Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 21:438–454, 2011 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1091-1359 print/1540-3556 online DOI: 10.1080/10911359.2011.566445 Social Empathy Attitudes: Do Latino Students Have More? ELIZABETH A. SEGAL, KAREN E. GERDES, JENNIFER MULLINS, M. ALEX WAGAMAN, and DAVID ANDROFF School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA This article reports on the ‘‘social empathy attitudes’’ results that were part of a larger study on empathy in college students at a large research university in the Southwest. Two hundred ninety- four students completed the Social Empathy Assessment Index (SEAI). The research hypothesis was that students of color would have higher levels of social empathy attitudes than Caucasian students. The statistically significant SEAI items suggested that Latino students identify as more collectivist and more optimistic and have higher levels of social empathy attitudes. Latinos may be more willing to help a stranger than either Caucasians or members of other racial groups. KEYWORDS Social empathy, empathy, collectivism, cultural re- silience, Latino culture INTRODUCTION Social empathy is the ability to understand people by entering into their situations in ways that reveal inequalities and disparities, and leads to actions that effect positive change (Segal, 2006; 2007a; 2007b). Social workers use insights gained about people’s lives through individual and social empathy to develop services and policies that are socially and economically just and are sensitive to people’s needs based on the realities of their lived situations. A social empathy paradigm provides a framework with which to analyze social concerns and develop policies that respond to the lived experiences of people. Address correspondence to Elizabeth A. Segal, School of Social Work, Arizona State Uni- versity, 411 N. Central Ave, Ste 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004-0689, USA. E-mail: esegal@asu.edu 438