“Reactions to Violation of Normative Standards: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Shame and Guilt.

Bierbrauer, Gunter. “Reactions to Violation of Normative Standards: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Shame and Guilt.” International Journal of Psychology, vol. 27, no.2, 1992, pp. 181-193. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, DOI: 10.1080/00207599208246874

“One starting point is the issue of how different conceptions of identity or self have been advanced in cross-cultural psychology.” Recently a number of somewhat related conceptions of cultural variations have been suggested in the literature, eg: (1) individualism vs. collectivism (e.g. Hofstede, 1980; Triandis, 1986); (2) tight vs, loose cultures (e.g. Pelto, 1968); and (3) high vs. low context cultures (e.g. Hall 1976). They all share a similar feature, namely the degree to which a person's identity or self is part of their social environments or a result of social relationships. The different conception of the self is the outcome of cultural organizations via the various forms of social control. At the same time , individuals' own definitions define their identity in terms of their ingroup, such as family or local community, the latter will have a major influence on their conduct, whereas individuals who feel that they are free from tight social control may be less influenced by social values and norms from their immediate social environment." 183

"Asthe preceding ideas suggest, different cultural orientations reflect different ways of understanding how social control and group relatedness can be achieved."

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"it is assumed by these writers that shame is defined as a reaction to criticism from others an as a fear of rejection and withdrawal of love. In contrast, guilt was thought to be a form of self-criticism that resulted from a comparison of one's action with internalized standards."

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