Knight Reading 2023-2024: Everyday Ubuntu

Lesson 2 discusses the unifying role of a group of people gathered for a common cause over the power of an individual. This can be seen both in the engagement of a group of people in influencing positive change in communities as well as the importance of participating in community with others in shaping the individual. "In times of trauma, human beings seek comfort in togetherness" (p.39) and this is often echoed in times of celebration.

• What communities do you exist in?
• Has any one community you have been a part of had a greater amount of influence in your life than others?

Lesson 2 references several studies of note that can be found here:

• Anderson, C., Kraus, M. W., Galinsky, A. D., & Keltner, D. (2012). The Local-Ladder Effect: Social Status and Subjective Well-Being. Psychological Science, 23(7), 764–771. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23262493  

• Piff, P. K., Stancato, D. M., Côté, S., Mendoza-Denton, R., & Keltner, D. (2012). Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(11), 4086–4091. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41507100 

• Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44290063