Fall/Winter 2005-06 (Volume II, Issue 2)
The Science and Practice of Empathy
Can we really feel someone else’s pain? Research and stories featured in this issue of Greater Good shed light on our deeply rooted ability to empathize with other people, enabling us to feel their emotions as our own. Authors explore the biological roots of empathy, explain ways to cultivate it, and consider how current social conditions inhibit the expression of empathy in the United States. The issue also features an interview with Robert Putnam, author of the book Bowling Alone, about what Hurricane Katrina revealed about Americans’ sense of community.
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In Brief
Everyday Achievements (03)
By Matthew Wheeland | Fall/Winter 2005-06What’s the key to academic success for kids struggling in school, especially those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds?
Q&A
Rebuilding Community after Katrina (05)
By Jason Marsh | Fall/Winter 2005-06An Interview with Bowling Alone author Robert Putnam
Features
The Evolution of Empathy (06)
By Frans de Waal | Fall/Winter 2005-06We tend to think of empathy as a uniquely human trait. But it’s something apes and other animals demonstrate as well, says primatologist Frans de Waal. He shows how our evolutionary history suggests a deep-rooted propensity for feeling the emotions of others.
The Chauffeur’s Dilemma (09)
By Arlie Hochschild | Fall/Winter 2005-06The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting left behind. Why don’t more people stick up for fellow citizens facing hard times? Because, argues Arlie Hochschild, empathy is being squeezed from the American way of life.
A Feeling for Fiction (10)
By Keith Oatley | Fall/Winter 2005-06Books, movies, and plays are more than just entertainment, says psychologist and novelist Keith Oatley. They train us in the art of being human. He explains how fictional works nurture empathy and enhance our social and emotional lives.
Feeling Like Partners (12)
By Philip A. Cowan, Carolyn P. Cowan, Neera Mehta | Fall/Winter 2005-06When it comes to romantic relationships, empathy is essential, but it isn’t always easy, say family researchers Philip A. Cowan, Carolyn Pape Cowan, and Neera Mehta. They explain the obstacles couples face—and how to overcome them.
The Bully Problem (14)
By Amy Wilson | Fall/Winter 2005-06The results are in: Violence, insults, and intimidation among kids do more psychological harm than anyone anticipated. But can schools do anything about it?
Mother Nurture (17)
By Lyssa Mudd | Fall/Winter 2005-06Darlene Francis’s research challenges the way we think about how our genes and our environment interact. Her findings offer some surprises—and some hope.
Book Reviews
Book Review: Pursuing the Science of Happiness (18)
By Mirka Knaster | Fall/Winter 2005-06A review of Happiness: Lessons From a New Science by Richard Layard and Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile by Daniel Nettle
Book Review: Positive Psychology in Practice (19)
By Christine Carter | Fall/Winter 2005-06Edited by P. Alex Linley and Stephen Joseph
Wiley, 2004, 770 pages
Book Review: Field Notes on the Compassionate Life (20)
By Jason Marsh | Fall/Winter 2005-06By Marc Ian Barasch
Rodale, 2005, 367 pages
Book Review: Unconditional Parenting (21)
By Dawn Friedman | Fall/Winter 2005-06By Alfie Kohn
Atria Books, 2005, 264 pages
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2nd International Conference on Positive Psychology: “Giving Hope – Giving Future”
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Here’s How Much You Love Humanity
May 21, 2013Results from the Greater Good "Love of Humanity" quiz.
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World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements
May 21, 2013A Q&A with visionary educator John Hunter, creator of the World Peace Game.
Greater Good Events
University of California, Berkeley
Clark Kerr Campus
Friday, June 28 - Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The GGSC’s six-day Summer Institute will equip educators with social-emotional learning tools that will benefit both students and teachers. Registration is now closed.
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Watch Greater Good Videos
Talks by inspiring speakers like Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dacher Keltner, and Barbara Fredrickson.
WatchGreater Good Resources
"Gratitude and Prosocial Behavior"
Finds that feeling gratitude produces kind and helpful behavior, even when that behavior is costly to the individual actor.
- "Compassion: An Evolutionary Analysis and Empirical Review"
Compassion evolved as a distinct affective experience whose function is to enable cooperation and protection of those who...
- "From Jerusalem to Jericho"
This article on bystander intervention in emergency situations suggests that we are likely to help a “shabbily dressed”...
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds
The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, runs a state-of-the-art neuroscience...
- Northeast Foundation for Children
Northeast Foundation for Children is a non-profit educational organization that offers educators the Responsive Classroom...
- Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship
Based at the University of Michigan Business School, this is a networking community for researchers and practitioners...
Book of the Week
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Sponsors
Special thanks to
The Quality of Life Foundation for its support of the Greater Good Science Center
Daniel Goleman
Best-selling author,
Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence
(www.danielgoleman.info)
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