Aisha K. Gill 91 or male dominance come to motivate HBV, media reporting of HBV cases all too often treats such data as explanatory, attributing responsibility for HBV to specific cultures and minority groups. What Is Honor? Honor is characterized in various ways. In a broad sense, it is perceived as a social process that determines and designates the social value to an individual or subgroup. When viewed as a whole, it contains distinct primary and secondary concepts that are referred to both within the literature and in common use (Stewart 1994). Honoring is an action involving two or more parties, occurring between individuals, and within subgroups and groups. Any examination of this concept thus requires a broad analysis extending from individual to state levels. This internally integrative pro­ cess of socialization defines the formation and dynamics of relationships among individuals within subgroups and groups. It establishes norms for behavior as well as disciplinary action to be taken against transgressors, such as expulsion from the group. Prestige, shame, saving face, esteem, and affiliated honor are the primary characteristics of honor. Prestige is the process whereby a group bestows honor on an individual or subgroup for attributes, characteristics, and actions the group values as “good,” elevating the hierarchal standing of an individual in relation to others in the group as a reward for demonstrating a standard of excellence through his or her deeds and attri­ butes (Stewart 1994). Conversely, shame lowers the standing of an individual or subgroup within the group, because of attributes, characteristics, and actions that are deemed “bad,” or antithetical to excellence. Shame and prestige are not mutually exclusive. One may be shamed without a loss of prestige or gain prestige without a loss of shame. Stewart (1994), however, identifies an inverse relationship between shame and prestige, which together form the process of vertical honoring. Whereas pres­ tige increases the social value of an individual, shame decreases it. Shame has an absolute charac­ teristic; it can be lost, but will never be less than zero. The more shame a person has, the lower his or her social value to the group. When an individual is shamed, the group lowers his or her value without necessitating separation from the group. A shamed individual maintains utility within the group as an exemplar of how not to act, serving as a warning to other members to avoid departing from group values. To maximize prestige and minimize shame, individuals or subgroups strive to maintain a posi­ tion of honor in the group through face in order to preserve social identity and determine who is “first among equals” in the group hierarchy. “Saving face” refers to maintaining one’s claim to membership in a particular group by resisting either the loss of a particular identity or a less-valued position within the group. An individual or group gains esteem by excelling in an honor system, even when the system is not necessarily agreed upon by both parties. The group bestowing esteem does not need to accept the values by which the individual is judged. The person judged, how­ ever, recognizes that the group judging him/her follows a comprehensible honor system. Esteem acknowledges the social value an individual contributes as a member of the group (Stewart 1994). When a group member assumes an honorable status, based upon the reputation of the group with which he or she is associated, it is known as affiliated honor. The individual needs to do nothing more than maintain his or her status as a member by appearing to uphold the values of the group. Deriving social value from groups is a double-edged sword. Association with desirable parties can raise one’s status, while membership of disreputable or unacceptable groups can result in dis­ honor and shame. Essentially, honor acts as the glue that keeps the social contract intact. Honor is