Enhancing the social ethics of psychology: Toward a psychology at the service of social change.

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Abstract
When the social preconditions for the existence of the good society and the advancement of human welfare are conspicuously deficient, it is morally incumbent upon psychologists to engage in activities that bring about a state of affairs more conducive to the well-being of the entire population. Yet, in contrast to its considerable efforts to insure proper ethical behaviour toward individual clients, psychology has virtually neglected its moral obligations to society at large. Psychology can no doubt contribute to the advent of social change by making explicit the process by which people come to accept the current social order as the best possible one, and by proposing strategies to counteract this pervasive phenomenon. This article illustrates how well-established psychological research, as well as psychologists such as teachers, practitioners and investigators can play a significant role in the trasformation of social structures incapable of promoting human welfare for all sectors of society.