Shyness and Society. The Illusion of Competence. Susie Scott University of Sussex

Transcription

1 Shyness and Society

2 Shyness and Society The Illusion of Competence Susie Scott University of Sussex

3 * SUSIE SCOTT 2007 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WlT 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act First published 2007 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin's Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Scott, Susie, Shyness and society: the illusion of competence I Susie Scott. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN Bashfulness-Social aspects. I. Title. HM1106.S '32-dc Transferred to Digital Printing 20 II

4 Contents Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction: Entering the Secret World of the Shy 1. Why do we need a sociology of shyness? 2. All in the mind? 3. The social constitution of the 'shy' mind 4. Whose problem is it anyway? 5. Listening to shy voices 6. Outline of the book Chapter 2. Shyness in Cultural and Historical Perspective 1. Introduction 2. The role of culture in representing shyness 3. Shyness: a new cultural epidemic? 4. Gender socialisation in girls' magazines 5. Shyness as a barrier to success 6. Representations of shyness on screen and in print 7. Shy performativity in cultural icons 8. Summary Chapter 3. Dramaturgical Dilemmas of the Shy Self 1. Introduction 2. The shy self in interaction 3. Lay definitions of shyness 4. The shy 'I' 4.1. Shyness and the 'self-conscious emotions' 4.2. Emotional control ix v

5 vi Contents 4.3. 'What can I talk about?' Ambivalence and conflict Sensitivity and self-censorship Shyness versus quietness and introversion The shy 'Me' 49 5.l. Visibility beneath the social gaze Embodied exposure l. The body and non-verbal leakage The body and symbolic gestures Reservations about' going public' The Competent Other Ambivalent views of non-shyness Summary 68 Chapter 4. Outsiders and Enclosures 70 I. Introduction Hovering on the fringes The secrets of strangers Experiences of marginality The privileges of the detached observer Strategies for hiding and camouflage The visibility of invisibility 'The shell' and its features 83 8.l. The protective shell The shell of entrapment "One day you'll come out of your shell" Summary 89 Chapter 5. Poise, Performance and Self-Presentation 91 I. Introduction Performing shyness 91

6 Contents vii 3. Presenting the (non)-shy self Managing the frontstage/backstage divide Backstage rehearsals Safety in roles Control and predictability 'Phone phobia' Techniques of passing Are we all faking it? The paradox of shy performativity Summary 122 Chapter 6. Rules, Reactions and Resistance Introduction Shyness as a deviant identity Drift and situational contingencies Normalisation Shyness as residual rule-breaking The shy faux pas Vocality, power and dominance Verbal clumsiness Misperceptions of shyness as rudeness Eliciting participation: (dys)functional attempts at repair 'Special' treatment Labelling and the shy 'master status' From 'Little Miss Quiet' to 'Little Miss Loud': inconsistency as deviance Two routes out of deviance The medicalisation of shyness: compliance and reintegration 'Shy Pride' and the politics of resistance Summary 165

7 viii Contents Chapter 7. Conclusion Bibliography Index

8 Acknowledgements I would like to thank a number of people for their help with the research on which this book is based. First and foremost, lowe an enormous debt of gratitude to my research participants, who trusted me enough to talk openly and honestly about their personal experiences of shyness. I hope that they feel this is a fair representation of their views, and gain some satisfaction from knowing that their voices will be heard. The project was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (award number PTA ), and I gratefully acknowledge their financial and academic assistance. I am also indebted to Professor Paul Atkinson, Professor Ray Crozier and Professor Gareth Williams in the School of Social SCiences, Cardiff University. I would also like to extend special thanks to Dr Sara Delamont, who, along with Paul Atkinson, supported me in the early stages of my academic career and gave me some invaluable feedback on an earlier draft of this book. Paul's and Sara's clarity of vision and steadfast commitment to graduate students cannot be praised highly enough, and they have both been a source of great inspiration to me. My new colleagues at the University of Sussex have provided a warm and supportive environment in which to work, and in particular, Dr Gillian Bendelow has been a generous and encouraging mentor to me. I would also like to thank Professor Sue Scott and Dr Gabrielle Ivinson for their enthusiasm about my research, and Professors Ian Craib and Howard S. Becker for showing me how to write in a creative but concise manner. At a personal level, I would like to express warmest thanks to my family - Mum, Dad, Mike, Alison and my grandparents - and to my friends David, Lena, Neil, Lily, Paul, Joseph, Lesley, Jieyu, Sarah, Mike, Sue and Stephen. All of these people have shown a keen interest in my research, but more importantly have made me laugh and helped me to keep everything in perspective. I hope you all enjoy the book. ix