In this article the authors put forward the idea that social responsibility is intimately related to identity in the sense that taking appropriate action for the welfare of others is often the result of processing complex internal experiences. The notion of identity is defined as a dynamic system used to organize the individual’s internal states as well as the boundaries between self and other. The authors use this concept, along with the ideas of exclusion and dissociation, to describe how the individual processes experience and accounts for difficulties that typically occur. A case vignette illustrates how the authors’ theoretical perspective comes to life in a clinical setting. The article expands on the meaning of individual responsibility toward communal life in terms of choices and developmental achievements rather than prescriptions to which individuals must adhere.

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Transactional Analysis Journal
Volume 48, 2018 - Issue 2: Social Responsibility in a Vengeful World
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Article
When the Outside Strikes a Chord Inside: The Role of Identity in Taking Social Responsibility
Pages 152-165
Published online: 15 Feb 2018
Article
When the Outside Strikes a Chord Inside: The Role of Identity in Taking Social Responsibility
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