Citation

Gerodimos R. Int. Forum Psychoanal. 2022; 31(1): 34-45.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Scandinavian University Press)

DOI

10.1080/0803706X.2018.1523558

PMID

unavailable

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. © 2018 The International Federation of Psychoanalytic Societies.

Language: en

Keywords

crime; human; violence; suicide; Greece; morality; aggression; economic crisis; shame; politics; automutilation; social aspect; Article; civic culture; honor; humiliation; narcissistic trauma