Newsletter
Volume 31 | 2008| Number 2
Behaviorists for Social Responsibility
By Dr. Mark Mattaini and Richard Rakos
Behaviorists for Social Responsibility (BFSR, prior to 2000: Behaviorists for Social Action) has been an ABAI SIG for over 25 years. Many behavior analysts came to the field motivated to use the natural science of behavior to make a difference in the world, and there are many opportunities to do so. In recent years, BFSR has published the journal Behavior and Social Issues (BSI), an open-access scientific journal available in print as well as on the Web at www.behaviorandsocialissues.org (at no cost). The journal has experienced over 140,000 file downloads in the past year, and represents one way to contribute. The SIG also consistently supports a number of ABAI convention presentations related to social issues. Still, there is much more that could be done. In the coming year we will be asking all members of ABAI to contribute to a dialogue related to potential further contributions of the science to supporting social justice, human rights, and environmental action, and to devote some time during the year to volunteering such contributions, and documenting successes and attempts through an updated Web site. Further details on this campaign will be announced in the near future. BFSR and BSI are also homes for those behavior analysts with interests in cultural analysis, an area in which much more work is badly needed (and upon which much action in areas of social responsibility depend).