Cancel culture vs. honor/shame culture
Upon reading the book Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes about the honor and shame culture that existed in biblical times I was reminded of the current atmosphere of cancel culture that has permeated our current culture.
Zoe Thomas with the BBC wrote an article on the potential cost of cancel culture. For those who are not familiar with cancel culture it has been defined as, “Cancel culture can include everything from people with the most money and privilege in our society getting push back for saying things others found distasteful to regular everyday people losing their jobs for relatively minor infractions,” — Kimberely Foster.
Cancel culture has been a way for our generation to enforce the cultural norms that we expect out of our public figures and those who are in some form of authority over us. It has become a way to apply a standard beyond the meritocracy that our cultural and political leaders have been subject to.
Thomas wrote on the extent of cancel culture, going from R. Kelly to even Aunt Jemina syrup. This resulted in Quaker Oats the parent company declaring that it will rebrand the product, retiring the name.
However, not everyone is in support in this new rise cultural phenomenon. Former President Barack Obama while giving a speech at the Obama Foundation said, “”If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far.”
This shifts us back to the honor/shame culture of the Near East that was the setting of the Bible. While we see in the Old Testament that the cultures use both honor and shame to enforce the cultural norms. This was shown in the story with David and Bathsheba and how the motivator of David post the action with Bathsheba revolved in restoring his honor. This put him at conflict with Uriah as the honor was a limited supply and only one of them could maintain their honor fully.
We also saw how Nathan used shame to enforce the cultural norms to David and bring him to repentance with God.
This appears to draw a parallel with the current cancel culture right? Both use public shame to enforce morality and cultural norms?
Yes, and no. Yes both use the same emotion for the same effect. However, in a shame/honor culture the result is not using shame as a bludgeon of vigilante justice meant to suppress one another, but rather as a communal system for correct conduct.
In the story of David and Uriah, the entire palace was involved and in the know of the process. The impacts went beyond the two to include the community and that was the basis of shame and honor. Contrasted to cancel culture where it is one sided, the twitter mass against the individual. This often results in what Thomas describes as personal opinion through consumer outrage.
Some feel that this is where the cancel culture will grow into. That the cancel culture will evolve into one that accounts for grace and making amends.
“If we are going to invest in letting people know when they have stepped out of the bounds of what society finds tasteful or appropriate, then we also need to be sure we have ways of letting people know how they can repair the harm they have done,” For Harriets Ms Foster says.
