If one person does something good, will it influence others? People see charity workers all the time, but how many of these people will go and follow in that worker's footsteps? Does Social and Moral Responsibility really extend from the level of the individual to the wider community? There are many individuals that are socially aware, and whilst they do much good and affect the wider community, it is not always that they persuade the community to do the same.
Dr Catherine Hamlin, from the book, "The Hospital By The River" and her husband undoubtedly helped a lot of Ethiopian women, but did their awareness of social responsibility spread to the community? Dr Hamlin was the individual, and the people who read the book, or heard Catherine's story can be considered the community. While Reg and Catherine Hamlin affected some individuals around them, and even persuaded them to help, they did not fully transfer their social responsibility onto others.
Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist Catherin...
English: Dr. Mashkevitch and Nobel Peace Prize Win...
1933 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Norman Angell on...The Emperor and the Princess of Ethiopia helped them with land and some groups in Australia and New Zealand solved the money problems, but it is doubtful that those people became truly aware of their responsibilities and continued on to help others. They granted land, they donated money, but those are not the things that define social responsibility, and therefore prove nothing of their real intentions. Some may argue that the characters of the book, may have influenced other doctors to go to the developing countries and help out there, but if someone decides to take such a major step in their lives, then they most likely would go and do it anyway, without even knowing of Doctors Catherine and Reg Hamlin. Even if that may be the case, and they indeed served as an influence to other doctors, then...