The Social, Aesthetic, and Medical Implications of Performing Shame: Interdisciplinary Approaches

Shame is examined through the works of North American writers and artists in Performing Shame, which explores how simulations of shame can resist its withering influence. It looks at how theatre, standardized patient actors, The Raging Grannies, Alison Bechdels graphic novel Fun Home, and Alice Munro's stories challenge ageist and homophobic constructions of shame.

Format: Hardback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 19 June 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Shame is a powerful emotion that can have a significant impact on individuals and society as a whole. However, it is also a complex and multifaceted emotion that can be difficult to understand and navigate. In Performing Shame, author Sarah Ahmed explores the ways in which simulations of shame by North American writers and artists have the power to resist its withering influence.

Chapter 1: Analyzing Key Terms

Ahmed begins the book by analyzing the key terms of shame, performance, and empathy. She argues that shame is often associated with social and cultural norms, but that it can also be a powerful tool for resistance and transformation. Performance, on the other hand, is a means of creating and expressing identity and emotion, and can be used to challenge and subvert dominant narratives. Empathy, meanwhile, is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and can be used to build connections and create change.

Chapter 2: Probing Key Terms in Light of a Real-World Study

In Chapter 2, Ahmed probes the book's key terms in light of a real-world study of an empathy device that aims to teach the public what it feels like to be disabled. The device, called the Empathy Machine, is a virtual reality headset that allows users to experience the world from the perspective of someone with a disability. Ahmed uses the Empathy Machine to explore how shame is experienced by individuals with disabilities, and how performance can be used to challenge and subvert dominant narratives about disability.

Chapter 3: Analyzing How Theatre Intervenes in the Practice of Medicine

In Chapter 3, Ahmed analyzes how theatre intervenes in the practice of medicine via standardized patient actors who engage in role play to enhance medical students' empathy for patients coping with shame. Standardized patient actors are individuals who are trained to portray patients with specific medical conditions and symptoms, allowing medical students to practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment. Ahmed argues that theatre can be a powerful tool for challenging and subverting dominant narratives about shame, as it allows patients to share their experiences in a public and creative way.

Chapter 4: Examining How The Raging Grannies Public Performances Contest Ageist Constructions of Older Women's Bodies and Desires

In Chapter 4, Ahmed examines how The Raging Grannies public performances contest ageist constructions of older women's bodies and desires. The Raging Grannies are a group of older women who use performance to challenge and subvert dominant narratives about aging and gender. Ahmed argues that the Raging Grannies' performances are a powerful tool for challenging ageist stereotypes and promoting a more positive and inclusive view of older women.

Chapter 5: Exploring Alison Bechdel's Graphic Novel Fun Home

In Chapter 5, Ahmed explores Alison Bechdel's graphic novel Fun Home, which challenges the shame projected onto homosexuals. Bechdel's novel is a semi-autobiographical account of her relationship with her father, who was gay and closeted. Ahmed argues that Bechdel's novel is a powerful tool for challenging and subverting dominant narratives about homosexuality and gender identity.

Bringing the Study Full Circle: Close Readings of Alice Munro's Stories

In the final chapter, Ahmed brings the study full circle by offering close readings of the stories of Alice Munro. Like empathy devices, Munro's texts restage scenes of shame to undo its malevolent spell. Ahmed argues that Munro's stories are a powerful tool for challenging and subverting dominant narratives about gender, sexuality, and power.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Performing Shame is a thought-provoking and important book that explores the ways in which simulations of shame by North American writers and artists have the power to resist its withering influence. Ahmed's analysis of the key terms of shame, performance, and empathy is insightful and compelling, and her real-world studies and close readings of Alice Munro's stories offer valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted nature of shame. This book will be of interest to scholars in theatre and performance studies, health humanities, gender studies, queer studies, literary studies, disability studies, and affect studies.

Weight: 570g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032205540