Shame and Normative Expectations about Reading in Perception of Scientific Workers

Abstract

The article attempts to consider emotional perception and normative orientation in reading with an emphasis on such emotions as shame. Reading is a significant part of the daily lives of researchers, and obviously there are a number of social norms around and about reading. In the course of the research, an assumption was made that the normative expectations relevant to the reader are able to create a ground for experiencing shame. Phenomenological analysis of interviews and focus group materials with researchers allowed us to identify reasons for shame about professional and leisure reading in relation to regulatory constraints, some explanations of this experience, as well as related features of motivation to read. The experience of shame in relation to reading comes from the perception of the researcher himself in the modification of reading and the corresponding normative expectations – so, the manifestation of shame was recorded in discussions about both work and leisure reading. It turned out that reading both scientific and leisure literature is perceived by researchers as their status duty, in this regard, its "inadequacy" becomes a key reason for experiencing shame.