Coping with Shame of Poverty

Abstract

Shame experienced due to lack of resources shatter the existence of human beings. This article studies the distress shame experiences and coping strategies of farmers who are in financial crisis. The empirical source of the article is based on qualitative information collected from 179 farmers, and the respective village communities in which these farmers reside, from nine states of India. Study showed that farmers used three styles of coping to deal with shame: problem-oriented, self-oriented and others’ perception oriented. While problem-oriented and self-oriented approach are similar to the traditional coping styles, others’ perception-oriented approach is an additional category discovered based on the paradoxical nature of shame. The article argues that the heavy emphasis on problem-oriented coping with shame of poverty helps the farmers to maintain positive mental health in the midst of crisis.