Towards an assertive community<\/p>\n
By Adrianus Meliala<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Nowadays, an assertive person has a chance to be
\nsuperior to those who do not possess that quality. An assertive
\nperson has bigger opportunities to succeed in persuading other
\npeople, in gaining information or in changing other people's
\nperceptions. If this ability is applied to certain practical
\npurposes, the assertive person will also be superior in
\nconducting business lobbies, in accomplishing a study, or in
\nleading an organization, to name a few.<\/p>\n
As a concept, assertiveness can be linked to an individual's
\ncapability to express feelings and attitudes without being too
\noutspoken, direct or even arrogant so as to spoil the situation
\nand to hurt other people's feelings. Psychology in this case
\nbelieves that an assertive personality is not hereditary. In
\nother words, this capability can be practiced and developed. In
\nshort, assertiveness is one of the modern personality
\ncharacteristics that is very much needed.<\/p>\n
Psychology has so far given a formulation for the change of
\nappearance of many individuals. A person that was previously
\nalways in doubt to express an opinion, changes into a spontaneous
\none. A person that tends to be wanting in his external locus
\n(convinced that it is other people who influence his life and not
\nhe himself who influences it) can also be modified, so as to
\nraise his internal dimensions. Also, a person with changing
\nopinions can become somebody with solid convictions.<\/p>\n
But, when can all Indonesians be developed into assertive
\npersons?<\/p>\n
It seems we can agree that an individual approach by
\npsychological means is not fast enough and is very limited in
\nkeeping up with the needs to supplement the Indonesian community
\nwith various superior characteristics. Apart from assertiveness,
\nthe will to compete, determination to study and not to despair
\nbelong to the category of superior characteristics which need to
\nbe developed by all Indonesians now, in order to keep pace with
\nprogress in economy, as well as progress in other fields.<\/p>\n
It is a challenging question whether as a community, we
\npossess a high, or low assertiveness. On many occasions
\nIndonesians find it difficult to say when something is wrong.
\nShould they have the courage to do so, the way of expressing it
\nis often circumspect. The culture to put seniority on a pedestal,
\nthe culture of reluctance in being outspoken, are things that
\nhamper assertiveness in the community.<\/p>\n
In other matters, however, there is an impression that people
\nnow tend to be more expressive, which is shown by the high number
\nof demonstrations in the streets, despite threats continuously
\nuttered by security enforcers to arrest the demonstrators if they
\nare considered to be disturbing public order.<\/p>\n
In short, there are many factors which show that Indonesians
\nare often inhibited from appearing as they are. The inhibition
\nmay come from cultural or local values, as well as universal
\ninfluences; likewise restraints due to religion, customs and
\nrules which are special, such as regulations at work, or public
\nin character, as in the law and ethical codes. All this
\nconsistently provide beacons for the individual to act in
\naccordance with the community's expectations.<\/p>\n
So, on the one hand, people are inhibited by things external
\nin character. On the other hand, the community itself is
\nautomatically, intentionally or not, an inhibitor of its members'
\nbehavior not to deviate. Assertiveness at the community level, in
\nthe form of a statement of opinion, an exhibition of tendentious
\nart, a press release, a demonstration, a petition, a strike, a
\nself-sacrifice, or a vote casting, etc., will become a behavior
\nthat any moment could be construed as deviating.<\/p>\n
If the word "inhibition" is used, it means the relation
\nbetween the community and those external factors is already
\nnegative in character. The strengths, or even the weaknesses, of
\nthe external factors always result in the worsening of the
\npeople's ability to appear as they are. The community then
\nbecomes easier to engineer. If the community wishes to develop,
\nin general it is by making use of marginal methods (like taking
\nshortcuts in all fields).<\/p>\n
Under that condition also, characteristics such as
\nspontaneity, expression and creativity in opinion and behavior,
\nbecome things which are hard to be accepted, let alone carried
\nout. Not, in the first place, because they are not allowed, but
\nbecause the ambience for it is non-existent. Creativity and
\nspontaneity also tend to be treated as indicators of the people's
\nlack of discipline. At that point, discipline is no longer a
\npositive thing because its meaning is "uniformity of the
\ncommunity".<\/p>\n
A danger will arise when spontaneity, or the wish to express
\noneself, develops and cannot be halted. At that time, a mass
\nbehavior may occur, with a tendency to destroy.<\/p>\n
In a nearly similar situation, as in assertiveness training at
\nindividual level, people also need certain conditions to become
\nassertive.<\/p>\n
The first condition is that there must be clarity as to the
\nlimits of the dynamics of external influences. It is thereby
\nmeant that the community knows well that religion, politics,
\nbasic rights, ethical codes, etc., will reject (and may possibly
\npenalize) if the community commits various acts which are
\nconsidered negative by each institution. The assertiveness of the
\ngroup can then be constantly targeted to the substances rejected
\nand accepted.<\/p>\n
Especially in politics, there are many things which are
\nintentionally and continuously left alone in a not very clear
\nstate. Then, many people become the victim of their own
\nassertiveness because they have touched on subjects which prove
\nto be banned but which have only been put in the gray area. The
\nrecent hot issues concerning political permits, by the
\ngovernment, can be seen in that perspective.<\/p>\n
The second condition is the consistent availability of rewards
\neach time an assertive behavior occurs, whatever the quality. The
\nobjective is that somebody gets the reinforcement to continue to
\ndo so. On an individual level, it is very easy to do this; the
\nsituation is far more complex for giving a reward to a
\ncommunity's assertiveness.<\/p>\n
To serve as an example, confusion often arises about whether
\nit is prohibited to demonstrate in the streets. Sometimes,
\nsecurity forces seem to approve of a demonstration, but at other
\ntimes they round up the demonstrators. Inconstancy is also often
\nshown in the execution of functional controls. The complaint is
\noften heard, "People say criticism is appreciated, but in reality
\nthe critics are ostracized."<\/p>\n
The spirit to launch openness in various fields is actually in
\nline with the spirit of assertiveness. It is so said,
\nconsidering that this principle enables all people to know what
\nis happening and, at the same time, to take a stance and decide
\nwhat to do. It is ironical that amid the spirit of openness,
\npeople maintain the same level or have a lower level of
\nassertiveness.<\/p>\n
The third condition is the availability of a patron or role
\nmodel. With a concrete model on assertive personality and
\nbehavior, people can more easily imitate. In that context we
\nshould be grateful that there are always one or two community
\nmembers who are not willing to follow the mainstream in attitude
\nand public opinion. These members of the community are capable of
\nseeing through situations clearly, and, at the same time, stating
\ntheir attitude in a vocal, or assertive way.<\/p>\n
The writer is a criminologist at the School of Social and
\nPolitical Sciences at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>",
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