Pakistani Immigrants' Nuanced Beliefs About Shame and Its Regulation

Abstract

Abstract. The present study explored beliefs about shame and coping strategies of Pakistani immigrants to Canada, without imposing Western definitions or theories. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 adult Pakistani immigrants to Canada who immigrated within the last 8 years. Grounded theory was used to uncover and illuminate how shame could act as a signal for wrongdoing or emerge as a result of social control and social hierarchies, while in both instances being shaped by and informing complex relational and social contexts. Participants accessed a wide range of positive and negative coping behaviors and prioritized positive coping strategies which included close others and focused on self-improvement. The findings highlight the need for researchers to expand current definitions of shame to render them more inclusive of non-Western worldviews and to honor the diversity in metacognitions or beliefs about shame present in different cultural groups. Future research may also benefit from exploring how shame may be felt as a response to power differentials, and how this may impact individuals' experiences of immigration. It is important for practitioners working with Pakistani immigrants to Canada to honor clients' nuanced and complex cultural and religious knowledge about shame, as Pakistani immigrants' beliefs about shame and their proactive stance toward the regulation of this emotion are likely to be protective. We also encourage therapists to be open to discussing sources of shame (e.g., personal vs. imposed by others) and systemic, structural inequalities which may be important in explaining individuals' emotional experience.

An Appraisal of Narcissistic Rage Through Path Modeling

“…Indeed, several differences have been observed regarding the definition and the connotation of shame between Eastern and Western cultures ( Wong & Tsai, 2007 ). In Western cultures, shame is viewed mostly as a painful, maladaptive emotion ( Collardeau et al, 2021 ) whereas shame is a socially prescribed emotion in collectivistic cultures (often Eastern societies) as the negative evaluation and the shame that ensues are viewed as sources of information and motivation for self-improvement ( Wong & Tsai, 2007 ). To illustrate this phenomenon, Pakistani immigrants in Canada were interviewed in a recent study ( Collardeau et al, 2021 ).…”

The role of culture and social threats in constructing shame: Moving beyond a western lens.

“…In a qualitative study exploring the meaning of shame for Pakistani immigrants to Canada, participants understood shame as both an emotional feedback signalling potentially wrongful behaviours to allow for self-improvement and an emotion used within hierarchical relationships by those with more social status to enforce specific behaviours (Collardeau et al, 2021). Depending on the situation, participants then had nuanced coping strategies to regulate their feelings of shame (Collardeau et al, 2021). Future studies of personal and culturally shared metaemotion philosophies about shame may be a fruitful avenue to explore culturally diverse, indigenous understandings of shame.…”

“…A healthy person is defined by their internalization of morality, their self-control, and their capacity to exhibit shame at the culturally appropriate times (Subandi & Good, 2018). In a qualitative study exploring the meaning of shame for Pakistani immigrants to Canada, participants understood shame as both an emotional feedback signalling potentially wrongful behaviours to allow for self-improvement and an emotion used within hierarchical relationships by those with more social status to enforce specific behaviours (Collardeau et al, 2021). Depending on the situation, participants then had nuanced coping strategies to regulate their feelings of shame (Collardeau et al, 2021).…”

New Frontiers for International Perspectives in Psychology

“…They include a perspective from the creative arts on political change in Puerto Rico (Espada-Brignoni & Alfaro, 2021) and, in response to an earlier call for a special issue on populism, para-social relationships with populist leaders across (and within) Indonesia, the United States, and in New Zealand (Hakim & Liu, 2021). We have further articles on the psychology of shame, building more inclusive human services, among Pakistani immigrants in Canada (Collardeau et al, 2021); and on the potential role of micronutrients in helping to combat traumatic stress following events like the Christchurch shootings and other natural and manmade disasters (Rucklidge et al, 2021). Finally, we have a Policy Brief on how to streamline access to host country humanitarian services like healthcare for refugees from Syria in Turkey (Chen, 2021).…”