Behavioural Science
...Forgiveness has been considered as primarily a religious concept till about 1985 when there has been interest in forgiving as a psychological construct from social psychologists but increasingly from clinicians as well (Allan and Allan 2006). McCullough ,Pargament and Thoresen (2007) stated that there lacks a consensus among theorist and researchers on the definition of forgiveness (p.302). This essay will adapt Enright and Coyle (1998, as cited in McCullough et al 2007) definition that “forgiveness is when one who has suffered an unjust injury chooses to abandon his or her right to resentment and retaliation, and instead offers mercy to the offender” Recently, there has been attention on public apologies by governments Among others America has made official apologies for events such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study conducted by America (Philpot & Hornsey, 2008). Kevin Rudd made a public apology to the Indigenous Australians in February (The Advertiser, 2008, p.6). One of the reasons for these calls for apology is that an apology is often reciprocated by an act of forgiveness. Worthington (2004) stated that forgiveness carries tremendous health and social benefits and Baumeister, Stillwell and Heatherton (1994, as cited in Pargment, McCullough and Thoresen, 2000, p. 138)suggested that forgiveness increases self esteem to both victim and perpetrator.
Social Psychological theories are applicable to the understanding of most real world problems including that of forgiveness. This paper will explain how some of the social theories, with empirical studies, can be applied to forgiveness in inter-personal and inter-group situations, specifically looking at the South African post- apartheid era and the Northern Ireland situation.
During the apartheid period in South Africa the white population was the dominant race in that country. Tutu (1999)...
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