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Mr. / Girgis
Being the third step in developing emotional intelligence, social
awareness is a skill that we all must work to build within
ourselves. In a broad sense, it means having an awareness
and understanding of the world around us.
This includes environments, cultures, communities, societal
norms, problems, struggles, and all other areas that make
up the social atmosphere in which we live.
But the way I am discussing social awareness is in a much
more narrowed sense. I want us to look at how social
awareness leads to the development of emotional
intelligence.
One of the most prominent figures in the field of emotional
intelligence is Daniel Goleman. He breaks emotional
intelligence down into four subsects: self-awareness, self-
management, social awareness, and relationship
management.
In relation to emotional intelligence, social awareness is
best defined as our ability to accurately understand the
emotions of other people and empathize with them.
Empathy is a large component of effective social
awareness, and something we will go into more depth later
on in the article.
Social awareness is all about taking the focus off ourselves for
a moment and beginning to think about those around us.
This can be very difficult to do for some of us, especially if
we are often wrapped up in ourselves and consumed by
our own thoughts.
It requires suspension of selfishness and self-absorbed
thinking in order to accurately identify and understand how
those around us think and feel.
The easiest way for me to understand social awareness is
by one simple word: consideration. It all boils down to
taking a second to consider how our thoughts, emotions,
and actions impact others. This is a large aspect of external
self-awareness which is why the two skills are often
intertwined.
Consideration to me is a much simpler way of thinking
about social awareness because since I was a kid, I’ve
heard the phrase, “Be considerate of others.”
This refers to how my actions impact those around me. If I
say something hurtful, how will it make the other person
feel? If I act without thinking, could it possibly harm
someone else? Or, on a more positive note, how can I be
of the most service and benefit to other people?
Taking all of these questions into consideration, as well as
many others, can help ensure we will be acting in a socially
aware manner.
But, however you best understand social awareness, the
fact remains the same that it is an important skill to build
within ourselves.
"The easiest way for me to understand social awareness is by one simple word: consideration. It all boils down to taking a second to consider how our thoughts, emotions, and actions impact others."
We are social creatures, and we live in a world where
relationships and social interactions play a large part in a
successful life. This makes having the ability to understand
the emotions of others incredibly important.
If we lack social awareness, then it can cause our lives to
be much more difficult and full of friction.
It’s not that social awareness all of a sudden will make us
a social butterfly, it simply means we will relate to our
fellow man or woman in a more positive and meaningful
way. We will have a better time understanding their
struggles and what makes them joyful.
The ability to relate to others is significant in creating
rapport and building strong bonds.
What I would like to do is break down some of the key
benefits you can expect from high social awareness.
One of the key benefits of building social awareness is the
strength of connections and relationships it provides. A lot
of the time when we hear these terms, we automatically
think in a romantic sense. Yes, social awareness improves
these relationships, but it is not limited to the romantic
world.
Let’s think about it in terms of sports. This is a world where
relationships are king. A truth that has been difficult for me
to accept, but a truth, nonetheless. Whether we are talking
about landing a starting position on a team, getting signed
to a team, or even being given an opportunity to try out,
relationships play an important role.
If you lack social awareness, it can be difficult to form
such relationships. However, if you learn to master social
awareness, you can build strong, meaningful connections.
For instance, having the ability to understand and
empathize with your coach can help you build a stronger
bond with him or her. In turn, they will be more engaged
in helping you improve and reach your athletic goals.
Now, it may come off that I am saying social awareness
helps to build relationships and this is good because you
can gain something. However, that is merely a side effect.
Building better relationships with your coaches, teammates,
friends, or partners simply leads to increased fulfillment
and a more positive interaction overall.
I almost titled this section “Avoid Conflicts” but that doesn’t
really grasp the essence of social awareness in this case.
See, some conflicts are unavoidable and by trying to avoid
conflicts altogether, we may only be further worsening the
issue.
Sometimes conflicts are necessary, especially when a
certain topic or concern needs to be worked through. What
social awareness provides is better management when it
comes to conflicts.
When we get into an argument, without a high level of
social awareness, we often become defensive and firmly
hold our viewpoint. However, this is not a very good way
to work through any kind of disagreement.
All that will result from this type of interaction is further
frustration and arguing. But, if you have high social
awareness, then conflicts can be navigated and handled
in a more positive manner.
This is due to the ability social awareness provides to take
the other person’s point of view. If we can understand why
they are upset, why they feel hurt, or why they think what
they do, then we will have a better chance of coming to a
compromise or agreement.
In this way, conflicts will be much healthier and will actually
have a positive effect on your life and relationships.
The two previous benefits should shed light as to how
social awareness increases our overall positivity.
It’s no secret that a positive life is a better-lived life.
Anyone who used to sulk about and now lives more
upbeat and positive can attest that it is a much better
way to live (once you get over the initial addiction to that
negative feeling).
When we are experiencing better relationships, as pointed
out in the first benefit, it will be easier to be positive about
certain situations. Continuing the example used regarding
a relationship with your coach, having such a strong bond
will improve your outlook.
You will feel more positive about your sport, your athletic
improvement, and your ability to keep progressing to a
higher level.
In line with the second benefit, better-managed conflicts will
lead to a better feeling of positivity about your relationships
and your life in general. When we are constantly in a state
of disagreement, it can be difficult to see the bright side of
any situation.
However, when we are able to navigate such situations
more smoothly, it is much easier to see a positive light in
our lives.
"It’s no secret that a positive life is a better-lived life. Anyone who used to sulk about and now lives more upbeat and positive can attest that it is a much better way to live (once you get over the initial addiction to that negative feeling)."
As we grow in social awareness, discrimination towards
other people will decline.
Whether this is discrimination based on culture, race,
class, or any other factor, being socially aware helps to
eliminate such thinking.
The reason for this lies in empathy.
Understanding how another person thinks and feels
makes it incredibly difficult to discriminate and think poorly
of them. Once you get to know the inner-workings of
someone, you look less at their external appearance and
condition and view them more for their internal beliefs
and emotions.
Also, having the ability to understand multiple
perspectives makes discrimination difficult to hold onto.
Most of the time, discrimination is rooted in differing
beliefs. We feel that the way we think is right and so
naturally, the other persons must be wrong. And wrong
typically means we view it as inferior.
Instead, when we exhibit high social awareness we can
empathize and understand why someone else thinks and
believes differently than we do. This does not mean we
must then agree with them or adopt the same views, but
we can appreciate them for their unique opinions and
outlook on the world.
Now that we have gone over what social awareness is in
a broad sense and why it is so important, it will be useful
to go into more detail as to what the components are.
The definition of social awareness that was given earlier
sheds a little light on this but leaves a bit of room for
wondering. What exactly makes up social awareness?
What are the intricate characteristics that we all must
possess in order to display this skill?
Well, there are four components of social awareness,
some of which have already been alluded to. The
components are as follows:
"The definition of social awareness that was given earliersheds a little light on this but leaves a bit of room for wondering. What exactly makes up social awareness? What are the intricate characteristics that we all must possess in order to display this skill?"
This is such a big one, that it could stand alone in a
description of social awareness.
Merriam-Webster defines empathy as, “The action of
understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and
vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and
experience of another.”
This really fits the overall definition of social awareness.
Simply by focusing on being more empathetic, your social
awareness will grow and become much stronger.
The second component of social awareness is
perspective.This refers to the viewpoint we take on
situations or concepts.
In terms of social awareness, it’s not enough to simply look
at a situation from our own perspective. We must have the
ability to see through the lenses of other people.
When we can take a situation, like a conflict as described
above, and look at it from different perspectives, this
shows incredibly high levels of social awareness.
The third component of social awareness is respect.
What I am referencing here is the ability to give another
individual your respect and consideration when it comes
to their beliefs and opinions.
Being socially aware involves empathizing and taking the
perspectives of other people, especially those of different
backgrounds and cultures. This is primarily where respect
comes into play.
We must have the ability to push our own opinions and
judgments aside and truly listen and seek to understand
the views of someone else.
Here we have the fourth component of social awareness.
This is the culmination of the previous three into more of
an actionable piece.
Compassion involves taking action on behalf of another
person. This action is a result of the empathy, perspective,
and respect you have developed.
Think about compassion as taking action for those who
cannot take action for themselves. You stick up for those
individuals who cannot, in order to alleviate their burden.
As an athlete, this can take the form of sticking up for a
teammate who makes a mistake or a coach seeking to
help lift the feelings of defeat from their players.
In working to build social awareness within ourselves,
there are certain guidelines we can follow to quicken up
the process. If you wish to cultivate high levels of emotional
intelligence within yourself, then focusing on improving
social awareness is an important piece to the puzzle.
If we want to improve our social awareness, then one of
the easiest ways to immediately do so is by becoming a
better listener. No, do not go out and get a hearing aid,
that’s not what I’m referring to.
When talking about becoming a better listener,
it’s all about our frame of mind going into the conversation.
Many times, we will be having a discussion or listening to
someone with the sole purpose of responding. This puts us
in a defensive mindset and does not allow us to really gain
insight into how the other person is feeling.
What we must do is listen to understand.
Be inquisitive and excited to learn what the other person
has to say. Give them your full attention and it will be
remarkable how fast your social awareness skills begin
to grow.
We can tell a lot by the way a person presents themselves.
While you’re speaking to someone or while they are
talking, pay attention to their body language. Do they look
tense or uncomfortable? Are they showing signs that
you’re making them uncomfortable or angry?
By simply noticing the other person’s body language you
can gain a better understanding of how they are feeling in
that moment.
I’m sure this is a phrase you’ve heard often but is it
something you actually do? It can be quite difficult to
actually put ourselves in the shoes of another, especially
if we are in conflict with them.
But, in order to gain a complete understanding of their
opinions and beliefs, it is a vital tool to use.
All that you have to do is think to yourself, “How would I
feel if I was this person? Would what I am saying or how I
am acting be upsetting or hurtful?”
Just by performing this exercise, you will automatically
gain a higher sense of social awareness.
Social awareness is one of the key components of
emotional intelligence. It is a skill that allows us to
understand how another person is feeling, empathize
with them, and take a different perspective on a situation.
It can be a very difficult skill to develop. We often get so
caught up in ourselves that taking the time to understand
someone else is not on our list of priorities. However, it is
a valuable skill that we should all strive to cultivate within
ourselves.
Do you think social awareness is important? I would love
to hear your opinion so please leave a comment below.
I hope that this article was helpful, and you gained a better
understanding of what social awareness is, why it’s
important, and how to better develop it within yourself.
If you have any questions about social awareness or any
other performance psychology topic, please feel free to
reach out to me.
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of
success in all that you do.
1. Express interest in the ethnic background of
your students.
Encourage your students to research and share information
about their ethnic background as a means of fostering a
trusting relationship with fellow classmates.
Analyze and celebrate differences in traditions, beliefs,
and social behaviors. It is of note that this task helps
European-American students realize that their beliefs
and traditions constitute a culture as well, which is a
necessary breakthrough in the development of a truly
culturally responsive classroom.
Also, take the time to learn the proper pronunciation
of student names and express interest in the etymology
of interesting and diverse names.
2. Redirect your role in the classroom from
instructor to facilitator.
Another important requirement for creating a nurturing
environment for students is reducing the power differential
between the instructor and students. Students in an
authoritarian classroom may sometimes display negative
behaviors as a result of a perceived sense of social
injustice; in the culturally diverse classroom,
the teacher thus acts more like a facilitator than an
instructor.
Providing students with questionnaires about what they
find to be interesting or important provides them with a
measure of power over what they get to learn and
provides them with greater intrinsic motivation and
connectedness to the material.
Allowing students to bring in their own reading material
and present it to the class provides them with an
opportunity to both interact with and share stories,
thoughts, and ideas that are important to their cultural
and social perspective.
3. Maintain a strict level of sensitivity to
language concerns.
In traditional classrooms, students who are not native
English speakers often feel marginalized, lost, and
pressured into discarding their original language in
favor of English.
In a culturally responsive classroom, diversity of language
is celebrated and the level of instructional materials
provided to non-native speakers are tailored to their
level of English fluency. Accompanying materials
should be provided in the student’s primary language
and the student should be encouraged to master English.
4. Maintain high expectations for student
performance.
Given that culturally responsive instruction is a
student-centered philosophy, it should come as
no surprise that expectations for achievement are
determined and assigned individually for each student.
Students don’t receive lavish praise for simple tasks
but do receive praise in proportion to their
accomplishments. If a student is not completing
her work, then one should engage the student
positively and help guide the student toward
explaining how to complete the initial steps
that need to be done to complete a given
assignment or task.
5. Incorporate methods for self-testing.
Another potent method for helping students become
active participants in learning is to reframe the concept
of testing. While testing is usually associated with grades
(and therefore stress) in traditional classrooms, in a
culturally responsive classroom frequent non-graded
tests can be used to provide progress checks and
ensure that students don’t fall behind on required material.
Teaching students to self-test while learning new
information will help them better remember and use what
they’ve learned in class and will help them realize on their
own when they need to study a topic in greater depth.
6. Maintain an “inclusive” curriculum that remains
respectful of differences.
A culturally responsive curriculum is both inclusive in
that it ensures that all students are included within all
aspects of the school and it acknowledges the unique
differences students may possess.
A culturally responsive curriculum also encourages
teachers’ understanding and recognition of each
student’s non-school cultural life and background,
and provides a means for them to incorporate this
information into the curriculum, thus promoting inclusion.
Elements of cultural awareness:
Facing the Third Millennium, any countries should
prepare young generation with cultural awareness
and critical thinking skills so as to survive in the global era.
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of
actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating information generated by,
observation,experience, reflection, reasoning, or
communication, as a guide to belief and action.
That last one is particularly important. Students and
families from different backgrounds may be just as
unaware of certain differences as you were before you
did your research. Get on the same page with them and
discuss what you are doing to be sensitive to them
and how they can communicate with you further.
This can be a major challenge on its own, especially
if there is a language barrier, but do not be discouraged!
The extra effort needed to connect to families pays
dividends in how much you learn about them, how much
the home-school connection grows, and how supported
your students feel.
View Resources:
1- The USA Culture.
2-The UK Culture
3-English Proverbs
4-Teaching diverse and multi-cultured
Other links:
1-Back
2-Business English.
3-Impact of culture on learners' learning.
4-Click here to go to World Newspapers
5-Click here to learn about more proverbs.
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