Shame

Biographical narratives of two women i.e Devaki (Indian) and Odile (French) have been dealt in this book. The ethnography for this work was done in France -Toulouse Tarn & Paris (2005-2008) and India- Varanasi & Vrindavan (2008-2009). The chapters in this book follow an order. Primarily need for a discussion about anthropology as an epistemological tool textual representations about the Orient and the Occident. Then exploring theoretical issues around life history construction as a possible research method in anthropology. Next two chapters are biographical narratives enriched by thick ethnographic descriptions from India and France.The attempt has been to locate cultural sources that contribute to formation of self. Along with recognizing different kinds of cultural social and hegemonic codes that regulate various aspects of women’s lives in two different cultures. There is a theoretical engagement undertaken about discourse related to the sociological and cognitive notions about shame and its embodiment. Finally there is a comparative discussion about historical strands of feminist thought in France and India.