Śiks̩ā-Jagat
Mein Samvegātmak Prajña: Śaiks̩an̩ik
Jīvan Ko Sampūrn̩tā Kī Rāh Par Lene Kā Prayog (New
Delhi: S. Chand & amp; Company Pvt. Ltd., 2016), by Eva Jastina Romould, pp. x
+366, ISBN 978-93-525-3119-6, Price Rs. 425.00, Paper Back.
This
book gives a beautiful picture of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its effective
use in the field of education. According to the author, EI is “the ability to
sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a
source of human energy, information, connection and influence” and Emotional
Quotient (EQ) is the “ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and
emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s
thinking and action” (p.40-41).
Basically EI and EQ deal with one’s own emotions and its control.
Schools and colleges are the places of training the future citizens, and good
of the society begins here. Therefore, one needs to get trained in one’s
emotions, be it the teacher, student, domestic staff or the parent (p.59) as
emotions play vital role in Education, opines the author.
The
book is divided into four chapters. The first part deals with the Emotions and
its Concept. It explains the origin, characteristics and significance of
emotions. The author claims, that the emotions make us fully human as they
contain enormous power (p.7). If the emotions are used appropriately, the
person can reach to any height. EI can be achieved both through reason and
practice. Emotions give external direction to the internal force. Therefore,
emotions are the result of psychic disturbances. Internal state of the person
can be noted through the universality of emotions, physical change in the body,
loss of thinking power, individuality of the person, unstable nature, anger,
jealousy, lust, distress, fear, pleasure, pain, amusement etc.
The
second chapter deals with Emotional Intelligence proper – historical
background, awareness and appearance and the evaluation of emotions. The
chapter deals with five grades of EI – self-awareness, self-control, ability to
achieve the goal, ability to understand the other and sociability. The chapter also deals with the purpose and
aim of EQ and EI in life, its use in health, education and inter-personal
relationship.
The
third and the largest chapter in the book is about EI and its significance in
the educational field. To begin with the chapter, the author clarifies EQ and
EI. The chapter extensively deals with various kinds of psychological
personalities, emotions and their control; tension, anger, sadness and their
origin etc.
The
fourth chapter speaks about EQ mapping. The author enumerates four methodologies
of measuring emotions which she used in her research – questionnaire method,
blood-pressure method, observational technique and psychoanalytic technique.
The
book is interesting and useful for any person to evaluate one’s emotive
behavior as it gives scientific questionnaire both in the third and fourth
chapters. Third chapter gives a simple but effective Emotional Awareness
Questionnaire with a graph. The last chapter gives various questionnaires
connected with EQ, such as Self-Image
and Self-Esteem, EI Scaling, Emotional Awareness, Emotional Expression,
Emotional Awareness of Others, Intentionality, Creativity, Resilience,
Interpersonal Connections, Constructive Discontent, Compassion, Outlook, trust radius,
Integrity, General Health, Quality of Life, Relationship Quotient, Optimal
Performance and the chapter ends with an explanatory not on checklist of marks
obtained from the questionnaire. This makes the book more practical, useful and
effective.
The
book is written in the language of the people (Hindi) with lucid and simple
style. This is one of the first of its kinds in this research field in Hindi
language, though there is surplus written in English. Applying emotional
intelligence to the field of education keeping Indian Education system in mind
is the outstanding contribution of the author. This is a must read book for all
those who are involved in the field of education, who take care of children and
also parents. This is handy for the motivational speakers, people who conduct
seminars on psychological issues and the counselors. Though the book is a
scholarly work, doesn’t seem to be so due to certain drawbacks. It seems that
the author did not find it necessary to give references, notes or bibliography
for the reader. Several typological discrepancies, grammatical inaccuracies
(pp. 203, 202, 292, 298), logical incoherences, inaccuracy in translations,
repetitions (pp.221 and 242; 299 and 300), lack of clarity at certain places
(e.g. use of acronym EQ without full form in the Preface, p.1) and interchangeably
using first, second and third person (pp. 203, 206) might irritate the reader.
Had there not been these methodological slip-ups, the book would have been one
of the best sellers in Hindi literature.
The
writer, Ewa Justina Romould is religious nun belonging to the Order of the
Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk (OSU) having a Doctorate from M. S. University,
Baroda, Gujarat, in Psychology. Dr. Ewa, being the former Provincial of the
Congregation, has vast experience in the field of Education as having been the
Principal of St. Xavier’s College of Education, Ambikapur and the Professor of
B.Ed. College, Loharadaga. She organizes various seminars and talks on Emotional Intelligence and Enneagram for
various groups.
Reviewed by,
Fr.
Raju Felix Crasta
