For the normal functioning of society, it is necessary to observe generally accepted social norms. If an individual, a certain group of people, a professional collective or the state as a whole does not adhere to the existing rules, foundations and traditions, and this can disrupt the normal course of events, then we are talking about their social responsibility, expressed in a certain form.
Social responsibility is a collective category that combines moral, legal and philosophical principles. This is an ambiguous term, the interpretation of which depends on which sphere of the life of society this responsibility concerns (politics and statehood, economics, citizenship, morality and ethics, etc.). Although at the everyday level, its essence is obvious to any person - it is an understanding of the consequences of their actions or their inaction in different situations.
Concept
The most common definition of social responsibility is the rights and obligations assumed by a person in relation to other people and responsibility to them according to the promises made. In the narrow sense of the word, social responsibility means the objective necessity of an object or subject to be responsible for violating social norms. As a general rule, social responsibility is understood as the relationship between an individual and society, the presence of certain rights and obligations for both of them, the implementation of which is designed to ensure normal conditions for collective life. The institution of social norms and rules owes its origin to the social nature of man. People cannot exist alone. But at the same time, the actions and behavior of an individual affect the interests of other members of society, and therefore are subject to control by society. This is how social obligations arise. Even Immanuel Kant wrote: "Man is responsible for humanity in his person."
Views
There is no definite answer to the question “how many types of social responsibility there can be”. The reason is that the criterion for separation is the social norms and rules in force in society. And their number is difficult to accurately determine due to the dynamism of the historical processes taking place in the world, as well as the variety of spheres of human activity. Therefore, the classification is based on certain grounds on which it is carried out.
- First of all, this is the division of social responsibility according to the degree of community of people into personal or public.
- If the basis is the degree of responsibility of a person for his actions to other people and the state, social responsibility is divided into moral and legal. This classification is called by lawyers "according to the methods of regulation and enforcement." On the one hand, a person's responsibility is based on his sense of duty and moral obligations, and on the other hand, it is carried out under the influence of measures of coercion or fear. Legal responsibility is related to the legal regulations in force in the state.
- In the studies of sociologists, an extended classification "according to social roles" is used. After all, the activities of each individual are very diverse and cover different areas: politics, economics, civil relations, professional activities, family life, etc.
- Responsibility associated with a person's professional activity is allocated to a special category. In the work of teachers, doctors, judges, scientific and engineering workers, etc., measures of responsibility are provided for violations of the "code of honor."
- The principle of dividing social responsibility into types according to its industry affiliation or depending on the area in which it is applied has formed the category of special social responsibility. In particular, these are business, corporate, industrial, organizational, party, religious and other forms, including the responsibility of a person to himself.
The list of types of social responsibility is considered "open", since there are as many types of social responsibility in society as there are norms and generally accepted rules in it.
