DIGNITY AND HUMILIATION STUDIES: HUMILIATION FLOWERING FROM HISTORICAL ROOTS - AN AUSTRLAIAN EXPERIENCE
by Hilarie Roseman

Key words: dignity, humiliation, recognition, respect, fear, politicians, refugees, mandatory detention, sadistic relationships, Australia, convicts, intimidation, Web/Part Whole theory.

ABSTRACT
The withdrawal or denial of recognition and respect, experienced as humiliation, may be the strongest force that creates rifts between people and breaks down relationships. (Lindner 2005) McLuhan envisions the world as a global village, Lindner as a single sphere, which experiences cycles of humiliation. Lack of respect appears when historical roots of fear are awakened. “Some politicians scare, fear or humiliate constituents to vote a certain way, act a certain way, or think a certain way. (Shapiro 2004). In Australia Prime Minister Howard spoke of the boat refugees as queue jumpers and illegals, using fear to build mandatory detention camps. Fear was grown Australia’s roots by the sadistic relationships between bad prison bosses and their prisoners, the convicts. “Norfolk Island held a thousand convicts, but its real use was the intimidation of thousands more. If it was not “demonic” it would have been a useless deterrent.” (Hughes 1986:484) Humiliation and fear in the work place are discussed in a case study where there is deliberate lack of recognition and malice towards an older worker. The theory of Phillips and Scheff, The Web/Part Whole Theory, is used in defining and drawing the threads of dignity and humiliation together. Dignity comes from people, dignified themselves, bringing dignity to others. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.