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The Science of
Compassion,Telluride, CO
July, 2012
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
Robert LevineCalifornia State University, Fresno
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Eckmans Typology of
Compassion
Familial
Familiar
Strangers
Sentient
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City people "have no manners, nocourtesy, no consideration for the
rights of others, and no humanity."
Thomas Wolfe
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Inle Lake market,Myanmar (Burma)
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Where do People Help?
Research questions:
(1) How does overall helping compare from one cityand region to another?
(2) How well does population size predict helping, and
in which situations?
(3) Which other characteristics of communities--
demographic, social, environmental and economic
conditions--best predict differences in helpingtoward strangers?
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Six measures of helping:
Does a man with a hurt leg receive assistance
picking up a dropped magazine?
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Will a blind person be helped to cross a busystreet?
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Is an "unnoticed" dropped pen retrieved by a
passerby?
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Six measures of helping: Does a man with a hurt leg receive assistance picking up
a dropped magazine? Will a blind person be helped to cross a busy street?
Is an "unnoticed" dropped pen retrieved by a passerby?
Will a stranger try to make change for a quarter?
Do people take the time to mail a stamped andaddressed "lost" letter?
How much does a city contribute per capita to United
Way?
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Helping Strangers in U.S. Cities
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Source: American Scientist, May-June 2003, Volume 91
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Helping in 24 Cities, Summer 2005
Overall Helping Dropped Pen Hurt Leg ChangeCity Rank (Score
a)Rank % Help Rank % Help Rank
% Help
Knoxville, TN 1 (3.45) 9 (55%) 7 (73%) 1 (71%)
Kansas City, MO 2 (2.91) 6 (59%) 2 (81%) 3 (54%)
Louisville, KY 3 (2.52) 2 (70%) 9 (71%) 6.5 (47%)
Indianapolis, IN 4 (2.38) 4 (62%) 5 (77%) 6.5 (47%)
Dallas, TX 5 (2.31) 1 (83%) 12.5 (67%) 13.5 (37%)Nashville, TN 6 (2.28) 3 (63%) 4 (77%) 9 (44%)
Sacramento, CA 7 (1.88) 7 (59%) 6 (75%) 11 (44%)
Chattanooga, TN 8 (1.71) 14 (48%) 1 (83%) 8 (44%)
Worcester, MA 9 (1.49) 10 (53%) 10 (67%) 4 (50%)
Springfield, MA 10 (1.19) 13 (50%) 12.5 (67%) 5 (48%)
Providence, RI 11 (.96) 5 (60%) 17 (60%) 12 (41%)
Lansing, MI 12 (.23) 22 (23%) 12.5 (67%) 2 (57%)Fresno, CA 13 (-.30) 12 (52%) 18 (55%) 16 (34%)
Rochester, NY 14 (-.39) 16 (36%) 12.5 (67%) 13.5 (37%)
Bakersfield, CA 15 (-.39) 11 (53%) 21 (42%) 10 (44%)
San Jose, CA 16 (-.63) 15 (42%) 3 (78%) 22 (19%)
Detroit, MI 17 (-.86) 17 (36%) 15 (65%) 18 (31%)
Boston, MA 18 (-1.23) 23 (20%) 8 (72%) 17 (33%)
Youngstown, PA 19 (-1.36) 8 (58%) 23 (31%) 15 (35%)Atlanta, GA 20 (-.77) 18 (35%) 16 (60%) 19 (23%)
Chicago, IL 21 (-.76) 19 (29%) 19 (53%) 21 (19%)
Los Angeles, CA 22 (-.62) 20 (29%) 20 (48%) 24 (11%)
San Francisco,CA 23 (-.25) 21 (27%) 22 (39%) 23 (12%)
New York, NY 24 (-.73) 24 (15%) 24 (13%) 20 (22%)a
Average of standardized scores (M = 10, SD = 1.0%) for the three measures
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RESULTS: HELPFULNESS IS HIGHER IN
PLACES WITH
Smaller population size and less populationdensity
Lower rates of population change
Less (yes, less) affluent economies (e.g. loweroverall incomes, more people below the
poverty line)
Slower pace of life (e.g. walking speed)
Crime rates?
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For more information, you can
download The Kindness of Strangers(from American Scientist) from my
website:
www.boblevine.net
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Thupten Jimpa: The need to
sharpen our constructs
Civility vs. Helping
Concern vs. Action (Paul Ekman)
Does compassion always arise
through the empathy route?
(Thupten Jimpa)
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Compassionate places vs.
Compassionate people
------The power of social norms
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Ive always depended on the
kindness of strangers.
--Blanche Dubois in Tennessee
WilliamsA Streetcar Named Desire
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The End