owners can often cite altruistic behaviour or at least conscious acts of kindness on the part of cats
and dogs (Simons, Kalichman & Santrock, 1994). Another good example would be the nursing,
profession founded on the notion of helping people, sometimes even at a cost to nurses
themselves.
There are many ways people show altruism. To explain why we do altruistic acts like
volunteering, donating or raising funds, we need to distinguish between four different forms of
altruism which are observed in humans – that shown towards kin, a partner, a friend, and
individual who does not fit into these categories
(, 2003)
Of the several types of altruism a main focus has been on ‘heroic altruism’ (Moghaddam, 1998). It
is a short term intervention requiring physical action and tends to fit more the masculine gender.
On the other hand ‘Nurturant altruism’ requires more patience, listening and a caring attitude with
long term involvement. This more closely fits the image of the traditional feminine gender
(Moghaddam, 1998). The ‘Bystander’ effect greatly influences helping behaviour, because of
common ignorance of bystanders and assumptions about other bystanders’ actions. Each
person’s scope of responsibilities can decrease in the presence of others ( Moghaddam, 1998). In
order for Bystander to help he or she has to posses social skills to interpret the situation and take
appropriate actions (Moghaddam, 1998).
Initially from a theoretical perspective if a person knows how to overcome obstacles to he or she
giving help, subsequently other people start questioning whether the helping behaviour was true
altruism (Moghaddam, 1998). A later there was a theory of Daniel Batson – ‘empathy-altruism’,
believes that people help out of a genuine desire(Moghaddam, 1998). Other theories propose
that altruistic behaviour is egoistic and put the hypothesis that helping behaviour is a way to
repair a helper’s image (Moghaddam, 1998).
Methodology
An interview was conducted with a woman who volunteers her services with meals on wheels and
has done nearly sixteen years. She is a retired school teacher living alone. I assumed that her
altruistic behaviour had a self fulfilling motive. Therefore I chose her and I wanted to clarify or
confirm my assumption. In order to facilitate my focus interviewee was given ten questions asking
about her volunteering profile, and her motivating factors. This interview created awareness of
other influencing factors motivating her altruistic behaviour.
Results
Her altruistic behaviour is a stereotype nurturant altruism. The volunteer’s family has been a role
model for her and encouraged her involvement in volunteering services. She claims her
motivation for involvement in the ‘worthwhile activity’ is her good health and part of her purpose
for living. A small proportion of personal benefits derived from volunteering have sustained her
commitment.
Discussion
Altruism is an ethical concept that describes behaviours aimed at furthering pleasure and
alleviating pains of other people without self interest. To uphold the well being of
others is an end in itself (Oung, 2003). There are several problems with this definition which have
been pointed out in the ‘sociological paradigm’. In order to explore this idea interview was
conducted with a woman who has been involved in ‘helping behaviour’ for nearly sixteen years. I
have been a volunteer for nearly thirteen years. Both our experiences will attempt to answer why
we behave altruistically or what motivate us to behave in this manner and its relevance in society
today.
Initially, I became a volunteer because of media glamour. I was involved in acting and to become
more popular I chose to be involved in fund raising activities and hosting shows with no monetary
benefits. This proposes the ‘good image motive’. The cameras clicking, the bright lights and
seeing myself and my altruistic acts mentioned in paper raised my self-esteem. But truly I was not
involved in the altruistic acts with a genuine desire. I had personal benefit being ‘popular’ was my
motivation for my helping behaviour. There is another motivating factor which was drilled by my
parents ‘Karma’ and ‘Dharma’- the essence of Hinduism. A good deed determines a person’s
birth in the next life. In a way, though I have also done a good deed – helping others, I have killed
two birds with one stone. My interviewee’s involvement in volunteering is what most of retirees
would like to do, occupy themselves with a worthwhile activity to keep them healthy physically
and mentally (Response from interviewee – RFI). Both of us had different reasons but we
followed the cultural rules governing our roles – ‘actress’ and ‘retiree’.
I was involved in volunteering for a personal benefit. Once I reached heights of popularity I
developed a genuine liking for my volunteer role. I had an opportunity to work with children and
women in a family service centre. Both had a lot of issues to be dealt with because of their family
violence. I came from a reasonably stable family so I felt it was my duty to help someone in need.
Their happiness was motivating me to a large extent and my altruistic act proposes the
hypothesis of Batson’s empathy – altruism model. This theory believes that ’ when people feel
empathy they become motivated to act , with the ultimate goal of helping the person for who
empathy is felt’ (Moghaddam, 1998, p.306). In my interviewee’s case she felt compassion with
her volunteer work and she even extended her help to do research on meals for different ethnic
groups (RFI).Both our experiences suggests that there is more to helping others than just
empathy. No doubt our volunteering was based on empathy and it was coupled with ‘shared
humanity’. According to philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum, she wishes that Batson replaced the
word ‘empathy’ with ‘compassion’ (Post, 2002). The word empathy is the ‘imaginative
reconstruction of another person’s experience, without any particular evaluation of that
experience’ (Post, 2002, p.2).In relation to this I could relate to an advertisement by UNICEF – a
lady talking about her donating money for a boy’s education. Her contribution was also utilised to
give good drinking water to the whole village. Her empathy alone is not sufficient to cause
altruism; an increased understanding of humanitarian need suggests her behaviour.
There is another theory suggest that altruism is innate. Such as that of parent towards child
(, 2003). This
theory believes that we choose to help someone because we are of the same kind, known as ‘kin
selection’ or because someone is in greater need
(, 2003).My
interviewee helps to deliver meals, makes ‘trauma teddies’ and facilitates events for her ethnic
group (RFI). I have also been a probation officer, organised story telling activities for children, and
organised tuition programmes and financial assistance for an ashram of people with leprosy. With
regards to both our experiences, how could one gauge who needs more help. Similarly on a
plane, normally the stewardess gives a usual five minute presentation on safety. I am thinking
about the implications of her words, which I have heard hundreds of times. The implication is that
if the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling, it is human nature – immediate instinctive behaviour, to
assist our companions with their masks before we do ours. Such altruism in the face of danger
reveals compassion, in a moment of risk to ourselves. Acts of altruism are easier to study than
feelings of compassion. To understand or interpret how one feels we must rely on what we are
told, while altruistic acts take place, in a sense, before our eyes.
In order to understand why people are altruistic, we have to try to understand the culture of the
people (Moghddam, 1998).Culture teaches us when it is appropriate to seek and offer help. In
some cultures, service to others is justification for a person’s existence and others encourage self
sacrifice as being good. I chose my path in helping profession because I want to become a part
of humanity. My gradual transition in the volunteering field made me realise that showing
kindness to others is a cardinal virtue of my religion and of humanity.My interviewee’s
engagement in the ‘worthwhile activity’ seems to be genuine love for a number of people in need.
Conclusion
In conclusion, volunteering is an act of altruism. Such helping behaviour motivated by personal
benefit or gain, genuine love, compassion, empathy and instinct tends to improve our ability to get
along with others in the world. The world would be a better place to live in if everyone worked for
the benefit of others. Therefore ‘altruism’ is beautiful. It is a beautiful idea, that inspires us when
other people act on it, and makes us feel very good about ourselves when we act upon it.
Bibliography
Brosnahan, T.(2003) New Advent – Altruism [online] Available:
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Moghaddam, F.M (1998) Social Psychology. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company
Oung, E. (2003) Altruism [online] Available: .
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Post, S, G. (2002). Genuine Love Is More Than an Altruist's Daydream [online]
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Response from interview, 2003 [attach appendice]
Simons, J.A, Kalichman, S. & Santrock, J.W (1994). Human adjustement. Iowa : Brown & Benchmark.
The evolution of Altruism [online] 2003. Available :
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