Caring Research and Ideas

Caring is not magic.
It is just the consistent,
day-in and day-out, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute
tendency not to give up on anybody.


It is my responsibility.


To advocate a caring school or to include caring in the curriculum does not advocate caring as a substitute for learning or a rigorous curriculum. However, a rigorous culture of learning can not be established without first establishing a climate of caring. Which is created by providing an atmosphere with the value of caring imbedded into all relationships. Caring is not a program, it is not reserved for special times of the day, nor is it reserved for special people such as counselors or grief specialists. It must be modeled and taught as a way to approach self, group, community, and society, if it is to be internalize as a value to be used by students in their decision making and actions.

Resources and research

Resources

Using literature to promote caring

The Lilly Endowment’s Research Program on Youth and Caring has funded research. The following information is some of their findings. (Additional information can be obtained by writing Diana Mendley Rauner, Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago, 1155 E. 60th Street, Chicago IL 60637. phone 312-753-5920.

Research

Variables that impede the development of caring include: poverty, dangerous and depleted neighborhoods, crowded and unhealthy living conditions, inadequate schools, limited access to health care, single and teen parenthood, violence among youth, trauma of parental alcoholism.

One close supportive bond within the family seems to buffer children against the risks listed above. This protective measure transcends ethnic, class, geographical, and historical boundaries. This perception of a meaningful, caring relationship with one’s family was the strongest of the variables that correlated with emotional health.

Werner found that 51% who adapted successfully to adulthood from the trauma of parental alcoholism relied on a significantly larger number of sources of support and religious coping than did those who were not successful. Furthermore, the successful had at lest one person who accepted them unconditionally.

The attributes that lead to the development of a greater moral development of caring was related to the individuals perception of self as incorporating the ideals and image of one’s parents, and the ability to articulate theories of self in which personal beliefs and philosophies are important. It was not related to an increased capacity for moral reasoning.

Studies showed the youth programs with the following attributes were effective at conveying caring to participants: 1) create an atmosphere where the young feel welcome, respected, and comfortable; 2) provide opportunities for the development of caring relationships with adults and peers; 3) provide information, counseling, and expectations that enable young people to determine what it means to care for themselves and to care for a definable group; and 4) provide opportunities, training, and expectations that encourage young people to contribute to the greater good through service, advocacy, and active problem solving on important issues.

Results from some studies confirm the ides that providing opportunities to care helps students develop caring behaviors for the long term.

In summary the critical components of caring are:

  1. Personal positive self-esteem.
  2. Social involvement or interpersonal skills: communication, cooperation, negotiation, sharing, emphathizing, and listening.
  3. Respect for humaneness of others.
  4. Social process skills: responsibility, adaptability, flexibility, and integrity.
  5. A positive response of those receiving the caring.

Caring involves the need for individuals to project the feelings of others. There is evidence that babies and small children react to the suffering of other people, suggesting a biological or genetic link. There is also evidence that a certain part of the brain (orbital frontal cortex) is a module for social thought. There is also evidence of child developmental that affects the ability to care. The following is a list of related information.

Autistic people do not have the ability to read other people’s minds. If they see a person put an object into a box and leave the room while another person moves the object from the box, they believe the returning person will know where the object is. They do not believe others can think differently. They do not lie. They tell the truth or fantasy. They are frightened by the unpredictability to understand others.

William’s syndrome is when a person has a very high language and social skill ability, however their logical reasoning ability is retarded. Many times a discussion with a person would leave you to believe they are very intelligent, however they are incapable of solving simple everyday problems with logic.

Children develop a concept of self shortly before the age of one. Small children looking into a mirror do not know the image is theirs. Later they realize the image is theirs.

Once the existence of self is developed the existence of others follows. At first this existence may be what the person believes it is according to their view (egocentric).

Children later realize that others can have a different point of view than theirs.

Still later people realize that people have a different point of view than theirs and it is all right as long as it does not harm others.

To develop a strong sense of moral caring people must have:

  1. Strong perceptions of their personal capabilities.
  2. Strong perceptions that they contribute in important relationships in meaningful ways and are needed.
  3. Strong perceptions of personal power or influence over life.
  4. Strong intrapersonal skills to understand their personal emotions and to have self-discipline and self-control.
  5. Strong interpersonal skills to work with others and develop friendships through communication, cooperation, negotiation, sharing, empathizing, and listening.
  6. Strong process skills to be able to respond to everyday life consequences with responsibility, adaptability, flexibility, and integrity.

Dreikurs was concerned about people who want to win over children rather than to win children over. Winning over children makes them losers, and losing generally causes children to be rebellious or blindly submissive.

The common practice of adding humiliation to a logical consequence, because of the mistaken belief that children won’t learn unless they suffer for their mistakes, violates the basic concept of mutual respect and changes logical consequences to punishment.

Dreikurs explained that children are good perceivers, but poor interpreters. Much of this poor interpretation seems to be caused by the egocentricism of children. For example when an adult gives more attention to another child, the child perceives it as something negative toward them since they are not doing something with them.

Alfred Adler, an Australian Jew who had to leave his native land during Nazi persecution, believed that a concept of gemeinschaftsgefuehl is essential for all humans to develop. There is not a good translation, but a close translation is social interest. His ideas meant that individuals had a real concern for one’s fellow person and a sincere desire to contribute to society. That is caring.

A story told by Kristin R. Prancer in Individual Psychologist also helps describe these ideas. Once there were two brothers who shared a farm. One brother was married and had five children. The other was not married and had no family. The one brother was thinking one night that it was surely not fair that the other brother was doing the same amount of work and equally sharing the profit. He decided that tomorrow he would offer him two-thirds. The other brother was also thinking and thought it was not fair that his brother was receiving only half the profit since he had a wife and five children for which to care. He decided that tomorrow he would offer him two-thirds. This is social interest or caring.

People who have the mistaken goal of excitement and desire to do things fora high or the fun of it, even though it may be harmful or hurtful to themself or others, have not learned caring.

Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©