The Shame Space is an international network of professionals who use creative storytelling and research to advance shame awareness, shame resilience, and shame-sensitive practice in healthcare, with the overarching goal of creating more connected, authentic, and safe healthcare systems for all. The Shame Space was formed in 2022 by scholars studying shame at the University of Exeter, Duke University, and Duke-NUS Medical School.
Our goal is simple: to bring shame in healthcare into the light. Our consortium leverages the power of research and storytelling to advance cross-cultural understanding of shame, catalyze open conversations about shame, and promote wholehearted engagement with shame. In utilizing empiric research and creative media such as graphic medicine, documentary film, and audio storytelling, we hope to convey the essence and impact of shame in healthcare and illuminate a path to shame resilience and shame-sensitive practice among its members and within its environments.
Shame.less – A Story Sharing Event
As the inaugural project of The Shame Space consortium, this event centered on stories shared by medical students at Duke, Duke-NUS, and the University of Exeter about a time they experienced shame during their medical education. One story from each institution was paired with a professional artist and converted into a high-impact, illustrated graphic medicine narrative. Eight $100 Amazon gift cards were awarded at each institution.
View the graphic medicine pieces created.
