Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Events at Work and their Relation to the Theories of Organisational Behaviour A notable incident that took place at work during the week was the instigation of a conflict between the management of the company and the bottom-end employees, who perform the tasks like housekeeping, cafeteria management and other miscellaneous errands of the office. This group of employees were not happy with the company’s projected offer for salary increases and benefit packages over the next five years and were threatening to strike unless the company agreed to increase the salary and benefit packages to a satisfactory level. These employees perceived that the company was being indifferent towards them and hence felt discriminated. On the other hand, the management of the company felt that these employees were being unreasonable in their demands. This resulted in a stressful situation between the two parties. Stress is generally characterised from a ‘demand-perception-response’ view point. The fundamental notion is that stress depends on both the person’s perception of the demands being made from them and also on their perception of their potential to fulfil those demands. Any disparity between the two perceptions would lead to stress for the individual1. This conflict situation could have accelerated and resulted in a lot of stress in an organisation possessing an uncooperative organisational culture.  As a consequence of such a scenario, the employees within the organisation would have felt secluded and alone.   Nevertheless, the company employed the most excellent defence against such a circumstance, viz. healthy communication. This approach of discussing the issue on equal grounds facilitated the company to solve the matter and reach at a settlement. This approach was in alignment with the principle introduced by ‘Roger Fisher and William Ury’ that groups in disagreement ought to focus on their requirements and not on their positions . When the groups concentrate on positions, they are likely to emphasise on the differences, but when they focus on needs, they would find they have more in common than what they had thought2. However, this incident made the company’s management realise the significance of conflict management as well as stress management. Consequently, a mentor was appointed to hold workshops in order to help the people cope up and relief organisational stress. The mentor attempted to understand each participant’s perspective; set ground rules for improved healthy communication between the parties; trained participants on efficient communication styles; equalising power; and helped participants’ plan for future interface. This approach helped to lessen stress by promoting a positive attitude in the company2.   The other prominent event that took place in the company during the last few days was the conduction of a training programme targeted to enhance the work life balance of the employees as well as motivate them in order to improve their overall job performance. The human resource management of the company believed that work-life equilibrium is a significant concern that requires substantial notice. Due to the altering characteristics of the global economy, a large number of companies, particularly those operating in the telecom sector have to function on a 24/7

Monday, October 28, 2019

Dumping in our Waters Essay Example for Free

Dumping in our Waters Essay Water is probably one of the most important resources we have. People can survive without food for several weeks but without water we couldnt live for more than a week. Millions of liters of water are needed every day worldwide for washing, irrigating crops, and cooling industrial processes, not to mention leisure industries such as swimming pools and water sports centers. (Internet Source) Despite our dependence on water, we use it as dumping ground for all sorts of waste, and do very little to protect the water supplies we have. There are several threats to our water resources. Oil spills kills thousands of seabirds and can wreck water desalination plants and industrial plants drawing their water from affected coastline. (EBSCO CD-ROM source) Poor management of existing water resource can lead to these resources running out or at least shrinking. Much of the pollution in the rivers and seas comes from chemicals, mainly from agriculture. Another pollution issue, which is not brought up often, is thermal pollution. As you can see we have many problems in our waters and we need to protect the waters. In the long run water pollution is going to harm us more than we now it, because a little bit of our ocean is dieing and sometime in the future its going to kills us. The thing thats worries me the most is the animals. The animals in the ocean are dieing everyday in the ocean because of the bad pollution we have right now. Every year millions of animals dies because of the water pollution we have and 65% of the sea animals die because of the pollution. (Internet source) Companies, industries and people litter in our waters and for sure that is not a good thing. We need to learn that we are not going to live very long if we keep doing this. Every year it has gotten worse, the water pollution has gone about 3% every year and that a whole lot more litter and killing that we do. (Internet source) People like us cause water pollution. Dumping our trash into the ocean is one thing that causes this problem. Another is an oil tanker spilling oil in the ocean or not recycling our trash is seriously destroying the waters even more. The effect by all this water pollution is killing the waters but also a big part is killing our animals. Sea animals are very important to our lives. One of the main problems is the oils spill we have every year. People call this oil slicks a common name for oil spills. One of the hugest media surrounding oil spills was Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War. (Internet Source) He caused many oil spills during the war and that serious killed many of the animals in the ocean. Although measures have been taken to prevent spillage from oil tankers, there will still be accidents as the world use oil, and there is always the possibility of oil being spilled in war or by terrorist activity. (EBSCO CD-ROM source) Oil also gets into the sea from many other sources. On a graph 37% of oil pollution comes from industrial discharges and urban run-off. 33% from vessel operation, 12% on tanker accidents, 9% on atmosphere, 7% on natural sources, and last 2% from exploration production. (Internet source) Oil pollution is a major problem in water pollution and there is really no simple solution to this problem but what we can do is try to prevent, come up with ideas to stop the pollution and protect our waters. For many years has been used as coolant in industry, especially in power stations. It was never though of as a problem back in the day, because nothing was actually added to the water. However, higher temperatures can cause enzymes and microbes to speed up, and can eventually kill sea animals. Change in temperature can cause fish to migrate to regions where the water is best for them, but kill any species, which cannot move away. (Internet Source) Recently people have realized that only small changes in temperature are need to have considerable environment impact. One possible solution is to use the excess heat from industry to heat home. (Internet Source) In the book Water is everyones business it says this might sound very attractive but it is only practical when the homes are fairly close to the power station, and even promise cheap heating is not enough to persuade many people to live next door to a power station. (Behrman A.S. 121) This subject brings me up to my next one, which is a world without trout. If water temperatures keep rising such possibly thing might happen. Unless something is don trout and salmon will be eventually killed because of thermal pollution. The primary cause of this warming water trend and cold water fishery decline is by carbon dioxide. Although transportation produces whopping amounts of atmospheric pollution, fossil fueled power plants alone  generate 40% of the carbon dioxide in our air. Ways to prevent this is to find other sources to light up our houses. Now a days companies and industries have found other resources and it has been helping a little bit at a time. Last of all Drugs in the waters has cause many problems as well. Most drugs are in local streams, rivers, and perhaps even farms, as sewage bio solids used as fertilizer. Most drugs that are not used or have been used are being trashed in our oceans. Now what kind of people does that? This is serious is harming the waters, animals, and even us. Chemicals that come from drugs float around in the water and you dont even now about this. How does that make you feel because, many people have gotten sick of this pollution and even died. If people have gotten sick of this it takes a while before it kicks in but for sure you get a good dose of sickness. This serious is a big problem that we can easily prevent. Its so simple just dont trash the waters with the drugs, anywhere than the waters that we so need. This student from West Torrance high school sponsored a poll asking the students whether they think water pollution wills damage our ocean in the long run? 96% of the students think it would. The other question was do you think we should take care of the ocean more because of all the pollution? 87% of the students said yes and 13% said no. (Poll) This poll shows you that we should take care of our waters and think about what pollution is going to do to us in the long run. In conclusion all these problems that we have in the world should try to be prevented or stopped. We all can be a part of this by not littering because you really dont now where that trash is going. Most of it goes to the ocean and it kills the waters. Slowly and slowly the waters are going to be destroyed and we really need it. Water is probably the most important that we need to live. Without water we would die, animals would die and everything would die. This essay should be consider by all of the people because in the long run we are not going to live very long if we still pollute the waters. We need water in many different ways and we cannot live without it. Also the animals that we have should not go through the pain of dieing because we are polluting the waters. They have not done anything to  us so we shouldnt do anything to them. Prevent the water pollution in the world as little but as you can because you never now what possibilities it can do.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Racism :: English Literature

Racism Racism, the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. All across the world racial discrimination has been a serious problem. In Africa 80% of the population is black and the 20% that are white have all the power, is it not true that all men are created equal? Three stories: Afrika Road, The Prisoner who Wore Glasses, and Why don't you Carve Other Animals, tell about Africa and how racial discrimination is a big problem. A more dramatic story is the movie "The Power of One" about an English boy growing up in Africa and his struggles. In these short stories and in the movie racial conflicts are evident in the form of white against white, white against black, and black against black. Not all white people believed that they were superior to the blacks, this concept made the racist whites turn against other whites. In the movie, PK, the main character, suffers ordeals which no one should ever have to go through simply because he is English. At his boarding school the other kids do not like his presence and they make sure he knows it. Another white kid spits in PK's face and even takes it as far as peeing on him in the bathroom. Sadly enough those weren't even the more serious of the acts of hate shown in the movie. PK gets hung up by his feet and stoned with a slingshot, all this because he is English. In The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses, the only real instance of white against white was when the guard took the prisoners side. Even though he was forced too, the guard took the prisoners side and treated them as equals, going completely against what the other guards believed was right. Other than that there weren't many instances of white against white discrimination in the stories, they were mainly about the conflicts between blacks and whites. Racial conflict between blacks and whites is definitely expressed more in the short stories than in the movie. In Afrika Road, it is said how even though 80% of the population is black, the white people still have the power. This idea is also expressed metaphorically in Why Don't You Carve Other Animals? When it says " The elephant has ruled the forest for a long time, he is older than the forest, but the giraffe extends his neck and struts above the trees, as though the forest belonged to him. He eats the topmost leaves, while the elephant spends the day rolling the mud. Do you not find it interesting?

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Health Disparities

Now a days it is very common that people’s health depends on their income rate, social environment and the area we live in, and now the mortality rate is very remarkable between areas of the community, what does the mortality rate has to do with our location?Here in San Antonio, diabetes mortality rate is very high but it is higher in some places than others, and this is because a person’s income influences their location, according to research data about diabetes mortality rate in Bexar county, areas that are located in the north have a lower mortality rate in the county. To compare the mortality and income rate between zip codes, I choose a zip code from an area of lower diabetes mortality rate and another one from an area with a higher rate.78232 is a zip code located in the north side of the county, here the mortality rate is lower than in other areas, and 78237 which is located in the center, according to data in â€Å"community facts† the income rate in bot h areas changes significantly, people located in 78232 make an average of 65,887 a year and in 78237 drops to an average of 25,703 a year, so according to that information, where the income is higher, the mortality rate is lower, that is what also influences a person’s social group, and living areas, people live in places where they have access to all the accommodations they can afford to live better.According to the article â€Å"Social status has a measurable effect on health† studies show what are the main causes of health disparities, mostly in the united states, even though health care has improved a lot and it is better than years before, not everybody can get it, and that is because some people have a lower income rate and cannot afford it as easy as someone with a higher rate, and that also influences a person’s location in the community which may lead to unhealthy environments such as toxic substances, violent household, dangerous working place and stre ss, so people tend to have more health issues than someone who earns more money.If I was the major of San Antonio I would invest more money on building improved healthcare clinics all over the city no matter what the social status of people in each area is, so that way people can have better access to those facilities to go get checked more often for free, that way they can all prevent a more serious health issues that it is going to cost more money that poor people cannot easily afford.Transportation also becomes an issue for health care access, many people do not go to a doctor because they don not have a way of transportation, so I would invest some more money in public transportation all around the city, that way everybody has easier access to a hospital when they are facing a more serious health problem that needs to be taken to a hospital. Also a doctor’s experience it is very important for patients to have a healthier life, and getting good experienced doctors from bet ter hospitals to other hospitals located in lower income areas, that way everyone in the city are able to get doctors with the same experience level.I think it is fair for everyone to get the same opportunities when it comes to health care regardless of their income or their location, because it is harder to improve a person’s living conditions and influences than improving health care access, it may not completely prevent people from getting sick, but it should reduce the risks for their health getting worse if they can get checked more often than they did before, also considering pre natal care for pregnant woman that need a doctor more often than anybody else, they have to be very healthy during their pregnancy and having a doctor close to their home, it is easier for them to get the required precautions to have a healthy baby, because according to the article â€Å" Health Divides† studies show that the baby mortality rate has remained the same over the years but i t should be lower now that health care has improved so much, but it has not been equally accessible for everybody, that is why woman get little to none pre natal care needed to have a healthy baby.Some woman that did not have a good education have lower job opportunities, and need to work more to barely support themselves and that keeps them from focusing on their baby’s health and their own during pregnancy, also it is more common for low income pregnant woman to smoke or drink alcohol than higher income woman, which it is influenced by their living conditions and social group. In Conclusion, the main problem is not the quality of health care but the access everyone is getting, everywhere is different and in some places is harder to get the medical attention one needs to prevent a serious health problem or improve their family’s health, and most people would want to improve their health but their low level of education is a great disadvantage to get a better job and e arn a higher income. Even though we take good care of ourselves we cannot prevent health issues that is why we all need constant medical attention.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Marketing and Product

1. On the Basics: a. We have asserted that marketing is really the strategic idea of ‘connectedness’ with customers. From the perspective of your final project company, identify and discuss how your company connects with its customers – select from either the marketing concept or the selling concept. Be sure to define each concept and be detailed in your response. A: Marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions better than competitors do. customer focus and value are the path to sales and profits) The marketing concept is a customer-centered sense and responds philosophy. (The job is to find the right products for your customers. ) My project company Samsung took the marketing concept and connect with its customers. Samsung chooses to concern more about customers’ need and invent products that solve customers’ problems rather than make it and sell it. Before inventing cellphone products it will do a lot of surveys and experiment to find out what problems exist and concerned seriously in modern world.Activities like free gift and sample-with-purchase, free experiencing and considerate after-selling service are good ways of finding what customer want and asking for feedbacks. Not only can these marketing strategies collect data and examples for its study, but also can build a strong relationship with current and potential customers. Besides that Samsung also develop a system of contacting with customers, which uses cell phones and email. By emailing and texting customer what new products are and asking their ideas about them helps improve products and make products more customer-orientated. . Referring to your project company provide a well-developed characterization of your market segment and your target market. i. Identify the most urgent issue necessary for you to penetrate or protect your desired market space. Mark et Segmentation: Target Customers: Urgent issue: The most urgent issue is to differentiate this smartphone from other smartphone of other brands by marketing. There are many smartphones in the market and the most competitive one is the iphone5 from Apple.These two smartphone have similar function and both have good reputation in repairing skins. To market the serum from Lauder we have to stress its function of giving you the most attractive function such as Pop up play and Face Zoom which Apple doesn’t have. c. Lastly, concisely address each of the following central positioning questions pertaining to your project company/brand: i. What position, if any, do you already have in the prospect’s mind? Here I list some of the competitive offerings Full range of service after selling Apple 9. 0 Nokia 7. Motorola7. 5 HTC 7. 0 Sharp6. 5 ZTE6. 0 Quality of product The branches of product ii. What position do you want to own? With a strong brand advantage and the luxuriant Apple store, Apple now is still the brightness star in people’s mind. But what I am going to do is to give customers more space to experience our product when they come to Samsung store . I aim to own the first place. iii. What companies must be outgunned if you are to establish or maintain that position? From my point of view, Motorola would be the first one to be outgunned.The reason is that: 2. On the Marketing Mix: Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your company’s marketing mix and offer strategic recommendations on how the company should handle the most burning marketing problem/opportunity impacting the strategic performance of the ‘mix’. Consider shaping your answer with the 5Cs in mind Strengths: Lauder has diversified marketing strategies from retailing stores to TV commercials to spas. It present the product in many dimensions and gives consumer a full and impressive understand of the product.Weakness: Most of Estee Lauder’s retail stores are owned by the company. Lauder doesn’t want to cooperate with other retailers in order to keep their image of high-end. However, marketing the serum means you have to highly exposed your product to the public and remind them there’s always this choice for them and they have easy access to the product. Solutions: The burning marketing problem is galaxy does not have a strong differentiated position from other brands and not impressive to cosumers. Firstly, we should think of customer solution.By launching ad campaign in which stress the function of the product and list features that other cellphones don’t have, we are actually telling consumers that the extra benefits they can get from choosing this cellphone. Besides that we can set up experience lounge in some shopping malls for people to try the product out as well as teaching them how to use it to achieve the best effect. Secondly, we focus on customer cost. To some people who have never used it before they might not want to spend that much money in trying a new product.So when we are launching this product we can offer discount or selling as a package to lower the price so that more potential customer will be willing to have a try. Fourthly, we can promote the communication. By establishing two-way communication can really strengthen the tight with consumers. Why many brands are forgettable is because they don’t have a strong connection with consumers. By contacting consumers with email and message we can always expose them in the information of the products which increase the chance of them choosing the product. 3. On Consumer Buying Behavior: a.Referring to your company, describe a scenario of your typical customer using the buyer decision process when considering purchasing your company’s product/service. Use the language from our readings. i. Consider pulling from your database research offered in our library workshop to authenticate how your customers behave in you r market environment. b. Additionally, from the criteria that influence the rate of adoption, in what area does your company/product excel and what area does your company/product require attention to strengthen the adoption process? Be detailed in your response. . First we have Need Recognition. The buyer recognizes a problem or need of the cellphone by talking to a friend of watching an ad. Second, he will do Information Search. Ads are from commercial sources-controlled by marketers. He may also find information from personal sources, public sources and experiential sources. By watching ads or listening to the advice of a close friend or trying the samples she will get the information about the cellphones. Third, we have Evaluation of Alternatives. He will evaluate alternatives with calculations and logical thinking.By taking each attribute into consideration and compare different cellphones he finds out that cellphones from Samsung will satisfied his need with the functions galax y has. Fourth, he will make the Purchase Decision. After ranking brands and forming purchase intention, he is about to buy the cellphone. Now if attitudes of others also points to buying it and there’s no unexpected situational factors like worsening economy or dropping price of competitors, he will by the rather expensive cellphone form Samsung. Last but not least there’s Postpurchase Behavior.He will feel either satisfied or unsatisfied with the galaxy,which is the gap between the expectations and the product’s perceived performance. b. EXCEL Relative advantage: 4. 8† Super Amoled HD display Pebble blue or marble white Battery: 2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra) Camera: 8MP rear; 1. 9 MP front S-Beam High speed file transfer via NFC and WiFi Direct, between two phones touched together, operating at up to 300Mbps. Smart Stay The phone tracks your eyes, so as long as you’re looking at it, the display won’t dim or turn off.What Needs to be STRENGTHEN? the purpose of the current market situation, the major brands of mobile phone chain (such as Suning, Gome, etc. ) occupies a large market, so we are faced with considerable pressure. According to the market potential, the Guangdong market level of consumption analysis, consumer groups, after all, is limited, so we have a unique service to impress potential customers. d out the differences. 4. On Branding and the Product Lifecycle: a. Referring to your company, identify the one major strength and weakness of the brand. i.What are your recommendations to strengthen the competitiveness and equity of the brand? ii. Identify at what stage your brand falls within the product lifecycle model. What is required for you to ensure that the customer remains eternally ‘connected’ to your brand? a. Strength: Samsung has sufficient fund for inventing so it’s able to apply high-tech into their products, which makes it a sell point to the customers because nowad ays everyone likes new technology. What’s more, when inventing the product Samsung will have so many test before they finally launch the product so the product is definitely safe.Weakness:The four-nuclei graphics card needs large amount of electricity The outer skin is easily getting old because of its material i. To increase competitiveness and equity of the brand first we need to think about the brand positioning Marketers need to position the brand clearly in the target customers’ mind. I will position the brand at the highest level which is on strong beliefs and values. By launching ad campaigns we deliver the concept that the serum form Estee Lauder is more than a serum, it’s a lifestyle you choose. â€Å"To be fabulous and healthy everyday gives you the confident to face every challenge. I would also establish a mission for the brand and a vision of what the brand must be and do. Through the promise the serum deliver to buyers we can strongly impress the buyers with the features, benefits and experience. Second, I will introduce line extensions. Redesigning the form, color and size of the screen we can easily change the image of this old product in consumers mind. The Samsung cellphone old outfit is no longer suitable for modern consumers because it was designed long time ago and the main concept is to express its luxurious.Nowadays people want products which can present youth and energy. So changing the outer packing is necessary in delivering new message to the consumers. ii. The product falls on the maturity stage in which product’s sales growth slows and profits stabilized. In order to ensure the customers remain eternally ‘connected’ to the brand marketers should evolve to meet changing consumer needs. Modifying the Market- The company should try to increase consumption by finding new users and new market segment for its brands.The Vita-mineral Radiance Serum from Lauder is often adopted by women over 30 yea rs old for the special benefit in fighting wrinkles. But actually it is suitable for women over 20 years old because it can give them the healthy grow of skin and prevent early wrinkles. Modifying the product- Changing the characteristics such as features, style or funtion to attract new users and inspire more usage. The old funtions of the Samsung were designed in the 2000s’ and it’s too garish for young people. Some details are unnecessary and will mislead consumers that this is a product for mid-age people.By changing the cellphone to a more simple and portable style can really modify the image in people’s mind and attract younger consumers to buy it. Modifying the marketing mix- Improving sales by changing one or more marketing mix elements. The company can offer new or improved services to buyers. Distributing free, new samples and offering free tour to â€Å"Korea Tour† after purchasing the serum can really attract consumers to buy this old product. The company can offer a lower price after discount the product to increase the scale of sale.The company can also launch a better advertising campaign or use aggressive sales promotions. By redefining the product’s use and target customer, the company can launch ad campaign that highly stress the benefits this cellphone offer and help consumers notice their potential need. Company The analysis of the company allows for the evaluation of the company's objectives, strategy and capabilities. These areas indicate to an organization about the strength of the business model or whether there are areas for improvement, as well as how well an organization will fit with the external environment. 6] †¢ Goals & Objectives: An analysis on the mission of the business, the industry of the business and the stated goals required to achieve the mission. †¢ Position: An analysis on the Marketing strategy and the Marketing mix. †¢ Performance: An analysis on how effectively the b usiness is achieving their stated mission and goals. †¢ Product line: An analysis on the products manufactured by the business and how successful it will be in the market. [5] [edit] Competitors The competitor analysis takes into consideration the competitors position within the industry and the potential threat it may pose to other businesses.The main purpose of the competitor analysis is for businesses to analyze both the current and potential nature and capabilities of a competitor in order to be prepared against competition. The competitor analysis looks at the following criteria's: †¢ Identity competitors: Businesses must be able to identify competitors within their industry. Identification of whether competitors provide the same service/products to the same customer base will be useful is gaining knowledge on direct competitors.Both direct and indirect competitors must be identified, as well as potential competitors that may enter the market. †¢ Assessment of co mpetitors: The competitor analysis looks at competitor goals, mission, strategies and resources. This will allow for a thorough comparison on the goals and strategies of both competitors and organization. †¢ Predict future initiatives of competitors: An early insight into the potential activity of a competitor will help a company be prepared against competition. [6] [edit] Customers Customer analysis can be vast and complicated.Some of the important areas that a company analyzes includes:[5] †¢ Demographics †¢ Advertising most suitable for the demographic †¢ Market size and potential growth †¢ Customer wants and needs †¢ Motivation to buy the product †¢ Distribution channels (online, retail, wholesale, etc. ) †¢ Quantity and frequency of purchase †¢ Income level of customer [edit] Collaborators Collaborators are useful for businesses as they allow for an increase in the creation of ideas, as well as an increase in the likelihood of gainin g more business opportunities. 7] The following type of collaborators are: †¢ Agencies: Agencies are the middlemen of the business world. When businesses need a specific worker who specializes in the trade, they go to a recruitment agency. [8] †¢ Suppliers: Suppliers provide raw materials that are required to build products. There are 7 different types of Suppliers: Manufacturers, wholesalers, merchants, franchisors, importers and exporters, independent crafts people and drop shippers. Each category of suppliers can bring a different skill and experience to the company. 9] †¢ Distributors: Distributors are important as they are the ‘holding areas for inventory'. Distributors can help manage manufacturer relationships as well as handle vendor relationships. [10] †¢ Partnerships: Business partners would share assets and liabilities, allowing for a new source of capital and skills. [11] Businesses must be able to identify whether the collaborator has the capab ilities needed to help run the business as well as an analysis on the level of commitment needed for a collaborator-business relationship. [6] [edit] ClimateIn order to fully understand the business climate/environment there are usually many different factors that can affect a business, and if researched well it will contribute to a company that can respond well to change. An analysis on the climate is also known as the PEST analysis. The types of climate/environment firms have to analyse are: †¢ Political and regulatory environment: An Analysis of how active the government regulates the market with their policies and how it would affect the production, distribution and sale of the goods and services. Economic Environment: An Analysis of trends regarding macroeconomics, such as exchange rates and inflation rate, can prove to influence businesses. [5] †¢ Social/cultural environment: Interpreting the trends of society;[5] which includes the study of demographics, education, culture etc. †¢ Technological analysis: An analysis of technology will help improve on old routines and suggest for new methods in being more cost efficient. In order to stay competitive and gain an advantage over others, businesses must have sufficient knowledge on the technological advances

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Attachment Theory essays

Attachment Theory essays To begin to understand the attachment theory one must first understand and have a clear definition of what attachment is. From my point of view attachment is a lasting, secure and positive bond between a child and a caregiver, a reciprocal relationship. Attachment, as a behavioural system introduced by Bowlby (1969, 1973, 1979, 1980), is thus a set of behaviours (crying, smiling, clinging, moving, looking, etc) that function together to achieve proximity to the primary caregiver. The biological purpose of such an innate behavioural system is to keep the infant close to the mother and protect it during its early and most vulnerable years(http://psychology.about.com) 1 A baby who has formed an attachment responds well with the adult she has bonded with, this response makes the adult continue providing the care, nourishment, nurturing and stimulation the child needs to ensure a healthy well-rounded development. As the baby grows mechanisms are developed to allow this bonding to continue, traditionally a baby would have been carried around by the mother, usually in a papoose, till old enough to crawl around. Then when the baby could crawl it could follow its mother, reach objects on its own and explore, always being able to get to where mum is if and when needed. Babies are able to cry from birth, this cry is plaintiff and helpless, this makes us want to hold them and comfort them, a baby who knows she will be picked up when distressed becomes secure, trust develops and the baby understands that all she needs to do is cry and help is there. When a baby looks into our faces when we are feeding them we begin to speak to them, our voices soften and our tones become sweeter, almost saccharin, when they hold our finger and begin to make cooing noises it tugs the heart strings, we respond with more chatter, the content doesnt matter, what does matter is that we are bonding, an attachment is forming between us and the ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Reagan Champion Of Justice

There are many reasons as to why Ronald Reagan deserves the name â€Å"Champion of Justice.† Those reasons include ending communism in some countries, and the destruction of the Berlin wall. For those reasons and reasons to come I will show you why Ronald Reagan deserves the name â€Å"Champion of Justice.† When leaving office in 1988, President Reagan was very satisfied with the effects of what his supporters had named the â€Å"Reagan Revolution†. In his Farewell Address to the Nation, he said, â€Å"We’ve done our part. I walk into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan Revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. We made a city stronger. We made a city free, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.† This right here is a reason as to why Ronald Reagan is a true â€Å"Champion of Justice† The Reagan Revolution involved cutting back the size of the federal government and getting it out of the lives of Americans. Reagan came in to office with three main goals and a plan to enforce them. â€Å"He believed that the government was too big, that it taxed too much, and that the Soviet Union was an evil empire, getting away with murder across the world† (The White House, Biography of Ronald Reagan [Washington D.C: www.whitehouse.gov, 2004], 1). From the first day of his Presidency, Reagan began to move towards starting his campaign promises, and in doing so, he rejuvenated the American pride. Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in a small apartment in Tam Pico, Illinois. His parents were John and Nellie Reagan. The Reagan’s lived in Dixon, where Ronald Reagan was known for his skills as a lifeguard. Reagan spent summers being a lifeguard at the Rock River, where for six years; he pulled 77 drowning swimmers out of the water. Reagan a... Free Essays on Reagan Champion Of Justice Free Essays on Reagan Champion Of Justice There are many reasons as to why Ronald Reagan deserves the name â€Å"Champion of Justice.† Those reasons include ending communism in some countries, and the destruction of the Berlin wall. For those reasons and reasons to come I will show you why Ronald Reagan deserves the name â€Å"Champion of Justice.† When leaving office in 1988, President Reagan was very satisfied with the effects of what his supporters had named the â€Å"Reagan Revolution†. In his Farewell Address to the Nation, he said, â€Å"We’ve done our part. I walk into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan Revolution, the men and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. We made a city stronger. We made a city free, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.† This right here is a reason as to why Ronald Reagan is a true â€Å"Champion of Justice† The Reagan Revolution involved cutting back the size of the federal government and getting it out of the lives of Americans. Reagan came in to office with three main goals and a plan to enforce them. â€Å"He believed that the government was too big, that it taxed too much, and that the Soviet Union was an evil empire, getting away with murder across the world† (The White House, Biography of Ronald Reagan [Washington D.C: www.whitehouse.gov, 2004], 1). From the first day of his Presidency, Reagan began to move towards starting his campaign promises, and in doing so, he rejuvenated the American pride. Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in a small apartment in Tam Pico, Illinois. His parents were John and Nellie Reagan. The Reagan’s lived in Dixon, where Ronald Reagan was known for his skills as a lifeguard. Reagan spent summers being a lifeguard at the Rock River, where for six years; he pulled 77 drowning swimmers out of the water. Reagan a...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to be a good mentor

How to be a good mentor Those of us who have had the opportunity to have a good professional mentor as we travel through our career paths are well aware of the value they bring- this includes everything from support, encouragement, and motivation; to opening new doors; to networking and job opportunities. The bottom line is that a good mentor is really worth their weight in gold.   That said, others among us have learned that some people who find themselves in a position to be mentors are really not well-suited for the role and can even do more harm than good. A bad mentor can hold you back from new opportunities and career advancement, set you off on a trajectory that isn’t right for you, and even sour you on an industry entirely.Clearly, the role of a mentor isn’t one to be taken lightly. It’s a tremendous responsibility, and one that could potentially give you a great deal of power and influence over someone in need of real advice, molding, and guidance. If you’re making a c onscious decision to become a mentor to someone junior to you in your field, make sure that you enter the role with every intention of being a positive influence. Consider using the following strategies to get started on the right foot.3 rules to being a strong mentorDon’t feel threatenedHere’s the raw truth when it comes to most mentor/mentee relationships: you’re helping to train the next generation of workers in your field, and they’re going to be just as ambitious as you likely were when you were just starting out and eager to climb to the top of your career ladder as quickly as possible. Take a moment to look back on those times- didn’t you have visions of eventually seizing the reins of power and filling your boss’s shoes (hopefully as they quietly shuffle out of your way)? Chances are if you’re mentoring someone they’ll likely be harboring the same ambitions.Don’t let this cloud your relationship with them or make you feel threatened and defensive- or worse, make you work against their best interests. Instead, recognize that this is a natural part of the professional cycle. As older employers mature, new employees will enter the field and hopefully gain the necessary skills and experience to one day take control. It happened for you, and one day it’ll happen for them; after all, you won’t be in the world of work forever and likely don’t want to be. The best you can do as a mentor is to help ensure that you’re placing the future of your company and industry in capable hands.Don’t do it for personal gainIn the world of work, most of us are used to the sort of â€Å"quid pro quo† arrangement where both sides get something tangible when taking part in a mutually agreed upon transaction. However, the mentor/mentee relationship is a little bit different. The fact of the matter is, there’s an inherent imbalance (of sorts) when it comes to â€Å"who gets what† here; the mentor typically devotes a significant amount of time and energy to the exchange and the mentee reaps most of the benefits- the knowledge, skills, experience, and opportunities that you’re passing along to them. It is true that mentors get the satisfaction of knowing that they’re â€Å"paying it forward† and helping out the next generation, but make sure that that’s enough of a return on your investment when deciding whether or not to be a mentor. Do it for the satisfaction of helping pave the way for someone else, and not for personal gain.Check yourselfAs we said before, becoming a mentor is a big responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. You’re going to have a real impact on the life of someone in a dependent and impressionable time in their life, so make sure you have enough time and energy to do it well. There’s nothing quite as dispiriting as having a mentor who never seems to have the time to work with you and who you’re always chasing down for help and guidance- or worse, who seems annoyed or put out by your needs. Don’t be that sort of mentor- if you commit to doing it, make sure you’re doing so with the understanding that you’re going to have to carve out a significant amount of your time and resources towards being a good and reliable source of support and guidance all the way through.Being a mentor can be a challenging role, and often the rewards aren’t immediately tangible. However, when done properly, being a positive mentor to an eager and excited individual can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience. If you’re going to be a mentor, then commit to being a good one, and use the strategies and advice presented here to help you along the way.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Existential Vacuum can be Overcome by Finding Meaning of Life Research Paper

Existential Vacuum can be Overcome by Finding Meaning of Life - Research Paper Example Frankl stresses on the importance of meaning of life repeatedly in his book â€Å"Man’s Search for Meaning† and how attaching a real meaning to life can save one from the clutches of existential vacuum and escape the path to nihilism forms the main bulk of this essay. Existential vacuum is basically a disturbed psychological condition that results when one deliberately negates the meaning of one’s own life, loses interest in life and willingly enough gives up all the radiant aspirations to build up a better future. Defiant rejection of meaning of life, which plays a major role in stimulating the development of existential vacuum. ... The state of a person suffering from existential vacuum can be related to the state of a person who is imprisoned in a closed cell for numberless days and is unable to think or function properly, let alone build constructive plans for the future. Existential vacuum cuts down all the thinking abilities of a person and leaves him/her to be utterly incapable of attaching a meaning to his/her life and trust his/her own instincts rather than copying other people or doing what others demand of him/her. In the present industrialized world, people have engrossed themselves in maintaining their high life standards to such level that concepts like individualism, meaning of life, sacrificing for others, embracing sufferings, and high moral standards have become more of old-fashioned despised fantasies than anything. This fake pattern adopted by people which results in negative take at things and development of existential vacuum, actually induces Frankl to lay phenomenal stress on searching for the meaning of life so that one can follow a right path that can help in achieving feats that are entirely unachievable when the meaning of life is deliberately stifled by oneself in futile pursuit of a self-centered life and worthless pleasures. Industrialization and loss of traditional values are identified by (Cox and Klinger) to be the most common causes of existential vacuum. According to Frankl, as the concept of individualism became significantly reduced, people became less reliant on social traditions and their own instincts which reinforced their behaviors, due to which they rarely know what to do themselves. This leads to a state of loss of confidence, paranoia, loss of

Friday, October 18, 2019

A Quality Study of the main Limitations of the Cyclic Casual Model in Dissertation

A Quality Study of the main Limitations of the Cyclic Casual Model in Establishing the Main Risk of Serious Problem Project - Dissertation Example I cannot afford to go without appreciating my friend Stephen for helping me type and edit this report. My dear parents and siblings gave me a lot of moral support throughout my study and for that I gladly appreciate them. Abstract The cyclic causal model is greatly reliable when dealing with serious problem projects (SSPs). The model has been successfully applied in respect of various SSPs. This study was dedicated to establishing the limitations of the cyclic causal model and involved a case study – the Vancouver building project which qualified as an SSP. The study involved face to face interviews with various stakeholders of the project. A total of eight respondents were sampled and participated in the study. We analysed the data obtained from the interviews statistically and noted that the main limitations of the cyclic causal model relate to the characteristic differences between the derivative and accelerating events when dealing with complex situations and its inability to provide a concrete solution to solving problems related to the derivative and accelerating events. ... couver Building Project and Its Failure 20 3.0 Research Methodology 25 3.1 Introduction 25 3.2 Research Paradigm 25 3.3 Research Philosophy 26 3.4 Research Approach 27 3.5 Research Strategy 28 3.6 Data Collection 29 3.7 Sampling 32 3.8 Time horizon 32 4.0 Results and Data Analysis 33 4.1 Correlation between Projects Problems and the Cumulative Quantity Accelerating and Derivative Events 47 4.2 Correlation between Derivative and Accelerating Events in Cyclic Models 48 4.3 Difference in mean frequency of cumulative events between the SPPs and Non-SPPS cases 50 4.4 Independent Samples Test 51 4.5 ANOVA 52 5.0 Conclusion 61 6.0 Recommendations 64 References 65 Appendix 1: Interview Questions 69 Appendix 2: Cover Letter 73 A Qualitative Study of the Main Limitations of the Cyclic Causal Model in Establishing the Main Risks of Serious Problem Projects: Vancouver Building Project Failure   1.0 Introduction In view of the interventions of the building code and regulations, it is possible t o cope with critical risk areas for various structural needs. Using the causal models of risk management, professional building and construction bodies have formulated several interventions for the industry for risk elimination and management. The seriousness of the risks involved in the building and construction industry border heavy financial losses for project clients and puts the safety of people frequenting the structure as well as the members of the general public using the structure at risk. The nature and application of the construction projects and their unique demands in terms of professional regulation raises questions relating to technical engineering considerations or ordinary project management. One of the risk management interventions that have been extensively applied in

Health, Promoting Good Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Health, Promoting Good Practice - Essay Example She is currently on an acute mixed ward for older people; this is her 3rd day of hospital stay. Mrs Marie Brown lives alone in her own 4 bedroom detached house in the suburbs of the city. Her husband died 4 months ago from cancer. She had been married 58 years. She has one daughter who lives nearby called Claire. She works full time, but helps with shopping and housework(1). Mrs Brown keeps a large amount of cash in the house to pay bills rather than use the bank. Marie's nationality is French and English is not her first language. Marie has exhibited signs of short term memory problems since the death of her husband and has recently started to revert to her mother tongue of French. Mrs Marie Brown has osteoporosis and chronic obstructive airways disease. She uses a nebuliser 3 times a day to assist her breathing. She becomes short of breath on exertion. (Becomes short of breath when she moves around). Prior to admission Mrs Marie Brown could shuffle a short distance of 5-6 steps, whilst using her zimmer frame. She sleeps in one of her downstairs rooms, with a commode next to the bed and her armchair is within easy reach. At present she is unable to stand by herself and requires assistance of one person for toileting and personal care. A home carer attends twice a day, to assist with a.m. getting up, washed and dressed and making breakfast. They also attend in the evening to assist Mrs Brown to get undressed and into bed. The home carers hold keys to the house. Professionals Involved prior to admission A social worker (SW) for older people, from social services (SS) has assessed Mrs Brown following the death of her husband. The SW has arranged for the care package (Home Care and Meals on Wheels) to be in place. An Occupational Therapist, (Also from SS) has assessed Mrs Brown and has recommended and arranged for a commode, zimmer frame and bed and chair to be raised. The patient chosen for the purpose of this essay will be referred to as Mrs. Marie Brown. Mrs. Marie Brown is 78 year old women who suffer with rheumatoid arthritis. This also resulted in Brown having bilateral hip replacements. Brown is on steroid treatment, which leads to thinning of the skin and susceptibility to trauma (Mallet and Dougherty 2001). Brown lives with her husband and two grown up sons. Brown was refereed to the district nurse on her discharge from hospital following her second hip replacement. The initial referral was to check the surgical wound. However on arrival it was pointed out by Brown that she had a skin tear on her left shin that wasn't healing. The district nurse performed an assessment and concluded the wound was a venous leg ulcer as it had been present for 6 weeks. The district nurses used Sorbisan and Telfa to dress the wound. Twice weekly visits were carried out to Joe for a further 4 weeks, and it became obvious that the ulcer was not improving. The d istrict nurse had to make a decision on what care to provide. The decision was to try another dressing Aticoat which is impregnated with silver, and not to refer the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Free Movement of Goods Article 34 and 36 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Free Movement of Goods Article 34 and 36 - Essay Example The aspect of measures can also include the inaction of a State to stop private individuals’ acts, which prevent the free movement of goods (The College of Law 2012, p200). The ECJ described the expression of quantitative restriction as measures that amount to partial or total restraint of, based on the circumstances, exports, imports or goods in transit. There are two laws that apply in this category but in this case, the most applicable law is the outright ban enforced by a Member State (Spain) on imports from another Member State (The College of Law 2012, p201). Free Pork Ltd plans to begin selling its products in Spain have been hampered by the law that requires the sale of sausages produced from humanely reared pigs to be checked by Spanish Sausage Checkers (SSC). If the sausages are not checked by SSC, the law prohibits its sales in Spain. However, the process of verifying whether the sausages have those conditions is usually lengthy. Therefore, Free Pork can challenge t his Spanish law. There is also a law that requires the name of the company not to use words that imply health or fitness. Free Pork can also challenge this law because it restricts the importation of goods and can affect the brand image of the company. The SSC is a form of a licencing system, which according to the articles, subjects the import of merchandises to the condition of getting an import licence. Even in situations where the application for an import licence is regarded a mere formality; it is a Quantitative Restriction. This is because is simply a mechanism in which imports can be restricted. In practice, it is very rare for the Member States laws to result to quantitative restrictions. The ban on exports or imports between Member States is only found in unusual circumstances (The College of Law 2012, p201). Therefore, failure by Free Pork Ltd to meet the conditions set by the Spanish laws is an outright ban on exporting sausages to this Member State. As stated earlier, t he ban only happens in unusual circumstances, and thus, Free Pork can challenge the law because an unusual circumstance lacks, which prohibits it from exporting the goods to Spain. The directive was important in developing a brief wording of the Article 34 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) and it continues to offer guidance on the measures that can constitute a breach of Article 34 TFEU prohibitions. Article 2(1) of the directive describes a class of measures (for instance, national laws) that treat imported goods and domestic goods differently. They are commonly referred to as distinctly applicable measures. Article 3 of the directive describes a class of national laws that apply equally to imported and domestic products. These laws have a restrictive impact and they are commonly referred to as indistinctly applicable (The College of Law 2012, p202). Therefore, the directive classifies both indistinctly and distinctly applicable measures as measures that have a n impact equivalent to restrictions on imports. From the statement, it can be stated that a national law can become MEQR (Measures having Equivalent effect to a Quantitative Restriction) regardless of whether it â€Å"discriminates against imported products or appears to treat them in the same way as domestic products but is in

Should cell phones be allowed on airplanes Essay - 2

Should cell phones be allowed on airplanes - Essay Example Airplanes are very sensitive to signals that are coming into and going out of them. The fact that airplanes can be intercepted by these signals is an alarming issue which must be raised at all fronts. Even more important is the reality that dawns upon everyone – cell phones are the bane as far as airplane flights are concerned. They must be banned at the earliest and allowing the users to communicate or text through them is fatal to the basis of safety whilst being on a flight. The question that arises here is that how would people be able to stay in touch with their near and dear ones, especially when the flights take a lot of time. One shall believe that there is absolutely no substitute for safety of the passengers and nothing should be allowed if it comes in the wake of the same. Hence cell phones due to their dangerous signals and similar transmission issues should be shown the door as far as the airplanes are related. Since airplanes have state of the art technology regimes working in them, it is the responsibility of the airline to ensure that the cell phones are not allowed no matter how difficult the circumstances are or how influential the passengers turn out to be. The rules are the same as far as the usage of cell phones are concerned (Bedord 2008). There have been some airlines which have allowed their passengers to make free use of cell phones but what these airlines are forgetting is the fact that these cell phones can have serious drawbacks on the smooth functioning of the aircrafts as well as the signals which are being sent to the pilot as well as transmitted from his end. A great deal of responsibility rests with the pilots and their crew to ensure that the aircrafts are cell phone-free because this is in the better interest of all and sundry. One of the most important reasons behind avoiding cell phone usage lies in the research that has been conducted thus far. It has been demonstrated that

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Free Movement of Goods Article 34 and 36 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Free Movement of Goods Article 34 and 36 - Essay Example The aspect of measures can also include the inaction of a State to stop private individuals’ acts, which prevent the free movement of goods (The College of Law 2012, p200). The ECJ described the expression of quantitative restriction as measures that amount to partial or total restraint of, based on the circumstances, exports, imports or goods in transit. There are two laws that apply in this category but in this case, the most applicable law is the outright ban enforced by a Member State (Spain) on imports from another Member State (The College of Law 2012, p201). Free Pork Ltd plans to begin selling its products in Spain have been hampered by the law that requires the sale of sausages produced from humanely reared pigs to be checked by Spanish Sausage Checkers (SSC). If the sausages are not checked by SSC, the law prohibits its sales in Spain. However, the process of verifying whether the sausages have those conditions is usually lengthy. Therefore, Free Pork can challenge t his Spanish law. There is also a law that requires the name of the company not to use words that imply health or fitness. Free Pork can also challenge this law because it restricts the importation of goods and can affect the brand image of the company. The SSC is a form of a licencing system, which according to the articles, subjects the import of merchandises to the condition of getting an import licence. Even in situations where the application for an import licence is regarded a mere formality; it is a Quantitative Restriction. This is because is simply a mechanism in which imports can be restricted. In practice, it is very rare for the Member States laws to result to quantitative restrictions. The ban on exports or imports between Member States is only found in unusual circumstances (The College of Law 2012, p201). Therefore, failure by Free Pork Ltd to meet the conditions set by the Spanish laws is an outright ban on exporting sausages to this Member State. As stated earlier, t he ban only happens in unusual circumstances, and thus, Free Pork can challenge the law because an unusual circumstance lacks, which prohibits it from exporting the goods to Spain. The directive was important in developing a brief wording of the Article 34 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) and it continues to offer guidance on the measures that can constitute a breach of Article 34 TFEU prohibitions. Article 2(1) of the directive describes a class of measures (for instance, national laws) that treat imported goods and domestic goods differently. They are commonly referred to as distinctly applicable measures. Article 3 of the directive describes a class of national laws that apply equally to imported and domestic products. These laws have a restrictive impact and they are commonly referred to as indistinctly applicable (The College of Law 2012, p202). Therefore, the directive classifies both indistinctly and distinctly applicable measures as measures that have a n impact equivalent to restrictions on imports. From the statement, it can be stated that a national law can become MEQR (Measures having Equivalent effect to a Quantitative Restriction) regardless of whether it â€Å"discriminates against imported products or appears to treat them in the same way as domestic products but is in

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Advice Sofia and her father on the legal position Essay

Advice Sofia and her father on the legal position - Essay Example In the course of valuation the expert came across the 1885 cent, but to the dismay Sofias father declared it to be counterfeit. (This was later confirmed by a coin expert at Sothebys who said it was worthless.) Sofia returned to Hockley Coins to demand the return of her money. David Jones apologised for the embarrassment caused but claimed that he sold the coin in good faith, believing it to be genuine, as he could not tell that it was counterfeit he could not accept liability in the matter. He refused to return Sofias money and pointed to large sign- No refunds/Credit Notes only- in the shop. Sofia refused a credit note. In order to advise Sofia and her father with regard to their legal position it is necessary to consider the law in relation to misrepresentation and examine the elements that they would need to prove in order to succeed in such a claim. The starting point is to refer to the Misrepresentation Act 1967 in order to determine whether either party might be able to substantiate a claim under these provisions. In order for the court to decide that a misrepresentation has occurred they will require proof that the person claiming misrepresentation was induced into entering into the contract as a direct result of comments made by the other party. In law the courts will consider that a misrepresentation has occurred if the plaintiff can show that the respondent made a false statement about the product which induced them into entering into that contract. Historically the courts have recognised three distinct forms of misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation1 and innocent misrepresentation2. When determining damages it is important for the court to distinguish whether the misrepresentation has been fraudulent, negligent or innocent. The courts will determine that a fraudulent misrepresentation has occurred if it can be proven that the person making the representation to the plaintiff made the statement without belief

Monday, October 14, 2019

Troubles in the Proctor Household Essay Example for Free

Troubles in the Proctor Household Essay Run High in Proctor Household In the beginning of Act II of Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the story presents an interaction between John Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth. The interaction between the couple emphasizes that their relationship is anything but normal than that of a married couple. The main cause of their awkward relationship stems from Johns wandering lust. John Proctor has conflicting emotions towards Elizabeth because both of them are trying to avoid the huge fact that he committed adultery. The conflicting emotions are present when John Proctor tries to avoid confrontations with his wife, the small talk between them where John constantly tries to please Elizabeth, and the lack of mutual agreement between them. Throughout the scene, John Proctor tried very hard in order to avoid altercations with his wife. In a patriarchal society of the 1600’s, it would be very common for a woman to be subservient towards her husband. In the Proctor household, it is no different since Elizabeth quietly questions her husband’s authority because she â€Å"fear(s) to anger him† although she has all the leverage she needs in an argument by simply stating the fact that he cheated on her (Miller 53). However, John displays the complete opposite behavior of what is expected of a male in a patriarchal society. Firstly, when John comes home and tastes the soup his wife prepared, he is â€Å"not quite pleased† with it for it was not seasoned well (Miller 49). After adding more salt himself, John notices that Elizabeth is intently watching him taste the soup. Instead of being a typical husband back in the 1600s by criticizing such a small mistake about how his food is seasoned, he compliments on how good-tasting the soup is while knowing that it was the product of his handy-work. By holding his tongue, he avoids a confrontation between him and his wife over a very small issue of not putting enough salt in the soup. Additionally, John seems not to be the typical male in his society when he, â€Å"as gently as he can† asks for some cider (Miller 51). It is clear that this is not what his normal behavior would be because, as Elizabeth is fetching him his cider, she feels â€Å"a sense of reprimand†¦for having forgot† (Miller 51). Because Elizabeth felt as if she did something to wrong her husband, she expects that John will make a huge fuss over the issue. However, John casually brushes off her mistake by just changing the subject to him tending to the fields. His careful behavior towards Elizabeth makes him adopt the tone of a husband that has done something to immensely displease his wife and is trying not to anger her. Clearly, it shows that John has conflicting emotions towards his wife because he wants to act as a typical husband back in the 1600s, but he remembers the heinous crime he committed and tries to avoid confrontation and the possibility of the two of them talking about his mistake. John Proctor’s entire conversation with Elizabeth is mostly saying things to please her in an attempt to make-up for his affair. For example, while eating his meal he makes constant remarks about their farm being extremely big and the reason for coming home so late was because he was busy â€Å"planting far out to the forest edge† (Miller 49). In this obvious attempt to please Elizabeth, John hints at the fact that he has worked very hard on their farm. By hinting at this, he hopes to show Elizabeth that he is working for the greater good of the family and that he is not spending time with Abigail. Furthermore, John wants to make sure that Elizabeth sees all his hard work when he suggests that on â€Å"Sunday†¦ (they’ll) walk the farm to together† (Miller 51). The above passage clearly shows how much John is trying to please Elizabeth because he openly said that they would go explore the farm on Sunday which is supposed to be dedicated to a day of prayer where no one is supposed to do any work and if an individual skips church service, they would get in trouble. Secondly, John tries to please Elizabeth with material wealth when he breaks the awkward silence between them by explicitly saying that â€Å"if the crop is good I’ll buy George Jacob’s heifer. How would that please you? † (Miller 50). By asking Elizabeth her opinion on what she thinks about his decision to buy a heifer shows an atypical relationship between a husband and wife back in the 1600s since the male usually does not ask for their wife’s opinion on their decisions and that John is also trying hard to please his wife. The typical male attitude toward women voicing their opinions on things is also present in John’s demeanor when he explodes at the slight thought that Elizabeth â€Å"has lost all faith in him† due to the fact that he â€Å"faltered slightly† at the thought of hurting Abigail’s reputation (Miller 54). The constant battle in John’s demeanor to act as the man of the house as well as the caring husband act he is struggling to put up in order to make up for his mistake is an example of the conflicting emotions he is experiencing while dealing with his wife.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Kertas kerja seminar menangani

Kertas kerja seminar menangani Pendahuluan Gejala sosial sudah menjadi semacam satu fenomena dalam dunia moden. Cendiakawan Barat sudah mula membezakan masalah sosial zaman kontemporari berbanding dengan zaman sebelumnya. Bahkan sudah ada kursus di universiti Barat yang bertajuk Contemporary Sosial Problems (Masalah Sosial Kontemporari). Ini menunjukkan bahawa terdapat semacam satu peralihan dan perubahan dalam masalah-masalah yang berkaitan dengan gejala sosial sama ada bentuknya, trend, punca dan implikasinya kepada sesebuah masyarakat dan negara. Gejala sosial pula menjadi semakin berkembang ruang lingkupnya. Gejala sosial menjadi semakin rencam dan pelbagai. Ia seperti duri dalam daging bagi masyarakat. Kita bersedih kerana ia banyak melibatkan generasi muda kita yang merupakan bakal pewaris kepimpinan negara. Rempuhan globalisasi negatif dan pengaruh modenisme memungkinkan masalah dan gejala sosial menjadi semakin kritikal ditambah dengan faktor sikap, pembudayaan budaya berhibur yang menggalakkan percampuran bebas yang keterlaluan, kurangnya penekanan kepada aspek keutuhan kecemerlangan sahsiah dan kerohanian, kekeliruan pemahaman dalam aspek nilai (aksiologi), kerendahan jatidiri, kurang semangat patriotisme, kurangnya langkah-langkah pencegahan, penguatkuasaan undang-undang dan peraturan yang masih longgar dan kurangnya kesedaran diri, pengabaian tanggungjawab keibubapaan serta pengaruh rakan adalah di antara faktor mengapa gejala sosial menjadi semakin mengancam. Definisi Gejala Sosial Gejala sosial ataupun masalah sosial (social problem) adalah satu aktiviti atau perlakuan (perbuatan) yang membabitkan perlakuan atau tindakan negatif yang menjejaskan kredibiliti dan maruah diri, keluarga, komuniti, masyarakat, agama dan masyarakat, bertentangan dengan norma dan nilai ketimuran masyarakat, bertentangan dengan ajaran agama dan undang-undang negara, merugikan masyarakat dan negara, serta menyimpang daripada keluhuran dan kedaulatan undang-undang, peraturan dan ajaran agama. Di Malaysia, gejala sosial atau masalah sosial bolehlah dianggap sebagai satu fenomena yang tidak berkesudahan seandainya tiada langkah-langkah tegas dan drastik yang diambil untuk mengatasinya. Ada perlakuan gejala sosial yang tidak disifatkan sebagai jenayah seperti melepak dan membuang masa. Contoh-contoh Gejala Sosial Yang Berkaitan Dengan Agama Islam Gejala atau masalah sosial yang berkaitan dengan tingkah laku sosial negatif dan menyimpang serta kesalahan keagamaan boleh dibahagikan kepada: berkaitan dengan tingkah laku negatif atau perlanggaran nilai Islam berkaitan dengan aqidah berkaitan dengan kemurnian agama atau institusi keagamaan berkaitan dengan ketatasusilaan Di antara gejala sosial ataupun jenayah (agama) yang berkaitan dengan aqidah ialah seperti melakukan perbuatan dengan apa cara sekalipun yang dikatakan berkaitan dengan ajaran Islam sedangkan ia bukanlah daripada ajaran Islam, pemujaan atau penyajian kepada selain daripada Allah s.w.t., mengaku sebagai bukan Islam, mengishtiharkan diri sebagai Nabi, Rasul, Wali ataupun Imam Mahdi, tidak percaya orang Islam sebagai orang Islam dan mengkafirkan orang Islam. Pengaruh gejala sosial ini boleh menjejaskan aqidah individu dan orang yang terpengaruh dengannya. Terdapat negeri yang membicarakan kes-kes di bawah Enakmen Jenayah Syariah[2] seperti berikut: baring diriba atau celah kangkang pasangan mencium atau berkucupan berpeluk atau berpelukan memasukkan tangan atau saling memasukkan ke dalam pakaian pasangan masing-masing Ini adalah satu langkah yang bijak bagi membendung budaya mendekati zina. Kesalahan-kesalahan yang berkaitan keluhuran agama Islam dan ajarannya, contohnya adalah seperti menghina agama Islam atau menyebabkan ia dihina, mempersendakan agama Islam, merosakkan masjid atau surau, menghina pihak berkuasa agama, menyebarkan pendapat yang bertentangan dengan fatwa, mengajar agama tanpa tauliah, menyebarkan dokumen yang bertentangan dengan syarak, berjudi, penggunaan yang berkaitan arak, tidak tunai solat Jumaat 3 kali berturut-turut tanpa sebab munasabah, enggan bayar zakat, sumbang mahram, aktiviti pelacuran, bertindak sebagai bapa ayam atau ibu ayam, persetubuhan luar nikah, persediaan persetubuhan luar nikah, persetubuhan sejenis, persetubuhan dengan binatang, khalwat, menyerupai lain jantina dalam pakaian. Perangkaan Jenayah dan Gejala Sosial di Malaysia Bagi tahun 1997 hingga 2003 di seluruh negara, telah tercatat statistik jenayah keganasan melibatkan rogol (sebanyak 9,878 kes), kecederaan kepada manusia (35,358 kes), samun bersenjata api (4124 kes), samun tanpa senjata api (73,031 kes), samun berkawan bersenjata api (7 kes), samun berkawan tanpa senjata api (10,948 kes), samun berkawan bersenjata api (453 kes), cubaan membunuh (407 kes) dan bunuh (3997 kes).[3] Jenayah harta benda bagi tahun 1997 hingga 2003 di seluruh negara pula mencatatkan curi motosikal (295,942 kes), curi kereta (46,979 kes), curi lori/van (25,990 kes), pecah rumah dan curi waktu malam (156,284 kes), pecah rumah dan curi waktu siang (55,902 kes) serta lain-lain jenis jenayah mencuri (307,974 kes). Kategori lain-lain jenayah mencuri daripada tahun 1997 hingga 1999 termasuk jenayah ragut.[4] Bermula tahun 2000 hingga tahun 2003 sahaja, jenayah ragut berjumlah 59,888 kes.[5] Pihak Polis Diraja Malaysia telah menyelesaikan sebanyak 360,360 kes yang melibatkan jenayah keganasan dan hartabenda (jenayah indeks) bermula daripada tahun 1997 hingga tahun 2003.[6] Pihak Polis patut diberikan pujian kerana berjaya menyelesaikan masalah jenayah ini. Walaupun demikian, perangkaan jenayah indeks cukup merisaukan kita. Apakah sebab-sebab berlakunya sedemikian banyak kejadian jenayah? Apakah masyarakat kita sudah lagi hilang nilai murni keagamaan yang mengawal diri dan perbuatan kita atau kurangnya kesedaran mengenai langkah-langkah pencegahan? Bagi jenayah bukan indeks, bermula tahun 1997 hingga bulan Ogos 2003 sebanyak 13, 588 kes pecah amanah jenayah telah berlaku, penipuan (27, 682 kes), pemalsuan (2,299 kes), wang palsu (661 kes), kad kredit (960 kes), jenayah siber (3,621 kes, bermula tahun 2000), hacking (penggodaman internet) (2 kes, bermula 2003), akta hakcipta (976 kes, bermula 2000), akta penapisan filem (4,968 kes, bermula tahun 2000), lain-lain agensi kerajaan (2,256 kes, bermula tahun 2000) dan lain-lain jenayah perdagangan (8959 kes).[7] Rampasan Narkotik Dadah (penyalahgunaan) adalah musuh nombor satu negara. Kes-kes narkotik yang melibatkan rampasan oleh pihak Polis Diraja Malaysia menunjukkan peningkatan keberjayaan dari segi statistik. Namun statistik yang akan dipaparkan menunjukkan peningkatan aktiviti pengedaran dadah dan narkotik. Ubat batuk mencatatkan rampasan kuantiti terbanyak manakala dadah berbentuk pil (berbiji) terbanyak ialah pil psikotropi. Bermula daripada tahun 1998 hingga bulan Mac 2004 sebanyak 184.54kg heroin base telah dirampas di bawah Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952, heroin no. 3 (1321.18kg), heroin no. 4 (5kg), ganja (10,889.44kg), kokain (51.801kg), syabu (323.52kg), ectasy (734,805 biji), ectasy kg. (176.45 kg), ketamin (102.35kg), erimin 5 (1,165,043 biji), yaba (154,095 biji), black sesame (8500 biji), pil psikotropi (3,398,752 biji), ubat batuk (111,191.40 liter), morfin (0kg), candu mentah (233.97kg) dan candu masak (12,496kg).[8] Pil-pil mudah sorok seperti Erimin 5, Ectasy dan pil psikotropi cukup mudah diedarkan dan agak sukar dikesan oleh pihak berkuasa. Punca Gejala Sosial atau Masalah Sosial Dalam era globalisasi dan kepesatan teknologi maklumat, nilai-nilai Barat yang negatif dan bertentangan dengan Islam dengan senang dapat menular dan mempengaruhi umat Islam. Ditambah pula dengan lemahnya iman dan kekurangan kekuatan jatidiri, individu Islam dengan mudah akan terpikat dan terikut-ikut dengan godaan syaitan dan runtunan nafsu syahwat. Sikap yang memandang remeh kepada masalah besar seperti gejala sosial boleh mengundang padah. Budaya berhibur yang keterlaluan (entertainment culture) dan budaya hedonisme (berseronok) yang merupakan di antara faktor kejatuhan tamadun Greek boleh meruntuhkan tamadun Melayu Islam. Kita mesti berasa risau dengan gejala sosial, takut-takut Allah akan menghancur binasakan kesemua kita. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Yang bermaksud: Dan apabila sampai tempoh kami hendak membinasakan penduduk sesebuah negeri, kami perintahkan (lebih dahulu) orang-orang yang melampau dengan kemewahan antara mereka (supaya taat) lalu mereka menderhaka dan melakukan maksiat padanya, maka berhaklah negeri itu dibinasakan, lalu kami menghancurkannya sehancur-hancurnya.[9] Pelan bertindak dan strategi yang rapi serta tindakan yang berterusan perlu diambil dalam usaha untuk menangani fenomena gejala sosial di kalangan masyarakat. Kerajaan, pihak berwajib, pemimpin, masyarakat, guru dan pensyarah, ibu bapa dan setiap individu perlu memainkan peranan untuk menangani permasalahan ini. Ibu bapa yang tidak memantau dan mengambil berat perkembangan sosial anak-anak adalah di antara punca utama mengapa remaja kita mudah terjebak dalam gejala sosial.[10] Ibubapa yang terlalu mengikut kehendak anak-anak hingga dibiarkan bebas boleh menyebabkan anak berada di luar daripada kawalan dan bertindak di luar daripada batasan agama. Banyak gejala sosial yang berkait rapat dengan kurangnya pengawasan dan kawalan terhadap kehendak dan perbuatan anak-anak. Selepas ibubapa berusaha untuk kecemerlangan akademik dan sahsiah anak-anak, ibubapa perlulah berdoa dan bertawakkal serta berserah diri kepada Allah s.w.t.. Nabi Luth pernah berdoa untuk keluarganya. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Nabi Lut berdoa): Wahai Tuhanku, selamatkanlah daku dan keluarga serta pengikut-pengikutku dari apa yang dilakukan oleh golongan (yang jahat) itu. Maka kami selamatkan dia dan keluarganya serta pengikut-pengikutnya semua.[11] Persoalan sikap anak-anak kita banyak berpunca daripada didikan keagamaan dan kerohanian yang tidak seimbang di antara tuntutan duniawi dan ukhrawi. Salah faham terhadap konsep kebebasan di kalangan anak-anak dan ibu bapa banyak mempengaruhi faktor kepada meruncingnya gejala sosial. Konsep kebebasan Barat perlulah digantikan dengan konsep kebebasan Islam. Ibubapa yang sayang kepada anak-anaknya adalah mereka yang menjaga, mendidik, mengasuh dan memberi pendidikan yang sewajarnya kepada anak-anak. Firman Allah s.w.t.: (Limpah kurnia yang besar) itulah yang Allah gembirakan (dengannya): hamba-hambaNya yang beriman dan beramal soleh. Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Aku tidak meminta kepada kamu sebarang upah tentang ajaran Islam yang aku sampaikan itu, (yang aku minta) hanyalah kasih mesra (kamu terhadapku) disebabkan pertalian kerabat (yang menghubungkan daku dengan kamu supaya aku tidak disakiti). Dan sesiapa yang mengerjakan sesuatu perkara yang baik, Kami tambahi kebaikan baginya (dengan menggandakan pahala) kebaikannya itu. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Pengampun, lagi sentiasa membalas dengan sebaik-baiknya (akan orang-orang yang bersyukur kepadaNya).[12] Ibu bapa dan anak-anak yang tidak memahami tanggungjawab masing-masing adalah juga faktor kepada kemunculan gejala sosial. Ibubapa dan anak-anak yang terlalu individualistik dan materialistik terlupa akan tanggungjawab dan amanah yang ditanggung oleh mereka. Ingatlah kepada firman Allah s.w.t.: Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Jika bapa-bapa kamu, dan anak-anak kamu, dan saudara-saudara kamu, dan isteri-isteri (atau suami-suami) kamu, dan kaum keluarga kamu, dan harta benda yang kamu usahakan, dan perniagaan yang kamu bimbang akan merosot, dan rumah-rumah tempat tinggal yang kamu sukai, (jika semuanya itu) menjadi perkara-perkara yang kamu cintai lebih daripada Allah dan RasulNya dan (daripada) berjihad untuk ugamaNya, maka tunggulah sehingga Allah mendatangkan keputusanNya (azab seksaNya); kerana Allah tidak akan memberi petunjuk kepada orang-orang yang fasik (derhaka).[13] Pendidikan keagamaan kepada anak-anak harus ditekankan pada peringkat awalan lagi dan dijalankan pemantauan ke atas tingkah laku dan akhlak anak-anak. Ibubapa mempunyai peranan besar dalam membendung gejala sosial di peringkat keluarga. Pendidikan aqidah adalah di antara perkara yang mesti diutamakan sepertimana nasihat Luqman Al-Hakim kepada anaknya. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Yang bermaksud: Ketikamana Luqman berkata kepada anaknya sambil berpesan, wahai anakku janganlah engkau mempersekutukan Allah (dengan sesuatu yang lain) kerana sesungguhnya perbuatan syirik itu merupakan kezaliman yang sangat besar. Dan Kami wajibkan manusia berbuat baik kepada ibubapanya; ibunya telah mengandungnya dengan kelemahan demi kelemahan (dari awal mengandung hingga akhir menyusukannya), dan tempoh menceraikan susunya ialah dalam masa dua tahun; (dengan yang demikian) bersyukurlah kepadaKu dan kepada kedua ibubapamu; dan (ingatlah), kepada Akulah jua tempat kembali (untuk menerima balasan).[14] Anak-anak mestilah diajar dan membiasakan diri bersembahyang kerana solat itu dapat mencegah daripada perbuatan keji dan mungkar. Sembahyang adalah tiang agama. Orang yang tidak bersembahyang meruntuhkan agama. Pokoknya sembahyang itu akan dapat mencegah seseorang daripada terlibat dengan gejala sosial. Jika telah bersembahyangpun masih lagi terlibat dengan gejala sosial, maka seseorang perlu bermuhasabah dan memperbaiki sembahyangnya. Firman Allah s.w.t.: yang bermaksud: Dan perintahkanlah keluargamu serta umatmu mengerjakan sembahyang, dan hendaklah engkau tekun bersabar menunaikannya. Kami tidak meminta rezeki kepadamu, (bahkan) Kamilah yang memberi rezeki kepadamu. Dan (ingatlah) kesudahan yang baik adalah bagi orang-orang yang bertaqwa.[15] Sabda Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.: Bermaksud: Serulah anak-anak kamu bersembahyang apabila mereka mencapai umur tujuh tahun dan pukullah mereka (dengan tujuan mendidik) apabila mereka mencecah umur sepuluh tahun.[16] Konflik, keretakan dan krisis rumahtangga boleh menyebabkan anak-anak menjadi mangsa. Keluarga yang tidak harmoni dan tidak berpegang teguh kepada agama boleh menjadi penyumbang kepada peningkatan kadar gejala sosial. Anak-anak yang tiada tempat mengadu dan bergantung akan bertindak sendiri dan mencari jalan keluar daripada sesuatu masalah dengan tidak menimbang-nimbang dengan sewajarnya. Perselisihan faham antara anak dengan ibu bapa ataupun sesama ibu dan bapa juga menyumbang kepada masalah gejala sosial kerana anak-anak akan lari daripada rumah dan mencari orang yang boleh diluahkan perasaan. Kadang-kadang anak-anak akan mencari jalan keluar yang mudah untuk menyelesaikan masalah dengan mengambil dadah, arak dan seumpamanya.[17] Perselisihan faham anak dengan ibubapa adalah antara sebab utama kenapa anak lari daripada rumah dan kemudiannya akan timbul masalah-masalah lain yang berkaitan. Keluarga yang selalu berlaku perselisihan faham akan mengundang masalah yang lebih kritikal. Ibu bapa yang selalu bergaduh di hadapan anak-anak akan memberikan contoh yang negatif kepada anak-anak.[18] Penolakan yang tidak berhikmah akan teman lelaki anak-anak adalah di antara faktor kenapa anak-anak perempuan lari daripada rumah dan seterusnya mengambil tindakan yang melulu. Adalah elok diperbincangkan di peringkat keluarga dari hati ke hati sekiranya anak-anak sudah mempunyai kemampuan, persediaan dan kehendak untuk berumahtangga. Proses globalisasi negatif telah merobah nilai dan budaya hidup umat Islam. Kebebasan yang keterlaluan yang diberikan kepada anak-anak muda kita telah disalahgunakan. Hiburan terlalu dipentingkan dan dibudayakan hingga hilangnya pengagungan terhadap budaya pembelajaran (learning culture) dan budaya ilmu (knowledge culture). Anak-anak muda sanggup mencari wang berpuluh ringgit untuk berhibur, akan tetapi berapa ramai yang sanggup menghabiskan wang untuk tujuan pengajian dan pembelajaran? Ada tanda-tanda kehendak masyarakat Islam kepada pendidikan Islam terutamanya peningkatan jumlah institusi pendidikan Islam. Ini adalah satu titik peralihan yang memberangsangkan. Alangkah baiknya seandainya ruh dan semangat daripada tarbiyyah dan tadib itu menyerap dalam diri remaja kita. Kekuatan jati diri dengan nilai-nilai murni keagamaan, keimanan dan ketaqwaan boleh menjadi benteng kepada para remaja dan masyarakat kita daripada terjebak daripada gejala-gejala yang tidak sihat. Konsep ihsan (Bahawa kamu menyembah Allah seolah-olah Allah melihat kamu, seandainya kamu tidak melihat Allah, akan tetapi Allah melihat kamu) adalah manifestasi daripada kekuatan jatidiri yang mampu menangkis ancaman gejala sosial. Kerapuhan dan keruntuhan institusi kekeluargaan banyak menyumbang kepada kejadian gejala sosial yang berlaku. Kurangnya pengetahuan tentang ilmu keibubapaan dan psikologi serta pengabaian tanggungjawab keibubapaan juga menyumbang kepada kemunculan gejala sosial. Hambatan dan tumpuan kepada materialistik hingga mengabaikan perhatian, kawalan, pemantauan dan pendidikan terhadap anak-anak kerap menyumbang kepada meningkatnya gejala sosial di kalangan remaja. Keretakan hubungan suami isteri dan kerenggangan ibu bapa dengan anak-anak juga turut menyumbang kepada peningkatan jumlah remaja yang terlibat dengan gejala-gejala negatif. Budaya Dekati Zina Allah s.w.t. telah mengetahui tentang perbuatan-perbuatan yang boleh menjurus ke arah berlakunya zina. Sebab itu Allah s.w.t. mengharamkan budaya dekati zina. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Dan janganlah kamu menghampiri zina, sesungguhnya zina itu adalah satu perbuatan yang keji dan satu jalan yang jahat (yang membawa kerosakan).[19] Hukuman terhadap zina walaupun kelihatan berat, sebenarnya ia banyak mengandungi unsur pencegahan dan pengajaran untuk yang terlibat dan kesemua anggota masyarakat. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Perempuan yang berzina dan lelaki yang berzina, hendaklah kamu sebat tiap-tiap seorang dari keduanya seratus kali sebat; dan janganlah kamu dipengaruhi oleh perasaan belas kasihan terhadap keduanya dalam menjalankan hukum ugama Allah, jika benar kamu beriman kepada Allah dan hari akhirat; dan hendaklah disaksikan hukuman seksa yang dikenakan kepada mereka itu oleh sekumpulan dari orang-orang yang beriman.[20] Mengatasi dan Menangani Gejala Sosial: Tanggungjawab Bersama Pembenterasan gejala sosial adalah tanggungjawab semua pihak dan bukan sahaja kerajaan. Komitmen semua pihak diperlukan bagi mengwujudkan satu tindakan bersepadu sesama agensi-agensi kerajaan dan masyarakat keseluruhannya. Janganlah ada sikap memandang ringan mengenai perkara ini. Gejala sosial ibarat penyakit, setiap penyakit ada penawarnya. Rasulullah s.a.w telah bersabda yang bermaksud: Bahawa Allah telah menurunkan penyakit dan ubat dan dijadikan kepada setiap penyakit ada ubatnya, berubatlah tetapi jangan berubat dengan benda-benda yang haram. (Riwayat Abu Daud) Pengenalpastian Masalah Dan Penubuhan Jawatankuasa Task Force Mengenalpasti masalah merupakan asas dalam penyelesaian masalah. Perlu diadakan satu kajian mendalam mengenai gejala sosial, punca-punca dan implikasi yang timbul daripadanya terhadap agama, bangsa dan negara. Satu jawatankuasa ad-hoc boleh ditubuhkan untuk memulakan dan menggerakkan usaha murni ini. Kajian ini boleh mengumpulkan maklumat yang sedia ada di Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam, Polis Diraja Malaysia, Jabatan Agama, kementerian ataupun agensi-agensi kerajaan. Kombinasi ini memungkinkan satu Pelan Tindakan yang komprehensif bagi menangani gejala dan masalah sosial. Dengan adanya data dan statistik, pengenalpastian masalah akan dapat menjejaki akar umbi masalah dan penyelesaian masalah dapat dilakukan segera. Dicadangkan agar ditubuhkan satu jawatankuasa task force daripada gabungan pelbagai agensi, kementerian, badan berkanun, NGO dan ahli akademik untuk tindakan pembenterasan yang lebih bersepadu dan komprehensif. Kadang-kadang tiada keseragaman dan pengelolaan yang jitu dalam menangani isu gejala sosial. Program Khidmat Negara dan Sukarelawan Al-Falah YADIM boleh dijadikan sebagai wadah untuk menampilkan juga pembentukan dan kemantapan sahsiah, emosi, mental dan fizikal agar seimbang dengan tuntutan rohani, agama dan jasmani di samping menanam sikap dan semangat patriotisme, nasionalisme dan jatidiri. Signifikan Pendidikan Strategi pendidikan secara dasarnya boleh menjadi asas untuk pembentukan akhlak generasi kita dan menyediakan suatu foundasi untuk pembentukan generasi beriman dan bertaqwa. Perlu dinilai semula kurikulum pendidikan Islam daripada peringkat rendah ke menengah dan tinggi dengan memasukkan elemen penyedaran mengenai masalah sosial yang menggugat agama, bangsa dan negara. Pembinaan kekuatan emosi, psikologi, keagamaan dan jati diri yang utuh mampu menjadi benteng daripada terjebak ke dalam kancah gejala sosial. Pengharmonian Persekitaran Sejauh mana dan selama mana seseorang Muslim dapat bertahan seandainya persekitaran itu sendiri semacam mengundang atau mempengaruhi seseorang individu itu untuk melakukan tindakan salah laku ataupun jenayah? Persekitaran yang kondusif dan bebas daripada ancaman gejala sosial dan maksiat perlu dibanteras selari dengan usaha pemantapan aqidah, iman dan taqwa. Jika tidak, usaha kita menangani gejala sosial ibarat orang yang menebas lalang, akan tetapi akar umbinya dibiarkan sahaja tumbuh dalam tanah. Akibatnya, lalang yang ditebas akan tumbuh semula seminggu kemudiannya. Maka perlulah diwujudkan persekitaran yang kondusif dan sifar-maksiat. Ibubapa Pembentuk Sahsiah dan Peribadi Anak-anak Ibubapa yang sebenarnya harus memainkan peranan awal dan memantau pendidikan anak-anak. Dalam Islam, anak-anak itu dilahirkan dalam keadaan suci bersih atas dasar fitrahnya. Penentuan dan hala tuju pegangan aqidah dan keberagamaan anak-anak itu ditentukan oleh hasil pendidikan yang diberikan oleh ibu bapa. Proses pendidikan pula bermula di rumah. Ibubapalah yang paling bertanggungjawab untuk membesarkan anak dengan tradisi keislaman di samping kecemerlangan akademik dan spirituil. Pengukuhan Agensi Penguatkuasaan dan Penggubalan Undang-undang Pelaksana dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang harus diteliti dan dipermantapkan semula. Agensi-agensi yang terlibat dengan aspek pelaksanaan, penguatkuasaan dan pemantauan harus memainkan peranan yang proaktif dan berterusan. Tindakan penguatkuasaan yang bermusim atau mengikut kemunculan isu tidak dapat memberi kesan yang positif yang berpanjangan. Apa yang perlu ialah tindakan pencegahan dan penguatkuasaan yang berterusan dan jangkaan masalah dan gejala sosial yang akan muncul bersama plan strategik jangka masa pendek dan jangka masa panjang. Untuk itu, penambahan anggota, latihan, kepakaran dan motivasi perlulah juga dititikberatkan. Unsur undang-undang yang bukan sahaja bersifat menghukum tetapi juga mencegah, mendidik dan memberi pengajaran kepada yang lain haruslah dipraktikkan. Penggubal undang-undang perlulah peka dengan kompleksiti dan isu gejala sosial yang berkembang dengan zaman. Undang-undang perlu diperketatkan dari masa ke semasa untuk mengelakkan sesuatu undang-undang itu dianggap tidak lagi mampu menangani atau mencegah masalah. Pengharaman pusat-pusat dan arked-arked permainan video adalah langkah menggalakkan dan proaktif oleh pihak kerajaan. Adalah diharapkan pusat atau kafe siber tidak lagi menempatkan computer yang boleh melibatkan permainan-permainan komputer (computer games) yang berunsur ganas, kejam dan lucah. Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan seperti Majlis Bandaran boleh memainkan peranan yang lebih proaktif dalam soal ini. Usaha yang lebih keras diperlukan demi untuk membasmi pelacuran. Kegiatan pelacuran yang bertopengkan peranan GRO (Guest Relationship Officer, Pegawai Perhubungan Pelanggan) di pusat-pusat hiburan (contohnya pusat karaoke) perlulah dibenteras segera. Rumah-rumah tumpangan dan hotel yang membenarkan pasangan yang bukan mahram mendudukinya perlulah dipantau dan diambil tindakan. Pusat-pusat hiburan yang membenarkan aktiviti dan budaya dekati zina, kebenaran remaja bawah umur memasukinya, penyediaan alkohol, dan dibuka melebihi waktu sebenar yang dibenarkan perlulah disita. Kerjasama pihak berkuasa air dan Tenaga Nasional serta polis dan Majlis Bandaran diperlukan untuk tujuan penyitaan. Potong sahaja bekalan air dan elektrik sekiranya mereka masih engkar perintah selepas diberikan amaran keras. Di pusat-pusat hiburan juga kebiasaannya kegiatan pengambilan pil narkotik berleluasa dan gejala gengsterismeserta kongsi gelap bermaharajalela. Penguatkuasaan undang-undang yang lebih tegas perlu diberikan kepada langkah-langkah pencegahan dan penyedaran. Penguatkuasaan dan pencegahan perlu diberikan dengan serius. Pihak penguatkuasaan Majlis Bandaran dan Jabatan Agama dan lain-lain agensi boleh diberi kuasa yang lebih. Usaha yang dijalankan dalam pembenterasan gejala sosial perlulah berterusan, kerap dan berkeseimbangan. Serbuan ke pusat hiburan, karaoke dan disko serta tempat tumbuh dan berkembangnya gejala sosial dan budaya dekati zina perlu lebih kerap dilakukan. Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan telahpun mengisytiharkan aktiviti perjudian melalui SMS adalah haram disisi agama Islam kerana unsur penipuan. Maka segala aktiviti judi mengandungi unsur penipuan, maka ia tidak patut dibenarkan. Perlu ada tindakan tegas terhadap budaya pergaulan bebas, melepak dan membuang masa. Pergaulan bebas tanpa kawalan akan mudah terdorong kepada budaya dekati zina. Justeru, ibubapa boleh memainkan peranan memantau hubungan sosial anak-anak terutamanya pada peringkat remaja. Anak-anak kita juga perlukan perubahan sikap dan mentaliti. Janganlah terlalu terikut-ikut dengan cara pergaulan rakan-rakan yang menyimpang daripada kehendak agama. Majlis-majlis perbandaran dan agensi yang berkaitan boleh diberikan kuasa yang lebih untuk menangkap, menyaman dan memberikan khidmat penasihatan, bimbingan dan kaunseling kepada mereka yang terlibat dalam soal berpacaran atau berdua-duaan tanpa mahram. Terdapat Enakmen Jenayah Syariah Negeri yang memberi kuasa kepada pegawai penguatkuasa untuk memberikan surat amaran serta mengarahkan menghadiri kaunseling di pejabat-pejabat agama bagi pasangan-pasangan yang terlibat dalam salah laku-salah laku agama seperti duduk merangkul pasangan, duduk celah riba pasangan atau berjalan sambil merangkul pasangan yang bukan mahram. Terdapat juga Enakmen Jenayah Syariah Negeri (Selangor) yang memberi kuasa kepada pegawai penguatkuasa untuk manasihati dan mengarahkan pasangan yang bukan mahram beredar seperti kesalahan berjalan dengan tangan berada di bahu pasangan, saling suap menyuap, berpegangan tangan sambil duduk rapat-rapat, bergurau senda sehingga berlakunya sentuhan, duduk rapat-rapat dan berjalan berpegangan tangan. Peruntukan undang-undang sebegini adalah baik untuk mencegah budaya berpacaran dan budaya dekati zina dan sepatutnya diperluaskan di setiap negeri bersekali dengan penguatkuasaan yang berterusan dan intensif. Harus diingat penguatkuasaan ini bukan tertentu pada waktu malam sahaja bahkan waktu siang juga. Usaha pencegahan yang berunsur pendidikan perlu disebarkan melalui berbagai medium, media massa dan media eletronik. Strategi Pembangunan Manusia dan Fizikal Pemantapan aqidah dan akhlak perlu diberikan perhatian serius. Di samping itu kecemerlangan akademik anak-anak tidak diabaikan. Aktiviti rekreasi, masa senggang dan ko-kurikulum perlu diberikan perhatian oleh para remaja dan ibubapa. Kerajaan perlu mengwujudkan lebih banyak kemudahan sukan dan aktiviti waktu senggang untuk masyarakat untuk mengalihkan perhatian anggota muda masyarakat kepada aktiviti masa lapang yang bermanafaat dan berfaedah. Anak-anak perlu diajar dan selalu diperingatkan menunaikan titah perintah Allah s.w.t. dan meninggalkan laranganNya. Kita perlu melahirkan generasi yang takutkan Allah ketika bersendirian dan ketika berasa di khalayak ramai. Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda, maksudnya: Tiga perkara yang menyelamatkan , iaitu takut pada Allah ketika bersendirian dan di khalayak ramai, berlaku adil pada ketika suka dan marah, berjimat cermat ketika susah dan senang, dan tiga perkara yang membinasakan iaitu mengikut hawa nafsu, terlampau bakhil dan kagum seseorang dengan dirinya sendiri. Pihak berwajib perlu melihat keseimbangan kemajuan dan pembangunan insan dalam aspek-aspek pembangunan rohani, jasmani, emosi, fizikal, mental dan spirituil. Pemahaman Konsep Sebaik-baik Ummah Dan al-Amr bi al-Maruf wa al-Nahy an al-Munkar (Menyuruh Berbuat Kebaikan dan Mencegah Kemungkaran) Kesedaran dan praktik ini perlu ada pada setiap individu, anggota masyarakat dan juga pihak berkuasa. Masyarakat haruslah mempunyai sensitiviti dan kepekaan terhadap hal ehwal yang berlaku di sekeliling mereka. Sensitiviti dan kepekaan ini dijelmakan pula dalam diri sendiri, rumah tangga dan keluarga. Elakkan sikap mementingkan diri sendiri. Konsep ini merupakan payung kepada tindakan, perbuatan dan perlakuan individu. Firman Allah s.w.t.: Yang bermaksud: Kamu (wahai umat Muhammad) adalah sebaik-baik umat yang dilahirkan bagi (faedah) umat manusia, (kerana) kamu menyuruh berbuat segala perkara yang baik dan melarang daripada segala perkara yang salah (buruk dan keji), serta kamu pula beriman kepada Allah (dengan sebenar-benar iman).[21] Kesedaran dan Tanggungjawab Masyarakat Untuk melakukan usaha pencegahan dan pembenterasan gejala sosial, peranan yang dimainkan oleh ketua dan kelompok masyarakat adalah di antara perkara utama. Semangat bekerjasama dan tolong menolong (esprit de corp) antara sesama ahli komuniti patut diwujudkan dalam usaha menegakkan kebenaran dan ketaqwaan serta mencegah kemungkaran. Rasa, sikap, tindakan dan semangat bertanggung jawab bersama harus dipupuk untuk mengwujudkan suasana sifar-maksiat (sekiranya memungkinkan) sama ada di peringkat kampung, taman perumahan, daerah, wilayah dan sebagainya. Usaha ini boleh digerakkan dengan kerjasama agensi-agensi kerajaan dan penguatkuasaan, ibu bapa, guru, individu, masyarakat dan sebagainya. Sabda Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.: Yang bermaksud: Seseorang mukmin bagi mukmin yang lain ibarat sebuah binaan, saling sokong menyokong di antara satu sama lain dan Rasulallah s.a.w. mengisyaratkan dengan menyilangkan antara jari jemari baginda.[22] Tindakan menangani gejala sosial mestilah disegerakan dengan kapasiti dan kemampuan yang ada. Agensi-agensi kerajaan dan semua pihak boleh berpadu tenaga bekerjasama (cross-departmental cooperation) membenteras masalah ini. Kerajaan, agensi-agensi pelaksanaan dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang, pihak berwajib, guru dan pensyarah, pakar dalam bidang berkaitan dan penyelidik, ketua masyarakat dan masyarakat serta ibu bapa, masing-masing mempunyai peranan yang tersendiri. Pusat Pembangunan dan Kemajuan Sosial Masjid-masjid boleh dijadikan sebagai tempat untuk membendung gejala sosial. Khutbah Jumaat adalah wadah yang baik untuk menyampaikan mesej pencegahan gejala sosial. Kempen-kempen mengenai kesedaran gejala sosial boleh diketengahkan sama ada melalui masjid, jawatankuasa taman perumahan, Jawatan Kuasa Keselamatan dan Kemajuan Kampong dan seumpamanya. Imam, Bilal, Nazir, AJK masjid, AJK JKKK, ketua kampong dan lain-lain boleh memainkan peranan proaktif untuk mengatasi masalah gejala sosial. Perangkaan gejala sosial boleh dikumpulkan di peringkat bawah untuk mengetahui jumlah sebenar sebelum langkah-langkah seterusnya diambil. Maka dicadangkan agar diwujudkan pusat-pusat pembangunan dan kemajuan sosial di ma