Participation and quality of life: a study on the people's empowerment in a Malay village community

Empowerment is often said to take place when people collectively organise themselves to fight the rich, the powerful, the owner of large businesses and other forms of oppression. However, this has not always been the case. Community empowerment is also embedded in the people's participation when dealing with their everyday community life. It is within the process of how individuals take control over their life depicts the elements of community empowerment. This paper portrays the people empowerment through their participations in a Malay village community. It illustrates the people's awareness towards the emergent common needs and problems. People's consciousness is translated into a collective action when they organised themselves and participated in various group-based organisations. These self-propelling groups are avenues for members to offer assistance in order to meet the groups' goal. In this community-driven endeavour, individuals develop their capacity to affect change in their community life, enabling them to develop competence, learn to use collective effort to shape the outcomes that benefit them and ultimately, take control over their life. It is within this participation process that the people's empowerment is embraced and developed, enabling them to gradually improve their quality of life in the community environment

Kelompangan dasar belia negara - menyangga potensi belia menerusi pendekatan transformasi konflik.

Gagasan idea melonjakkan lagi martabat belia tersirat rapi dalam Dasar Pembangunan Belia Negara (DPBN). Walaupun sudah melebihi satu dekad usianya sejak diberi nafas baru, dasar ini masih relevan dengan fokus negara yang serius mengurus dan menjana modal insan. Statistik negara menunjukkan bahawa belia boleh menyumbang ke arah pembentukan modal insan. Oleh itu, jika adunan yang sempurna dapat diusahakan antara belia dengan pelbagai program pembangunan seperti yang digariskan oleh dasar, golongan belia mampu menjadi satu tenaga ekonomi, sosial dan politik yang disegani lagi dihormati. Malah, dasar belia yang dibentuk oleh pemerintah mempunyai harapan dan matlamat yang sama. Namun, hakikatnya tidak semua belia bersedia dan mahu seiringan dengan hasrat murni itu. Ada yang ketinggalan, keciciran dan tidak kurang yang menolak sama sekali program yang disediakan dengan memilih cara mereka sendiri bagi menyalurkan tenaga dan potensi diri. Tindakan yang mereka ambil, perilaku dan pekerti yang ditonjolkan dan nilai yang dipegang oleh sebahagian dari belia tersasar dari yang diharapkan oleh dasar. Ertinya, terdapat kelompangan dalam dasar belia itu bilamana sasaran matlamat yang diharapkan tidak sejajar dengan realiti, masalah dan cabaran yang dihadapi oleh sebilangan besar belia seperti yang dibuktikan oleh statistik polis dan lain-lain institusi pengawasan, pencegahan dan pemulihan untuk belia yang ditaja kerajaan. Pada satu sudut yang lain pula dapat di mengertikan bahawa sekumpulan belia ini berada dalam konflik. Mereka berkonflik dengan persekitaran sosial, struktur dan dalam diri sendiri. Untuk membawa kumpulan ini bersama dalam proses pembinaan negara bangsa pada masa tertentu memerlukan pendekatan baru. Pendekatan transformasi konflik mengutarakan cara alternatif melihat, mentafsir dan mengartikulasikan kelemahan atau unsur negatif kepada yang lebih bersifat konstruktif berdasarkan nilai, keyakinan dan ideologi baru membangunkan keupayaan dan potensi manusia

The theoretical and conceptual framework and application of community empowerment and participation in processes of community development in Malaysia

This study defines and discusses the concept of participation in the context of social development in general, and in terms of community development and community work specifically. Community development could not be achieved without community participation. The principles and techniques underlying the empowering process are also elaborated. The study describes the application of the concepts defined in some of the community work and community development activities in Malaysia

Community development programmes in Malaysia

This study looks at the philosophy, policy development and practices of community development as well as rural development programmes in Malaysia. The history of community development and its policy is important for provide community development processes to date. Since independence, the Malaysian government has introduced various types of community development programmes through its development policies, with the main of improving the economic, social and cultural conditions of the people. Understanding of these programmes can help to community leaders and stakeholders to achieve future programmes for realize community goals

An outline of the need for psychology knowledge in health professionals: implications for community development and breast cancer prevention

Knowledge of health and community psychology in health professionals influences psychosocial and community determinants of health and promoting participation in disease prevention at the community level. This paper appraises the potential of knowledge on psychology in health care professionals and its contribution to community empowerment through individual behavior change and health practice. The authors proposed a schematic model for the use of psychological knowledge in health professionals to promote participation in health interventions/disease prevention programs in developing countries. By implication, the paper provides a vision on policies towards supporting breast cancer secondary prevention efforts for community health development in Asian countries

Organizational, operational and interactional processes of people's participation in community activities in Malaysia.

This study focuses particularly on how people living as one community organize themselves to fulfill their needs and expectations through various groups, as revealed and directed by respondents in the research process. Therefore, the analysis and interpretation of the data is based on the people's expressed experiences of participating in such processes by treating those experiences as one entity, regardless of the type of groups they represented

Does the likely perpetrator's marital status matter in engaging in the act of sexual harassment?

This study explored men’s likelihood to sexually harass a female colleague in a given context. Participants were 900 male non-academic employees working in 3 major Research Universities in Malaysia. As sexual harassment is a phenomenon that has always been looked from a woman’s perspective, this study had looked from the men’s perspective of understanding the likelihood in engaging in a array of actions that are considered an act of sexual harassment. The major finding of the study shows that men, regardless of marital status view many acts of sexual harassment as acceptable and the findings depict that there is no distinct differences between men of both the married and single group in their likelihood to sexually harass their female colleagues as contrary to past research on sexual harassment that have suggested that single men have a higher tendency to sexually harass due to his marital status

Application of health behavior theories to breast cancer screening among Asian women

Background: Although breast cancer is a major public health worry among Asian women, adherence to screening for the disease remains an obstacle to its prevention. A variety of psycho-social and cultural factors predispose women to delay or avoidance of screening for breast cancer symptoms at the early stages when cure is most likely to be successful. Yet few interventions implemented to date to address this condition in this region have drawn on health behavior theory. Materials and Methods: This paper reviews the existing literature on several cognitive theories and models associated with breast cancer screening, with an emphasis on the work that has been done in relation to Asian women. To conduct this review, a number of electronic databases were searched with context-appropriate inclusion criteria. Results: Little empirical work was found that specifically addressed the applicability of health theories in promoting adherence to the current breast cancer prevention programs Among Asian women. However, a few studies were found that addressed individual cognitive factors that are likely to encourage women’s motivation to protect themselves against breast cancer in this region of the world. The findings suggest that multi-level, socio-cultural interventions that focus on cognitive factors have much promise with this issue. Conclusions: Interventions are needed that effectively and efficiently target the personal motivation of at-risk Asian women to seek out and engage in breast cancer prevention. Concerning implications, personal motivation to seek out and engage in individual preventive actions for breast cancer prevention among Asian women is a timely, high priority target with practical implications for community development and health promotion. Further studies using qualitative, anthropologic approaches shaped for implementation in multi-ethnic Asian settings are needed to inform and guide these interventions

Revisión sistemática de los factores que influyen en la eficacia de la Junta Cooperativa

Co-operatives played a significant part of the global economy, and its success depends on the effectiveness of the co-operative board to perform their roles. This article is aimed at reviewing and synthesizing the literature of the last ten years in order to enhance our understanding of the factors that have affected the effectiveness of the board. A systematic review of the Scopus and Web of Science databases identified 13 related studies that respond to research questions, guided by the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. An analysis of these articles resulted in four main themes – board composition, board characteristics, board structure and board process, and these four themes formed a total of 12 sub-themes. This study has three significant contributions. Firstly, it provides an overview of studies of the co-operative board. Second, this systematic review highlighted the factors impacting the board's effectiveness. Finally, derived from this systematic analysis, we draw the pattern of variables that were analyzed in assessing the efficacy of the co-operative board. The findings indicated that the studies of the co-operative board are still inadequate, and in the context of developing countries, empirical research lags even further behind. Most studies concentrate mainly on the effect of board characteristics, followed by board composition, board process and board structure. Some recommendations for future research are outlined to explore other related factors that may enhance the co-operative board's effectiveness, namely from the perspective of the resource provision role of directors.Las cooperativas desempeñaron una parte importante de la economía global, y su éxito depende de la efectividad de la Junta cooperativa para desempeñar sus funciones. Este artículo tiene como objetivo revisar y sintetizar la literatura de los últimos diez años para mejorar nuestra comprensión de los factores que han afectado la efectividad de la Junta. Una revisión sistemática de las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science identificó 13 estudios relacionados que responden a preguntas de investigación, guiados por el método de la Declaración PRISMA (Elementos de informes preferidos para revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis). Un análisis de estos artículos dio como resultado cuatro temas principales: composición del Consejo, características del mismo, su estructura y proceso, y estos cuatro temas formaron un total de 12 subtemas. Este estudio tiene tres contribuciones significativas. En primer lugar, proporciona una visión general de los estudios de la Junta cooperativa. En segundo lugar, esta revisión sistemática destacó los factores que afectan la efectividad de la Junta. Finalmente, derivado de este análisis sistemático, dibujamos el patrón de variables que se analizaron al evaluar la eficacia de la Junta cooperativa. Los resultados indicaron que los estudios de la Junta cooperativa siguen siendo inadecuados y, en el contexto de los países en desarrollo, la investigación empírica se encuentra aún más rezagada. La mayoría de los estudios se concentran principalmente en el efecto de las características del Consejo, seguidos de la composición, el proceso y su estructura. Se describen algunas recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones para explorar otros factores relacionados que pueden mejorar la efectividad de la junta cooperativa, es decir, desde la perspectiva de la función de provisión de recursos de los directores.Escuela de Estudios CooperativosFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEpu

Relationship between participation and empowerment in women self help groups in Nigeria – a general analysis

In recent year, women’s empowerment through participation is said to be at the center stage in global development. The paper seeks to examine the relationship between participation in Self Help Group’s (SHG) activities and women empowerment in Nigeria. The participation of women in (SHGs) made a significant impact in social, economical and psychological aspects. Women empowerment through participation in SHG which is the focus of this paper is a process in which women are able to organize themselves to increase self-reliance and to assert their independent right to make choices in order to effectively promote their well being. The processes through which women achieve empowerment through participating in SHG is the essence of this article