In section one, you are to discuss the findings in contemporary academic literature about empathy, empathy’s contribution to ethics, and the influence that outgroup status has on empathy’s impact
In section two, you are to discuss, based on your experiences and supported by research, empathy’s role in your discipline or, if you’re not currently a practitioner, in the discipline you’re interested in.
Some factors you might address in your discussion of empathy’s role in your discipline are:
How well or poorly do members of the discipline relate to members of the community they serve as ingroup members (in a way that impacts their empathy toward them): Why is this so; how does it impact their empathy toward the community; how does it impact ethical decisions on the job; what, if any, factors make proper decisions toward the community possible/likely with or without empathy, etc?
Recognizing the impact of outgroup status on empathy, members of the public safety profession do or do not do enough to make themselves relatable and thereby more likely to be viewed as ingroup members to the community–and thereby more empathy worthy
What is it that makes them relatable or what could they do to make themselves more relatable?
Is it necessary for members of the discipline to make themselves “empathy” worthy? Why or why not?
Is it that members of the discipline don’t do enough to make themselves relatable or is it that the community is biased or doesn’t understand them or both?
What aspects of the discipline make it more or less conducive to the application of empathy?
Are there increased emotional costs to performing the job when empathy is used to make decisions.
What, if anything, can be done to protect the emotional wellbeing of practitioners in the discipline or ensure proper decisions are made?
You need not address all or even any of the suggested topics above related to “empathy’s role in your discipline.” The areas pointed out above are only intended to get you thinking about the topic and directions it could go in. The goal is not necessarily to address any specific topic(s) in section two. Instead, the goal is to demonstrate critical thinking skills in applying your understanding of empathy from the first section to a public safety discipline.
Paper requirements:
Have 1” margins
Be double spaced with no additional spaces
Include at least 4 sources with at least three of them being peer-reviewed academic sources.
Have proper APA 7th edition citations