Civic Engagement is such broad term. If you asked a group of people about how you would define it everyone would give different definitions. If you asked how they choose participate in civic engagement, they would probably give different answers as well. I think that how a person would answer these questions is greatly affected by his/her upbringing and surroundings growing up. As children, we are so vulnerable to outside influences. Ideals taught by our parents become what we believe in for the future when we are adults.
Being raised by parents who emigrated here from Vietnam, I learned from my parents to be grateful for everything a stranger does for you. Coming to a completely different country must have been such a devastating change filled with many hardships which was why they were so grateful for volunteers who helped them to assimilate. Because of this, I choose to participate in civic engagement by helping immigrants who are facing the same problems my parents faced years ago.
These childhood experiences ultimately creates empathy which plays a large part in why people choose to help with different causes. The emotional connection with the work that you do for other people is so important to volunteering. Without this emotional connection you most likely will not have the motivation to commit everything to your task. I believe that in order to feel like you've actually done good, you have to be able to really understand another person's situation, to put yourself in another person's shoes.
This is probably why people choose to donate to different charities or why they choose to commit their time for a certain causes. Although I think that all service does not need to have this level of intimacy, it is just more beneficial for both parties involved. Volunteering, for me, should bridge gaps and connect people who would otherwise never associate with each other. Through volunteering, you find small similarities and experiences that create empathy. When you perform service for a cause that you don't feel a personal connection, you lose a very important chance for emotional and personal growth for yourself and for the person you are helping.
Brenda -
ReplyDeleteI really admire how you took your parents' experience as a catalyst for your own civic engagement. I completely agree with your view on how personal connections play into service. Volunteering isn't just about dollars raised, hours served, or total number of people affected. Making a difference can be positively impacting the lives of a few people in meaningful ways through personal connections. Writing a check is helpful, but can sometimes be a shallow way to engage.
This is also makes me think about "effective altruism" - Does engaging in things involving making personal connections limit our ability to give effectively? Should be we focusing on opportunities or causes where we can give to as many people as possible?
Hi-
DeleteI do not think engaging in activities due to a personal connection limits our ability to give effectively. Instead, I think that this emotional connection you have to a cause is what makes our ability to give and understand even greater. This is because I believe that having that background allows you to better relate to people who are currently facing those issues. It also gives them a sense of hope and optimism for the future knowing that there are people just like them who have experienced all of this and are able to thrive.
Hi Brenda,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I feel like you hit the nail on the head, in regards to the importance of empathy in civic engagement. Without empathy for one another, most civic engagement is just a way to make a person feel better about themselves. Otherwise, why try to help out in a certain cause? In the end I believe it all comes down to us looking at each other in terms of a respect and love for one another. It's easy for some people to lose sight of this in effective altruism as everything becomes numbers and statistics to be shuffled around. Sure, on paper you may be helping a lot of people, but the lack of feeling toward the cause can hamper its ability for long term success and existence. Without the emotional connection which makes us human, what is the point of trying to be humane?