Cultures of Shame - by D Nash & A Kilday (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The first systematic study of the concept of shame from 1600-1900, showing good and bad behaviour, morality and perceptions of crime in British society at large. Single episodes in the history of shame are contextualized by discussing the historiography and theory of shame and their implications for the history of crime and social relations.

Review Quotes

'A stimulating (and rare) attempt to link the micro-history of crime to broader intellectual developments in penology and criminal law. This represents a major addition to the field of British social and cultural history, as well as criminal justice history.'

- Neil Davie, Université Lyon 2, France

'This is a lively and interesting book. It is thoroughly researched and combines the study of local, archival sources with the unpacking of intellectual debate about the role of punishment, shame, and morality in early modern and Victorian society.' - Heather Shore, Leeds Metropolitan University, English Historical Review

About the Author

DAVID NASH is Professor of History at Oxford Brookes University, UK. He has published widely on the history of Secularism in Britain. Most recently he has published internationally renowned works on the history of blasphemy in Britain and the Christian world and other works on the relationship between crime, law and culture.

ANNE-MARIE KILDAY is Principal Lecturer in History at Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has written on the history of women's criminality (such as infanticide) and violent crime since the seventeenth century in Scotland as well as in wider comparative contexts. She has published numerous articles; has contributed to a number of edited collections and has hosted a number of recent conferences on crime and related subjects.