My work over the past 25 years has been shaped by a paper I published in 1980 describing a Social Psychological model of personality. This theory proposes that as human beings, we have two needs; the first is for work and the second is for intimacy.

The chronology of development states that you start as a Child (boy or girl) with your primary task being trying to understand how the world works and how to find your place in it. Whether you like it or not, biological forces move you to the next level called Adolescence (male or female) where your gender identity and sex role orientation adds another layer to the development process. The third phase is not automatic. We call this phase Adult (man and woman). The only way that one can enter this phase is via the world of work.

If you are not able to sustain yourself, you are not (psychologically) an adult. Once you have mastered this stage, you are able to transcend to the second stage of adult functioning which is called Intimacy.  This model affirms that in order to build a genuine intimate relationship each party must bring something to the table. Nothing times nothing equals nothing. In fact, anything times zero is zero. If someone comes into your life and has nothing to contribute, how do you know that the attraction is not based solely on desperation and material deprivation rather than the need for emotional compatibility? 

The third stage of adult functioning is called parenting. This is the single most important human activity. You do understand that we have a serious problem in Jamaica. Many bypass work and intimacy and go directly to parenting; we all pay the price for this.

Subverting The Need For Work
What about those who do not productively satisfy the psychological need for work? Needs can be subverted and perverted. For example, hunger, the drive to satisfy the need for food can be perverted as greed. We see this with all needs. When people are not able to access productive means by which to satisfy the need for work, two alternatives emerge. The structural change in our economy from agricultural/industrial to a technological/information-driven/service type society over the past 20 years has made many young people even more unemployable.

When Males Don’t Enter The World of Work
In Jamaica, there is a growing trend for young males (12-17 year olds) to not do as well as their female counterparts in academics. They also have a higher drop-out rate. These males are prime candidates for violent or otherwise deviant behaviour. This will create a heightened level of stress in the male population due to their inability to provide resources for themselves and dependents (where applicable). The state’s inability to create an effective welfare system that provides appropriate avenues to re-tool/ equip these males will force them to be drawn to alternatives outside of the mainstream. Their need to be productive can be subverted in destructive forms. First they become parasites: “Waapen big man? Whe yu can do fi mi? As they get braver and stronger they can devolve to become predators.These alternatives range from ‘hustling’ to becoming gang members, drug dealers and ultimately hardened criminals. On September 26, 1996, The Economist Magazine predicted that the biggest problem that will be faced by the Western World would be “males, young, unmarried, unqualified, uneducated, unskilled and unemployable”.  Are we there yet?

When Females Don’t Enter The World of Work
The picture for females is a little different in its outward manifestation but is driven by similar forces. The adolescent girl who is not developing the competence required for viability in the New Work Order is inclined towards using reproductive means to compensate. Sex and violence are two sides of the same coin. Males and females both use destructive behaviours to compensate. Non-productive females are usually motivated to use their reproductive capacity to compensate. This begins with precocious interest in activities that are sexual in nature. These behaviours then begin to compete with academic and other age-specific activities. Soon she begins to demonstrate more competence in anti-social activities which then facilitate promiscuity, and greater exposure with respect to unwanted pregnancy and increasing her risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and other STDs. She is naturally attracted to, and attracts males who are usually older and more steeped in anti-social and/or criminal activities. This process serves to accelerate her devolution into more anti-social behaviour. At this stage she tends to be beyond the socialization abilities of most parents and teachers. Have you noticed the mushrooming of massage parlours and Exotic dancing/ Go-Go clubs?

Education and Training or Police and Prison
In order to maintain a civilized society, it is imperative that we find ways to re-socialise our adolescents with problems to become functional in a changing environment. It is imperative that we find preventative measures and effective curative actions to eliminate the problems. If we do not invest more in education and occupational training we will have no choice but to invest more in police and prisons.

Dr. Semaj is a frequent facilitator for Strategic Planning Retreats, Cultural alignment and Organizational Restructuring. He conducts Staff Selection and Development Programmes for different business sectors across the Caribbean.