We Change the World by Doing Nothing

Authors

Suzanne SooHoo, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2004

Abstract

"The focus of this essay is on what I refer to as 'bystander apathy.' Bystanderism is the response of people who observe something that demands intervention on their part, but they choose not to get involved. I write this piece to shed light on this issue for others as well as for my own self-reflection - to understand more deeply why some people act against abuses of power and others don't; why sometimes I act and sometimes I don't. What are the forces, both internal and external, that work to keep us all from speaking against and standing up to injustice? In the end, the ultimate question that we all have to face is: If we do nothing, will we have changed the world?"

Comments

This article was originally published in Teacher Education Quarterly, volume 31, issue 1, in 2004.

Recommended Citation

SooHoo, S. (2004). We change the world by doing nothing. Teacher Education Quarterly, 31(1), 199-211.

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

California Council on Teacher Education / Caddo Gap Press. This material may not be reproduced, distributed, or sold without specific permission of Caddo Gap Press.