Global Social Responsibility: Developing a Scale for Senior High School Students in Japan

• Published in: International journal for the advancement of counselling 2006-09, Vol.28 (3), p.213-226
• Main Authors: Nakamura, Megumi, Watanabe-Muraoka, Agnes M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; High School Students; Social Problems; Social responsibility
• ISSN: 0165-0653; 1573-3246
• DOI: 10.1007/s10447-005-9007-9

This research was conducted with the aim of clarifying a concept of "global social responsibility." A total sample of 395 senior high school students in Japan responded to a pool of items mostly adapted from a scale developed by Starrett (1996) and provided additional data concerning their social experiences. The data were used in the development of a Japanese version of the Global Social Responsibility (GSR) scale. It was found that "global altruism," "active involvement with society," and "understanding of interdependence" constituted a construct of global social responsibility. It was also found that females, those who discussed social problems with their family, those who revealed a high awareness of responsibility and those who had multiple experiences of volunteer activities for community service showed high GSR scores. The scale provides both an awareness of the concept and a measure for determining levels of global social responsibility. Counseling professionals are encouraged to consider their roles from a global and social perspective, with the notion of responsibility being seen as central to the concepts of freedom and personal development.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]