Humiliation, shame, and violence: Honor, trauma, and political extremism before and after the 2009 crisis in Greece

Authors: Gerodimos, R.

Journal: International Forum of Psychoanalysis

Volume: 31

Issue: 1

Pages: 34-45

eISSN: 1651-2324

ISSN: 0803-706X

DOI: 10.1080/0803706X.2018.1523558

Abstract:

Recent scholarship has mapped the dynamic between humiliation and violence, including the role of trauma and self-esteem. While existing research has mostly focused on individuals, there is a strong case for applying this framework to the macrosocial level. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that combines psychoanalysis, cultural anthropology, and political sociology, this paper carries out a step-by-step application of Gilligan’s shame/violence theory to the case of Greece, focusing on the post-2009 era known as “the Crisis.” This paper outlines the root causes of the shame/violence dynamic in Greece, with reference to communitarian moral codes and honor crimes, as well as political divisions, unresolved trauma, and shame/violence spirals originating in the mid-twentieth century. It then examines the role of humiliation during the current economic crisis, as well as the surge of political aggression. The application of Gilligan’s theory provides us with a compelling interpretation of civic culture in contemporary Greece, throwing light on patterns of collective self-harming behavior (“suicide by cop”)–as both a possible result of subjective humiliation, and a means of seeking pity and attention. The paper also identifies the existence of accumulated shame, which could lead to outbreaks of political extremism.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31213/

Source: Scopus

Humiliation, shame, and violence: Honor, trauma, and political extremism before and after the 2009 crisis in Greece

Authors: Gerodimos, R.

Journal: INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF PSYCHOANALYSIS

Volume: 31

Issue: 1

Pages: 34-45

eISSN: 1651-2324

ISSN: 0803-706X

DOI: 10.1080/0803706X.2018.1523558

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31213/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Humiliation, Shame and Violence: Honor, Trauma and Political Extremism Before and After the 2009 Crisis in Greece

Authors: Gerodimos, R.

Journal: International Forum of Psychoanalysis

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

ISSN: 0803-706X

DOI: 10.1080/0803706X.2018.1523558

Abstract:

Recent scholarship has mapped the dynamic between humiliation and violence, including the role of trauma and self-esteem. While existing research has mostly focused on individuals, there is a strong case for applying this framework to the macro-social level. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that combines psychoanalysis, cultural anthropology and political sociology, this paper carries out a step-by-step application of Gilligan’s (2003) shame/violence theory to the case of Greece, focusing on the post-2009 era known as ‘the Crisis’. The paper outlines the root causes of the shame/violence dynamic in Greece, with reference to communitarian moral codes and honor crimes, as well as political divisions, unresolved trauma and shame/violence spirals originating in the mid-20th century. It then examines the role of humiliation during the current economic crisis, as well as the surge of political aggression. The application of Gilligan’s theory provides us with a compelling interpretation of the civic culture in contemporary Greece, throwing light on patterns of collective self-harming behavior (“suicide by cop”) – both, as a possible result of subjective humiliation, and, as a means of seeking pity and attention. The paper also identifies the existence of accumulated shame, which could lead to outbreaks of political extremism.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31213/

Source: Manual

Humiliation, Shame and Violence: Honor, Trauma and Political Extremism Before and After the 2009 Crisis in Greece

Authors: Gerodimos, R.

Journal: International Forum of Psychoanalysis

Volume: 31

Issue: 1

Pages: 34-45

ISSN: 0803-706X

Abstract:

Recent scholarship has mapped the dynamic between humiliation and violence, including the role of trauma and self-esteem. While existing research has mostly focused on individuals, there is a strong case for applying this framework to the macro-social level. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that combines psychoanalysis, cultural anthropology and political sociology, this paper carries out a step-by-step application of Gilligan’s (2003) shame/violence theory to the case of Greece, focusing on the post-2009 era known as ‘the Crisis’. The paper outlines the root causes of the shame/violence dynamic in Greece, with reference to communitarian moral codes and honor crimes, as well as political divisions, unresolved trauma and shame/violence spirals originating in the mid-20th century. It then examines the role of humiliation during the current economic crisis, as well as the surge of political aggression. The application of Gilligan’s theory provides us with a compelling interpretation of the civic culture in contemporary Greece, throwing light on patterns of collective self-harming behavior (“suicide by cop”) – both, as a possible result of subjective humiliation, and, as a means of seeking pity and attention. The paper also identifies the existence of accumulated shame, which could lead to outbreaks of political extremism.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/31213/

Source: BURO EPrints