Introduction to Social Responsibility Ms. Carmelitano

Bell Ringer Think about your CAS project – did it help people? What were the motivations behind your actions? Were they 100% self-less? List the reasons why you helped. Make a list of people you are MOST LIKELY to help

Principles of Human Relationships Humans are social animals, we depend upon others for our well‑being Human relationships may include: romances, friendships, family relationships, and antagonistic relationships Conflict with others that can threaten our survival individually and as social groups.

Key goals of social psychologists are to understand the complexities of relationships improve interpersonal relationships, promote social responsibility and reduce violence Violence: aggression characterized by victimization of another (for example, bullying, domestic violence, genocide).

Vocabulary Social responsibility: An ideology or theory that a person has an obligation to act to benefit society at large Pro-Social Behavior: Behavior that benefits another person or has a positive social consequence Egoistic Motivation: Many times people act in ways to benefit others for selfish reasons – to “feel good. The goal of pro-social behavior can be egotistic: a personal benefit achieved by helping others High Helping Behavior: Behavior that intentionally helps or benefits another

Vocabulary Altruism: When one person helps another for no reward, and even at some cost to themselves Batson (1991): motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing another’s welfare. The goal is regardless of personal cost or benefit Note the difference between the goals of altruism and pro-social behavior!

Should we examine human relationships through just one lens? Triangulation Should we examine human relationships through just one lens? NO! We have to examine the through multiple lenses

Biological Analysis Biological researchers will examine how our genetics and hormones cause us to behave in certain ways in social settings. Example: How do hormones effect the way young men and women behave in relationships

Cognitive Analysis Cognitive researchers will examine how we interact due to the schema theory Fredrick Bartlett Schema – a mental representation of knowledge We have expectations of how we should act and who we should be based on our schemas

Child Falls Down ?

Sociocultural analysis Social psychologists focus on attribution theory, social identity theory and the role of culture when examining human behavior

Culture will effect the way in which you interact with other people Culture can affect whether you will feel compelled to help someone in distress.

Culture Collective vs Individualistic Individualist societies the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivist societies from birth onwards people are integrated into strong, cohesive in- groups, extended families (with uncles, aunts, and grandparents), which provides them with support and protection

Culture Uncertainty-Avoidance The what extent a culture programs members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Uncertainty-avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and, on the philosophical and religious level, by a belief in absolute Truth Short term orientation vs long term orientation Long term orientation culture that value, persistence, ordering relationships by status and observing this order, thrift, having a sense of shame, respect or tradition, value the community as a collective Short term orientation cultures that value, personal steadiness and stability, reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts, focus on the future and innovation

Culture Power Distance The extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Compared to Arab countries where the power distance is very high, Austria is very low

Using Hofstede’s principles of cultural dimensions, answer the following questions 1) There are a group of people running a race, one girl falls down. How would a person from and individualistic culture respond? How could a person from a collective culture respond? 2) There is a fight in the hallway. Two girls are yelling at a third. How could a person from a high uncertainty-avoidance culture respond? 3) A man is yelling at his wife in the street. He is becoming very aggressive towards her. How would a person from a culture with Long Term Orientation respond? How would a person from a culture with Short Term Orientation respond?

Would you help? Why?