Social Empathy

Steve Brock:
A clear and useful explanation of an often misunderstood concept, Social Empathy brings together sociology, psychology, social work, and cognitive neuroscience to illustrate how to become better advocates for justice.

Constantine Sandis:
This important book deserves to be taken seriously by anybody interested in social welfare.

Segal summarizes her ten-plus years of research into social work, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and sociology to present a new study of empathy, raising the fundamental helping skill of imagining oneself in another's place, to a higher level. . . . [Social Empathy] ought to be required reading for the pathologically narcissistic POTUS and all his lackeys.

Miriam Raider-Roth, University of Cincinnati:
In this stellar book, Elizabeth Segal offers a cross disciplinary picture of social empathy. Like the periodic table, she distills empathy to its essential elements, helping readers understand the essence of empathic thinking and living. This book is a must read for all concerned about how to educate ourselves and the next generation to live an empathic life.

William M. Snyder, coauthor of Cultivating Communities of Practice:
Elizabeth Segal’s groundbreaking work on social empathy explains how we can expand our capacity to appreciate the social contexts and lived experiences of diverse others. Given growing diversity and urbanization in countries worldwide, this book could not be more timely or urgent for strengthening public problem-solving and enhancing our collective wellbeing.

Caroline Wellbery, Georgetown University School of Medicine:
Social Empathy expands on what we know about interpersonal empathy and strikes right at the heart of today’s partisan conflicts. In readable, humane, and informative prose, this book explains how we can overcome tribal instincts and forge the supportive, meaningful connections we need in order to thrive in today’s global environment.

Sarah Garlington, Ohio University:
This book brings together important ideas about how we relate to one another and make decisions about the society we live in. Using social empathy to frame community decision making such as social policies helps us understand our citizenship responsibilities. Especially in times of extreme political divisiveness, we need to be reminded of the consequences of a lack of social empathy—in our individual relationships, communities, and national discourse. Anyone who is asking difficult questions about divisiveness in their own community will find Segal’s ideas useful in reflecting on questions of why and what next.