Bourdieu, Hysteresis, and Shame: Spinal Cord Injury and the Gendered Habitus. (April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barrett, Timothy
• Is Part Of: Men and masculinities. Volume 21:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 55
• Publication Date: 2018-04
• Subjects: spinal cord injury -- disability -- masculinity -- Bourdieu -- found life histories -- emotion -- shame; Men's studies -- Periodicals; Étude de genre; Étude sur les hommes; Homme; Identité masculine; Masculinité; Perception sociale; Recherche; Rôle selon le sexe; Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); 305.3105
• DOI: 10.1177/1097184X16652658
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1097-184X

Abstract

This article offers a consideration of the gendered emotion of "shame" within the context of the lived experiences of spinal cord injured men, using "found life histories" as a source material. Drawing upon the Bourdieusian concept of "hysteresis, " I theorize the emergence of a gendered disjuncture between incorporated expectations, values and assumptions, and the substantive enactments of masculinity socially available in the aftermath of spinal cord injury. Shame was often experienced within contexts characterized by "dangerous" social proximity to pathologized "others" (namely, disabled people and children) against which hegemonic masculinity is defined. I conclude the article by highlighting the particular limitations that Bourdieusian social theory can be used to identify in relation to individualized therapeutic interventions designed to encourage spinal cord injured men to adopt new understandings of masculinity.