Written by Debra Harkins. Posted in Civic Engagement, General.
Helping seems like an obvious act, right?! However, there are many types of helping, including helping because it makes one feel good, helping to make someone else feel good, helping based on charity, empathy, or sense of equity. What we do not often consider is how the act of helping can make the one being helped feel less than and make the helper feel-or look—more than (Schein, 2009). Helping is an unequal act!
So, how do we help without perpetuating the very injustices we are seeking to remove? First, we need to become aware of why we want to help. Try to answer some of the following questions...
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