Is Shame Necessary? is a book about shame.  The author, Jennifer Jacquet, is an Assistant Professor, in the Department of Environmental Studies, at New York University.  Jacquet explains, in Chapter 1, that the book explores the origins and future of shame, with particularly great interest in the public act of shaming (rather than the emotion of shame).  Also, in Chapter 1, Jacquet instructs that shame is not only a feeling; it is also a delicate and sometimes dangerous tool, that may be used to help solve serious problems.

The textual contents are considerably research referenced.  Citations for textually embedded research references are given in a Notes section, joined structurally to the text’s far end, and organized on a chapter by chapter basis.

Throughout the text, Jacquet’s examination of substantively pertinent research data and materials is done customarily in an expertly critical and thoughtful manner.

And congruently, the forthrightly stated opinions and views of Jacquet, suffusing the text’s body, likewise characteristically exude much thoughtfulness.

Quite numerous, and eclectically far ranging, snippets, in the form of quotes, populate the text’s body in substantively germane and informative fashion.

There are also some substantively enlivening quotes, drawn from real life conversations, sewed into the textual cloth.

Bits and pieces of biographical material, culled anecdotally from Jacquet’s life, further enliven the textual corpus.

And there are some artistic images, which artistically adorn the body of the text.

The book is penned, stylistically, in lay reader friendly fashion.

Structurally, the book is configured into ten chapters.

Jacquet teaches, in Chapter 1, that exposure is the essence of shaming; and that shame aims to hold individuals to the group standard, whereas guilt’s role, in contrast, is to hold individuals to their own standards.  Jacquet teaches further that shaming, which is separate from feeling ashamed, is a form of punishment; and that reputation is the asset that shaming attacks.  According to Jacquet, shaming works best when used sparingly.

Guilt’s ascendancy rises to the substantive fore, of Chapter 2.  Readers learn that guilt, by and large, is believed to be an emotional construct of the West, with Westerners reporting frequent feelings of guilt.  In a contextually relevant way, Jacquet comments, with characteristic thoughtfulness, on American individualism, and on the elbowing out of shame by the paradigm of the individual.  Although shame, on the one hand, ranks low on the American emotional frequency, Jacquet instructs that shamelessness, on the other hand, is often prominent.  Jacquet adds that shame is calibrated to social norms, which is why it differs so much across cultures.  It is asserted by Jacquet that shame resides deeper in human nature, but guilt as a powerful force should not be ignored.  In Jacquet’s view, guilt obviously can work to motivate behavior.

Jacquet suggests, in Chapter 3, that one effect of a growing awareness of environmental and social problems has been a rise in guilt.  But Jacquet opines that one reason green guilt is so ineffective is that it is felt over the wrong things.  Moreover, in Jacquet’s bluntly thoughtful opinion, guilt may be inadequate because it is inherently individualistic; but, in today’s world, changes are often needed at a higher level.

In the economics and business organization literature, as Jacquet teaches in Chapter 4, people who destabilize cooperation consistently are called “bad apples”.  For example, in this enframing context, Jacquet critically considers anthropogenic climate change.  But whether the issue is fossil fuel emissions, the spread of infectious diseases, or a quiet library, in Jacquet’s view, a relative few bad apples can spoil it for the whole bunch.  Jacquet discourses that the presence of bad apples in highly collective dilemmas, in tandem with a dearth of other formal means of punishment, gives reason to consider shaming (albeit in sophisticated and cautious forms).

Norms comprise the substantive cynosure, of Chapter 5.  Looking inside the frame of norms, Jacquet observes, intellectually, that, regarding the establishing of new norms, shame is more powerful than guilt.  Shaming is sighted, by Jacquet’s keen intellectual vision, as an important tool in changing decisions and norms.  As viewed by Jacquet, when a norm disappears, so does the shame that comes with it.  There is instructive discourse, by Jacquet, focusing on “norm entrepreneurs”.  The discourse extends discerningly to markets and norms, and ranges farther afield to enforcement of norms.

The seven habits of highly effective shaming, as fleshed out by Jacquet, are the seven pillars upholding the substantive foundation of Chapter 6.  Jacquet’s instructively informative discussion adds much substantive flesh to the bones of the seven habits.  In Jacquet’s judgment, if shaming sticks closely to the seven habits, it likely will play an effective role in changing behavior.

With characteristically sharply piercing acumen, Jacquet, in Chapter 7, expounds on online shaming.  Jacquet teaches that the Internet is the easiest platform for shaming, with the largest possible audience.  Indeed, in Jacquet’s view, shaming has never been so cheap, or so accessible.  But Jacquet cautions that a consequence of the inexpensiveness of digital shaming is its frequent and vicious use.  The potential problem of disproportionate punishment, in this regard, garners perspicacious comment.  The perspicacity of Jacquet extends farther to comment concerning shamelessness online, and also concerning operationalizing shame in machines.

Shaming in the attention economy is the crux, of Chapter 8.  The ken of Jacquet spots attention getting in the form of concealed irony.

In penultimate Chapter 9, Jacquet, with customary expertness, considers reactions to shaming.  Jacquet discourses that shaming, sometimes, is so effective, that the best way to avoid it is to stop shaming from happening.  There is discourse, as well, regarding ways to dilute shame.  Escaping shame after it starts likewise collects informative discourse.  Confronting shame also appears on the intellectual radar screen of Jacquet.  In Jacquet’s judgment, shame’s real power is that the fear of shame may make individuals, or institutions, conform to what the group thinks is acceptable behavior.

And finally, in concluding Chapter 10, Jacquet muses that, concerning the role of shaming in the twenty first century, there should be less thought about the traditional forms of shaming, and more thought about what shaming may become.  Transparency is considered critically.  In the judgment of Jacquet, a shaming policy may sometimes be more effective and acceptable than transparency.  And focusing on shame’s social nature, Jacquet discourses that, the more social the transgression, the sweeter the shame, because the audience is interested inherently in the bad behavior.

In an Appendix following the text, Jacquet expounds on shame totem poles.

The discourse of Jacquet is a powerful intellectual beacon for those searching for direction, intellectually, in the area of shame. 

Social scientists, psychologists, and environmentalists are among those who may be very capably guided, professionally, by the intellectually illumining light emanating brightly from this book.

 

© 2015 Leo Uzych

 

Leo Uzych (based in Wallingford, PA) earned a law degree, from Temple University; and a master of public health degree, from Columbia University.  His area of special professional interest is healthcare.  Twitter @LeoUzych