HOW TO MAKE MORAL COOL AGAIN: AN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE STUDY TOWARDS INDONESIAN STUDENTS ON THE ROAD TO BE A COMPETENT OPPONENT IN 21st CENTURY

Fadiah Musdalifah Wadud, fadiahwadud@upi.edu, Curriculum Development Department of the Post-Graduate School in Indonesia University of Education

ABSTRACT

Communication and collaboration are two of the competencies that is needed to be possessed in order to survive in 21st century. Although the skill of communication is needed, it is sometimes used in a wrong way, like on bullying. The saddest part is, it is mainly done by students. With Pancasila as the Nation’s Philosophy, it is a cry for help that our children moral is not as we want it to be. This paper aim is to offer an alternative way on how to make moral cool again through an emotional intelligence study that is wished to be compatible for the Indonesian students as an alternative solution to be a competent opponent in 21st century. Author of this paper is using a literature reviews as the method.

Keywords: Bullying, Emotional Intelligence, Moral, 21st century competencies.

INTRODUCTION

It is unsurprising that the fast pace of technology development and the interests of our society towards it is continually growing. Many of our students are using their social media as a form of sharing their personal lives (Kokkinos, et al., 2014), although it’s sometimes comes with a price for them to being judged by what they chose to show in the platform such as instagram, twitter, or facebook. It is often lead to some unfortunate events in school, they could be insulated or repulsed by their friends (Hoover & Hazler, 1991; Perry, Kusel, & Perry,1988; Peterson & Skiba, 2001), and that act would be considered as bullying.

Cool could be described as many different things, it has a chameleon-like quality, in this paper, cool will be meant as the best way to describe an exclusive quality that makes some behaviours or objects so desirable and hip, it is also a symbolic form of ‘being in the now’ (Nancarow et al., 2007; Tapp, A. And Bird, S., 2008). Bullying is not new in Indonesia’s education. It has been done from a long time ago and called by different terminologies, although one doesn’t like the bullying and what it causes it doesn’t necessarily means that they’re aware of it and do something about it. Is this means that being morally good is not something considered cool anymore? If it is, then how do we react on it?

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Bullying

Bullying behavior although formed gradually by learning through observation and imitation—as one of the main process of learning in teenage’s growth—is a form of human attack that is caused by accumulated frustrations (Shao-I Chiu, 2013). By a reasearh done by Patterson in 1986, Shao-I Chiu found that Patterson suggests that a child will imitate bullying behavior if they found that grown-up people from higher social ranks practiced bullying and instead of being punished, they were encouraged and praised. This behavior could extend into their adulthood.

Bullies are usually lack of empathy towards the victims, often good with communication and quick-wiitted but they’re usually reluctant on accepting other people’s ideas that is shown by how they can’t compromise to others and having a poor cooperation skill (Besag, 1989; Hoover & Hazler 1991; Olweus, 1994).

With our fast pace of technology development and the growth of community interests on it, having internet is not only for the necessary things to get done, it has became a way of life. Just like a knife with positive and negative way of the use, although internet is a tremendoous tool for learning and socialization a study done by Kokkinos, et al. on Cyber-bullying: An Investigation of the Psychological Profile of University Student Participant in 2014 confirmed that it may also provide a forum of harassing behavior. The most likely target is the young adults users as they tend to use the internet more than any other age, the most unsupervised, and used to display their lives in public, is an indicative of their need for communicating and sharing. Olweus in 1993 stated on Shao-I Chiu’s research also says that the victims are usually younger than the bullies.

2. The 21st Century Competencies

Competencies as described by Sanghi (2007) has to lead to an effective performance which means that the performance of an individual who have and doesn’t have it, and competency refers to behavior and is not about merely getting the job done but actually done it in the best way possible.

Source: P21 The Partnership for 21st century Learning. www.p21.org.

On this paper the author would like to focus on the red area, as what could be seen as life and career skills—as one of the key knowledge instruction—that contains a development of thinking skills, content knowledge, and social and emotional competencies as the competencies an individual should be having in order to be a competent opponent in 21st century. Learning an essential skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration is what the students needs to learn in order to success (P21, 2015).

3. Emotional Intelligence (EI)

In a study done by Stenberg in 1996 as stated in Cladwell and Gravett’s Using Your Emotional Intelligence to Develop Others (2009), Stenberg said that IQ may be related as little as 4 percent of real-world success, which means that over 90 percent may be related to another form of intelligence that human possesses. One of those form other intelligence form is Emotional Intelligence (EI). Daniel Goleman comments in a conference in 1996 as stated in Higgs and Dulewicz study on Leading with Emotional Intelligence (2016) said that EI is “about knowing what you are feeling and being able to handle those feelings without having them swamp you; being able to motivate yourself to get jobds jone, be creative and perform at your peark; and sensing what others are feeling and handling relationship effec vely” (p. 21).

Another description also stated by Safavi et.al (2009) in a research of The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Crisis Management Case Study in 2012 by Soltani et.al, that EI covers a multi-agent area of social skillset and competencies that can affect and individual’s ability on identifying, understanding, and managing their emotions, solving problems and also on adapting on changes and it led to their founding on EI influences crisis management capabilities.

After a thorough research Caldwell and Gravett (2009) defined EI as the ability of understand and express ourselves, the ability to understand and relate with others as a form of social awareness, and the ability to cope with the demands that we face in life (p. 2). Caldwell and Gravett believes that people with above levels of EI are usually coping with stress easily than ones whose in the lower level. They also found that the ability of coping with stress is very important for generating and maintaining enthusiasm, confidence, and cooperation in the workplace because they think that the more people aware of their needs and those of others, the more effective the people become on assessing situations and taking appropriate actions as a response.

Self-awareness relates to an individual’s self-knowledge, because it compasses the individual’s tendency on knowing and being in touch with their feelings and emotions in order to understand them. This highly self-aware individual usually make a realistic appraisal of their own strengths and able to make the most of it and they can use their feelings with confidence on decision-making activity. This could be explained as if someone is aware of their personal feelings of cynisism or frustration, they can still make effective decisions and fulfil responsibilities. Other than self-awareness Higgs and Dulewicz also identified the overall concept of EI in six more elements, they are emotional resilience; motivation; interpersonal sensitivity; influence; intuitiveness; and conscientiousness (2016: 29-30).

4. Moral

An individual could have moral knowlege on obey secular and religious laws but lacking on the moral character. Moral Character entails helping people, accepts the weaknesses without exploiting, seeing the best in them, and building their strengths by acting civily towards a classmate, friends, or colleagues, also acting as a responsible individual even being so means that we’re being different than everyone else (Ornstein & Hunskins, 2009). As it is explained in What Makes Us Moral? On the Capacities and Conditions for being Moral? by Musschengga in 2013 that we have to start identifying moral competences and search for the underlying capacities to find what steps have to be taken for developing capacities into competences.

Miller and Seller on Curriculum Perspectives and Practice (1985) believes that all educations proceeds by the participation of an individual in the race of social consciousness and through this unconscious education an individual gradually comes to share in the intellectual and moral resources that could be succeeded together. As they think that a social factor from an individual’s life couldn’t be eliminated, education must begin with a psychological insight into the indiviual’s capacities as a child.

There is a possibility on giving instructions in moral knowledge and ethics by studying the writings and principles of moral people like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle who examined the good society and good person; political leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr—that could be learned by student to gain moral knowledge (Ornstein & Hunskins, 2009). On his study on Realm of Meaning (1964) Phenix outlined the areas that moral knowledge covers, they are: human rights that involves the condition of life that oight to prevail; ethics on the concerns of family relations and sex; social relationships on dealing with class, racial, ethnic and religious gorups; economic life that involves wealth and property; political life that involves justice, equity, and power.

Ornstein and Hunskins believes that the way we translate moral knowledge into moral conducts defines the kind of people we are. Because the moral knowledge we have is not what is count, it is what we do daily that counts and this distinction between moral knowledge and how we behave should be taught to students as a basis for envisioning the kind of people and society now and wish to become. Other than that it is to promotes and respect the human rights and social justice among all people and nations, and to attain a global perspectives and appreciation of other people, cultures and nations (2009).

The average moral individuals violates moral rules from time to time, whether it is intentional or unintentional but they will have the feelings of guilt, shame or remorse for doing that—by feeling those, they still could be called as a moral individual but for the ones who doesn’t show any feeling for their wrong-doings, they will arouse doubts on whether they are moral or not. People who doesn’t care of others well-being considered to be amoral because they’re lack of relevant capacities (Musschenga, 2013).

METHOD

The type of research the author used was literature review method. The author was having a review on important articles, books, and website as the sources that pertaining in the research topic.

RESULTS AND FINDINGS

According to Ditch the Label on The Annual Bullying Survey that is held in the United Kingdom in 2017. One of two people have experienced bullying with one of ten people have been bullied within the past week, they were done mostly in the internet or is often called as cyber-bullying . As in Indonesia, through a research that is done by International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) that was realeased by March in 2015 stated that 84% of children in Indonesia suffered violation that is done in school. Although efforts on giving punishment to the felons who torture children has been done by the government through Peraturan Pemerintah Pengganti Undang-undang (Perppu) Nomor 1 Tahun 2016, but still according to an article that published in the website of Komisi Perlindungan Anak Indonesia (KPAI) wrote by Setiyawan, by October 2017 there are 2655 cases of violence happened to children. After this finding, the question “why?” was fastly arouse. Why does it happen to children? Why would anyone do such things?

Children is considered to be an easy target. Something could happen to them and only a few would speak up about it. The silent ones would likely chose to keep it like that also for number of reasons, they could be scared of the abuser/bullies, or they could be scared of being judged by other of being too weak or too lame and risk another type of bullying to happened to them. As a further cause, the victims will likely to be anxious, lacking sense of security, highly depressed, low self-respected, less confident, unpopular, relatively introverted, relatively quiet, relatively reserved and unhappy characteristics (Besag, 1989; Bosworth & Espelage, 1999; Clarke & Kisekica, 1997; Duncan, 1999; Hoover & Hazler, 1991; Olweus, 1994; Peterson & Skiba, 2001; Rigby & Slee, 1992; Salmon & James, 1998).

A worse case that could happen is the victim immitates their bullies. Bullying behavior although formed gradually by learning through observation and imitation—as one of the main process of learning in teenage’s growth—is a form of human attack that is caused by accumulated frustrations (Shao-I Chiu, 2013). By a reasearh done by Patterson in 1986, Shao-I Chiu found that Patterson suggests that a child will imitate bullying behavior if they found that grown-up people from higher social ranks practiced bullying and instead of being punished, they were encouraged and praised. This behavior could extend into their adulthood.

The lack of emotional intelligence (EI) is thought to be the main cause of this behavior. In a study done by multiple researchers found that the bullies are usually impulsive and bad-tempered, highly depressed, aggressive to fellows, less anxious, and although they are often good with communication they’re lacking on simpathy towards others (Besag, 1989; Bosworth & Espelage, 1999; Boulton & Smith, 1994; Duncan, 1999; Olweus, 1994; Peterson & Skiba, 2001; Rigby & Slee, 1992; Salmon & James, 1998). It is highly different with what Caldwell and Garret (2009) found that the more people aware of their needs and those of others, the more effective the people become on assessing situations and taking appropriate actions as a response—which is the sign of people with high emotional intelligence.

Being morally good is often thought as something conservative, the thing that already behind the times and there is no young generation would want to do anymore, being morally good then considered to be not cool. It is now commonly prefered to be known as a bad person but succeeded on gaining money than being good to others as it thought to bring no material benefits to those who act good. But to what extend on acting bad and bring suffers to others will get our children? Now, what do we expect from a generation of bullies and victims—that turns into bullies—when the 21st century is already in front of our eyes? The needed competencies are not only ones that requires hard-skills to survive in the workplace, 21st century is all about mastering on both hard-skill and soft-skill and bring suffers to others is definitely not one of the skills. In the age where being bad is glorified not only by the masses, but by the media, it is hard to maintain our children behavior.

What do we do to solve this problem? Make moral cool again is suggested to be an alternative answer. As in Indonesia we have Pancasila. Pancasila is the official philosophical foundation of Indonesia. Since in the level of Elementary School children has been taught about Pancasila in school through the annual Monday Ceremony. The Undang-undang Dasar 1945 and Pancasila itself will be sound loud and clear as it read by one of the ceremony’s executor but little did they know what it was actually meant. Teaching our children about the moral values the Pancasila possessed is not enough by the annual Monday Ceremony, it has to be something that will leave the impression in them, something they can carry around, something they can possess just like what Pancasila should be to them—something with moral values that they can and should be possessed.

As what Ornstein and Hunskins (2009) stated that it is possible to give instruction in moral knowledge and ethics. It could be done by studying the writings and principles of moral people like Yudi Latif in his book titled Mata Air Keteladanan: Pancasila dalam Perbuatan and Prof. Dr. Ir. Maswardi Muhammad Amin, M.Pd., with his book titled Moral Pancasila Jatidiri Bangsa. Other than that we could set an example like that is already done by 2,563 schools in Indonesia that articulated Children-friendly School or SRA (Sekolah Ramah Anak) an activity that is moved by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA)—which the process is done by growing example, habits, and sharpening sensitiveness by the school, parents, and children to make sure that children is avoided by the threats of violence in school.

Another example that we could set is by showing them kindness and constantly reminds them that there are people out there that actually doing good to others and still manage to be succeed in their education or the land of work that they’re doing just like published in the website called Moral Heroes http://moralheroes.org which provides articles of people who could be an inspiration for the heroes inside of us. One of the Moral Heroes shown was Omer Goldman, a syrian activist in which after high school refuse to enter military—when to enter military is somewhat an obligation for those in her age in Syria—because she saw injustice in them and saw that violence is not a solution as she refuse to commit violence and encourage others to do the same. The other is Malala Yousafzai whom was refused to give up on fear and still going to school over the strict-religious rules in her valley that forbid girls to obtain an education, even after being shot for going to school the trauma doesn’t stand in her way, she’s been traveling and encouraging support for female education and in 2013 became the youngest person to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. There are many influential young people that could be moral heroes, in Indonesia we have several public figures like Tasya Kamila, and Maudy Ayunda that’s been pursuing their education abroad in the world’s most prestigious universities while campaigning from one charity to another one at a time in order to help the growth of faith back in humanity—despite how they’re such public figures with busy schedules, they shows that they’re still willing to work hard on their study and failing on it is not an option. That kind of example that we want to show our children, that if those people can do it, then there’s no reason for our children for not accomplishing it too—if only they’re as willing to do as much effort, even more to arrive to that point.

Why do we need to make moral cool again? Individuals with good moral is considered to tend to have a high emotional intelligence. Which means they have the capacity or the ability to understand and relate with others as a form of social awareness, and they can cope with stress, could manage their own emotions, solve problems, and adapt to changes (Caldwell & Gravett, 2009; Savafi et al., 2009). Those traits are going to be very useful in the workplace because by the study done by Caldwell and Gravett in 2009 they found that the ability of coping with stress is very important for generating and maintaining enthusiasm, confidence, and cooperation in the workplace because they think that the more people aware of their needs and those of others, the more effective the people become on assessing situations and taking appropriate actions as a response. Also, the people with high emotional intelligence is likely to be a leader or manager in their workplace as they have the ability to manage in crtitical times, and could do social-analysis, deal-making, can still manage in conflict, and is an expert on communication and negotiation (Caldwell & Gravett, 2009; Higgs & Dulweicz, 2016).

With all of these efforts, it is hoped that as educational practitioners we could really pay attention of what is really happening with our children, to know what their fear; what they’re thinking; and what they want; and to help them achieve it. Although it is going to be a long road to manage to get to that point, by showing them and letting them know that they can actually be morally good and succeeded in the whatever land of work they’re going to land on—by knowing how to handle themselves and be as a help for others through learning on how to develop their emotional intelligence, that Pancasila is not only the philosophical basis of the country that’s being shout every Monday morning but is actually represents ourselves as an Indonesian and what we wish to be—the author wish that this could be an alternative way to deliver them to be a competent opponent in 21st century.

CONCLUSION

For Indonesian students, Pancasila should not only be known as the country’s philosophical foundation. The students should actually know what it meant and applies the moral values in real life in order to be a moral individual. Indiviuals with good moral tend to have a high emotional intelligence because they know what their worth and still willing to cooperate with others.

Having a high emotional intelligence is very useful in order to be a competent opponent in 21st century, because to survive in 21st century is not only about mastering hard-skills but also soft-skills and by having a high emotional intelligence means that we have the traits on mastering soft-skills those are: good communication skills, self-awareness, social awareness, emotional resilience, able to motivate one-self, interpersonal sensitivity, conscientiousness, intuitiveness and influence. Also, by having those traits, the students will get to be easier to communicate and collaborate which is two of the main competences in the 21st century.

By having a good moral, it is considered that one-self is having a high emotional intelligence which is practically means that we have the “ticket” to survive in 21st century and could actually work on that to be better and to be and be categorized as competent.

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