Behaviorists for Social Responsibility
Contact Info
- Richard Rakos and Mark Mattaini
- Chicago, IL
- Phone: (312) 996-4629
- Fax: (312) 996-2770
- SIG Web site
- SIG News (August 2008)
Mission/Objectives
The mission of Behaviorists for Social Responsibility (BFSR) is to act to expand applications of behavior analysis and cultural analysis addressing social issues, particularly those with social justice, human rights, and environmental implications.
SIG Objectives
- To expand and strengthen the community of behavior analytic scientists working in areas of social importance, to provide mutual stimulation and reinforcement for this work, and to support and challenge each other in deepening it.
- To encourage advances in the emerging subdiscipline of cultural analysis, in which many promising approaches to dealing with important social issues are grounded.
- To expand access to current experimental, applied, and conceptual analyses related to social issues and cultural analysis worldwide, through publication of the scientific journal, Behavior and Social Issues.
- To encourage behavior scientists and practitioners to take practical action challenging oppression, in solidarity with those who are most at risk.
- To expand public awareness of behavior analytic and cultural analytic principles and practices that can contribute to addressing social issues and challenging oppression.
- To expand presentations and programming related to social issues at ABA International's annual convention and other scientific and professional venues.
Description of Membership
Membership in the SIG is open to any class of member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Non-ABA InternationalTM members are not currently eligible for membership, as we believe a strong commitment to the sciences of behavior analysis and cultural analysis among members is important to achieving our objectives. For membership information, please send name, affiliations, preferred e-mail address, and a brief statement of interests to bfsr@bfsr.org.
Recurring Annual Events
The annual meeting of the SIG is held in conjunction with ABA International's annual convention. A meeting of the editorial board of the journal (which members of BFSR may attend) is also held in conjunction with the convention. At the annual meeting, initial plans are made for activities over the coming year. The majority of follow-up communication is conducted electronically. Committees are appointed at the annual meeting to pursue particular areas of interest related to SIG objectives; committee activities are currently expanding.
Publications/Newsletters
BFSR publishes the journal Behavior and Social Issues, an open-access scientific journal available in hard copy and also freely available on line at www.behaviorandsocialissues.org. Information on subscriptions is also available at the Web site. In addition to the journal, BFSR sponsors a listserv for members. The listserv is one tool for strengthening the community of behavior and cultural analysts working in areas of social concern. (For information on the listserv, please send an e-mail to bfsr@bfsr.org.)
Specifically of Interest to Behavior Analysts
Many behavior analysts entered the field because they wished to act to contribute to their world, and in particular to further social justice, human rights, environmental action, and to challenge oppression. The SIG offers a forum to further those interests, which can sometimes become submerged in the contingencies of the academic, scientific, and practice worlds.