Closing the distance on belonging to a cause

Abstract

Causes are trendy stuff these days. There are badges, ribbons, groups on networking sites, magazines, dedicated shops and even a travel industry all working towards selling the idea of a worthy cause. But what is it that we are actually buying into? Is it the cause itself and the idea of bettering our society? Or is it a trendy brand badge that we can wave around to claim that we belong to something honourable? Is it both? I wish to present a paper that will attempt an exploration of what it means for somebody to take up a cause, juxtaposing those who do so for the sake of an ideology as against those who do so as a form of social acceptance. I would also like to ask the question ‘what does it mean when that somebody is a psychotherapist?’