many masks of shame and examines the way shame paralyzes us, individually and culturally. He explains the language of shame and its painful consequences. Through powerful case studies, he illuminates the impact of shame on the lives of individuals and how shame can be overcome.
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
re of Shame, Harvard psychiatrist Andrew P. Morrison argues that shame pervades our culture. From its early references in Biblical stories to the works of philosophers such as Nietzsche and Sartre and contemporary novelists Philip Roth and Toni Morrison, the experience of shame emerges as a theme of human experience. Yet, until recently, the psychology profession did not acknowledge the role of shame, focusing instead on guilt. Indeed, our modern culture, which emphasizes independence and personal responsibility, tends to view shame as the mark of an inferior or self-absorbing individual.
Shame, which Dr. Morrison defines as a feeling of intrinsic self-worthlessness, is now seen to underlie a range of psychological problems. With clarity and insight, Dr. Morrison traces the development of shame, from infancy through its more sophisticated forms, and explores the roots and expression of shame in our society. Shame gives rise to a wide array of disorders, including depression, addictions, and eati
Shame, which Dr. Morrison defines as a feeling of intrinsic self-worthlessness, is now seen to underlie a range of psychological problems. With clarity and insight, Dr. Morrison traces the development of shame, from infancy through its more sophisticated forms, and explores the roots and expression of shame in our society. Shame gives rise to a wide array of disorders, including depression, addictions, and eati
About the Author
Andrew P. Morrison, M.D., is a teacher at the Harvard Medical School, the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute, and the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis.
