August 14, 2015 - Posted to Research Paper Writing Guide

Writing an Essay on Responsibility – So Many Options

What does responsibility mean to you? This could easily be the topic of a definition essay in an English comp course. And we use the term so loosely, that a clear definition is often mired in in judgment, criticism, and argument. But all of this looseness gives the opportunity for lots of essay assignments in lots of different courses, and they can all be interesting to write.

Consider the Responsibilities of Our Public Institutions

1. Government: What basic responsibilities does a government have toward its citizens? Is it only defense, safety, and infrastructure, as staunch conservatives would argue? Or are education, health care, other social welfare programs, and regulations to prevent exploitation also a part of governmental responsibility as progressives would argue? An essay on responsibility of government, then, will be persuasive or argumentative.
2. Public School Systems: While most would agree that public schools have a responsibility to educate all of our children to their full potential, how far do other responsibilities go? Are public schools responsible for providing psychological and social services to children? Are public schools responsible for providing free meals to children? Are public schools responsible for values education? Should public education be responsible for free education beyond the high school level? These are huge issues we face right now.
3. Justice System: There are huge current controversies today regarding the inequality of our justice system. What responsibilities do those in the legal system have to ensure that everyone is truly equal before the law, and how can those responsibilities be met?

Familial Responsibility

1. What responsibilities must parents assume for their children even as they grow into adults? We agree that they are responsible for the safety, well-being, and health of their children, but does that responsibility pass into adulthood? Are parents responsible for their adult children who have mental illness? A great essay on responsibility might be an opinion piece on when parental responsibility stops and enabling begins.
2. What responsibilities do children have for their aging parents? Are those responsibilities emotional, physical and financial? As our population ages, care for our elderly will become more and more of an issue.

Social Responsibility

There is much discussion today about social responsibility – in both a religious and a secular sense, and some good essay topics might come from sociology, religion, science, psychology and even business coursework. Possible topics are:

1. Do we all, as citizens of a society, have a responsibility for those less fortunate than ourselves? If so, what types of responsibilities do we have? Do we bear responsibility for physical, emotional, and financial support – are we our “brother’s keeper?”
2. What is our responsibility toward our environment and all life forms in it?
3. Do businesses and corporations have a responsibility to contribute to the welfare of society by taking up “causes?”

Personal Responsibility

A personal responsibility essay may take many forms:

1. What is the definition of personal responsibility?
2. At what point in the growth of a child does responsibility for his/her actions begin?
3. Can we hold the mentally ill to the same standards of personal responsibility to which we hold ourselves?
4. Can we hold the poor and uneducated to the same standards of personal responsibility to which we hold ourselves?

Essays on Responsibility can be Challenging

As is clear by now, any essay you write on responsibility, other than a definition one will be either persuasive or argumentative. And in many instances, research will be involved, in order to support your views with facts and data. If you worry about structuring your essay on responsibility, you might be wise to get some essay help from a reputable writing service.