A Justice Working Group Seminar: “Do We Empathize Equally?”, by Devon Wade, Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology, Columbia University

In collaboration with The Columbia Population Research Center, The Center for Justice at Columbia is pleased to invite you to: 

“Do We Empathize Equally? A Closer Look at Empathic Patterns Associated with Vulnerable Youth”

 Justice Working Group seminar by

Devon Wade

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Sociology

Columbia University

Friday, October 16th, 2015

12:00 – 2:00 PM

 Columbia School of Social Work

1255 Amsterdam Avenue, Room 1109

(between 121st and 122nd streets)

  **Please RSVP to [email protected] by Wednesday, October 14^th, as lunch will be provided.

 Abstract: This paper seeks to empirically examine the extent to which individuals empathize with stigmatized youth. While there has been a dearth of research examining empathic behavior and stigmatized identities among adults, there is a lack of empirical work examining empathic patterns towards children. Children are often thought of as vulnerable beings. They are seen as less culpable for their actions and even less so when the actions are a result their parents decisions. Using an experimental vignette technique, we vary the form of parental absence for a child in a classroom setting experiencing behavioral problems as a consequence of the father’s absence. We seek to gauge the degree to which stigma impacts empathic behaviors towards children. This paper centers around two primary questions: (1) do individuals empathize equally for children who experience different forms of parental absence? (2) What are factors that differentiate levels of empathy? Preliminary results suggests that there may be a gradation effect with more stigmatizing forms of parental absence, but they may be a residual effect of parents culpability in their own absence.