" 84CD6F076EBF75325F380D8209373AE1 Contextual challenges for Pastoral Care and counseling in India: Unemploymentand Environmental crises

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Contextual challenges for Pastoral Care and counseling in India: Unemploymentand Environmental crises

 


Introduction:

Many, especially economists and others from time to time, have defined the term unemployment. Unemployment is undoubtedly the most significant and serious of all labor problems and has become a universal problem today. The problem of unemployment in India should not be seen as a 'residual' problem to be solved after solving other problems, but as a primary problem. The term "environment" is elusive. It is most often used in contemporary society to denote a whole range of problems that concern humanity's relations with the living and non-living world. Among current topics, the environmental crisis is one of the most discussed. Man is part of the environment, so it is certain that an environmental crisis means a human crisis. Day after day, environmental pollution occurs, and humans are mainly to blame for these problems.

 

1. Unemployment:

According to Charles and Jyothsna, “most students go through universities without a definite career path. It is common for students to choose a career because of family or peer pressure. Unemployment is not caused by the absence of job opportunities, but the result of the wrong skills. Without professional guidance, students are thrown into the deep end and expected to swim.”[1] It also refers to the situation where people who are able to work and want to work for the prevailing wage cannot find work. It is not limited to any category of persons. It can be unskilled, highly skilled and technically skilled. The term unemployment excludes able-bodied persons who voluntarily remain unemployed.

The unemployed is therefore - someone who has the ability and willingness to earn, but is unable to find paid work.[2]

Dholakia defines unemployment as "the state of being without gainful employment and generally regards it as an involuntary failure to obtain income-generating work".

Sinclair emphasized the need to define unemployment negatively by defining what it is not, i.e. unemployment is clearly not employment, and thus the unemployed are a subset of those who are not employed.[3]

 

1.1. Types of unemployment:

It is extremely useful to be able to distinguish between different types of unemployment. In the classification we have attempted, the categories most often encountered are called "seasonal," "cyclical," "structural," and "technological" unemployment.

a) Seasonal unemployment – ​​Seasonal unemployment occurs when people are unemployed at certain times of the year when the demand for labor is lower than usual.[4] It is perhaps the oldest concept of all. Example: as an ice cream seller, an Indian farmer can also be safely recorded under this heading.

b) Cyclical unemployment - "Cyclical" unemployment often called "lack of demand" is that the total demand for goods and services at existing wage rates and labor productivity is not enough to create jobs for all those who are willing to work.

c) Structural unemployment -

i) There are certain sectors of the labor force from which workers cannot easily and quickly move to other sectors in search of employment.

ii) In some or all of these sectors with limited mobility, unemployment significantly exceeds available vacancies. And due to insufficient mobility, the labor supply is difficult to adjust to the insufficient level of demand.

iii) Insufficient demand for specific types of work for a number of reasons: First, the demand for specific skills may be reduced due to technological change or a shift in the structure of demand. Second, there may be a shift in economic activity from a geographic region that is not matched by a comparable exodus of workers. This leads to the problem of depressed areas.[5]

d) Technological unemployment – ​​displacement of labor force due to mechanization and the use of improved production methods.[6]

1.2. Main causes of unemployment:

2. Slow economic growth: Indian economy is and the role of economic growth is very slow. This slow growth does not provide enough job opportunities for the growing population.

3. Population Growth: Continuous population growth is a major problem in India. It is a major cause of unemployment. The unemployment rate is 8.4% in 2019 (CMIE).

4. Agriculture is a seasonal occupation: Agriculture is underdeveloped in India. Offers seasonal employment. A large part of the population is dependent on agriculture. But seasonal farming provides work for several months. So it leads to unemployment.

5. Decline of Cottage and Small Scale Industries: Industrial growth has adversely affected the cottage and small scale industries. Cottage industry production began to decline and many artisans became unemployed.

6. Less savings and more investment: There is insufficient capital in India. Above all, this capital was prudently invested. Investment depends on savings, savings are insufficient. Jobs were not created due to lack of savings and greater investment.[7]

7. Lack of Skilled Manpower: India is a highly populated country with around 133 million people. It's competition time, only smart people count. A job provider is always looking for a qualified person for a job.

1.3. Impact of unemployment:

2. Due to unemployment, workers are exploited. They have to accept low wages and work under disadvantageous conditions.

3. Political instability: There is political instability in the country due to unemployment. The unemployed engage in destructive activities. They consider the government Worthless. Economic development is difficult in the context of political instability.

4. Increase in poverty: In a situation of unemployment, a person has no source of income. Unemployment causes poverty. The debt burden is increasing, economic problems are increasing.[8]

5. Financial obstacles: Unemployment brings financial obstacles in the family. People fail to meet their financial obligations on time and this creates frustration among family members, tension at home and can lead to suicides.

6. Increase crime: When there is unemployment in a society, crime increases. When people don't have disposable income, they can go to any extent like theft, robbery and even murder to survive their livelihood.

1.4. Some of the steps that could help unemployment:

·         Unemployed people can be helped to develop job search skills (interviewing techniques) and new job skills (through retraining). Many long-term unemployed need help to claim a new identity and purpose related to employment.

    A growing number of small community-based groups and organizations can analyze local unemployment, provide peer support to the unemployed and develop job creation schemes. Churches can also get involved in such enterprise.

      Pastoral care is associated with individuals who are likely to act on symptoms rather than causes. An adequate response to unemployment must recognize its origins in economic change rather than personal misfortune. It must decide whether governments should give top priority to reducing the jobs gap due to inflation. It requires reducing the workforce and working life and creating employment opportunities for people.[10]

      1.5. Counseling and career or professional counseling in unemployment:

      Career or vocational guidance should "provide assistance to the individual in solving problems related to career choice and advancement with due regard to the characteristics of the individual and their relationship to employment opportunities". Counseling should be provided at an early stage of education, at the primary level itself. Career counseling is not only to find out what a person's desire is, but also to find out whether a person's desire exceeds his ability. A guiding situation is a type of crisis situation that helps the seeker define his own values.[11] The following are some of the observations about career counseling situations.

     1. Getting to Know the Advisor: Most professional advisors begin with an interview that gathers personal and employment information, including the advisor's previous work experience, accomplishments, frustrations, interest goals, and dreams. Many would expand the interviewer to get more general and family counseling information, as it may be related to career choices that could affect life direction for many years. This is followed by the use of psychological tests, which can provide brief information both to help counselors increase self-awareness and to point to broad areas of expertise that might be more difficult to research.

    2. Know the world of work: Career counselors must have some knowledge of the labor market, especially in companies like ours, where the world of work is changing so rapidly. The person may know where to write for more information, may be willing to provide career information themselves, or may be able to arrange site visits for serious career candidates.

      3. Career Decision-Making: Professional advisors are often called counselors. Career counseling is likely to focus on one or more activities such as career vision modeling, career exploration, career selection and placement, career preparation, career adjustment, career or career change.

      4. Knowing Gods will: Counselors and their counselees can benefit from being reminded that God is in his/her wisdom and timing, allowing us to be where he/she wants us to be. He expects us to serve diligently no matter where and under what circumstances. When anger or anxiety arises, believers should acknowledge these feelings, perhaps discuss them with a friend or counselor, bring them to God in prayer, and ask them to be removed. Counselors can be helped in this way.[12

      2. Environmental crisis:

         2.1. The meaning of environment:

     The term environment includes all external factors – animate and inanimate, material and immaterial – that surround a person. The environment in its modern concept includes not only the water, air and soil that make up our environment, but also the social and economic conditions in which we live.

    The term "environment" etymologically means "surroundings", which consists of air, water and land. The environment creates favorable conditions for the survival and growth of organisms.

According to Douglas and Holland, "The word environment describes the growth and development of living things, all external forces, influences, and conditions that affect life, events, and behavior." [13]

        2.2. Environmental crisis:

      Among current topics, the environmental crisis is one of the most discussed. Man is part of the environment, so it is certain that an environmental crisis means a human crisis. Day after day, environmental pollution occurs, and humans are mainly to blame for these problems. The crisis is so acute that people have started not only with crisis management, but also with healing exercises in setting the right relationship between man and nature. It is proposed that a change in human activity and behavior towards nature will end the current ecological crisis.

     The reality is that the world can no longer afford our current energy systems, our current financial system, and our current industrial system. Therefore, we will have to change in order to adjust the balance of humanity with nature to a sustainable level.[14]

      2.3. The roots of the ecological crisis:

      a) Industrialization: the one-sided industrialization of economic development is the main cause of the ecological crisis. Every country wants to improve the standard of living of its population by massively building industrialization. This puts enormous pressure on non-renewable resources.

      b)     Misperception of nature: The problem is in the perception of nature. Many scientists think of nature as a machine. It has no rights of its own and we don't hesitate to manipulate, exploit and use it. The value of other parts of God's creation is determined on the basis of human usefulness.[15]

        c) Air Pollution: Undesirable changes in the chemical, biological and physical nature of air are called air pollution. Air pollution is said to exist when the levels of harmful gases, solids or liquids present in the atmosphere are high enough to affect people, other organisms, buildings, monuments, etc. The main sources of air pollution come from mobile sources such as automobiles and static resources such as industries and domestic resources.[16]

      d) Nuclear pollution: Nuclear tests conducted by rich countries generate large amounts of nuclear waste. The Pacific Ocean is known as a dumping ground for nuclear waste. Some islands have become uninhabitable due to radioactive emissions. Nuclear disasters in Russia, Japan and Bhopal have caused many environmental problems. They affect the life of plants and animals on earth.[17]

     e) Carbon emissions: There is a delicate balance in the atmosphere with respect to the composition of gases. Atmospheric gases are composed of 78% N2, 21% O2, CO2 and inert gases such as neon, xenon and helium make up 1%. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that can cause global warming in excessive concentrations. The outgoing infrared radiation is absorbed by CO2 and other greenhouse gases, leading to the phenomenon of global warming.[18] The amount of carbon dioxide gas increases too quickly, which is life-threatening for living beings.

    2.4. Impacts of the environmental crisis:

     a) Drinking water crisis: Water is the basic component of the body and the basis of life itself. It is a historical fact that the fate of great civilizations was determined by the presence or absence of water. India is at a critical juncture and a serious crisis awaits on the water front. The quality and quantity of water available to the citizen is far below accepted levels.

 

b) Earth's crust: Very often tends to see short-term ecological symptoms and try to solve them piecemeal without much. It was only later that people began to realize the value of the earth's crust, as well as the consequences of interfering with it, even if people can avoid it. Over-extraction of the land and its resources will have to give way to controlled production to feed the multiplying millions without harming one of the valuable components of the earth - the soil or the earth's crust. The land can become a golden goose for humans, unless special care is taken to protect and preserve it, human beings will suffer.[19]

c) Rising sea level: Due to global warming, the ice from the north and south poles is melting too fast and therefore the sea water level is rising, which is a big problem for many countries. Many countries connected with the sea going under the sea.

d) Loss of biodiversity: Biodiversity is important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in the form of fighting pollution, restoring nutrients, protecting water resources and stabilizing the climate. Deforestation, global warming, overpopulation and pollution are just a few of the main causes of biodiversity loss.[20]

2.5. The pastoral challenge of the environmental crisis:

In Theological Proposals for Christian Environmental Responsibility, Willis Jenkins argues that there are at least three different practical strategies from which to build. Environmental responsibility can be built on obedience to God's command by emphasizing moral agency. This has by far been the most common type of Christian ecotheology and stewardship-related terminology. An option is to emphasize the interconnectedness between humans and the rest of nature – “ecological subjectivity”.

Climate change and the associated environmental degradation are causing an anxiety that psychotherapists have come to call "climate anxiety" or even "climate neurosis". The behavior of a huge number of people in relation to the environment has begun to generate psychological problems, because the action is contrary to knowledge, beliefs and emotions. Environmental anxiety is a major factor shaping our lives and societies. It is both a challenge and an opportunity for Christians. Christians should therefore offer an eschatological hope that includes both immediate action and hope in the coming reign of God.[21]

2.6. A Theological Response to the Environmental Crisis:

Three pioneers who explicitly used the theology of the cross framework are Douglas John Hall, Larry Ras Mussen, and Victor Westhelle. It is not possible to evaluate these theological propositions extensively here, and the emphasis on the theology of the cross is especially relevant in the time of ecological crisis, as it reminds us that Christianity is not measured by earthly standards of success. God is present with us in suffering and despair. Here are some examples:

1. The cross itself provides a connection to the ecological crisis. Facing suffering is not easy, but a realistic view of the world requires it. By facing the ecological crisis, people are facing "the cross of all creation", with the help of the cross of Christ.

2. God is present in communities that suffer as a result of environmental degradation, environmental racism and the consequences of climate change.

3. God is present among people and communities who find themselves in the midst of patterns of life which they know are damaging to the environment and which are very difficult to change. Even more, all people who discover that their will is enslaved to environmental sin are confronted with the cross and add the promise that God still loves them and wants them to love others and all creation.

4. Those who can be called environmental activists often despair because of the difficulties they face and because they are aware of the damage caused to ecosystems. Christians have a special source of hope and comfort in the cross and resurrection.

When it comes to the ecological crisis, it is clearly not obvious that humanity will find enough solutions, motivations and actions. In fact, the world is heading into a deepening crisis, so it should be seriously considered.[22]

Conclusion:

Unemployment and the environmental crisis are currently important topics that we must take seriously. Unemployment is a current issue in India and globally because of its widespread and long-term nature and because of the importance of work in contemporary society. Unemployment is a curse that can cause problems in the family and society. To get out of unemployment, they should educate themselves through vocational training and equip themselves with good qualifications in a particular industry. Acquiring modern technological knowledge is the best way to get a job. Environmental crisis has raised questions of human encounter with nature not merely as a question of ethics, but a question of survival. The global warming is really a global ‘warning’ to everyone in our present world to be aware of this inconvenient truth about the environmental catastrophe. There is a saying ‘if you throw me, I will throw you tomorrow.’

 


Bibligraphy:

Atherton, John R. “Unemployment”, A Dictionary of Pastoral Care. Edited by, Alastair V. Campbell.     Marylebone Road: SPCK, 1987.

 

Bhardwaj, Tilak Raj. Education of Human Values. New Delhi: Mittal Publication, 2001.

 

Bloom, Gordon F. Bloom and Herbert R. Northrup, Economics of Labor Relations. Homewood: Richard            D. Irwin, INC, 1957.

 

Collins, Gary R. Christian Counseling. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007.

 

Ipe, M. Ipe. “Ecological crisis and Agenda for Mission”, Ecological Challenge And Christian Mission.     Edited by Marak Krickwin C, Kashmere Gate: CMS/ISPCK, 1998.

 

Kikhi, Kedilezo. Educated Unemployed Youth in Nagaland: A Sociological Study. New Delhi: Akansha   Publishing House, 2006.

 

Longchar, Wati. “Ecumenical Responses to Ecological Crisis: A Critique from The Indigenous Peoples’            Perspective,” The Journal of Theologies and Cultures in Asia 11(2012).

 

M. J, Thomas. Understanding Social Analysis. Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013.

 

Murry, Ezamo. Pastoral Care and Counseling: Indigenous Perspective. Dimapur: Heritage Publishing      House, 2019.

 

Pihkala, Panu. “The Pastoral Challenges of Environmental Crisis: Environmental Anxiety and Lutheran   Eco- Reformation”, Dialog: A Journal of Theology 55 (2016).

 

SJ, Jose Mathew. The Green Model of the Church. New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2018.

 

 

Webliography:

 

Metha, Pooja. “Bad Effect of Unemployment on Economic Growth.” The Economics Discussion,            http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/bad-effects-of-unemployment-on-economic  growth/2285 (February 2020).

 

Pettinger, Tejvan. “Seasonal Unemployment.” Economic Help.

            https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/seasonal-unemployment/ (24 February 2020).

 

Rinkesh. “Effects of Environmental Degradation,” Conserve Energy Future, https://www.conserve          energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-environmental-degradation.php,   (accessed 2 March       2020). 

 

UK Essay Society, “The Causes And Impacts Of Unemployment Economics Essay.” The UK Essay.            https://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/the-causes-and-impacts-of-unemployment     economics-essay.php (25 February 2020).

 



[1] Ezamo Murry, Pastoral Care and Counseling: Indigenous Perspective (Dimapur: Heritage Publishing House, 2019), 135.

[2] Kedilezo Kikhi, Educated Unemployed Youth in Nagaland: A Sociological Study (New Delhi: Akansha Publishing House, 2006), 8.

[3] Kikhi, Educated Unemployed Youth in Nagaland: A Sociological Study…, 7.

[4]Tenvan  Tejvan Pettinger, ‘Seasonal Unemployment’, Economics Help, https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/seasonal-unemployment/ accessed on 24 February 2020.

[5] Kikhi, Educated Unemployed Youth in Nagaland: A Sociological Study…, 10-11.

[6] Gordon F. Bloom and Herbert R. Northrup, Economics of Labor Relations (Homewood: Richard D. Irwin, INC, 1957), 339-343.

[7] Pooja Metha, “Main Causes of Unemployment in India,” The Economic Discussion,

 http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/main-causes-of-unemployment-in-india/2281 accessed 25 Feb 2020.

[8] Metha, “Bad Effect of Unemployment on Economic Growth,” The Economics Discussion,                http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/bad-effects-of-unemployment-on-economic-growth/2285 accessed 25 Feb 2020.

[9] UK Essay Society, “The Causes And Impacts Of Unemployment Economics Essay,” The UK Essay, https://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/the-causes-and-impacts-of-unemployment-economics-essay.php accessed 25 Feb 2020.

[10] John R. Atherton, “Unemployment” , A Dictionary of Pastoral Care, ed by Alastair V. Campbell, (Marylebone Road: SPCK, 1987), 289.

[11] Murry, Pastoral Care and Counseling: Indigenous Perspective…, 135-136.

[12] Gary R. Collins, Christian Counseling (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 729-737.

[13] Tilak Raj Bhardwaj, Education of Human Values (New Delhi: Mittal Publication, 2001), 300.

[14] Thomas M. J, Understanding Social Analysis (Kolkata: ESPACE, 2013), 16-17.

[15] Wati Longchar, “Ecumenical Responses to Ecological Crisis: A Critique from The Indigenous Peoples’ Perspective”, The Journal of Theologies and Cultures in Asia 11(2012):142-143.

[16] Jose Mathew SJ, The Green Model of the church (New Delhi: Christian World Imprints, 2018), 6-7.

[17] Mathew SJ, The Green Model of the church…, 17-18.

[18] Mathew SJ, The Green Model of the church…, 22-24.

[19] Ipe M. Ipe, “Ecological crisis and Agenda for Mission,” Ecological Challenge And Christian Mission (edited by Marak Krickwin C.;Kashmere Gate: CMS/ISPCK, 1998),14-19.

[20] Rinkesh, “Effects of Environmental Degradation,” Conserve Energy Future,

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-environmental-degradation.php. accessed 2 Mar 2020.

[21] Panu Pihkala, “The Pastoral Challenges of Environmental Crisis: Environmental Anxiety and Lutheran Eco- Reformation,” Dialog: A Journal of Theology 55 (2016): 132-133.

[22] Pihkala, “The Pastoral Challenges of Environmental Crisis: Environmental Anxiety and Lutheran Eco- Reformation”…, 137-138.

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