Introduction
Social responsibility is the ethical or moral theory which an organization or an individual must adhere to for example a government of every country or state has a responsibility to ensure that her people are not invaded by enemies. The responsibility of an individual or an organization may be positive or negative. The positive responsibility means that the person has a proactive stance against something, while the negative responsibility signifies that, a person is not liable for anything that happens under his watch. Social responsibility may be in many forms, for example corporate citizenship, responsible business, corporate social performance and sustainable responsibility (Huitt, 2004). All these different modes of responsibility have the same goal that is; to achieve a society which is free from evil and live a more secure life; free from pollution. Self responsibility is a form of self regulation where one monitors his/her behavior without being forced by the law enforcers. Social responsibility ensures that one takes care of the next person near him/her in order to live a responsible life. Many organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization were established to materialize this noble fact of life. Many businesses are using this idea of social responsibility to manage their workers and the environment, hence reducing the government’s surveillance on them (Doreen, 2007). For example companies are using the United Nations guidelines to lower emissions of harmful pollutants which are a health hazard to the public; this means that the government’s work has been reduced.
Importance of social responsibility and my role in acting socially responsible
Social responsibility helps one to impose self-regulating mechanisms and ensure that whatever one does is to the good course of the country or to the people. Without self-regulatory mechanisms, it is very difficult to adhere to the laws of a country which will lead you to trouble. Consequently, manufacturing industries should embrace social responsibility due to the dangers posed by their activities and this will ensure that the public lives in a safe environment. By acting socially responsible, business owners help to educate the people on the hazards of living in a polluted environment. Social responsibility is important in modern society because it enables individuals to define their roles in society (Giddens, 2006). With a morally upright society and one which is responsible, the crime rate in many countries is reduced. In every society, one has a role to play so as to ensure that people live in harmony and in a clean environment, which is free from evil.
My responsibilities as a citizen of this country are to ensure that I educate people on their various roles in society and help them utilize whatever resources they have in their surroundings. It is also my responsibility as a citizen to ensure that people who live in slums get access to clean water and also help in eradicating poverty in our country. As a socially responsible person, it is important to ensure that people live in a democratic country where they can enjoy their freedoms without hindrances. This can be done by campaigning for a free country.
Civic engagement versus social responsibility
Civic engagement involves the actions which are taken by an individual or a group of people to address and identify the issues which are of public interest. Civic engagement may involve volunteerism from individuals, electoral participation or even involvement by organizations. But in social responsibility, it is the individual’s or the organizations’ duty to perform a certain task (Huitt, 2004). Civic engagement and social responsibility are almost similar since both entail helping the community to live a better life. Civic engagement involves entry into the electoral system, for example, many organizations campaign for the youth to vie for electoral posts in order to reduce poverty and unemployment, while in social responsibility this does not happen (Doreen, 2007). Civic engagement is more involved in public protests, boycotting and canvassing in order to push for a certain agenda unlike in social responsibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for those who want to become social change agents, it is important to learn the ills and problems of society first, before coming up with ways of changing it. It is also essential to learn the cultures of these communities before enacting any changes; by so doing the work of an agent will become easier and more effective. Social change is a challenging task and any individual who wants to become a social change agent must have the ability to persevere in order to achieve the required goals. It is also crucial for a social change agent to note that social change may come in many forms such as behavior change, change in social structure and change in institutions. Such knowledge in the various forms of social changes will enable the agent to analyze the situation and come up with a proper structure of educating the community. With the current rise in crime rate and poverty, it is important for individuals and organizations to embrace social responsibility.
References
- Doreen, J (2007). The New Corporate Accountability: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
- Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology, Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Huitt, W (2004). Moral and character development, Educational Psychology Interactive, Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.