Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
KiS baner

Vol. 50 No. 1-2 (2006): Więzi i uczucia

Articles and essays

Shame and Honor as Marks of Proper Behavior

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35757/KiS.2006.50.1-2.9
Submitted: January 4, 2024
Published: March 30, 2006

Abstract

The author looks at the dichotomy between shame and honor through references to traditional societies of the Mediterranean culture. Anthropological studies in the 1950–1980s define both concepts as morally determined social regulators. Emotions related to shame are etymologically feminine, those related to honor are masculine. Consequently, gender seems to determine what is moral. Therefore, one can venture that social expectations with regard to women evolve around notions related to shame: modesty (particularly sexual), passivity and submission. For men they evolve around notions related to honor: activism, courage and usefulness. In contemporary discourse this division translates into attaching women to the household related private sphere and placing men in the public politico-economic sphere. Such a distinction solidifies traditional social order whose role is to assist in proper functioning of the family.

References

  1. Arystoteles, 1988, Retoryka, ks II, w: Arystoteles, Retoryka. Poetyka, tłum. Henryk Podbielski, PWN, Warszawa.
  2. Asano-Tamanoi Mariko, 1987, Shame, Family, and State in Catalonia and Japan, w: David D. Gilmore (red.), Honor and Shame and the Unity of The Mediterranean, American Anthropological Association, Washington, D.C.
  3. Bańkowski Andrzej, 2000, Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego, t. 1, PWN, Warszawa.
  4. Beneditct Ruth, 2003, Chryzantema i miecz. Wzory kultury japońskiej, tłum. E. Klekot, PIW, Warszawa.
  5. Borch-Jacobsen Mikkel, 1991, Desire Caught by a Tail, w: Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen, Lacan: The Absolute Master, Stanford University Press, Stanford.
  6. Bourdieu Pierre, 1979, The Kabyle House or the World Reversed, w: Algeria 1960: Essays by Pierre Bourdieu, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  7. Boziewicz Władysław, 1999 [1919], Polski kodeks honorowy, Muza, Warszawa.
  8. Brandes Stanley, 1987, Reflections on Honor and Shame in the Mediterranean, w: David D. Gilmore (red.), Honor and Shame and the Unity of The Mediterranean, American Anthropological Association, Washington D.C.
  9. Brückner Aleksander, 2000 [1927], Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa.
  10. Burke Peter, 1991, The Language of Gesture in Early Modern Italy, w: J. Bremmer, H. Roodenburg (red.), A Cultural History of Gesture from Antiquity to the Present Day, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  11. Cadden Joan, 1993, Meanings of Sex Difference in the Middle Ages: Medicine, Science and Culture, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  12. Clifton James, 1999, Gender and Shame in Masaccio’s Expultion from the Garden of Eden, „Art History”, t. 22, nr 5, s. 637–655.
  13. Daly Martin, Wilson Margo, Sexual Selection: Competition for Mates, w: Martin Daly, Margo Wilson, Sex, Evolution and Behaviour, Willard Grand Press, Boston.
  14. Delaney Carol, 1987, Seeds of Honor, Fields of Shame, w: David D. Gilmore (red.), Honor and Shame and the Unity of The Mediterranean, American Anthropological Association, Washington D.C.
  15. Doroszewski Wojciech, 1967, Słownik języka polskiego, PWN, Warszawa.
  16. Gilmore David D., 1987, Introduction: The Shame of Dishonor and Honor, Honesty and Shame, w: David D. Gilmore (red.), Honor and Shame and the Unity of The Mediterranean, American Anthropological Association, Washington D.C.
  17. Herzfeld Michael, 1980, Honour and Shame: Problem in the Comparative Analysis of Moral System, „Man”. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, t. 15, nr 2, s. 320–339.
  18. Hollander Martha, 2003, Losses of Face: Rembrandt, Masaccio, and the Drama of Shame, „Social Research”, t. 70, s. 1327–1350.
  19. Holly Krystyna, Żółtak Anna, 2001, Słownik wyrazów zapomnianych, czyli słownictwo naszych lektur, PWN, Warszawa.
  20. Karłowicz Jan, 1900–1911, Słownik gwar polskich, t. 1–6, Akademia Umiejętności, Kraków.
  21. Karłowicz Jan, 1952–1953 [1900–1927], Słownik języka polskiego, t. 1–8, PIW, Warszawa.
  22. Laniac Timothy S., 1998, Shame and Honor in the Book of Esther, Scholars Press, Atlanta, Ga.
  23. Lévi-Strauss Claude, 1969, Myśl nieoswojona, tłum. Andrzej Zajączkowski, PWN, Warszawa.
  24. Linde Samuel Bogumił, 1951 [1807–1814], Słownik języka polskiego, t. 1–6, PIW, Warszawa.
  25. Lloyd Genevieve, 1984, The Man of Reason: Male and Female in Western Philosophy, University of Minneapolis Press, Minneapolis.
  26. Malinowski Bronisław, 1984, Zwyczaj i zbrodnia w społeczności dzikich, w: Dzieła, t. 2, PWN, Warszawa.
  27. Moore Henrietta L., 2003, Płeć kulturowa i status — wyjaśnienie sytuacji kobiet, w: Marian Kempny, Ewa Nowicka (red.), Badanie kultury, PWN, Warszawa.
  28. Ossowska Maria, 1985, Moralność mieszczańska, Ossolineum, Wrocław.
  29. Peristiany J. G., 1966, Honour and Shame in a Cypriot Highland Village, w: J. G. Peristiany (red.), Honour and Shame: The Values of Mediterranean Society, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  30. Pitt-Rivers Julian, 1966, Honour and Social Status, w: J. G. Peristiany (red.), Honour and Shame: The Values of Mediterranean Society, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  31. Środa Magdalena, 1993, Idee etyczne starożytności i średniowiecza. Podręcznik do etyki, WSiP, Warszawa.
  32. Topolski Jerzy, 2004, Wolność i przymus w tworzeniu historii, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań.
  33. Turner Victor W., 1969, The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, Adeline Publishing Co., Chicago.
  34. Wikan Unni, 1984, Shame and Honor: A Contestable Pair, „Man”. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, t. 19, nr 4, s. 635–652.
  35. Zeid Ahmed-Abou, 1966, Honour and Shame among the Bedouins of Egypt, w: J. G. Peristiany (red.), Honour and Shame: The Values of Mediterranean Society, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.