Sociology 2233 Study Guide - Final Guide: Murder Of Kitty Genovese, Pluralistic Ignorance, American Heart Association
9 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Prosocial behaviour is any act performed with the goal of benefiting another person. Altruism is any act that benefits another person but does not benefit the helper and often involves some personal cost to the helper. A basic question that people have asked is whether people are willing to help when there is nothing to gain, or if they only help when there is some benefit for them. They are more important to society functioning well than altruistic, self sacrificing acts. The rule of law is when members of a society respect and follow its rules. Fairness and justice are also important to prosocial behavior. The presence of others also promotes prosocial behavior. People may engage in prosocial behavior to be accepted by others. Darwin recognised that altruistic behaviour posed a problem for his theory: if an organism acts altruistically, it may decrease its own reproductive fitness.
