Social Responsibility vs Social Freedom

It has often been debated what draws the line between social responsibility and social freedom. While there may be merits of social freedom, it is clear that social responsibility is more important in today’s work place. Proactive support for social responsibility in the United States depends on key individuals to spread this movement, now sometimes referred as the “Green movement”

Without proactive support and leadership, socially responsibility will fail and social freedoms will take precedent. The current white house administration has put key social issues in the national spot light. President Barack Obama has held a fiscal responsibility summit on February 23^rd, 2009, 35 day’s into his presidency. Obama with his calm but stern attitude pledged to reduce the national deficit in half by 2013. He will also reinstate the “pay as you go” plan which became popular during the Clinton administration. Obama’s leadership for social responsibility will help the demand for such ethical behavior be more prominent.

Secondly, U.S. Businesses have large inequalities fulfilling their social responsibilities. Many companies define what their responsibilities are, resulting in different functions. Wal-Mart has widely been held by social investors because of its efforts towards positive company culture, and diversity initiatives. However, some social investors may want to avoid investing in Wal-Mart because it destroyed local small businesses and once sold firearms. Other social investors favor industries over company culture. A solar panel company may be considered more of a socially responsible company than any retailer because of its importance to sustainability.

Furthermore, without leadership in social actions, we may never solve the environmental issues facing the United States. There are many citizens concerned with the environment and have changed their lifestyles to reflect those concerns. If information was readily available to business, reflecting environmental concerns, and support for change was institutionalized, socially responsibility would make headway. Without leadership, change will not occur and information will not be readily available. For years environmentalists have known the dangers of social freedoms of businesses had but it took, Al Gore and his movie “An Inconvenient truth” to make the issue a national concern and a hot political topic.

The Debate between social responsibility and social freedoms will continue in politics as long as there are priorities of economic and environmental issues. Proactive support is necessary for growth in social responsibility. An authority to determine the inequalities fulfilling social responsibility will be helpful to gain and spread knowledge of social roles. Environmental issues are a pillar of social roles that need to become a nationalized concern.

Copyright 2009. Solpower jobs, LLC