Defining Our Obligations to Others

In the previous lessons, students explored the human tendency to create “in” and “out” groups, and the consequences of that behaviour in the face of difference. They also considered how groups, like individuals, have identities and how the way a group defines itself determines who is entitled to the benefits of belonging and who is not. In this final lesson exploring the theme of “we” and “they,” students will learn a new concept—universe of obligation—the term sociologist Helen Fein coined to describe the circle of individuals and groups within a society “toward whom obligations are owed, to whom rules apply, and whose injuries call for amends.” ¹ Understanding the concept of universe of obligation provides important insights into the behaviour of individuals, groups, and nations throughout history. It also helps students think more deeply about the benefits of being part of a society’s “in” group and the consequences of being part of an “out” group. The activities in this lesson both ask students to think about the people for whom they feel responsible and help students analyse the ways that their society designates who is worthy of respect and caring and who is not.

• 1Helen Fein, Accounting for Genocide (New York: Free Press, 1979), 4.

Before you teach this lesson, please review the following guidance to tailor this lesson to your students’ contexts and needs.

Activity 1 Draw a Pictorial Representation of Universe of Obligation

• Tell students that in this lesson, they will be learning about a concept of human behaviour called universe of obligation.
• Before explaining the universe of obligation, ask your students to make a pictorial representation using images, words, and phrases of the concept based on their understanding of “universe” and “obligation” and what those words might mean when used together in this way.
• Then ask students to share their pictorial representations with a partner in a Think, Pair, Share before moving to the next activity.

Activity 2 Introduce the Concept of Universe of Obligation

• Introduce the concept universe of obligation to students by first explaining that it is one way to consider the benefits of belonging to groups and the consequences of being excluded. An individual or group’s universe of obligation represents the extent to which they feel responsible for others, and we often feel a greater sense of responsibility for those who belong to the same groups that we do.
• Hand out the reading Universe of Obligation and read it aloud. You might pause after each paragraph to check for understanding and ask students to underline one sentence in the paragraph that helps them better understand the benefits and costs of group membership or universe of obligation. Ask one or two students to share what they underlined and explain why before moving to the next paragraph.
• This reading includes quotations including perspectives from three people—philosopher David Hume, activist Chuck Collins, and social scientist William Graham Sumner (connections question #4). Next, re-read the quotations from each of these three people to the class, and then discuss with students the following questions:

  • In what ways do these three people agree? In what ways do they disagree?
  • Which of these people seems to have the most inclusive universe of obligation? Which seems to have the most exclusive? Is it possible for everyone in the world to be included in an individual or country’s universe of obligation? If not, how should we prioritise?
  • Time allowing, in small groups or as a class, discuss one or more of the Universe of Obligation reading’s connection questions.

Activity 3 Illustrate Individual Universes of Obligation

• Finally, ask students to illustrate their own universes of obligation using the handout Universe of Obligation Graphic Organiser. The concentric circles on this handout can help students visualise and draw what an individual, group, or country’s universe of obligation might look like.
• Give students time to follow the instructions and complete the activity on the handout. It might be helpful to first quickly brainstorm a variety of types of individuals and groups that might appear on one’s graphic organiser, including family, friends, neighbours, classmates, strangers in one’s town and more.
• Have students meet in groups of two or three to discuss their experience of trying to illustrate their universes of obligation (See Notes to the Teacher). In their discussions, students should address some of the following questions:

  • What was the experience of drawing your universe of obligation like?
  • What did you think about when deciding where to place certain groups in your universe of obligation? Which decisions were difficult? Which were easy?
  • Under what conditions might your universe of obligation shift?
  • What might cause you to move some groups to the centre and others to the outside? What is the difference between an individual’s universe of obligation and that of a school, community, or country?

Activity 4 Reflect on Universe of Obligation

Ask students to respond to the following prompt in a journal response:

How does learning about an individual or group’s universe of obligation help you think about one of the following stories or moments in a new, different, or deeper way?

• Eve Shalen and her classmate’s diary (The “In Group”)
• James Berry’s poem about how we respond to difference (What Do We Do With a Variation?)
• Jane Elliott’s students in the brown eye/blue eye experiment (A Class Divided)
• Mr. Judge, Manzoor’s Asian maths teacher (Identity and Belonging)