Social Relations, the Financial Crisis and Human Development

In this chapter, from a socio-psychological perspective I consider how social interactions and relations and intergroup relations are affected by economic, political, and cultural factors. In particular, by a review of some recent literature the effects of the current financial crisis on the way people interact with the others is inspected. Moreover, as Bauman (2007) pointed out in this last decade there was a cultural transformation in so-called Western countries by which people give a great emphasis to consumption and ego-individuality as a way of living. Ehrenberg (2010) explained the malaise of present-day societies by looking to the large spread of some diseases (e.g. narcissism) in many parts of the population. These “syndromes” should be considered as more social than pathological phenomena as they are linked to a certain transformation of cultural and social values. Moreover, some scholars (e.g. Finkel & Moghaddam, 2005; Passini, 2011) have pointed out that we live in an “age of rights:” i.e., people attach priority to their individual rights and liberties within a narrow-minded, individualistic world-view and de-emphasize their duties and responsibilities. This world-view supports a shift of responsibility outside the individual itself, by which others are only considered in terms of being a burden and an impediment, instead of presenting the opportunity to help achieve one’s own individuality. Finally, in the conclusions of the chapter, some aspects that may oppose this "sick" drift of the society are discussed. In particular, concepts as democratic individualism (Dewey, 1930) – as opposed to a possessive individuality (Macpherson, 1964) – vertical responsibility (Jonas, 1984), and generativity (Erickson, 1950) are introduced.