The Individual Experience of Guilt and Shame in Chinese Culture

Abstract

The emotions of guilt and shame play a significant role in socialization, function as mechanisms of social control, and maintain the individual’s sense of personal identity. This article explores the emotions of guilt and shame in Mandarin. Specifically, Mandarin words for guilt (nei jiu, zui e gan and fan zui gan) and shame (diu lian, can kui, xiu kui and xiu chi) are examined. Information derived from ethnographic interviews with Taiwanese informants is used to draw inferences about these constructs. Cross-cultural comparison of guilt and shame in American and Chinese cultures is offered.