Introduction
Prosocial behavior is the intention of benefiting others without expecting a favor. Prosocial behavior is characterized by acts of kindness, including but not limited to sharing with the needy, donating to the poor, cooperating with others even if it is not mandated, volunteering to help in some activities, for example, cooking for the homeless, and arguably obeying the law and conforming to the socially accepted behavior (Bellucci, G et al. 2020). Additionally, it is equally correct to say that companies that participate in corporate social responsibility (CSR) act according to prosocial behavior because they decide to engage in discretional activities that are not mandated by law and are generally not expected of the business firms.
Prosocial behavior is divided into three main types proactive, generous, and reactive. Generally, prosocial norms are clear, healthy, meet ethical standards and beliefs, and minimize health risks. Prosocial behavior helps to care for the needy and the less fortunate in society (Thielmann, I. et al., 2020). Usually, the motivation and drive to help the less fortunate come from moral judgment, moral elevation, and moral identity. Most of the time, the needy get help from kind-hearted individuals who have learned to share since childhood. Another group usually concerned with helping others is if one had gone through the experience of lacking and by chance got lucky and succeeded, such know the pain of lacking.
Chosen act of kindness
Ideally, an individual can help a person in need in several ways, but most importantly, it provides basic needs. Basic needs are considered primary because all human beings are subjected to being able to acquire them. Still, some people in society are disadvantaged and have no access to the—provision of basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The stated are known to be the most basic needs of life, and thus, providing such to the needy gives them hope and smile, waiting for another day, hoping that things will get better with time.
Volunteering to help orphans or street children with food and clothing is an act of kindness that a normal student would afford. Providing shelter might be a problem because students are not usually established; thus, some live with their parents. By this, I am considering that one cannot lose much by just giving away a single meal or sharing what they have for lunch with a needy person. Donating clothes is also a common act of kindness one can get from a student because you must not necessarily buy them new clothes; donate those that do not fit anymore, those that you consider out of fashion, and those that you have lost taste in.
While there are many reasons for taking care of the less fortunate, it would be a pleasure to help them with clothing because clothes are the most important needs after food. Clothes are considered basic because of their importance to us as human beings, and they include; insulating us against harsh weather conditions, they act as hygienic barriers, help navigate in varied environments confidently, help to keep toxic materials away from contacting us; they give us a sense of comfortability and fashion and most importantly privacy rights.
Social vulnerabilities
According to research, not all the needy are in that situation because of their choice and wish; many children in orphanages and streets lack parental care. Their parents might have died in disaster or pandemics that left them in that situation. Some calamities are caused by natural conditions such as climatic conditions, and excessive floods cause some, others by droughts and famine. Such natural conditions affect persons from deserted regions and lack agricultural subsidy reforms.
Homelessness is also caused by wars between two communities or groups in one country. Others die in the military and end up living with their children with no care, especially if one is single-parented. Wars are caused by conflicts between two groups, border issues, and famine. Some also lose their parents to deadly diseases such as HIV-Aids and common malaria, and currently, the Covid-19 pandemic has lost many lives and left some orphans in one way or another. From such instances, most families end up spending the resources they have to take care of their relative sick mother or father, and eventually, they end up dying.
According to research, in 2018, 0.17% of the population in the USA is said to be homeless. Logically, the number of street children keeps increasing because most children continue giving birth, and thus, it is the role of the governments to ensure that they are taken care of and sheltered in safer homes- children’s homes. Another large percentage of street children is contributed by poverty; kids decide to leave their parents and look for greener pastures but end up unlucky in most cities. Most lack their way back home and decide to live as street children. Such conditions are always devastating and full of anxiety, for one cannot predict tomorrow.
Accidents and abandonments are also considered to have contributed to the number of street children and those in orphanages. Usually, individuals are advised not to travel in the same vehicle or whatever means they are using for transport because the means used are subjects to accidents. Accidents cannot be predicted or foreseen. Thus, to decrease the number of individuals living without parents, guardians are urged to be careful when they use transportation. Abandonments mostly occur when one is a single parent and poor, and the one parent is faced with mental issues and has to be taken care of, or they ask you to leave with them without the clue of where you are going. Generally, that is how most individuals find themselves orphans.
Usually, the needy and the less fortunate are considered to be going through a lot, especially those of the ages that are considered children. They fight through so much to see a new day and are said to be going through depression, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and anger. Due to lacking, they are also faced with cultural pressures, neglect, abuse, child slavery, religious inequity, child prostitution, and indentured servitude. From the look of things, able people with the power to help should not let these individuals continue living in such harsh conditions.
The determinants of health are determined by the conditions we are born in, the areas we grow in, the places we live, the places we work, and our ages. The factor in these determinants that also affect how healthy we live to include the education level, our neighborhoods, physical environments, social support networks and social policies, access to health care systems, political systems in a country, and lastly, the behaviors and choices that individuals choose to make with their lives.
People are considered to live healthy lives if they can pay for their basic needs. To fulfill such needs, one requires resources to meet the daily needs such daily food for such needs are considered recurrent and need to be met every other for survival. Therefore, to meet such, one should have job opportunities and a workplace where they are reimbursed with wages that at least help them meet the most basic needs. One should also be able to access healthy foods without any restrictions to ensure they eat a balanced diet and thus lead healthier lives to avoid deficiency diseases. To achieve all these, one must be educated to co-live with others in working places and societies.
Social Power
Social power is the ability to set standards and create norms and values deemed legitimate and desirable without coercion or payment. Power is of different types: legitimate, reward, coercive, informational, and referent. However, social power is always developed through enthusiasm, openness, kindness, a focus on helping the less fortunate, and calmness. Usually, some people fully devote themselves to taking care of the less fortunate; personally, this is the most crucial thing that one can do to help the needy, although the service requires a lot of sacrifices.
To add, people who devote themselves to serving the needy are the humble souls one can meet. Because their aim is general and direct, that is to make sure that the less fortunate have at least something for them, they have someone in the society who cares about their well-being, and it gives them hope that someone believes in them and that something good can come from them. Street children are not always stupid and bad-behaved. Most of them are sharp; they lack someone to give them a chance to express themselves and compete with others fairly. I do not see the need to feel powerful for just helping one to live longer. However, helping comes with a feeling of satisfaction and gratitude.
From the observed data, individuals who devote themselves to helping the needy are not always known publicly or ask the media not to publicize their acts, for it’s just giving back to the community. Thus, social power is derived from aspiration, energy, and capacities from that society derives its power. Most groups that publicize themselves after helping orphans or street children are large organizations formed with that specific goal. So this is good for them, for they set a good example for other countries and communities on handling and dealing with the less fortunate.
Social power distribution is the extent to which social power or ability to influence other group members is dispersed through the group. The people who help the needy have the power to help because the world gives them better chances and opportunities to have the life they choose for themselves. Ideally, life is not considered easy, and thus we are all subjected to different environments after being born, which we deal with and learn to survive. The difference comes with where one is born, the family’s capabilities, and the choices one makes from the point one start making decisions.
Social power varies from one society to another, and the following are always associated with power distribution, functionalism, parsons, dysfunction, checks, and the variable sum of one’s idea of sharing- logically, the gap between the rich and poor is wide and can only be bridged through consensus. If the rich agreed to show acts of kindness and helped the poor with a lower percentage of their wealth, the world would be a better place to live. Unluckily, this can’t be made law because of the right to ownership of one’s property; thus, only those willing can help the needy.
Community organizations
Community organizations are groups that desire to improve the community’s social health. Mostly, such groups are made from their primary roots, where people show acts of kindness, including social clubs, schools, health care agencies, social service fraternities, unions, churches, and mosques. Giving to the less fortunate without the intention of receiving payback is also referred to as almsgiving. Usually, the help that comes with the mentioned groups is significant and effective in the lives of orphans and street children.
Many organizations largely consider the issue of helping the less fortunate; some have gone global to ensure the care of the needy is attended to. Some organizations that help them meet their needs include; Oxfam International, World Relief, Care International, Concern Worldwide, BRAC, The Borgen Project, Green Short Foundation, Muslim Hands, and Global Citizen. The mentioned groups have seen to it that the world needs to be a better place by caring for the needs of the less fortunate.
The identified groups have a major impact in all the regions, for they ensure that the social change that needs in society is achieved; This is done by building camps for the refugees in many countries and bringing together the less fortunate to take them to children’s homes where they can be given better care. The groups help by donating funds and clothes to help provide the basic needs of education, food, and clothing. Most people who come from these homes and succeed in life feel obliged to give back to the community.
Community groups also see that there is improved decision-making in society. Creating awareness of the waste of resources and educating individuals on how to economize and reduce waste to help accommodate needy people. Minimizing food wastage gives street children something to eat, and the act also prevents improper waste disposal, leading to poor environmental conditions.
Other acts of kindness from the identified groups include improving public health by giving the needy the proper affordable medications. They improve the safety of cities and towns by minimizing the number of children in the streets, for most survive through stealing from the fortunate. They thus make us feel safer walking in the safe streets in the towns and cities. The act also contributes to the reduction of acts of criminal for the needy are catered for and thus less violence when one is looking for something to feed them. Additionally, hungry stomachs always make people angered-providing at least food saves the lives of many.
According to research, community groups are considered the best in improving the lives of the less fortunate. However, the act is not limited to them only because prosocial behavior has led many individuals to contribute significantly to their lives. Community organizations are credited with spurring the local communities by equalizing community members and creating awareness on living with and handling the less fortunate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, prosocial behavior has been key in helping and saving the lives of the needy, and society needs to reach a consensus to embrace the same. Globe would be better if we all had equal chances of making and shaping ourselves how we want. The world is unfair, and the number of less fortunate keeps increasing-it; thus, the role of us and our societies is to intervene and create a better place for all humankind. Organizations have been creating awareness, and we must embrace the same to live standardized lives. Finally, all individuals need to feel loved and cared for to reduce the number of suicidal cases.
REFERENCES
Thielmann, I., Spadaro, G., & Balliet, D. (2020). Personality and prosocial behavior: A theoretical framework and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(1), 30.
Bellucci, G., Camilleri, J. A., Eickhoff, S. B., & Krueger, F. (2020). Neural signatures of prosocial behaviors. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 118, 186-195.
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