Developing Social Responsibility in Teenage Black Girls

eHow
June 10, 2011

Social responsibility is the philosophy that individuals are obligated to work toward bettering society. Development of social responsibility can instill compassion and empathy in the individual, and produce beneficial results in the community. Community service is an effective, hands-on way to develop social responsibility in teens, as it teaches them to be active members of a community and often requires they relate to people unlike themselves. Teenage black girls can benefit from critical thinking exercises and discussions about the issues that affect them, empowering them to help themselves and others. Having a discussion and then acting on it can reinforce the ideology of social responsibility.

Group Discussion

Step 1
Choose a topic of importance that relates directly to the young black female experience. Teen pregnancy, the importance of staying in school, the disenfranchisement of black voters and the gender pay gap are all engaging, thought-provoking topics.

Step 2
Talk about initial responses to the topic without debate. Everyone should have their voices heard at this point. Answer any questions about vague concepts or undefined vocabulary words.

Step 3
Have the group research the topic, interview community members and write a deeper analysis of the topic. Regroup and discuss their findings. What did they discover? How does it make them feel? Do they know anyone directly affected by the topic? How can we fix the problem?

Community Service

Step 1
Plan a community service project that interests the group. Teenage black girls are, statistically, an at-risk population. In 2008, 11 percent of black girls dropped out of school and almost 13 percent became pregnant in 2006. Try a project to provide childcare for teen mothers or tutoring children to encourage them to stay in school. Help the elderly, the poor, youth and other groups get to the polls on election day. Exercises like these put real faces with the statistics, and may prevent girls from becoming a statistic themselves. Finding an inventive project that will engage the group is the best way to make a lasting impact.

Step 2
Execute the project. Be sure the girls are participating and engaged throughout.

Step 3
Discuss the experience. Community service is a more effective means of developing social responsibility when the group reflects on their thoughts and feelings soon afterward. What did they learn? What surprised them? What can they do in the future to continue making a positive impact?

Step 4
Praise their efforts. Teenagers benefit from positive reinforcement. Community service can be habit-forming if teens feel appreciated and fulfilled, and repeating service exercises is key to developing a sense of social responsibility.

References
Teachable Moment; 10-Point Model for Teaching Controversial Issues; Susan Jones
Habitat for Humanity: T2: Today & Tomorrow
National Center for Education Statistics: Percentage of High School Dropouts by Sex and Race/Ethnicity
Guttmacher Institute: U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions 
Teachable Moment; Teaching Social Responsibility; Alan Shapiro

Resources
“Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth”; James Youniss, et al.; 1997