Unraveling Altruism in the Contemporary Indian Metropolitan
Unraveling altruism in the contemporary Indian metropolitan
Anita Sheerah, Karishma Dhawan, Masrat Wani,
Nipuna Singh, Sakshi Arora and Tapti Malhotra.
Delhi University,
South Campus, Arts Faculty.
Abstract
Altruism as a trait has been studied since the last 40 years. The present study aims to explore the components of altruism in the contemporary context observed in an Indian metropolitan. In this study a lost letter experiment was used to measure altruism across 120 families, chosen randomly, across various parts of Delhi. The results obtained were significant.
Objectives * To find out if altruism exists in the modern contemporary context. * What role do media play in the prevalence of such behavior?
Introduction
Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of "others" toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness.
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of duty and loyalty. Altruism is a motivation to provide something of value to a party who must be anyone but one 's self, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual (e.g., a god, a king), or collective (e.g., a government). Pure altruism consists of sacrificing something for someone other than the self (e.g. sacrificing time, energy or possessions) with no expectation of any compensation or benefits, either direct, or indirect (e.g., receiving recognition for the act of giving).
Much debate exists as to whether "true" altruism is possible. The theory of psychological egoism suggests that no act of sharing, helping or sacrificing can be described as truly altruistic, as the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in the form of personal gratification. The validity of this argument depends on whether intrinsic
Anita Sheerah, Karishma Dhawan, Masrat Wani,
Nipuna Singh, Sakshi Arora and Tapti Malhotra.
Delhi University,
South Campus, Arts Faculty.
Abstract
Altruism as a trait has been studied since the last 40 years. The present study aims to explore the components of altruism in the contemporary context observed in an Indian metropolitan. In this study a lost letter experiment was used to measure altruism across 120 families, chosen randomly, across various parts of Delhi. The results obtained were significant.
Objectives * To find out if altruism exists in the modern contemporary context. * What role do media play in the prevalence of such behavior?
Introduction
Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of "others" toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness.
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of duty and loyalty. Altruism is a motivation to provide something of value to a party who must be anyone but one 's self, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual (e.g., a god, a king), or collective (e.g., a government). Pure altruism consists of sacrificing something for someone other than the self (e.g. sacrificing time, energy or possessions) with no expectation of any compensation or benefits, either direct, or indirect (e.g., receiving recognition for the act of giving).
Much debate exists as to whether "true" altruism is possible. The theory of psychological egoism suggests that no act of sharing, helping or sacrificing can be described as truly altruistic, as the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in the form of personal gratification. The validity of this argument depends on whether intrinsic
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