From Dazibao to Twitter: The Political Function of Shaming – International Journal of Law, Ethics, and Technology

-                                        Title
+                                        From Dazibao to Twitter: The Political Function of Shaming
-                                        Author
+                                        Rodrigo L. Canalli
-                                        Affiliation
+                                        New York University School of Law
-                                        Region/Country
+                                        United States
-                                        Pages
+-98
-                                        Download
-                                        Permalink
-                                        DOI
-                                        Keywords
+                                        Dazibao; Cultural Revolution; Cancel Culture; Social Media; Public Sphere
-                                        Abstract
+                                        The paper explores shaming as a central feature of public humiliation rituals across
history: in every relatively complex human society, some form of shaming performs a role in social cohesion. One of the most recent iterations of a social shaming ritual is the phenomenon that has been labelled “cancel culture”, characterized by an emphasis in shaming as a means of social and political action. This paper identifies and addresses similarities between the use of big-character posters (dazibao) in China during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and the“cancel culture” of contemporary social media environments. By advancing the understanding of the role of shame and shaming in different cultural and historical contexts –acknowledging that we are a gossip species – it is intended as a contribution for the comprehension of law as a toolbox for the mediation of human relations, as well as of its potentials and limitations.