Walden University Week 1: The Foundations of Social Responsibility

Week 1: The Foundations of Social Responsibility
I believe many of us want to pursue something more than relentless self-interest–what Thomas Moore calls “a national persona of hype, ambition, narcissism, and materialism.” We would like to find ways to connect with each other, express our compassion, and experience a sense of purpose impossible to attain through private pursuits alone. When we don’t find ways to voice this larger self, our most generous impulses have nowhere to go.
–Paul Rogat Loeb (2010, p. 42)
Nearly every religion, ancient and modern government, and philosopher has advocated for the necessity of citizens to participate in socially responsible behavior. An individual’s sense of morality contributes to his or her personal responsibility and obligation to act as a socially responsible citizen. Social change does not occur suddenly but evolves as the result of a committed group of people working in strategic and focused ways to address a social issue over time. Similarly, an individual’s sense of morality and social responsibility does not develop suddenly but is the result of his or her collective life experiences, family, community, and circumstances.
This week’s resources and activities focus on the diverse concepts of what it means to be socially responsible based on the origins of your own perspective of social responsibility. In your Discussion, you address personal definitions of social responsibility. In the Assignment, you analyze connections between theories of morality and cultural identity.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze influences that shape personal values regarding social responsibility
Develop personal definitions for social responsibility
Analyze connections between theories of morality and cultural identity
Analyze cultural identity’s influence on social responsibility
You Are Defining and Defined by Social Responsibility
The first observation of a social issue can be confusing for a young person. Witnessing extremes of wealth and poverty from one neighborhood to the next–or from one country to another–or hearing statistics related to literacy and school dropout rates in developed countries can be both shocking and baffling. While growing up, how did your community of family, friends, and teachers respond to social disparities? Were social issues ignored or confronted? Did you perceive a sense of helplessness or a responsibility to seek solutions?
Your own orientation toward social responsibility may have been shaped, directly or indirectly, by the cultural norms of your community. Whether you feel burdened by the myriad social concerns in the world today or called to address them, your response stems, in part, from how you see yourself in the world in relation to others.
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Loeb, P. R. (2010). Soul of a citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times (rev. ed.). New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin.
Chapter 1, “Making Our Lives Count” (pp. 21–41)
Chapter 2, “We Don’t Have to Be Saints” (pp. 42–63)
Brink, D. (2014). Mill’s moral and political philosophy. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Fall 2014 ed.). Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/
The golden rule. (1991). In A. Wilson (Ed.), World scripture: A comparative anthology of sacred texts (pp. 114–115). St. Paul, MN: Paragon House.
Used by permission of Paragon House.
Johnson, R. (2014). Kant’s moral philosophy. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2014 ed.). Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/
Kraut, R. (2014). Aristotle’s ethics. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2014 ed.). Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/
Document: Cultural Genogram: Dimensions of Culture (Word document)
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2015a). Exploring the foundations of social responsibility [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 4 minutes.
HOMEWORK!!!
1. In this Discussion, you explore the influence of personal values on your concept of social responsibility.
PART 1.To prepare for this Discussion:
Review examples of social responsibility presented in the assigned readings from the Loeb course text.
Review “The Golden Rule” from this week’s Learning Resources to identify commonalities across quotes and to determine whether any quotes align with your own values.
Complete the Cultural Genogram: Dimensions of Culture document located in this week’s Learning Resources to identify personal values related to social responsibility. Consider the direct or indirect influences that may have shaped your own orientation to social responsibility.
Think of the community or communities in which you grew up. What issues of concern or needs