ADAMA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

GROUP ASSIGNMENT FOR THE COURSE OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

AND LIFE SKILL(LART 2002)

NAME....................... ...............................ID

1.WAKSHUMA DELESA...... .... .............UGR/22539/13

2. MURAD ADEM............. ............... UGR/22613/13

3.ABEJE TESHOME. .......... ............UGR/23609/13

4.TSEGAYE ABREHAM................. . ....... ..... UGR/22920/13

5.TEWDROS ABREHAM ....................... ............ ...UGR/23584/13

6.YEROSEN ABERA........................... .............UGR/23559/13

SUBMITTED TO : - MISS . TIGIST

SUBMISSION SATE :-JULY/ 1 2/ 2022

1 Define life skills and describe components, and goals of life skills.

Life skills are something of a buzzword and have been the focus of discussion across a range of
personal and social affairs around the world.
As defined in the document of World Health Organization life skills are
“abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to
deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.” It is
also defined as “behavioral changes or behavioral development
approach designed to address a balance of three areas: knowledge
attitude and skills” (UNICEF‟s definition).
Similarly, it is defined as “Personal and social skills required for young people to function
confidently and competently with themselves, other people, and the wider community” (TACAD,
UK)
Life skills are essentially those abilities that help to promote mental well-being and competence
in young people as they face the realities of life. Hence, students who are able to understand and
use these skills, along with their educational qualifications, will be better placed to take advantage
of educational and employment opportunities.

Components of life skills

The following are simple descriptions given for major components of life skills. The details are
given in the subsequent chapters of the module. However, for better understanding, you need to
read different materials written on life skills.
1) Critical thinking - thinking more effectively within curricular subject areas,
understanding the reasoning employed, assessing independently and appropriately,
and solving problems effectively. It involves, as well, improved thinking skills in
dealing with real life problems in assessing information and arguments in social
contexts and making life decisions.
2) Self-confidence – is the degree to which one can rely on his/her ability to
perform certain behavior alone or in public. It is individual‘s trust in his or her own
abilities, capacities, and judgments, or belief that he or she can successfully face day-
to-day challenges and demands (Psychology Dictionary Online).
3) Self-awareness – knowledge and understanding of one‘s strengthens and
weaknesses. Self-awareness involves monitoring our inner worlds, thoughts,
emotions, and beliefs. It is important, because it is a major mechanism influencing
personal development.
4) Self-esteem - the degree to which we perceive ourselves positively or
negatively; our overall attitude toward ourselves, which can be measured explicitly or
implicitly.
5) Decision-making - Processes involved in combining and integrating available
information to choose, implement and evaluate one out of several possible courses of
actions.
6) Interpersonal relationships – the relationships a person have with others
persons. They are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or
more people having various levels of intimacy and sharing, and implying the
discovery or establishment of common ground.
 7) Reflective communication - attending communications with thoughtful and
due attention to reflect on one‘s own thinking, behaviors and interaction with others.
8) Peer pressure resistance – individual‘s abilities and skills to confront
negative influences from his/her group members.
9) Knowing rights and duties – One‘s knowledge and understanding of rights
and duties of individuals, groups, institutions and nations allowed to do or not to do
by law and/or a culture.
10) Problem solving – the process of identifying a discrepancy between an actual
and desired state of affairs, difficulties, obstacles and complex issues and then taking
action to resolve the deficiency or take advantage of the opportunity.

Life skills include all the components given above. If someone is able to develop them at least to
an average level, she/he can lead a better and peaceful life. Moreover, to be effective in life, one
has to develop skills of expressing views, challenging stereotypes, making connections, thinking
creatively, getting good advices, managing time, learning how to learn, listening actively, and the
like.

Goals of life skills

Life skills are not something we learn only for the sake of academic life. We rather develop them
for effective functioning in our life. Development of life skills is, therefore, a lifelong process
where one has to update his/her skills and knowledge of dealing with life events.
The goal of knowing and applying life skills is to lead a smooth and successful
life at home, work place and in social relationship. These skills help us live in
harmony with ourselves and others around us, select the goods from the bad,
choose gold from soil, simplify life that is full of troubles otherwise etc.
Therefore, you are advised to know, understand and exercise skills of life.
Life skills are generally applied in the context of academics, workplace and social events. For
instance, they can be utilized in many content areas of health: prevention of drug use, sexual
violence, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and suicide prevention. Its importance can
also extend into consumer education, environmental education, peace education or education for
development, livelihood and income generation, among others. In short, life skills empower
young people to take positive action to protect themselves and promote health and positive social
relationships.
With life skills, one is able to explore alternatives, weigh pros and cons and make rational
decisions in solving each problem or issue as it arises. It also entails being able to establish
productive interpersonal relationships with others. Life skills enable effective communication, for
example, being able to differentiate between hearing, listening, and ensuring that messages are
transmitted accurately to avoid miscommunication and misinterpretations.

2 Define self-concept, self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence and illustrate with

real life examples.

Self-concept
Self-concept is a multi-dimensional, incorporating ourselves in terms of several different
aspects(e.g., social, religious, spiritual, physical, emotional). It is learned not inherited. It is
influenced by biological and environmental factors, but social interaction plays a big role as well.
It was explained that a Self-concept is a collection of beliefs about one’s basic nature, unique
qualities, and typical behavior. One’s self-concept might include such beliefs such as “I am tall”,
“I am brown”, “I play the piano”, “I am best athlete”. Similarly, Clayton(1994) describes that
one’s self-concept is view of oneself or mental picture of oneself. It involves one’s view about
likes & dislikes and one’s doing.
Self-concept has the following important features:
 It is the totality of ideas that a person holds about the self
 It includes everything the person believes to be true about himself/herself
 It is composed of relatively permanent self-assessments that of course changes over
time with life experiences and relationships
 It is not restricted to the present. It also includes past and future selves
 It is a multi-dimensional construct that refers to an individual's perception of "self" in
relation to a number of characteristics, such as academics, gender roles, racial
identity, and many others
 It guides our actions, motivations, expectations and goals for future
Real life examples include positive self-concepts like:
 A person sees herself as an intelligent person
 A man perceives himself as an important member of his community
 A woman sees herself as an excellent wife and friend
 A man thinks of himself as a nurturing and caring person
Real life examples also include negative self-concepts like:
o A person sees herself as stupid and slow
o A person think of himself as a cold and unapproachable person
o A woman sees herself as a terrible mother

Self-awareness
Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses,
thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. It is an attribute of one‘s selfconcept that allows
understanding other people‘s attitudes and responses to them.
Self-awareness helps you to:
 Become aware of how you see yourself and how others see you.
 Understand your strength and weakness.
 Develop confidence to implement (practice) your good qualities.
 Improve the things about yourself that you want to change.
 Aware of what you want to become.
In order to develop self-awareness, one should get clear information or ideas on the major
changes that takes place during the period of adolescence. These are:
 Aware of one’s physical change
 Intellectual changes
 Emotions
 The psychosocial changes
High self-awareness is a solid predictor of good success in life, perhaps because a self-aware
person knows when an opportunity is a good fit for them and how to make an appropriate
enterprise work well. However, most of us are hardly aware of why we succeed or fail; or why we
behave as we do. Our minds are so busy with daily hassles that we usually selfreflect only when
something goes awfully wrong. Our response in challenging situations is often to get defensive,
make excuses, or blame another person, because we do not want to see our part in the disaster. If
we can observe ourselves during such incidents, it will be a good start to self-awareness.
Here are some suggestions to start building self-awareness:
 Practice mindfulness
  Become a good listener
 Become more self-aware
 Open your mind to new perspectives
 Develop self-esteem
 Look at yourself objectively
 Take feedback from others
 Know your strengths and weaknesses
 Set intentions and goals
Real life examples of self-awareness
 Spiritual: ask the right questions - about your thoughts & feelings and the cause for them
 Personal: dealing with conflicts and recurring emotions - if you find yourself
experiencing recurrent negative emotions and conflicts, it is important to figure out why
 Financial: Why do I keep running out of money?
 Relationship: Are you aware of the health of your relationship?
 Physical: Self-awareness regarding your physical health
 Educational self-awareness: A journey of lifelong learning
 Thinking about others: Become self-aware of your impact on others

Self-esteem
In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall subjective sense of
personal worth or value.
In other words, self-esteem may be defined as how much you appreciate and like yourself
regardless of the circumstances.Self-esteem refers to a person’s overall sense of his or her value
or worth. It can be considered a sort of measure of how much a person “values, approves of,
appreciates, prizes, or likes him or herself”.
Self-esteem is the
 “reputation” you get with yourself
 “a favorable impression of yourself”
 Sense of your values or worth
 Extent to which you value, approve of, appreciate, of yourself
 Favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the self
No one gives you self-esteem. You will earn your self-esteem in solving
your own problems. Overcoming challenges, and dealing with your
setbacks and failures. You will earn it with your own hard work and
perseverance. You will learn to appreciate yourself as you develop your
talents and experience your power.
Example,
 On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
 At times I think I am no good at all.
 I feel that I have a number of good qualities.
 I am able to do things as well as most other people
 I feel I do not have much to be proud of.
 I certainly feel useless at times.
 I feel that I'm a person of worth.

Self-confidence
Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you accept and trust
yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You know your strengths and weakness well, and
have a positive view of yourself. You set realistic expectations and goals, communicate
assertively, and can handle criticism.
On the other hand, low self-confidence might make you feel full of self-doubt, be passive or
submissive, or have difficulty trusting others. You may feel inferior, unloved, or be sensitive to
criticism. Feeling confident in yourself might depend on the situation. For instance, you can feel
very confident in some areas, such as academics, but lack confidence in others, like relationships.
Confidence is not something a few people are born with and others are not, for it is acquired
characterstics.
Having high or low self-confidence is rarely related to your actual abilities, and mostly based on
your perceptions. Perceptions are the way your think about yourself and these thoughts can be
flawed. Low self-confidence might stem from different experiences, such as growing up in an
unsupportive and critical environment, being separated from your friends or family for the first
time, judging yourself too harshly, or being afraid of failure.
People with low self-confidence often have errors in their thinking.
Example
 They Listen More Than They Speak
 They Speak With Certainty
 They Seek Out Small Victories

3 Explain critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making
and demonstrate them with examples from your life experience.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter
divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons,
depth, breadth, and fairness.
Example
 A person trying to interpret an angry friend’s needs, expressed through a rush of emotion
and snide comments, to give that friend some help and support
 A manager trying to be as objective as possible when settling a dispute by summarizing
the alternatives, with fairness to all sides to a disagreement.

Creative thinking
Creative thinking refers to using abilities and soft skills to come up with new solutions to
problems. Creative thinking skills are techniques used to look at the issue from different and
creative angles, using the right tools to assess it and develop a plan.
Example
 problem solving, writing, visual art, communication skills, and open-mindedness.

Problem solving
Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem;
identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.
Example,
 Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else.
 Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication.
 Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
Decision-making
Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering
information, and assessing alternative resolutions.
Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate, thoughtful
decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives.
Example, We have many decision-making examples in daily life such as:
Deciding what to wear.
Deciding what to eat for lunch.
Choosing which book to read.
Deciding what task to do next.

4 Clarify interpersonal relationship, reflective communication, and knowing rights

and duties.

Inter-personal relations
An inter-personal relationship is a social connection or affilation between two or more people.
Interpersonal relationships can include your partner, loved ones, close friends, aquintances , co-
workers, and many others who make up for the social connection in our life.
Interpersonal relationships teach us who we are. From a very young age, the people around us
form key aspects of our personalities and value systems. They can help give us a sense of purpose
and direction.
They’re also a key component to overall physical and mental well-being. There’s a strong link
between relationships and emotional health. That’s why it’s vital to surround yourself with people
who give you joy, support, and comfort.
Reflexive communication
Reflective communication is an exchange of ideas it actually highliths, mirrors and reflects what
somebody is thinking, inferring, understanding, or trying to express.
The purpose of reflective communication are:
 To allow the speaker to ‘hear ’ their own thoughts and focus on what they say and feel
 To show the speaker that you are trying to perceive the world as they see and that your
are doing your best to understand their messages
 To encourage them to continue talking
Knowing right and duties.
Rights are rules of interaction between people. They place constraints and obligations upon the
actions of the state and individuals or groups. For example, if one has a right to life, this means
that others do not have the liberty to kill him or her.
But the rights have real meaning only if individuals perform duties. A duty is something that
someone is expected or required to do. Parents, for example, have a duty to take care of their
children. You have duties towards your parents. A teacher has a duty to educate students
rights and duties are two wheels on which the chariot of life moves forward smoothly. Life can
become smoother if rights and duties go hand in hand and become complementary to each other.
Rights are what we want others to do for us whereas the duties are those acts which we should
perform for others. Thus, a right comes with an obligation to show respect for the rights of others.
The obligations that accompany rights are in the form of duties. If we have the right to enjoy
public facilities like transport or health services, it becomes our duty to allow others to avail the
same. If we have the right to freedom, it becomes our duty not to misuse this and harm others.
5.Discuss the following academic skills: time management, note-taking & test-taking skills,
goal setting and career development skills.
ANSWER:
> TIME MANAGEMENT: is refers to managing time effectively so that the right time is
allocated to the right activity. It also refers to making the best use of time as time is always
limited.
Effective time management allows individuals to assign specific time slots to activities as per
their importance.
Time Management plays a very important role not only in organizations but also in our personal
lives.
Time Management includes:
 Effective Planning
 Setting goals and objectives
 Setting deadlines
 Delegation of responsibilities
 Prioritizing activities as per their importance
 Spending the right time on the right activity.
> NOTE TAKING: is refers to the process of writing down or recording the main key points of
information.
Note-taking depends upon working memory – the memor store responsible for both short-term
storage (what you are currently thinking about) and the mental transformation of information
(manipulating and modifying what you are currently thinking about).
Taking notes can help you to:
 improve your understanding by making you convert difficult ideas into your own words.
 prepare for writing fuller, better connected arguments in your essays.
 be more focused and time-efficient in your exam revision period.
 assess your own progress as you study.
Note taking steps:
1. Don’t write down every word.
2. Decide what is important.
3. Be an active listener or reader.
4. Use symbols and abbreviations.
5. Revise your notes as soon as possible, etc.
> TEST-TAKING SKILLS: are cognitive abilities that enable students to take every exam
circumstance seriously and to be aware of what to do before, during, and after the test.
Steps to prepare for the night before the exam:
 Get enough sleep.
 Avoid caffeine which increases anxiety.
 Give yourself time to feel composed and to be on time for the exam.
 Avoid anxious classmates who are talking about the exam.
Steps for the Day Of the Exam:
 Focus your attention on the test.
 Avoid wasting time and energy worrying about your grade or wondering what others are
doing.
 If you start to feel anxious, practice your relaxation techniques. Use anxiety as a cue to
relax. Close your eyes, take three deep breaths and then back to the task.
What to do During the Exam:
 GO back to the questions that you weren’t sure of at the end of the test if time permits.
 If you don’t know the answer, mark the answer that you think is the best answer and
move on. Later questions may jog your memory.
 Eliminate answers as quickly as possible to narrow down your choices.
  Try to generate the answer before looking at the choices.
 Trust yourself and what you know.
Test taking strategy:
 Know exam terms.
 Be prepared.
 Always arrive early and take a moment to relax.
 Listen attentively to last minute instructions given by the instructor.
 Read the test directions very carefully.
 Plan how you will use the allotted time.
 Answer all the questions.
 If you don't know an answer, skip the question.
 Plan to finish early and have time for review.
 Analyze past tests.
> GOAL SETTING : is a purposeful and explicit process that starts with identifying a new
objective, skill, or project you want to achieve.
Then, you make a plan for achieving it, and you work to complete it.
Why is goal setting important?
When you set goals, you take control of your life’s—or your work’s—direction. Goals provide
you with focus. The decisions you make and actions you take should bring you closer to
achieving those goals.
Setting goals keeps you moving, increases your happiness, and significantly benefits your
organization. When you set goals, you create a vision of what your life or your business could
look like. Then you start pushing yourself and your team to get the best results possible.
HOW TO SET A GOALS ?
A goal is set by using the following steps:
1. Think about the results you want to see.
2. Create SMART goals.
Once you’ve zeroed in on what you actually want, ensure your goal meets the SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Attendable, Realistic, Timebound) criteria .
3. Write your goals down
4. Create an action plan
5. Create a timeline.
There are three types of goals: process, performance, and outcome goals.
1. Process goals : are specific actions or ‘processes’ of performing. For example, aiming to
study for 2 hours after dinner every day . Process goals are 100% controllable by the
individual.
2. Performance goals: are based on personal standard. For example, aiming to achieve a 4.0
GPA. Personal goals are mostly controllable.
3. Outcome goals : are based on winning. For a university student, this could look like landing a
job in your field or landing job at a particular place of employment you wanted. Outcome goals
are very difficult to control because of other outside influences.
> CAREER DEVELOPMENT : is the process of self-knowledge, exploration, and decision-
making that shapes your career. It requires successfully navigating your occupational options
to choose and train for jobs that suit your personality, skills, and interests.
How Does Career Development Work?
 Career development can start when someone is quite young and just learning about
different ways to make a living. It is a part of human development, and the process can
span a lifetime.
Factors that Influence Career Development:
 Personal Characteristics
 Financial Resources
  Financial Obligations
 Physical, Mental, and Emotional Impairments, etc.

6.1 cultural diversity and diversity management

Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, the
global monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural evolution. The term
"cultural diversity" can also refer to having different cultures respect each other's differences. It is
often used to mention the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the
world as a whole. It refers to the inclusion of different cultural perspectives in an organization or
society.
The importance of cultural diversity can be interpreted on the basis of these related actions:
 Recognizing that there is a large amount of cultures that exist
 Respecting each other’s differences
 Acknowledging that all cultural expressions are valid
 Valuing what cultures have to bring to the table
 Empowering diverse groups to contribute
 Celebrating differences, not just tolerating them
Benefits Of Cultural Diversity
 Compassion: Communication and understanding of differences leads to increased
compassion instead of judgment.
 Innovation: Varied perspectives and lens of looking at the world lend to innovative thinking.
 Productivity: People who come together and bring their own style of working together tend
to support a more productive team.
 New Opportunities: The diversity opens the door to new opportunities and the blending of
ideas which would otherwise have been homogeneous.
 Problem-Solving: Challenges are layered, so having people with different backgrounds can
lead to better problem-solving with richness of opinions
How To Support Cultural Diversity
 Individuals and institutions alike have the agency to support cultural diversity. If you’re
unsure how you can take action to do so, consider these ideas:
 Interact with people outside of your culture
 Be open-minded to listen and let go of judgment
 If you see anyone who is being culturally insensitive, speak out against it
 Accept that differences are beneficial and not harmful
 Don’t force your beliefs on people with opposing views
 Advocate to hire people or work with people who are not within your same culture
 Travel the world as much as you can to take part in cultures and understand them from the
source
 Read literature and learn from different cultures
 Absorb media and art from around the world
 Learn a new language and communicate in a friend’s native language rather than your own

6.2 Gender and social inclusion

Gender is:
About women, girls, men, and boys, and the associated norms, behaviors, and roles as well as the
relationships among these groups. Gender is considered to be a social construct and its definition
can vary among societies and change over time.
Gender is not:
 Only about women and girls: Men and boys should also be part of the GESI equation
 Only women’s responsibility: For real change to happen, everyone needs to be involved
 A Western or foreign concept: Gender equality is a global goal articulated in national,
regional, and international commitments and treaties to which many countries worldwide are
signatories
 An attempt to take away the rights of men and boys: Human Rights are universal, which
means that they apply to all human beings
 Only an issue for gender specialists: Relying solely on gender specialists cannot tackle the
main drivers of gender inequality and social exclusion. Everyone needs to be involved and
committed to equality and inclusiveness.
Social exclusion is when individuals or groups are unable to parti cipate in the economic, social,
politi cal and cultural life of their society.

Social inclusion is defined as the process of improving the terms of participation in society,
particularly for people who are disadvantaged, through enhancing opportunities, access to
resources, voice and respect for rights.
“ The process of improving the terms for individuals and groups to take part in society” and “The
process of improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of people, disadvantaged on the basis of
their identity, to take part in society” (World Bank, 2013, pp. 3-4). “Social inclusion is a process
which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and
resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social, political and cultural life and to
enjoy a standard of living that is considered normal in the society in which they live. It ensures
that they have greater participation in decision making which affects their lives and access to
their fundamental rights”(Commission of the European Communities, 2003, p. 9).
Women play important roles in the rural economy. They work as farmers, wage earners and
entrepreneurs. Indigenous women have an important role as custodians of traditional knowledge
that is key for their communities’ livelihoods, resilience and culture. In addition indigenous.
Women can make a unique contribution to natural resource management.
Yet, women in rural areas face constraints in engaging in economic activities. Rural women are
less likely to be wage earners, and when they are, they earn less than men. Rural women are often
concentrated in low-skilled, low-productivity and low or unpaid jobs with long working hours,
poor working conditions and limited social protection. Furthermore, they shoulder a
disproportionate burden of unpaid care and household work, including food provision, caring for
children, the sick and the elderly.
Because of gender-based discrimination and social norms, most of their work remains unseen,
unrecognized and undervalued. Women’s presence in rural workers’ and employers’ organizations
remains low, leading to lack of voice and representation. Rural women are at high risk of sexual
harassment and other forms of gender-based violence. There is an urgent need to eliminate the
persistent inequalities between men and women that perpetuate violence and harassment. ILO
constituents have given this issue the highest priority, and in June of this year, they will be
discussing the details of a possible treaty, or other international instrument, on ending violence
and harassment in the world of work
What is needed to bridge the gap for rural women? Creating decent jobs, entrepreneurship
training and access to education, infrastructure and finance is key. Protecting rural women from
unacceptable forms of work, enhancing social protection, ensuring their voices are heard and
closing the representation gap are key elements needed for transformative action.

6.3 Social influences specifically peer pressure and how to handle it

Social influence is the process by which an individual’s attitudes, beliefs or behavior are
modified by the presence or action of others.
Social influence comprises the ways in which individuals change their behavior to meet the
demands of a social environment. It takes many forms and can be seen in conformity,
socialization, peer pressure, obedience, leadership, persuasion, sales, and marketing. Typically
social influence results from a specific action, command, or request, but people also alter their
attitudes and behaviors in response to what they perceive others might do or think
What is peer pressure?
Everyone has peers. Peers can be your friends who are about your age and have similar interests
and experiences. Peers can also be other kids who are about your age and are involved in the
same activities with you or are part of a community or group you belong to. You may not consider
all of your peers to be friends, but they can all influence you.
Peer pressure can be positive or negative. When peer pressure is positive, it pushes you to be
your best. Negative peer pressure is when someone who is a friend or part of a group you belong
to makes you feel that you have to do something to be accepted. It’s the negative peer pressure
that we usually think of when the phrase peer pressure is used. When you give in to negative peer
pressure, you often feel guilty or disappointed with yourself for acting in a way that goes against
your beliefs or values.
Some examples of negative peer pressure are:
 Needing to dress or act a certain way.
 Cheating or copying someone else’s work or letting others copy your work.
 Not including certain people in social activities.
 Taking dangerous risks when driving.
 Using drugs or alcohol.
 Shoplifting or stealing.
 Engaging in sexual activity.
 Engaging in bullying or cyberbullying.
 Projecting a misleading/false image on social media.
What strategies can help handle negative peer pressure?
 Pay attention to how you feel. If something doesn’t feel right about a situation, it probably
isn’t. Even if your friends seem ok with what is going on, the situation may not be right for
you.
 Plan ahead. Think about how you will respond in different situations. Plan what you can say
or what you can do.
 Talk to the person who is pressuring, let him or her know how it makes you feel and tell the
person stop.
 Have a secret code to communicate with parents. Something you can say or text to your
parent(s) that lets them know you need out of a situation. Parents can either call or text to say
that you need to come home, or that they need to pick you up.
 Give an excuse. It should be ok to say “no” without needing to apologize or give an
explanation. But it may make it easier to say no if you have a ready reason. Perhaps saying
you have a medical reason such as asthma or allergies that makes it dangerous for you to
take anything. Or even stating that your parents need you to come home, if you feel it would
be best to leave the situation all together.
 Have friends with similar values and beliefs. It is easier to say “no” if someone else is also
saying it. Saying “no” together makes it easier for the both of you.
 Get support from a trusted adult such as a parent, teacher, or school counselor. A trusted
adult can listen to you and help you with strategies that might work in your situation.

6.4 Assertiveness and how to develop assertive behaviors

Assertiveness concerns being able to express feelings, wishes, wants and desires appropriately
and is an important personal and interpersonal skill. In all your interactions with other people,
whether at home or at work, with employers, customers or colleagues, assertiveness can help you
to express Being assertive means being able to stand up for your own or other people’s rights in a
calm and positive way, without being either aggressive, or passively accepting ‘wrong’.
Assertive individuals are able to get their point across without upsetting others, or becoming
upset themselves.
Assertiveness is a social skill that relies heavily on effective communication while simultaneously
respecting the thoughts and wishes of others. People who are assertive clearly and respectfully
communicate their wants, needs, positions, and boundaries to others. There’s no question of
where they stand, no matter what the topic.
Individuals who are high in assertiveness don't shy away from defending their points of view or
goals, or from trying to influence others to see their side. They are open to both compliments and
constructive criticism. People can improve their assertiveness through practical exercises and
experience.
Here are some tips to help you become more assertive:
 Assess your style. Do you voice your opinions or remain silent? Do you say yes to
additional work even when your schedule is full? Are you quick to judge or blame? Do
people seem to dread or fear talking to you? Understand your style before you begin making
changes.
 Use 'I' statements. Using I statements lets others know what you're thinking or feeling
without sounding accusatory. For instance, say, "I disagree," rather than, "You're wrong." If
you have a request, say, "I would like you to help with this" rather than, "You need to do
this." Keep your requests simple, specific and clear.
 Practice saying no. If you have a hard time turning down requests, try saying, "No, I can't
do that now." Remember that no is a complete sentence and you don't need to explain why
you choose to say no. Don't hesitate — be direct. If an explanation is appropriate, keep it
brief.
 Rehearse what you want to say. If it's challenging to say what you want or think, practice
general scenarios you encounter. Say what you want to say out loud. It may help to write it
out first, too, so you can practice from a script. Consider role-playing with a friend or
colleague and asking for clear feedback.
 Use body language. Communication isn't just verbal. Act confident even if you aren't feeling
 it. Keep an upright posture, but lean forward a bit. Make regular eye contact. Maintain a
neutral or positive facial expression. Don't cross your arms or legs. Face the person. Practice
assertive body language in front of a mirror or with a friend or colleague. In addition to what
you say, your body language and facial expressions are also important.
 Keep emotions in check. Conflict is hard for most people. Maybe you get angry or
frustrated, or maybe you feel like crying. Although these feelings are typical, they can get in
the way of resolving conflict. If you feel too emotional going into a situation, wait a bit if
possible. Then work on remaining calm. Breathe slowly. Keep your voice even and firm.
 Start small. At first, practice your new skills in situations that are low risk. For instance, try
out your assertiveness on a partner or friend before tackling a difficult situation at work.
Evaluate yourself afterward and adjust your approach as needed.

6.5 conflict and conflict resolution

Conflict Definitions
Conflict is a state of human interaction where there is disharmony or a perceived divergence of
interests, needs or goals.
Conflict is a form of competitive behaviour between people or groups. It occurs when two or
more people compete over perceived or actual incompatible goals or limited resources .
A social conflict exists when two or more persons or groups manifest the belief that they have
incompatible objectives.
Conflict is an outgrowth of the diversity that characterises our thoughts, our attitudes, our beliefs,
our perceptions, and our social systems and structures. It is as much a part of our existence as is
evolution.
At one level, we are all very familiar with conflict. Conflict is generally viewed as And yet,
conflict can also be a painful, or uncomfortable, stage of a system undergoing a process of
change, and offers the potential to transform and bring about positive growth, if handled
appropriately.
Throughout our lives, we all become experienced in dealing with conflict (even if that means
avoiding it at all cost). All human beings experience conflict as a large part of our human
undesirable negative force in society, to be eradicated as we come across it.
Type and level of conflict.
We encounter different levels of conflict – from interpersonal through to intergroup and interstate
conflict. How does this play out in a peacekeeping environment? Here are some levels of conflict
that you may experience on a typical peacekeeping mission.
Inner Conflict
Internal conflict is something that we continue to face on an ongoing basis around difficult
decisions, for example, having to do things because of our jobs that we do not like or with which
we do not necessarily agree; having to get along with people we find difficult; or dealing with the
isolation and separation from loved ones while on a mission.
The challenges and stresses of the peace mission environment may exacerbate aspects of your
own internal conflict, and that is something to expect and for which to prepare. Many of the tools
presented in this online course also apply to dealing with inner conflict – in fact, internal conflict
could be seen as a conflict between different parties within, or different parts of, ourselves.
Interpersonal Conflict
Life on a peacekeeping mission mirrors what you experience in normal social life, and the same
type of intra-office conflicts can occur as one would expect in any normal work situation. In fact,
the peacekeeping context can be especially susceptible to intra-office conflict, because it is a
highly dynamic environment. The situation is typically quite tense, often dangerous, mostly
multicultural and multilingual. There is a high turnover of personnel and everything is temporary
(your office location may change, your boss may change, the name of your unit and its location
within the larger structure may change, everybody is on short-term contracts, etc.).
Intergroup Conflict
This is the level of conflict between interpersonal conflict and conflict that occurs on a national or
international level. It can include any kind of conflict, such as conflict between the military,
police and civilian components of a mission, or between aid organisations working in the peace
mission. Conflict within a community, or between factions in one geographical area that doesn’t
necessarily impact on the national conflict, would also fall under this level.Source of confilict
Economic conflict - involves competing motives to attain scarce resources. Each party wants to
get the most that it can, and the behavior and emotions of each party are directed toward
maximizing its gain.
Value conflict - involves incompatibility in ways of life, ideologies – the preferences, principles
and practices that people believe in.
Power conflict - occurs when each party wishes to maintain or maximize the amount of influence
that it exerts in the relationship and the social setting.
ineffective communication. miscommunication and misunderstanding can create conflict even
where there are no basic incompatibilities. In addition, parties may have different perceptions as
to what are the facts in a situation, and until they share information and clarify their perceptions,
resolution is impossible. Self-centeredness, selective perception, emotional bias, prejudices, etc.,
are all forces that lead us to perceive situations very differently from the other party
Win-lose approach – situations result when only one side perceives the outcome as positive. Thus,
win-lose outcomes are less likely to be accepted voluntarily.
Lose-lose strategy- all parties end up being worse off. In some lose-lose situations, all parties
understand that losses are unavoidable and that they will be evenly distributed. In such situations,
lose-lose outcomes can be preferable to win-lose outcomes because the distribution is at least
considered to be fair
Win-win approach - is a conscious and systematic attempt to maximize the goals of both parties
through collaborative problem solving. The conflict is seen as a problem to be solved rather than
a war to be won. The important distinction is we (both parties) versus the problem, rather than we
(one party) versus they (the other party). This method focuses on the needs and constraints of
both parties rather than emphasizing strategies designed to conquer.
Conflict Can be Positive
Conflict is often seen as negative. But conflict can:
 create an opportunity for balancing the power within a relationship or the wider society, and
the reconciliation of people’s legitimate interests;
 lead to greater self-awareness and understanding, and awareness of diversity and differences
between people, organizations and societies;
 lead to personal, organisational and even systemic growth and development;
 act as a useful medium for airing and solving problems;
 allow for different interests to be reconciled; and
 foster unity within groups.

6.6 Risky behavior and strategies of overcoming risky behaviors.

Refers to ' one's purposive participation in some form of behavior that involves potential negative
consequences or losses (social, monetary, interpersonal) as well as perceived positive
consequences or gains' Some risky behavior is normal and part of life. However, there is a
difference between normal,experimental behavior, and behaviors which place ourselves or others
at risk of harm.
When will it happen?
Adolescence is known to be a peak time for risky behaviors including reckless driving, delinquent
crime, unprotected sex, biking without a helmet, and experimental drug use. Results of an
international study of adolescents from 11 countries found that adolescent risk-taking increased to
a peak at about age 19 and then gradually decreased during the mid to late 20s
WHAT ARE IT’S CAUSES?
Financial
– e.g. risky financial investment, gambling, impulsive spending or over-spending money on
unwanted things.•
Health
– e.g. unprotected sex, smoking, misuse of drugs and alcohol, drinking and driving,speeding•
Social
- e.g. confrontational behaviors, looking for a fight and also being depressed led to risky
behaviors•
Recreational
- e.g. adrenaline-seeking behaviors, such as drag racing, or extreme sports•
Ethical
– e.g. personal dishonesty at home or at work, ignoring responsibilities and being in back to back
action against one’s own society
Interventions that may help people to manage risky behavior include:
• Working with the person to explore the values, beliefs, attitudes and experiences that may
underpin their behaviors.
• Working to improve self-esteem and self-efficacy, giving people more control over the choices
they make.
• Helping the person develop a positive, future-oriented focus, and recognition of the extent to
which risky behaviors undermine future-oriented hopes and goals.
• Encouraging them to join a support group to share experiences and coping strategies with
people in a similar situation. This could be a group that meets in person, or an online / virtual
group.
• Helping them find ways to channel their energy into constructive activities.

7.What is a team and list down what results in effective teamwork.

ANSWER:
A TEAM : is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to
a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable.
THE VALUE & BENEFITS OF TEAMS
Team processes offer the following benefits to the organization:
 Synergistic process design or problem solving.
 Objective analysis of problems or opportunities.
 Promotion of cross-functional understanding.
 Improved quality and productivity.
 Greater innovation.
 Reduced operating costs.
 Increased commitment to organizational mission .
 More flexible response to change.
 Increased ownership and stewardship.
 Reduced turnover and absenteeism.
Individuals can gain the following benefits from teams:
 Enhanced problem-solving skills
 Increased knowledge of interpersonal dynamics
  Broader knowledge of business processes
 New skills for future leadership roles
 Increased quality of work life
 Feelings of satisfaction and commitment
What makes an effective teamwork?
A Teamwork is said to be effective when it was built on the following characteristics :
 Clear direction
 Open and honest communication.
 Support risk taking and change.
 Defined roles.
 Mutually accountable.
 Communicate freely.
 Common goals.
 Encourage differences in opinions.
 Collaboration.