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Points the way toward a world in which we might feel more connected to and responsible for each other.
In a world which often is labeled a "global village," who exactly is our neighbor? Who is My Neighbor? explores the emergence of what is called "social affinity," a concept bridging classical notions of social cohesion with contemporary social psychology. The ideas underlying social affinity focus on the sentiment of moral obligation which holds society together.
In order to understand how a sense of social affinity emerges within individuals, the author breaks down the concept into three dimensions-social consciousness, sentiment, and action-and their constitutive elements. These dimensions are then brought together in a single model demonstrating how social affinity and the meaning our values have for us are shaped by our social location and the self-interest which permeates our culture.
"Bold in conception, breathtaking because of the range of writing it draws together, scrupulously careful in execution, and elegantly parsimonious in its explanation, Professor Vela-McConnell has written a book that is at once deeply satisfying intellectually and hugely valuable to anyone interested in linking theory to public policy. All whose political and moral sensibilities lie in the direction of maximizing a sense of neighborliness— in the immediate social context of our lives, within the boundaries of the United States, and in our increasingly global village— should read this book.— from the Foreword by David Karp
List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Acknowledgments
1. A Society of Strangers
2. Roots of Social Affinity
3. The Construction of Social Issues, Part I: Compartmentalizing the Self and Society
4. The Construction of Social Issues, Part II: Breaking the Boundaries Between Self and Other
5. The "Other Side of Silence": The Construction of Social Consciousness
6. A "Sentimenal Journey": Emotions, Role-taking, and Empathy
7. A Call to Action: Social Activism and Social Affinity
8. From "Compartmentalizing" to "Breaking the Boundaries": Moving Along the Continuum of Social Affinity
9. Becoming "Fully Human": Social Affinity in a Modern World
Appendix A: The Empirical Approach to Social Affinity
Appendix B. Transcript of a Commercial for the Christian Children's Fund
Appendix C. Social Issues Frames
Notes
References
Index