@article{Gerodimos, author = {Gerodimos, Roman}, title = {Humiliation, shame, and violence: Honor, trauma, and political extremism before and after the 2009 crisis in Greece}, series = {International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 31 (No. 1, 2022), pp. 034-045.}, journal = {International Forum of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 31 (No. 1, 2022), pp. 034-045.}, 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.}, language = {en} }