Shame Is Worth A Try Analysis

Shame is something that one can carry on his or her back, and it can be presumed necessary. Having shame means to have the sense of restraint against offending others. If everyone in the world wanted to do whatever they want and think that, ‘it’s okay’ then wouldn’t the world be in chaos? In the article “Shame is Worth a Try” by Dan M. Kahan, he provides proof how using shaming as a tool can be effective, cheap and most importantly a humane way for imprisonment. Of course, there are other alternatives to punish someone for their crimes that people commit and government already has determined by their rules and laws. Shame may not be a correct way to punish someone for their small crimes, yet shaming seems to be the effective way to help people …show more content…
Kahan states, “ As a result, judges, legislators, and the public at large generally do accept shame as a morally appropriate punishment for drunken driving, non-aggravated assaults, embezzlement, small-scale drug distribution and etc.” (582) Kahan demonstrates that it is easier for lawbreakers to be punished for their actions in this way, simply because it helps them to come to the awareness that their actions result in consequences. And of course, if judges are providing them with opportunities to not go to jail, then they should take that in consideration, and work on changing their behavior if they don’t want to end up in jail. Without a hit of doubt a criminal record is not the most convenient thing to have on ones personal file because it limits them with opportunities that life has to …show more content…
In the article “Condemn the Crime, Not the Person”, by June Tangney, she believes that shaming is not the most effective or helpful to any lawbreakers to pay for their crimes, and using guilt will be the most appropriate way to correct the behavior. Tangney states, “Recent scientific evidence suggests that such attempts at social control are misguided. Rather than fostering constructive change, shame often makes a bad situation worse” (577). She proceeds to explain that shaming can make situation worse than it already is. She states that people who are being shamed are most likely to repeat their behavior and blame others for what is happening with them. With that they can get irrationally angry and sabotage themselves. Tangney states that shaming can actually cause the lawbreaker to provoke more damage, and feel that at the end they are bad person instead of the fact that they have done something that is not appropriate or