ABSTRACT
This chapter explains shame and the areas in which it is experienced by men. It analyses shame from guilt and explains why this differentiation is important. The chapter reviews the literature on shame as it relates to gender, masculinity, religion, and culture. It offers ways that can conceptualize, assess, and treat shame and its consequences when working with male clients. There are several distinctions that are made with regard to the type of shame being referred to in the literature. One distinction is that of internal or internalized shame, and external shame. Men may experience shame when they have not lived up to the desired image of their masculine self, or the masculine ideal. Culturally defined expectations of masculinity, or how boys and men are supposed to feel and act, become internalized. The experience of shame is a painful emotion that contributes to men feeling depressed and angry.
