Practicing conciliation: Towards a practical application of the Equal Weight View
- Authors: Hartley, Danyel Jordan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of , Opinion (Philosophy) , Verbal self-defense , Epistemics , Interpersonal relations , Equal Weight View
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188341 , vital:44745
- Description: The Equal Weight View is a frequently discussed position in the philosophy of disagreement. It holds that when someone disagrees with an epistemic peer, they should adjust their belief to be closer to their peer’s belief. While the reasons for adopting this response to disagreement have been debated, there has been less discussion about its utility as a tool for handling real-world disagreements. In this thesis I pursue a version of the Equal Weight View which is useful in practice. I argue that traditional applications of the Equal Weight View do not reflect its underlying principles when they are used to resolve real-world disagreements. I develop an idealized application of the Equal Weight View that addresses the problems traditional applications face in real-world scenarios. Unfortunately, addressing these problems results in an application that is unrealistically cognitively demanding. The application trades being insensitive to the environment it would be used in for being insensitive to the limits of its user. I suggest that we might be able to save the idealized application and work around those limits by either externalizing or simplifying the most demanding aspects of the application. Externalization is best achieved by making use of some kind of computer assistance. Simplification involves replacing taxing data tracking and computation with heuristic methods. While neither approach is ideal, I argue that both get us closer to resolving disagreements in accordance with the underlying principles of the Equal Weight View than traditional applications do. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Hartley, Danyel Jordan
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Knowledge, Theory of , Opinion (Philosophy) , Verbal self-defense , Epistemics , Interpersonal relations , Equal Weight View
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/188341 , vital:44745
- Description: The Equal Weight View is a frequently discussed position in the philosophy of disagreement. It holds that when someone disagrees with an epistemic peer, they should adjust their belief to be closer to their peer’s belief. While the reasons for adopting this response to disagreement have been debated, there has been less discussion about its utility as a tool for handling real-world disagreements. In this thesis I pursue a version of the Equal Weight View which is useful in practice. I argue that traditional applications of the Equal Weight View do not reflect its underlying principles when they are used to resolve real-world disagreements. I develop an idealized application of the Equal Weight View that addresses the problems traditional applications face in real-world scenarios. Unfortunately, addressing these problems results in an application that is unrealistically cognitively demanding. The application trades being insensitive to the environment it would be used in for being insensitive to the limits of its user. I suggest that we might be able to save the idealized application and work around those limits by either externalizing or simplifying the most demanding aspects of the application. Externalization is best achieved by making use of some kind of computer assistance. Simplification involves replacing taxing data tracking and computation with heuristic methods. While neither approach is ideal, I argue that both get us closer to resolving disagreements in accordance with the underlying principles of the Equal Weight View than traditional applications do. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Development and evaluation of the coach-athlete relationship enhancement intervention
- Authors: Kuit, Wim
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Interpersonal relations , Coaching (Athletics) -- Psychological aspects Sports -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22508 , vital:29989
- Description: An expanding body of sport psychology theory and research has highlighted the central role of the coach-athlete relationship (CAR) in the performance, satisfaction and well-being of coaches as well as athletes. Models have been developed that identify the key dimensions of CAR quality and the interpersonal behaviour that maintains it, but there remains a need for interventions that support coaches and athletes to optimise their interpersonal skills. This can be done by harnessing recent advances in personality theory which emphasise a more holistic and developmental view of the person and provide a basis for greater mutual understanding and adaptive interpersonal behaviour change in the CAR. The aims of this study were to develop the Coach-Athlete Relationship Enhancement (CARE) intervention through an integration of the Enneagram personality typology with current models of the CAR, and then to evaluate the impact of the CARE intervention on CAR quality. Sixty-two university-level athletes and their nine coaches participated in the study. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that the CARE intervention significantly enhanced CAR quality, including direct and meta-perceptions of closeness, commitment and complementarity, as well as co-orientation. Intervention outcomes included enhanced mutual understanding in the CAR, enhanced self-awareness, enhanced team relationships, and adaptive interpersonal behaviour change. These outcomes were associated with a shared awareness between coaches and athletes of their Enneagram personality type traits and motivations. Coach-athlete relationship quality was further enhanced by re-constructing coaches’ and athletes’ personal narratives based on self-descriptions of Enneagram type strengths, and a redefinition of individuals’ core motivations to incorporate adaptive interpersonal behaviour change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kuit, Wim
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Interpersonal relations , Coaching (Athletics) -- Psychological aspects Sports -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22508 , vital:29989
- Description: An expanding body of sport psychology theory and research has highlighted the central role of the coach-athlete relationship (CAR) in the performance, satisfaction and well-being of coaches as well as athletes. Models have been developed that identify the key dimensions of CAR quality and the interpersonal behaviour that maintains it, but there remains a need for interventions that support coaches and athletes to optimise their interpersonal skills. This can be done by harnessing recent advances in personality theory which emphasise a more holistic and developmental view of the person and provide a basis for greater mutual understanding and adaptive interpersonal behaviour change in the CAR. The aims of this study were to develop the Coach-Athlete Relationship Enhancement (CARE) intervention through an integration of the Enneagram personality typology with current models of the CAR, and then to evaluate the impact of the CARE intervention on CAR quality. Sixty-two university-level athletes and their nine coaches participated in the study. Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that the CARE intervention significantly enhanced CAR quality, including direct and meta-perceptions of closeness, commitment and complementarity, as well as co-orientation. Intervention outcomes included enhanced mutual understanding in the CAR, enhanced self-awareness, enhanced team relationships, and adaptive interpersonal behaviour change. These outcomes were associated with a shared awareness between coaches and athletes of their Enneagram personality type traits and motivations. Coach-athlete relationship quality was further enhanced by re-constructing coaches’ and athletes’ personal narratives based on self-descriptions of Enneagram type strengths, and a redefinition of individuals’ core motivations to incorporate adaptive interpersonal behaviour change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The need for conflict management in organisations (a health insurance company, Port Elizabeth)
- Authors: Ajam, Razaana
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Conflict management , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3852 , vital:20469
- Description: Conflict is evident in many spheres of life, however this study concentrated more specifically on conflict relating to organisations. Organisational conflict is seen “as any social collectivity, organisations such as private sector companies, government departments, schools and universities, non-governmental organisations, and political parties all experience internal conflict in varying degrees” (Bradshaw, 2008: 22). Each individual coming into a workplace has created his or her own set of challenges especially in the brutal arena of business. Conflict has destructive and productive qualities that can diminish or elevate processes within an organization (Stone, 1999). If it is not harnessed properly or dealt with in the correct manner, it can damage the reputation of a business; resulting in its downfall and this in turn contaminates and affects peripheral businesses associated with the organisation downstream. This study explored the following key aspects: Background of organisational conflict and its management; Background of the organization; Whether these two areas mentioned above can work together to create a cost effective and efficient outcome when dealing with conflict. The research adopted a mixed method approach with predominant focus on qualitative research methodology. The main focus of this study was conflict management within organisations and to probe and determine whether companies see the need to employ the field of conflict management as a strategy in times of fluctuating dispositions. It is evident that the organisation may not be fully aware or make use of alternative conflict resolution strategies and that the main causes of conflict can be eliminated such as poor communication, ill-defined job descriptions and objectives and differing of opinions. The need to employ alternative methods of conflict management may be emphasised by looking at the costs that conflict produces and the use of limited vital resources and the loss of human capital.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ajam, Razaana
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Conflict management , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3852 , vital:20469
- Description: Conflict is evident in many spheres of life, however this study concentrated more specifically on conflict relating to organisations. Organisational conflict is seen “as any social collectivity, organisations such as private sector companies, government departments, schools and universities, non-governmental organisations, and political parties all experience internal conflict in varying degrees” (Bradshaw, 2008: 22). Each individual coming into a workplace has created his or her own set of challenges especially in the brutal arena of business. Conflict has destructive and productive qualities that can diminish or elevate processes within an organization (Stone, 1999). If it is not harnessed properly or dealt with in the correct manner, it can damage the reputation of a business; resulting in its downfall and this in turn contaminates and affects peripheral businesses associated with the organisation downstream. This study explored the following key aspects: Background of organisational conflict and its management; Background of the organization; Whether these two areas mentioned above can work together to create a cost effective and efficient outcome when dealing with conflict. The research adopted a mixed method approach with predominant focus on qualitative research methodology. The main focus of this study was conflict management within organisations and to probe and determine whether companies see the need to employ the field of conflict management as a strategy in times of fluctuating dispositions. It is evident that the organisation may not be fully aware or make use of alternative conflict resolution strategies and that the main causes of conflict can be eliminated such as poor communication, ill-defined job descriptions and objectives and differing of opinions. The need to employ alternative methods of conflict management may be emphasised by looking at the costs that conflict produces and the use of limited vital resources and the loss of human capital.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Changing marriage practices: the case of urban working class in East London, South Africa
- Authors: Stofile, Zimkhitha Sphokazi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Marriage -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (African Studies)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1283 , vital:26542 , Marriage -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Description: This research sought to examine changing meaning of marriage and meaning of family among urban working class residing in East London and how their perceptions of marriage have shifted from the orthodox norms. This study was conducted in Amalinda, which is one of the East London suburbs. Interviews were conducted with male and female informants. It is acknowledged in this study that marriage has traditionally been regarded as imperative in both African and Western cultures. However, there have been some drastic changes in the marriage institution in the twenty-first century. This study found out that people have shifted from the orthodox practices of marriage. The traditional culture has been influenced by various factors such as education, globalisation, and urbanisation. Furthermore, there has been a rise in the number of people who cohabit, increase in the age of first marriage, premarital childbearing and there has been a decline in the number of polygamous marriages and arranged marriages and a number of people have no problem with same-sex marriages. Furthermore, financial implications and financial securities play are influences on why some people choose or not choose to marry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Stofile, Zimkhitha Sphokazi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Marriage -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (African Studies)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1283 , vital:26542 , Marriage -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Interpersonal relations
- Description: This research sought to examine changing meaning of marriage and meaning of family among urban working class residing in East London and how their perceptions of marriage have shifted from the orthodox norms. This study was conducted in Amalinda, which is one of the East London suburbs. Interviews were conducted with male and female informants. It is acknowledged in this study that marriage has traditionally been regarded as imperative in both African and Western cultures. However, there have been some drastic changes in the marriage institution in the twenty-first century. This study found out that people have shifted from the orthodox practices of marriage. The traditional culture has been influenced by various factors such as education, globalisation, and urbanisation. Furthermore, there has been a rise in the number of people who cohabit, increase in the age of first marriage, premarital childbearing and there has been a decline in the number of polygamous marriages and arranged marriages and a number of people have no problem with same-sex marriages. Furthermore, financial implications and financial securities play are influences on why some people choose or not choose to marry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
An exploration of organisational communication within Algoa Bus Company, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Ndwalaza, Tsepo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Transportation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Interpersonal relations , Customer services -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8487 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012358 , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Transportation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Interpersonal relations , Customer services -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: The study explored organizational communication at Algoa Bus Company (ABC) in Port Elizabeth. The exploration exercise was based on flows of communication at ABC. This research project captured the four flows of communication as they colour relations within the company. The four flows of communication are, namely: upward communication which refers to messages that flow from subordinates to superiors, downward communication flow which refers to communication directed to the lower levels of hierarchy by higher levels, horizontal communication flow which refers to communication amongst people who are at the same level of authority and diagonal communication flow refers to communication across the organisational levels. The study also explored the structure of such communication processes and from a normative point of view, it does expose weaknesses though.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Ndwalaza, Tsepo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Transportation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Interpersonal relations , Customer services -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8487 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012358 , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Transportation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Interpersonal relations , Customer services -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: The study explored organizational communication at Algoa Bus Company (ABC) in Port Elizabeth. The exploration exercise was based on flows of communication at ABC. This research project captured the four flows of communication as they colour relations within the company. The four flows of communication are, namely: upward communication which refers to messages that flow from subordinates to superiors, downward communication flow which refers to communication directed to the lower levels of hierarchy by higher levels, horizontal communication flow which refers to communication amongst people who are at the same level of authority and diagonal communication flow refers to communication across the organisational levels. The study also explored the structure of such communication processes and from a normative point of view, it does expose weaknesses though.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Coping strategies among female Zimbabwean refugees at the central Methodist church in Johannesburg : a conflict management perspective
- Authors: Bjorknes, Guro Lauvland
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Central Methodist Church Refugee Community , Church work with refugees , Conflict management , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: vital:8188 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1424 , Central Methodist Church Refugee Community , Church work with refugees , Conflict management , Interpersonal relations
- Description: This treatise represents an investigation into the coping strategies of female Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church (CMC) in Johannesburg. The CMC in Johannesburg includes a non-profit organisation called Ray of Hope that has functioned as a provider of accommodation and emergency refuge at the church since 1997. A vast number of Zimbabweans are moving to adjacent countries as a consequence of the conflict in Zimbabwe and approximately 85 percent of the people that have sought refuge in the CMC in Johannesburg are Zimbabweans that have fled the economic and political conflict in Zimbabwe. Using an interviewing strategy of a sample of 20 female Zimbabwean refugees, conducted at the CMC, the researcher gathered data, indicating that they face various conflicts on a daily basis inside as well as outside the refugee community in the CMC in Johannesburg. An extensive literature review and researcher‟s own observations during hours spent in the refugee community have also contributed to the collection of data. The findings suggest that coping mechanisms have been adopted by the female refugees to deal with the conflicts. Analysis of data was guided by grounded theory approach which allowed key findings about coping mechanisms to surface which encouraged recommendations presented in the conclusion of the treatise.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Bjorknes, Guro Lauvland
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Central Methodist Church Refugee Community , Church work with refugees , Conflict management , Interpersonal relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: vital:8188 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1424 , Central Methodist Church Refugee Community , Church work with refugees , Conflict management , Interpersonal relations
- Description: This treatise represents an investigation into the coping strategies of female Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church (CMC) in Johannesburg. The CMC in Johannesburg includes a non-profit organisation called Ray of Hope that has functioned as a provider of accommodation and emergency refuge at the church since 1997. A vast number of Zimbabweans are moving to adjacent countries as a consequence of the conflict in Zimbabwe and approximately 85 percent of the people that have sought refuge in the CMC in Johannesburg are Zimbabweans that have fled the economic and political conflict in Zimbabwe. Using an interviewing strategy of a sample of 20 female Zimbabwean refugees, conducted at the CMC, the researcher gathered data, indicating that they face various conflicts on a daily basis inside as well as outside the refugee community in the CMC in Johannesburg. An extensive literature review and researcher‟s own observations during hours spent in the refugee community have also contributed to the collection of data. The findings suggest that coping mechanisms have been adopted by the female refugees to deal with the conflicts. Analysis of data was guided by grounded theory approach which allowed key findings about coping mechanisms to surface which encouraged recommendations presented in the conclusion of the treatise.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Emotional intelligence and effective team functioning of MBA syndicate groups at the NMMU business school
- Authors: Doolabh, Chetna Gidhar
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Emotional intelligence , Interpersonal relations , Teams in the workplace , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Business School
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8747 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/740 , Emotional intelligence , Interpersonal relations , Teams in the workplace , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Business School
- Description: A common issue in leadership development is the high flyers who reach a position where their lack of “soft” skills hampers their performance and proves a barrier to their continued progression to higher levels of responsibility (Newell, 2002: 288). Business Schools offering Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programmes assist in developing managers with not just managerial competence but also with “soft” skills. By delivering educated business managers, these managers through their intellectual skills and community sensitive values, will lead future transformational processes. It is useful and interesting to consider how important emotional intelligence is for effective performance at work. A considerable body of research suggests that an employee’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any position. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases and the world of work make ever-greater demands on an employee’s cognitive, emotional, and physical resources, this particular set of abilities will become increasingly important (Cherniss, 2000). The primary objective of this study is to determine the perceptions of the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), B-Tech in Business Administration (BBA), Advanced Business Programme (ABP) programmes and the Business School Alumni to determine the overall emotional intelligence profile of students as well as the effective team functions of the syndicate groups. Based on the main findings of the survey, it was concluded that emotional intelligence is an important factor for the NMMU Business School, MBA Unit students. The skills attained through the course work will not only improve team effectiveness in the syndicate group functioning but also enhance their performance in the business environment. The MBA team learning experiences enhances workplace learning as the ability to work in a team and ability to think and act independently are highly desired skills and competencies for success in the workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Doolabh, Chetna Gidhar
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Emotional intelligence , Interpersonal relations , Teams in the workplace , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Business School
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8747 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/740 , Emotional intelligence , Interpersonal relations , Teams in the workplace , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Business School
- Description: A common issue in leadership development is the high flyers who reach a position where their lack of “soft” skills hampers their performance and proves a barrier to their continued progression to higher levels of responsibility (Newell, 2002: 288). Business Schools offering Masters in Business Administration (MBA) programmes assist in developing managers with not just managerial competence but also with “soft” skills. By delivering educated business managers, these managers through their intellectual skills and community sensitive values, will lead future transformational processes. It is useful and interesting to consider how important emotional intelligence is for effective performance at work. A considerable body of research suggests that an employee’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any position. Furthermore, as the pace of change increases and the world of work make ever-greater demands on an employee’s cognitive, emotional, and physical resources, this particular set of abilities will become increasingly important (Cherniss, 2000). The primary objective of this study is to determine the perceptions of the Masters in Business Administration (MBA), B-Tech in Business Administration (BBA), Advanced Business Programme (ABP) programmes and the Business School Alumni to determine the overall emotional intelligence profile of students as well as the effective team functions of the syndicate groups. Based on the main findings of the survey, it was concluded that emotional intelligence is an important factor for the NMMU Business School, MBA Unit students. The skills attained through the course work will not only improve team effectiveness in the syndicate group functioning but also enhance their performance in the business environment. The MBA team learning experiences enhances workplace learning as the ability to work in a team and ability to think and act independently are highly desired skills and competencies for success in the workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Prosocial behaviour in South African students a qualitative enquiry
- Authors: Cholerton, Steven M
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Helping behavior , Interpersonal relations , Altruism , Social ethics , College students -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:2948 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002457 , Helping behavior , Interpersonal relations , Altruism , Social ethics , College students -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Description: The central aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative exploration of the prosocial inclinations possessed by young South African students. The literature review argues that traditional approaches to moral responding separate the individual from the social. An alternative approach that reinstates language and ideology is delineated. It is argued that such a paradigm is most appropriate to a study of prosocial responding during a period of social change. Hypothetical moral dilemmas were administered to twenty-nine students. Six students were selected and each was interviewed on two separate occasions. In this way six case studies were developed. The methodological traditions of phenomenology and hermeneutics were employed to analyze the protocols and subsequent interviews. Seven themes descriptive of a moral response were identified. These consisted of moral reasoning, empathy, mood, guilt, alienation, a sense of group-identity, and ambiguity regarding the relative interests of self versus other. These themes are fully discussed in terms of the literature. It is concluded that moral reasoning may be insufficient to motivate prosocial behaviour. Conventional moral narratives may be appropriated in order to make sense of conflicting emotions. Empathy was identified as a necessary but not sufficient condition for a prosocial response. Empathy might translate into either sympathy or personal distress. Mood was found to largely dictate attentional focus. Alienation was found to be a defensive formulation that inhibits the emergence of sympathy. Guilt might precipitate an alienated posture. It was found that guilt might be attributed to group-identity and thereby denied. Tension between a self- and other-oriented response, or between blame and sympathy, was common. It is suggested that this ambiguity reflects ideological contradictions that have been internalized. It is postulated that during periods of social change such contradictions are accentuated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1995
- Authors: Cholerton, Steven M
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Helping behavior , Interpersonal relations , Altruism , Social ethics , College students -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:2948 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002457 , Helping behavior , Interpersonal relations , Altruism , Social ethics , College students -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Description: The central aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative exploration of the prosocial inclinations possessed by young South African students. The literature review argues that traditional approaches to moral responding separate the individual from the social. An alternative approach that reinstates language and ideology is delineated. It is argued that such a paradigm is most appropriate to a study of prosocial responding during a period of social change. Hypothetical moral dilemmas were administered to twenty-nine students. Six students were selected and each was interviewed on two separate occasions. In this way six case studies were developed. The methodological traditions of phenomenology and hermeneutics were employed to analyze the protocols and subsequent interviews. Seven themes descriptive of a moral response were identified. These consisted of moral reasoning, empathy, mood, guilt, alienation, a sense of group-identity, and ambiguity regarding the relative interests of self versus other. These themes are fully discussed in terms of the literature. It is concluded that moral reasoning may be insufficient to motivate prosocial behaviour. Conventional moral narratives may be appropriated in order to make sense of conflicting emotions. Empathy was identified as a necessary but not sufficient condition for a prosocial response. Empathy might translate into either sympathy or personal distress. Mood was found to largely dictate attentional focus. Alienation was found to be a defensive formulation that inhibits the emergence of sympathy. Guilt might precipitate an alienated posture. It was found that guilt might be attributed to group-identity and thereby denied. Tension between a self- and other-oriented response, or between blame and sympathy, was common. It is suggested that this ambiguity reflects ideological contradictions that have been internalized. It is postulated that during periods of social change such contradictions are accentuated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1995
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »