Social responsibility (SR) projects increasingly aim to promote sustainable community engagement, yet many remain constrained by top-down, outcome-oriented models that overlook the lived experiences of participants. Drawing on phenomenological psychology, this study examines how passivity, receptivity, and attunement—three modes of embodied perception and intersubjective awareness—can inform more human-centered approaches to social engagement. From a psychological perspective, these constructs describe how individuals open themselves to world and others, enabling empathy, mutual recognition, and shared meaning-making.
The study combines conceptual analysis with a qualitative case study of a University Social Responsibility (USR) initiative in Taiwan. The USR project has focused on Guantian, one of Taiwan's major agricultural regions, and has collaborated with local farmers for nearly a decade to navigate challenges such as labour shortages, water scarcity, and agricultural policy shifts. Over the years, the project has implemented diverse methods to gather local opinions and build consensus and advocacy, which have in turn attracted attention from mainstream media and government bodies, leading to repeal of regulations detrimental to farmers. In this research, field observations and interviews with university and community participants were analyzed to understand how psychological openness and attuned perception shape the process of collaboration. Results reveal three recurring psychological dynamics: (1) Reflective passivity—participants suspend judgment to better perceive local meanings; (2) Receptivity—teams cultivate empathic understanding before problem definition; and (3) Attunement—university and residents co-regulate their goals and rhythms through sustained interaction. These processes correspond to known mechanisms of psychological flexibility, empathy, and relational attunement in community psychology.
The findings suggest that phenomenological psychology provides a valuable framework for transforming SR projects into reciprocal and evolving partnerships, shifting from organisational control toward community empowerment. This study highlights the potential of psychological concepts of perception and intersubjectivity to deepen ethical and practical engagement in real-world social innovation.