Ragini Kumari
In the present study
researcher had tried to do the research work on ‘Alienation in Relation to
Social competence and Adjustment of Individuals’. For this purpose, 100 (50
male and 50 female) individuals were selected for study. The alienation scale
developed by Hardeo Ojha, Social Competence scale developed by Kalpana Kumari
and Adjustment scale adapted by M. Shamshad and K. Jehan (1987) and self
prepared Personal Data Sheet was employed on decided samples. The results
revealed that; (i) there is negative correlation between alienation and social
competence, (ii) there is significant difference between urban and rural
respondents in term of alienation (iii) there is gender difference between male
and female respondents in term of social competence and (iv) female respondents
have more adjustment problem comparatively to their counterpart male
respondents.
Introduction :-
The modern Indian
society is characterized by an increasing feeling of alienation among the
masses in general and adolescents in particular. The prevailing chaotic
conditions in society have not only instilled in the present masses a sense of
being alienated but its equally true that the quantum of alienation is growing
day-by-day (Wolfe, 1976). What is more disturbing is the fact that a tendency
towards glamorization of the alienation culture is quite visible which means
that alienation is now used purposely as a means to attain some end. The
growing instances of aggression, the increasing menace of terrorism and the
widening gulf of inter individual and inter group mistrust are in fact the
outcomes of the feeling of alienation.
In its simple
interpretation, alienation consists of the feeling of being isolated and cut
off from the mainstream of society and at the same time of being a just
helpless and mute spectator of what is happening around. It is one of the cheap
sources of identity crisis among the modern youth.
Alienation is a dynamic
integration of a number of cognitions and feelings including the feelings of
isolation, powerlessness, neglect and despair, vague and blurred vision of
identity and of being swept away of the mainstream. In the extreme case, it
also means a divergence from one’s own self .
Alienation is a function
of several factors including personality factors, personal factors,
socio-cultural factors and socio-economic status. Personality factors include
extraversion, introversion, dominance, ego strength, need achievement and the
like. Naturally an individual’s susceptibility to alienation is a function of
all these personality correlates (Estelle,1990). Saxena (2000) has examined the
relevance of self-concept, ego strength and need achievement as a function of
community affiliation. Similarly socio-cultural factors also have been found
important determinants of alienation’s susceptibility. The relation between
ethnic cultural factor and alienation has been reported by Levey (1974).
Supriya et al. (2001) have reported the impact of familial factors on
alienation in Western society.
Social competence refers
to the social, emotional, cognitive behaviors that persons need for successful
social adaptation. Despite this simple definition, social competence is an
elusive concept, because the skills and behaviors acquired for healthy social
development vary with the age of the child and with the demands of particular
situations. A socially competent pre-school children have in such different
manner than a socially competent adolescent; conversely, the same behaviors
(e.g., aggression, shyness) have different implications for social adaptation
depending upon the age of the child and the particulars of the social context
(Bierman, 1989).
Amidst various
controversies regarding an agreed definition of adjustment we followed the
following interpretation given by Hussain, S. Adjustment can be regarded as a
process by which the individual tries his best to maintain a harmonious, stable
and satisfying relationship with his environment. In the process of adjustment
and individual attempts at satisfying his needs in the light of environmental
pressure as well as his own abilities and limitations. A healthy adjustment
aims at long term satisfaction instead of satisfying and immediate need. Thus,
while analyzing adjustment on should try to look into the ways by which
individuals respond to the demands of their environment as well as satisfaction
of their own motives. Further, one should remember that it is difficult to
describe peoples as well as adjusted or poorly adjusted because adjustment
involves a continuous variable.
Another important
question is that who are well adjusted and who are poorly adjusted; or when
does a person make healthy adjustment? It will not be a simple question of
classifying individuals as adjusted and maladjusted. Adjustment is considered
to involve a continuous variable so the evaluation of individual’s in terms of
this variable cannot be limited to two extremes. Moreover, psychologists, or
for that matter even other persons, fail to provide scientific and objective
criteria of healthy adjustment, or unhealthy adjustments. The reason for this
has been enumerated. We known that standards of adjustive behavior may vary
with time, place, culture, circumstances and the characteristics of the
individual.
Alienation is related
with social competence and adjustment. The alienation proness negatively
related with social competence and adjustment. The alienation is also cold the
many problems creator. Thus, hence researcher had decided to make a research
work on the topic “Alienation in relation to social competence and adjustment
of individual’s”.
Objective of the Study:-
The main objective of the study was to understand the
scientific concept of alienation, social competence and adjustment. The
objective of the study to see the impact of alienation on individual's social
competence and adjustment.
Hypothesis:-
The main hypothesis was
following for further study:-
i. There will be negative correlation
between alienation and social competence.
ii.There will be significant difference
between urban and rural respondents in term of alienation.
iii.There will be gender difference between
male and female respondents in term of social competence.
iv. Female respondents will have more
adjustment problems comparatively to their counterpart male respondents.
Mehod:-
(i) The Sample:- The study was conducted on
100 (50 male and 50 female) individuals from the different rural and urban
areas of Samastipur districts in Bihar. The sample were in the 20 to 40 age
group with an average age 30 years.
(ii) Research Scales:- The following
research scale was used for further study
(a)
Alienation Scale:- To measure the alienation level of
respondent’s, Alienation scale developed by Hardeo Ojha (2010) was used. This
scale has largely used by Indian researcher in different Psychological area.
(b)
Social competence scale :- To measure the level of social competence,
social competences scale developed by Kalpana Kumari (2009) was used. This
scale has 16 items. This scale is also appropriate for measuring of social
competence of respondents in Indian socio-psychological view point.
(c)
Adjustment Scale :- To measure the adjustment of respondent’s
Bell’s Adjustment Inventory adapted by M.Shamshad & K. Jehan (1987) was
used. This scale has 124 items based on different areas i.e., home, health,
social & emotional as well as over all adjustment. This scale is also found
valid, reliable & confident for measuring the adjustment level of respondents in Indian Psyco-Social
perspectives.
(d)
Personal Data Sheet :- For electing the personal background information’s such as; name,
age, sex, rural-urban inhabitation, education level of respondents and their
family members, family type, Nos. of family members, attitude of family
member’s toward respondents etc. was collected with the help of Personal Data
Sheet, developed by researcher.
PROCEDURE :- A set of scales (Alienation, Social competence, Adjustment and Personal
Data Sheet) was administered on 100 individuals on the residents of Samastipur
District in Bihar. Firstly, the respondents were contacted by researcher and on
the appointed date and time, a set of scales was administered. The Purposive
and Random sampling method was used for data collection. The respondents were
thanked after completing the data collection work by researcher.
Result And Discussion:- The
obtained results is presented in the following tables :-
Table No.-1Correlation between Alienation and Social competence :
|
Alienation
|
Social competence
|
P-value
|
|
.67
|
.57
|
<.01
|
The result shown in above table
no.-02 revealed that when Alienation level of respondent’s is found higher than
their social competence level is seen to be lower. In other words, we can say
that alienation is negatively effects the level of social competence of
respondents. Thus, this result confirm our hypothesis no.-01 that there will be
negative correlation between alienation and social competences.
The researcher had try to study
the comparative study of alienation in gender differences view point. In this
regard, Mean, SD and t-value was
calculated from the data that obtained on alienation scale. The result is given
in the following table no.-02
Table No.-02
Mean, SD and t-value between
Rural and Urban respondents in
term of alienation :
|
Group
|
No.
|
Mean
|
SD
|
t-value
|
p-value
|
df
|
|
Urban
respondents
|
50
|
35.63
|
8.46
|
1.49
|
<.05
|
98
|
|
Rural
respondents
|
50
|
31.32
|
5.32
|
The result presented in the
above table no.-02, cleared that urban respondents have shown higher alienation
score (M=35.63, SD = 8.46) while rural respondents shown lower alienation scale
(M = 31.32, SD = 5.32) and it was found significant at <.05 level of confidence.
According to this result we can say that urban respondents becomes more
alienated from many reasons like deprivation, economic marginalization,
poverty, unemployment and so like than their counterpart rural respondents.
Thus, this findings is conformed our hypothesis no.-02 that there will be
significant differences between urban and rural respondents in term of
alienation.
Table No.-03
Mean, SD and t-value between male and
female respondents in term of Social competence :
|
Group
|
No.
|
Mean
|
SD
|
tvalue
|
p-value
|
df
|
|
Male
respondents
|
50
|
39.55
|
7.52
|
2.67
|
<.01
|
98
|
|
Female
respondents
|
50
|
32.49
|
5.41
|
An inspection of the table
no.-03 presented result revealed that male respondents shows high social
competence level (Mean: 39.55, SD = 7.52) while female respondent’s shows lower
social competence (Mean 32.49, SD = 5.41) and obtained t-value is 2.67, which
is found significant at <.01 level of confidence. This obtained result
clears that significant gender difference between urban and rural respondents
in term of social competence. According to this result, we can say that male
respondents (Youth) want to perform more social competence comparatively to
their counterpart female respondents. Thus, this result is also conform our
hypothesis no.-03 that there will be gender difference in term of social
competence.
In the course of the research
work researcher has want to study the comparative analysis of adjustment
between male and female individuals. For this purpose mean, SD, t-value was
calculated from the obtained data on adjustment inventory. The obtain result is
given in the following table no.-4
Table No.-04
Mean,
SD and t-value Between Male and Female Respondents in term of Adjustment :
|
Group
|
No.
|
Mean
|
SD
|
t-value
|
p-value
|
df
|
|
Male
respondents
|
50
|
18.54
|
5.45
|
2.44
|
<.05
|
98
|
|
Female
respondents
|
50
|
22.85
|
6.13
|
An
inspection of the table no.-04 presented result displayed that female respondents
shows high adjustment score (Mean: 22.85, SD = 6.13) while male respondent’s
shows lower adjustment score (Mean 18.54, SD = 5.45) and calculated t-value is
2.44, which is found significant at <.05 level of confidence. This obtained
result shows that female respondents have more adjustment problem comparatively
to their counterpart male respondents. In another words, we can say that any
type of alienation negatively impact the adjustment level of female
individuals. Thus, this result confirm our hypothesis no.-4 that female
respondents have more adjustment problem comparatively to their counterpart
male respondents.
CONCLUSION :-
Thus, on the basis of present
research, it can be conclude that (i) alienation is negatively affects the social
competence of individuals, (ii) urban and rural respondent’s shows differences
in alienation viewpoint. (iii) we also found that male respondents have more
social competence where female respondents have lower social competence,
and (iv) female respondents have more
adjustment problem while male respondents have lower adjustment problem. At
this condition, our conclusion is that alienation is the most prone factor for
social competence and adjustment. Individuals are suggested that they should
protect themselves to becoming the most prone alienation.
REFERENCES :-
Anderson, Josepth D. Human relations
training and group work.1975 20 (3), 195-199.
Bireman,
A study of Social competence of Pre-school children and their parental
factors.1989
Estelle,C.J, .Contrasting creativity and
alienation in adolescent experience. Arts in Psychotherapy,1990, 17 (2),
109-115.
Km Kalpana,A study of social competence
of youths.Unpublished Ph.D thesis, L.N.M.U.20009
Saxena, B. (2000) A study of
self-concept, ego strength and need achievement as a function of community
affiliation. Indian Journal of Psychological issues, 8 (2) 78-80
Samshad, M. and Jehan, K. (1987) –
Manual of Adjustment inventory published by Agra Psychological research cell
Agra (U.P.)
Supriya, R.Kirth and Kumari, P. (2001)
Famillial factors and alienation: An empirical study. Indian Journal of
Psychological Issues, 9 (2), 127-131.
Ojha, Hardeo, Manual of Alienation
scale, Pub Psychological Research cell, Agra, U.P.2010
Ragini Kumari
Research Scholar (Psychology)
L.N.M.U, Darbhanga (Bihar)
