Definition of Social Awareness

The term of conscience Social refers to the capacity of certain individuals, groups or social organizations to perceive those surrounding realities that require attention, to reflect on them and in some cases, to act for the transformation of the same. The idea of ​​social conscience is today highly extended by the significant increase in population groups in inferior conditions (inferiority that is represented at the economic, ideological, ethnic and sexual) and by the increasingly pressing need to act in a positive way in modifying those social realities alternative to one's own same.

Being aware of something means having enough knowledge. In other words, when our reason allows us to know a reality, we say that we are conscious.

From the point of view of psychology, the conscience of the individual expresses his rational predisposition to understand the world that surrounds him.

The social awareness

As individuals we are aware of what is happening around us and that degree of awareness is precisely the essence of our social awareness as individuals. On the other hand, society itself forms an autonomous entity and in this sense a community also has a certain social conscience. Thus, when certain problems are recognized within society that affect everyone in some way, a collective social conscience is produced.

Linked very strongly to the ideas of solidarity and commitment, social awareness is the first step on the road to alteration of structures of voluntary and involuntary discrimination exerted on certain social groups within a community

Social conscience, therefore, has to do with the possibility of being aware of the problems intrinsic to a society that require a solution. Although the idea of ​​social conscience is normally used to refer to the need to act for the benefit of those who live in situations of poverty, marginalization and exclusion, it can also refer to the importance of changing structures or patterns of behavior that affect the whole of a society, for example, care of environment, respect for traffic regulations, etc.

Social consciousness in Marxism

In the philosophy Marxist, the concept of social conscience is key. Thus, each social group has a certain level of consciousness. Workers are or should be class conscious to recognize themselves as a collective. If you do not recognize yourself as a class, it is impossible for you to transform your reality.

For Marx, the exploitation of workers is the fundamental element to awaken their collective conscience. It is not a theoretical reflection, but a first step to change reality and the social model.

Social awareness and participation

A person can have a lot of information about the problems that affect society (unemployment, poverty, exploitation, etc.). However, knowing reality is not enough to change it. For this reason, some individuals decide to actively participate in a project. There are multiple ways of putting into practice a transformative social conscience, but all of them go through the participation active. Among the many examples of participation we could highlight the following: financial donations, solidarity collaboration, volunteer projects with NGOs, etc.

Enemies of social conscience

Most people say they have a social conscience in relation to the injustices around them or in other parts of the world. However, it is very likely that these types of statements are a form of self-deception or a simple declaration of good intentions.

Social consciousness, in its individual or collective dimension, has a series of "powerful enemies": stark competitiveness, individualism, cultural supremacy, globalization, the consumption of Energy not responsible, etc.

There are many ways that social conscience can appear in an individual or social group

While theorists argue that the most advisable thing is to ensure the presence of social conscience from that you are a child (so that it is always present in the person, for which the informal and formal systems from education are essential), social awareness can also be awakened in people and acquired and / or expanded over time, according to the momentary needs of each set Social. Thus, although people of a certain age have not been educated in the acquisition of social awareness regarding different topics, advertising campaigns of different aspects can be used to generate spaces for reflection on the importance of it in specific moments of the existence of a community.

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