Zulkarnain A. Hatta

Religion and Drug Dependency: A Comparative Study of Malay Male Youth in Malaysia

This study examined the relationship between religion and drug dependency of Malay Muslim youth. A comparison between addicts and nonaddicts were conducted. The comparison was conducted to study the degree of their religiosity, and the effect of that religiosity on their drug behavior. Other factors such as parental relationship, peer influence and personal attitudes were also looked at. The findings showed an overwhelming percentage of the addicts were ignorant to the teachings of their religion, and they took religion lightly. The addicts scored low on the religiosity scales, while the opposite was true for the nonaddicts.

Bayesian network model of crowd emotion and negative behavior

The effects of overcrowding have become a major concern for event organizers. One aspect of this concern has been the idea that overcrowding can enhance the occurrence of serious incidents during events. As one of the largest Muslim religious gathering attended by pilgrims from all over the world, Hajj has become extremely overcrowded with many incidents being reported. The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature of human emotion and negative behavior resulting from overcrowding during Hajj events from data gathered in Malaysian Hajj Experience Survey in 2013. The sample comprised of 147 Malaysian pilgrims (70 males and 77 females). Utilizing a probabilistic model called Bayesian network, this paper models the dependence structure between different emotions and negative behaviors of pilgrims in the crowd. The model included the following variables of emotion: negative, negative comfortable, positive, positive comfortable and positive spiritual and variables of negative behaviors; aggressive and hazardous acts. The study demonstrated that emotions of negative, negative comfortable, positive spiritual and positive emotion have a direct influence on aggressive behavior whereas emotion of negative comfortable, positive spiritual and positive have a direct influence on hazardous acts behavior. The sensitivity analysis showed that a low level of negative and negative comfortable emotions leads to a lower level of aggressive and hazardous behavior. Findings of the study can be further improved to identify the exact cause and risk factors of crowd-related incidents in preventing crowd disasters during the mass gathering events.

MICROFINANCE AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN BANGLADESH: PERSPECTIVE FROM SOCIAL WORK

Poverty alleviation has been a perpetual challenge to the contemporary world. Bangladesh is one of the worlds poorest countries and about 45% of the total population are living below the poverty line. It is vital for Bangladesh to re-evaluate its policy on poverty alleviation in which microfinance has been a crucial element. Microfinance is now being recognised as one of the most impetus and effective mechanisms for poverty alleviation. Poverty leads to many problems in the society. Lack of access to education, family disintegration, poor quality of life, lower health status, unavailability of safe water, lack of sanitation, and absence of social life, are the major effects of poverty. It is the contention of this paper that social work by acquiring a community development role can help microfinance policy makers develop new policy or reverse existing policy for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Social work can also influence actors involved in the field of poverty alleviation from local and international humanity institutions or organisations to adopt new findings to minimise the issues of poverty.