The stickiness of shame
Abstract
This chapter explores the powerful and painful ways in which shame sticks to the bodies and selves of womxn who have been raped, making them stuck. It demonstrates how shame is a central affective mechanism through which womxn are made responsible for having been raped. The chapter examines how shame is constituted by intersections of sexism, racism and classism. While highlighting the dominance of shame as an affective response to rape, the chapter also shows how womxn resist shame both within and beyond the context of the interviews.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
Gender and Feminist Studies
Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 89–116
- Publication date
- 14 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter