Introduction
Human beings are social entities who are usually attached to specific societies where they live, learn, and grow. They are equally accustomed to the norms and values upheld that are specific to that society. For that matter, communities are vital to the support of human life as they are a basic functionality or fabric for the successful formation of societies. Teenage suicide in South Africa is on an alarming rise based on recent studies hence the need to address the issue effectively. (Caruso, para.1).
Definition of terminologies
Several terminologies come to mind in tackling social problems and issues.
Community
Several definitions of a community have been defined by various scholars. A community may be defined as a group, with no predetermined size, whose members live in a specific locality share certain cultural and historical events. It is simply a group linked by a common understanding and beliefs. A community may be further defined as a religious or social group that exhibits similar characteristics that make them distinct from the larger society (Clark, 2008 ).
Aggregate
An aggregate, unlike a community, is more specific or narrowed down. Inlay man’s terms, an aggregate refers to the total of entities combined, or elements within a group that have been classified together based on specific features. In this case, aggregate refers to a collection of entities or elements (who are individuals) from a community who possess certain features (ranging from physical, emotional, etc). Classification of features may vary from age groups, health status, citizenship, gender, and many more (Nwankwo, para 2).
Relevance of these terms
The people of South Africa represent diversity in tribes and they are spread across various parts of the country with distinct communities that share customs. The aggregate, in this case, is the ‘teenage group’. The aggregate is made up of individuals who share certain characteristics which bind them together. The aggregates imply that they may experience similar events in life and many times, due to peer pressure, deal with circumstances by heavily relying on advice from teenagers.
Differences between a community and an aggregate
Aggregates are made up of individuals. They are specific. Many aggregates make up a community, so to speak. A community is all-inclusive. In nursing, it is important to understand the relevance of aggregates and communities to facilitate the promotion of proper healthcare and eliminate the possibility of illnesses in identified groups.
Christoffel’s framework
Christoffel has suggested a framework that promotes a better understanding of public health policies and advocacies including the execution of strategies. The stages include the information stage, strategy, and action stages. The findings in one stage are continuously adjusted depending on what is encountered in subsequent stages. To find the correct balance between the conceptual framework and the aggregate, it is important to conduct a proper needs assessment and define the important outcomes that one expects to achieve.
Application of Christoffel’s Framework
Taking the aggregate as teenagers in South Africa, several aspects based on the three-stage conceptual framework may be identified. In the information stage, it is vital to undertake information gathering on this aggregate group.
Some of the areas that can be addressed include defining areas where teenage suicide is prominent within the country, explaining reasons for the occurrence of the social tragedy, and drawing up summaries of catalysts and factors that lead teenagers to commit suicide. Background checks of families to indicate any dysfunctionalities are equally noted. Furthermore, information on current practices to alleviate the occurrence of teenage suicide must be identified and well documented. This implies that proper research must be conducted to address the challenges of social issues (Haslam & McGarty, 2003).
In the second stage, strategy is to be defined to address the teenage suicide issues. The strategy should take into consideration the aggregate, the teenagers, and the community at large. The strategy should be owned by all the members of the community to ensure smooth implementation If the community has a sense of ownership over the strategies, action, and implementation will likely be smoother. Some of the strategies for implementation include offering counseling in schools and churches, holding community focus groups to address issues, and carrying motivational talks to reinforce the sanctity of lives in teenagers.
Action refers to the implementation stage. Implementation requires the active participation of all parties involved. This means that the people who spearhead the project must work in close conjunction with the community to address the challenges, like teenage suicide, that it faces at hand. An implementation may also require the provision of funding and setting up of control and monitoring structures to support proposed strategies. Follow-up plans should also be taken into consideration to ensure sustainability and adequate achievement of goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be argued that each individual belongs to a certain aggregate that they identify with it in different ways. Aggregates in turn form the community. Addressing social health issues requires an understanding of aggregates by defining the distinctness of each group.
References
Caruso, K. Suicide on the Rise in South Africa. Web.
Clark, M. (2008). Community Health Nursing: Advocacy for Population Health. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Haslam, A.S & McGarty, C. (2003). Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Nwankwo, J, (2009). Difference Between Community and Aggregates. Web.