Social Responsibility in University Students According to Gender and Age | ||
| Health Education and Health Promotion | ||
| Article 8, Volume 9, Issue 5, 2021, Pages 513-519 PDF (391.86 K) | ||
| Document Type: Descriptive & Survey | ||
| Authors | ||
| J. Paola Palacios Garay* 1; J.M. Zavaleta Oliver2; V. Chaccara Contreras1; S.A. Diaz Flores3; L.S. Rodriguez Baca4 | ||
| 1National University of San Marcos, Lima, Perú | ||
| 2Universidad particular San Juan Bautista, Lima, Perú | ||
| 3Catholic University Los Angeles of Chimbote, Chimbote, Perú | ||
| 4Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Lima, Perú | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Aims: The university’s social responsibility has a policy of improving university continuity by fulfilling the mission by forming caring citizens, ethical management, environmental care, and disseminating social knowledge. This study aimed to evaluate social responsibility in university students. Instrument & Methods: The research was developed under the quantitative approach, substantive type, descriptive level, non-experimental cross-sectional design. It had a sample of 500 university students of the fourth and fifth cycle of a private university's faculty of health sciences. The instrument was applied to evaluate the characteristics of university social responsibility in university students by Bolio & Pinzón, which consists of seven dimensions: awareness, commitment, controversy with civility, respect for diversity, citizenship, social justice, change. Findings: 46.8% presented low levels; 33.6% presented medium levels, and 19.6% presented a high level of university social responsibility; students under 20 years old obtained 27.8% of low level of university social responsibility, and the female gender obtained 42.2% of low level of university social responsibility. Conclusion: Social responsibility should be considered within the university as a transversal axis in all subjects in the holistic formation of the university student since its main objective is to contribute to the formation of students through values, teaching, research and internal management. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Social responsibility; gender; Age; university students | ||
| Full Text | ||
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Introduction The university plays an important role in the lives of many individuals. Espinoza & Guachamín explain that the university's main task is to train, educate and turn people into professionals, transmitting knowledge. Still, these authors also highlight the influence it has on the personal development of individuals, generating a positive impact and implementing a broad vision of the community’s requirements and how to improve it [1]. On the other hand, Larrán comments that university social responsibility implements new challenges to students improving their role within society, as well as the educational quality in terms of human talent, since not only academic knowledge is important, but also inner knowledge; this shows that today the university is also considered as a means for personal development, as it provides strategies to act ethically and responsibly [2]. In addition, Ramadan et al. argue that nowadays, to preserve ethical values, educational institutions and organizations require behavior that safeguards everything related to social, cultural and environmental issues [3]. The university's social responsibility has as its objective and priority to include management development in its curricula, training leaders through education, research and leadership, together with other activities that are sustainable over time. The university needs to "train people to be highly qualified professionals for their work performance and the exercise of their citizenship in a responsible manner, offering students the possibility of fully developing their capacities with a sense of social responsibility" [4]. Likewise, university social responsibility is a management of impacts that includes the human, social and economic environment with the commitment to meet social expectations in Peru; the new University Law 30220 was approved in 2016, whose article 124 promotes the implementation of university social responsibility as a fundamental piece to promote values and principles, committing the entire university community [5]. That said, the objective is to analyze the studies through articles and scientific repositories, which will help to demonstrate how universities in Peru and other countries meet the requirements of university social responsibility, beyond training professionals, also to see what skills and strategies are used to train people with values that will help in the formation of a sustainable future. There are few studies in the national context in the university environment on university social responsibility, hence the importance of its research as a variable present in this context of challenges and changes, as a field still under construction, very valuable to face them [6]. The focus of the institutional theory is to analyze the social and economic behavior of organizations. Regardless of its current geographical location, this theory focuses on the aspects of the institution where institutional norms and rules are established to achieve acceptance, legitimacy or prestige using organizational strategies or practices [7]. The institutional theory provides an adequate basis for studying behavior under the institutional context; likewise, it has two essential axes: The stakeholders from the university context, although being a different framework to the conventional one of any other type of organization, the stakeholders’ approach can be applied given that organizations are social systems where there is a strong orientation towards legitimacy and social acceptance, which is not at all alien to what is desired in the university system [8]. Institutional isomorphism. It is produced by three instruments through which institutional change occurs: coercion (coming from the legal framework), mimicry (imitation to an effective practice) and standardization (adoption to something established as a result of some specific activity). Institutional legitimacy. It is a factor that regulates the success or failure of organizations and has the regulative pillar (application of rules, controls and sanctions), the normative pillar (includes norms, values and roles) and the cognitive pillar (rules associated with behavior). There are few management systems concerning university social responsibility, especially in the methodological field and evaluations where they need to be inserted into modern education. In the new context, universities are implementing management guides that help develop university social responsibility to sensitize students to social problems. In this way, they respond to the demands and contribute to the sustainable development of society [5]. In recent years there have been several important articles on university social responsibility. However, it is not clear what should be the responsibility of the university towards society and to what extent it is responsible in its processes; therefore, universities must have social awareness and solve those problems that affect it, generating various ideas and resources for the benefit of the population [9]. In this context, university social responsibility is manifested from the need to insert a new model of learning and management, which prioritizes insert knowledge and development that is sustainable over time and applies to all countries [10]. López et al. define university social responsibility as any action that must be carried out with principles of ethics and good governance, respect for the environment, social commitment, and vindication of citizen values [11]. According to Villar, university social responsibility plays a very important role within society: a) invites and enables the development of appropriate strategies and policies to ensure coherence within processes, where education, research, dissemination and management are in line with the stated mission, human capital, its people, their relationships and intellect and the economy; b) promotes a global concept of autonomy, emphasizes self-determination, is responsible for unique processes and impacts and meets individual requirements, demands and needs; c) promotes a culture of observation and internal and external listening, producing diagnoses, evaluations of processes, behaviors and current and expected influences on environmental awareness, education, society and sustainable development; d) brings transparency and commitment to the university community and society [12]. In recent times, instruments have been developed to measure and evaluate university social responsibility with indicators measuring the results in different aspects. Still, some are not used entirely because educational institutions cannot be seen as a for-profit company, the student as a client or the teacher as a product. For this reason, it is essential to define what this responsibility means and take into account the mission of each university. Likewise, a flow is defined to be considered as axes of university social responsibility: to determine the ethics of educational institutions and that it is by their values; to obtain an instrument of organizational and social learning; the collaboration of different areas to enhance diagnostic evaluations; the return to the classroom with corrective measures where academic incorporation is included [13]. There are four important pillars about the development of university social responsibility, and they are the following: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live and learning to be; they are management skills that contribute to the fundamental dimensions of any organization that facilitate innovative ideas facing education in these times [13]. According to Olarte & Rios [14], currently, universities are maintained through the results and development that they apply to implement various planning and management strategies; about university social responsibility, dimensions that generate a great positive impact on their environment are considered. For this purpose, four approaches are applied in an integrated manner: It refers that the administrative part of the institution has to promote the internal student welfare and implement policies to generate an efficient organizational climate and give all the facilities for the student to obtain benefits regarding costs; universities have to be focused on having a green campus, safer, cleaner and more productive for students and employees of the university. Promote the commitment to do research, inserting teaching strategies (philanthropy) where non-profit solidarity projects are developed; the university should include students in their curricula to train them towards a service-learning to the community. He emphasizes the need to consider and include diverse values of multiculturalism and considers that teachers must have the autonomy to develop their classes and form future leaders. It emphasizes the elaboration of the curriculum and the didactic units and instruments considered within the formative processes and has to be oriented to the development of the students' abilities; technology must be promoted as part of the innovation. For Valle & Perez, there are four types of university impacts: the organizational impact (labor and environmental), which deals with social welfare and environmental pollution, such as waste, public transport, desertification. The educational impact, so that they can train young people and professionals in the way to interpret and have their perspective of the world and to know how to moderate themselves to some circumstances that can happen in their life, as well as to value it: this technique can be obtained in the university in its curriculum. The third is the cognitive impact; this is scientifically to guide the knowledge and technological productions for greater knowledge. The fourth is social impact; they tend to be as both internal and external communities, as it can not only form leaders and professionals in society but a social act, as it can change the virtue and solidarity with stable learning so that their ethics have a good intelligence [15]. According to Baca et al., the traditional functions of the university (organization, research, teaching and extension) are key areas in the management of university social responsibility, as they produce significant impacts on society [16]. It is to realize a model of development that is sustainable over time, to make the university socially exemplary; let’s say that the student learns from the university about his career and at the same time learns the habits and common values of the formation of the student-oriented towards democracy and equity. The university’s goal is to have highly trained teachers focusing on university social responsibility, promoting project-based learning, oriented to solve the real problems of society, under teaching where students develop their skills with greater articulation between teaching, research and social projection. The objective of the research is to promote research for development; as a strategy, the university signs agreements with marginal or rural-urban districts, to investigate the problems of the place and invite various faculties to develop interdisciplinary research, creating a synergy of knowledge. It is a development in which the university plans socially to participate immediately in the problems of the whole community, complementing the practical and human knowledge in the formation of learning in their professional life, enabling communication and effective interaction of the university with its environment. Regarding the framework of social responsibility from a more ethical point of view, Vallaeys includes the whole field concerning the collateral effects possibly generated by the actions committed. Likewise, he starts from a systematic vision and the above mentioned. Some of the principles and values in charge of guiding social responsibility are the dignity of the person, freedom, democracy, common good, social equity, etc. [17]. On the other hand, university social responsibility has several visions, and one of them is holistic, which articulates some parts of the institution. The social promotion of ethical principles where the social is developed more than anything else equitably and sustainably to transmit responsible knowledge and get to form professional citizens who are equally ethical [17]. For Domínguez & Rama [18], the essential processes are the following: - Teaching-learning process. This process is important because the university generates knowledge and generates a reflection in the social sphere. This helps students be placed in their profession and are integrated into the social environment, ethics, and social responsibility. It will be of great help to the student to get to know a real context, which will help to share what they have learned and generate sustainable development. That is why they consider that research should be closely related to teaching so that systematic teaching will focus on its methods. In contrast, interdisciplinary teaching will support the field of philosophy and theology. - Research process. Research is necessary to disseminate the knowledge produced through research since there is also an increase in new technologies, which leads to scientific and technological discoveries, which are productive for the university and even more so if they are used for the benefit of society. - Process of participation and social service. Each university will have a different way of helping society; however, universities have almost the same objective, and that is to be able to give answers to the different problems that exist in each era in such a way that they will help in the quality of life of people, care for nature, political stability, dignity, etc. Instrument and Methods A quantitative approach was used, type of substantive study, descriptive level with a non-experimental design of transactional cut. The probabilistic sample consisted of 500 university students of the fourth and fifth cycle of the faculty of health sciences of a private university. The instrument used in the present research assessed the characteristics of university social responsibility in university students by Bolio & Pinzón [19]. The instrument was submitted to content validation through eight expert judges and, subsequently, applied to a pilot sample of 102 students from two private universities. The instrument used considers seven components these are awareness, commitment, controversy with civility, respect for diversity, citizenship, social justice, change; with eighty items submitted to the judges, 40 met the content validity and were approved, reliability according to Cronbach's alpha test that obtained a score of 0.932. Findings 46.8% presented low levels, 33.6% presented medium levels, and 19.6% presented high levels of university social responsibility. Female students obtained 42.2% of low level of university social responsibility; 8.8% presented medium level and 0.6% of high level and in male students; 4.6% of low level; 24.8% of medium level and 19% of a high level of university social responsibility (Table 1). Table 1) Distribution of levels of university social responsibility according to gender.  Students under 20 years of age obtained 27.8 % of low level of university social responsibility; 5.6 % presented medium level and 0.4 % of high level. In students aged 21 to 23 years, 12.2% of low level; 22.8% of medium level and 16.8% of high level. As for students over 24 years of age, 6.8% had a low level, 5.2% a medium level, and 2.4% a high level. Table 2) Distribution of levels of university social responsibility according to age.  Discussion According to the descriptive results of the research, it was found that 46.8% presented low levels of university social responsibility. In this regard, Gaete indicates that university social responsibility requires significant efforts from universities so that their institutional work responds more effectively to social needs and problems, especially those specific to the territory where they are installed. Hence, the relevance of university work becomes a central axis of university social responsibility [20]. According to Unesco, higher education should not only provide solid competencies for the world of today and tomorrow but also contribute to the formation of a citizenry endowed with ethical principles, committed to the construction of peace, the defense of human rights, the values of democracy and sustainable development [21]. In this regard, for Bolio & Pinzón [19], the university, in its effort to contribute to the transformation of society, is in constant search of mechanisms that allow it to improve educational practices that best lead to this goal. Some of the mechanisms that have been found to move towards this transformation are the design, implementation and evaluation of programs and policies for social responsibility. The study found that the students obtained a 42.2% low level of university social responsibility. In this regard, Ibarra et al. consider university social responsibility as a transversal training axis in any of their educational programs; the study plans and programs include, in a transversal manner and regardless of the area of knowledge, ethical reflections of commitment of human beings with their natural and social environment, and in strict adherence to respect for human rights [22]. In the same vein, social responsibility put into practice in a sustained and sustained manner within the management framework of the university constitutes guarantee overtime to the extent that it is assumed as part, not only of the structure of the university but as an integral part of its daily functioning [23]. University social responsibility should demonstrate the university's commitment to the institutions and actors with which it interacts based on a system of values that considers human rights and sustainable development in the professional training of students. On the other hand, according to Navas & Romero [24], universities have as their mission to create different forms of knowledge, with the aim of training professionals who can meet the needs of their country. This controversial issue is based on the objective of achieving higher education, but to train upright professionals, raising a professional profile with objectives own health, development and train staff to help others; have a good preparation to perform the chosen profession correctly; help the other without there can be discrimination in general, this includes sex, type of religion that each person wishes to follow, the economic sphere and in the same way including the development of social activities where you can generate the integral development. Having the purpose that the university communities improve in how to live with people, that is to say, in the social field. In the levels of social responsibility according to age, it was found that students under 20 years of age obtained a 27.8% low level of university social responsibility. In this regard, Mamani et al. conclude that university social responsibility should be part of the strategies designed by higher education institutions, with the consequent allocation of resources. Still, it cannot be forgotten that this determination must be projected outward to the community that is affected in different ways by the actions developed by universities and the corresponding impacts generated, ensuring quality in education, training professional leaders and motivators with research orientation and having a high-level teaching staff [25]. Likewise, a study by Duque & Cervantes visualizes a growth in publications in recent decades; the leading countries in high annual scientific production in university social responsibility are Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and Mexico, in proportion to the database that represents greater production in the area is Scopus with 58% of the publications on 42% of WoS referring to the subject of the matter [26]. It should be noted that a variable that needs to be investigated is the low volume of research that is presented in Peru. Therefore, Martinez et al. stated that university social responsibility has as its first axis the responsible campus as positive; the second axis, professional and citizen training in agreement, and the third axis, social participation, which is on the way to positive [27]. Therefore, the study’s conclusions are to employ collaborative methodologies that encourage the development of the student's competencies, skills, and abilities concerning professional, ethical development. On the other hand, Alonzo-Godoy et al. conclude that students refer that university social responsibility has more impact with the dimension of responsible consumption, where they have all the predisposition to consume products of those companies that are socially responsible as part of the strategy and make a synergy between business policy and public policy of private consumption. One of the main objectives of this topic is to promote different strategies to improve education [28]. Therefore, Ojeda and Alvarez proposed three key strategies, the first being to democratize productivity, the second to have a modern government and, finally, the gender perspective; the real work of universities that provide higher education is not under debate, there have been several cases where these are related to political issues, and this is where certain problems begin to happen to distort the purpose of the university to do research and comprehensive training of students with ethical and moral values [29]. However, it is known that in many institutions, education is managed efficiently, forming competent professionals with their work and benevolent people in the future. Conclusion Social responsibility should be considered within the university as a transversal axis in all subjects in the holistic formation of the university student since its main objective is to contribute to the formation of students through values, teaching, research and internal management. In addition to this, it can be concluded that the university has a broad commitment to students since everything they have learned will be reflected in their career; that is, they will have the necessary skills to deal respectfully with the situations that arise in their daily lives, defend their rights and sustainable development. Additionally, it is determined that the university cooperates to generate values and principles through its community aid programs or research work, thus generating new knowledge and social transparency. Acknowledgments: Not applied. Ethical Permission: no ethical issues. Conflicts of Interests: there is no conflict of interest. Authors’ Contribution: Paola Palacios Garay J. (First Author), Main Researcher (20%); Zavaleta Oliver J.M. (Second Author), Assistant Researcher (20%); Chaccara Contreras V. (Third Author), Assistant Researcher (20%); Diaz Flores S.A. (Forth Author), Assistant Researcher (20%); Rodriguez Baca L.S. (Fifth Author), Assistant Researcher (20%). Funding/Support: self-funding. | ||
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