Category: Uncategorized

Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP)

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Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP)

The Autism Social Skills Profile (ASSP) is a reasonably new assessment tool developed for the purpose of providing a comprehensive assessment of the social functioning of adolescents and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Specifically, the ASSP second edition measures the social competence of 6-17-year-olds. The tool assesses social skills such as active listening, empathy, respect, effective communication, and conflict resolution. The tool is administered individually. It is not meant to be a diagnostic tool as it primarily developed as a mechanism for measuring the progress of social intervention. The ASSP second edition is used with youths and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. It can be administered by two grow-ups that have knowledge of the student’s functioning. A 4-point Likert scale is used to rate the 49 items that are being assessed. The test tends to yield three subscale yields, including Detrimental Social Behaviors (DSB), Social/Emotional Reciprocity (SER), Social Participation/Avoidance (SPA), as well as a total score (Strofylla, Charitou, Asonitou, & Koutsouki). The recorded raw scores get converted to standard scores (SD=15 and M=100). Normative data is based on the report given by parents only. One positive aspect of the ASSP is that it provides separate scoring tables for children that have a cognitive disability or significant language impairment as well as those without. The ASSP approach has been found to possess the ability to detect whenever there are changes in social skills use that are linked with interventions in children of different ages. As an instructor, I would use the autism social skills profile in the classroom because I have found it effective in assessing the social functioning of children. It would thus be helpful in understanding the capacities of the learners, which would help me meet all their needs.

Incident Teaching

Incidental teaching is a model of teaching where the instructor takes advantage of incidents that happen naturally to provide the student with a learning opportunity. An example would be a teacher using characters in a book or a video game to pass across a message that is relevant in class. Incidental learning is based on the notion that learners, including those with autism spectrum disorders tend to be more willing to learn if learning is based on issues that interest them. Although incidental learning was first developed particularly for learners with autism, research has shown that all children learn better when their everyday lives and interest are factored into lessons (Rosenberg, Artman-Meeker, Kelly, & Yang, 2020). Incidental teaching tends to improve communication skills in learners. Incidental teaching uses six steps to boost a child’s communication skill. The first step is to set up an exciting environment for the learner. Step two has to do with giving the child restricted access to an interesting object. In the third step, the teachers wait for the child to make a gesture or ask for it. In step four, the teacher prompts the child to describe the item in detail. In essence, the child should elaborate on the item. They can mention color or shape. In stage five, one waits for the child to respond before rewarding him with the object in the final step. Other uses of incidental teaching include helping children start conversations and skills transfer from one situation to the next. Noteworthy, according to high-quality research, incidental teaching has positive effects on the behaviour of children with autism spectrum disorders. I would use incidental teaching as a teaching intervention in the classroom as it has rewarding results for children. In addition to boosting language skills, it boosts courage and communication skills.

References

Rosenberg, N. E., Artman-Meeker, K., Kelly, E., & Yang, X. (2020). The effects of a bug-in-ear coaching package on implementation of incidental teaching by paraprofessionals in a K-12 school. Journal of Behavioral Education, 29(2), 409-432.

Strofylla, G., Charitou, S., Asonitou, K., & Koutsouki, D. (2021). Profile of Social Skills in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Advances in Physical Education, 11(2), 195-206.

Autism

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Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disability that takes time to develop before resulting to severe social interaction, communication and restricted behavioral challenges (Lord et al. 2018). In most cases, those people with ASD have no set physical appearance differences that separate them from other normal people. The differences come in when we look at the communication, behaviors, learning and interactions of the people with ASD and those of normal people. It should be noted that the thinking, learning and abilities of problem solving of people with ASD vary and may be so good to be viewed as a gift of even prove to be a big challenge to them. In this case, Sam has his mother who is said to be struggling with being Sam’s guardian. It might be serious to the extent of making them require assistance with their everyday activities. As a matter of fact, Sam, in the series Atypical, can be said to be gifted judging from his abilities in class. Sam is a bright and excellent student.

Autism spectrum disorder is usually diagnosed basing on various conditions which are looked into in separate occasions. It is difficult to diagnose ASD because it does not entail any medical tests such as blood tests. Rather, the doctor observes the behaviors of the child and his/her development in order to make a diagnosis (Underwood et al. 2019). These conditions include autistic disorder, the Asperger syndrome and the pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). All these conditions together are what is referred to as Autism spectrum disorder. People with ASD can usually be identified by looking at their social, emotional and communication skills, this is because the disorder has some effects on these aspects of their day to day lives. As a result, these people tend to have a repetition of given manners and at times may never want any changes in their everyday lives. Furthermore, these people have shown dissimilar ways of their reaction to things, how they learn and even how they pay attention. Most of the signs of ASD start when an individual is at a young age and often last for an individual’s entire life (Bal et al 2019). The early assistance needed by ASD patients may not be available for them because the earliest diagnosis by an experienced professional can only be done by the age of 2. But in most cases, the final diagnosis is not given until the child is much older.

Some of the behaviors displayed by people with ASD include having difficulties relating to others. At times these people may have little or no interest in others at all. For instance, Sam, despite being intelligent and doing well in his studies, he finds it difficult to understand and get to the same page with the people living in the current world. To elaborate on this, in the series, Sam who is said to have a very notable interest in Antarctica tries to compare human beings with the life forms found in Antarctica. This is a distinctive strategy that has proven effective on several instances. The problem comes in when this approach does not make him comprehend the very composite human beings’ behaviors. For instance, the strategy cannot help Sam understand how to realize that a girl likes him.

Another symptom that can be identified with Sam is the fact that Sam’s outward appearance does not show his inner feelings about what is going on around him. To point out, when Sam had a conversation with his therapist, which occurs in form of a narration according to this TV series, he states that people think that he does not recognize when they are teasing him, he is usually hurt because he knows this experience and it is a painful one because he is usually aware that others are laughing at him. He further claims that he knows that they go ahead to ask questions in a way that is provoking. But rather than showing that he is hurting, Sam just shuts down. He admits that he does not figure out what he does to evoke the mocking. He furthermore does not understand why the other people think he is an easy target. In fact, someone who has childhood experiences of bullying will easily be hit by Sam’s description of bullying and ASD.

In addition to that, when in one of his usual therapy sessions, Sam provides a super and perfect definition of empathy issues that are experienced by people with ASD. To be precise, Sam talks of what goes ahead when are has offended someone. He explains that he does not realize at the given moment that his response, comment or deed has hurt someone else. However, later on when he finally realizes that he actually hurt someone or got them disappointed, he feels horrible and finds himself having a difficult time forgiving himself and getting over it. It is true that professionals have proven that people with ASD find it difficult to understand other people’s points of view and this makes the other normal people to be of the idea that individuals with ASD are not concerned about hurting or annoying other people. It should be understood that it may take a little more time for people with ASD to realize how an individual’s opinion can contribute to their own point of view. As a result, ASD victims end up committing simple social mistakes that in most cases end up upsetting the people they love and care about and as they learn to move on after such instances occur, the normal people around them should be of understanding and be willing to dedicate their time to helping these patients through these learning experiences.

In a different instance, Sam proves that his aversions of soft touch are different from that of others, for instance, at the moment when he is about to have sex for the first time, his revulsion of soft touch makes him to push away his partner who screams at him asking what is wrong with Sam and that if something is wrong with his brain. Besides being a poor reaction to the fact that she was pushed, it is understandable, moreover, the attraction that she had seen in Sam as fancy is not turned to understanding and admitting his disorder.

Another symptom of ASD that can be seen in Sam is the fact that he has feelings for his therapist who is actually 8 years older than him but he is not strong enough to open up about it to her. Sam does not know how to approach his therapist who he has a crush on. Instead he goes to his father for advice. This overwhelms his father who has been struggling to link up with his son. He even volunteers to drive Sam to his crush only to pull him away when he realizes that it is his therapist. He advises Sam to look for someone of his own age. This to Sam means that he needs to find what he refers to as a “practice girlfriend”. This is a common problem identified in people with ASD. You find that in most cases most of them find it difficult talking about their own feelings and even having an understanding of the feelings of others. In the case of Sam, his family and friend come in to help him with understanding the social aspects of dating.

While the specific causes of ASD is yet to be known, several researches and studies have shown that there I no exact cause of ASD but has several risk factors brought up. These factors include: genetic mutations (Grove et al. 2019). It was found that a gene called Usp9x which results in the brain developing fewer synapses. That’s due to the fact that Usp9x protects another protein called ankyrin-G, whose function is to evolve and stabilize synapses. The developing brain has to build plenty of synapses between neurons in order for the cells to communicate and learn as the brain evolves. But when Usp9x is mutated, its stabilization is hindered making the synapse-enhancing ankyrin-G. This makes the would-be enhancer protein degrades and destabilizes, leading to lesser synapses in the brain. A person with this mutation is likely to have delays in development, learning difficulties, increased anxiety and hyperactivity.

Other perceived causes of ASD include the presence of a close family member with autism. To add on this, someone born to older parents is also at risk of having autism. A baby born with relatively low weight at birth is also likely to develop ASD. When an individual has a delicate X syndrome in addition to other genetic disorders, he or she is also likely to suffer from ASD. Another cause of ASD is when someone gets exposed to heavy metals and other toxins in the environment. Furthermore, an imbalance in metabolic could also lead to development of ASD by an individual. Finally, severe exposure to valproic acid and past with infections of viruses could also lead to development of ASD by an individual. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) affirm that genetics and the environment can be used to determine if a person can develop autism (Chaidez et al. 2018).

Individuals with ASD live partially different lives with other normal people especially depending on the effects of the disorder on the individual. For instance, in the TV series Atypical, we are given a clue of how the lives of individuals with this disorder are. For instance, the family situation in Sam’s case is entailed of a mother who is fully involved in her child’s autism. Sam’s father is said to be struggling to get along with his son and this has been proven on several instances. It is in fact stated that he once left the family upon the realization of Sam’s situation. Sam’s sister feels unattended to and thinks all the attention is directed to Sam. Moreover, when she wins a scholarship to a distant prestigious school, she thinks and puts in consideration Sam and the family despite her strong desire to join the school. All this are signs of savantism which if further portrayed in Sam’s drawings in his drawing book that are highly structured.

It is also believed that people with autism usually lack the sexual and dating interest. This is not actually portrayed in the series Atypical, but it is evident that Sam has a tough time in his sexual experience and dating interest. For instance, he develops a crush on his therapist who is way older than him. Furthermore, his hatred for soft touch makes him destroy his relationship with his sexual partner when they Sam was just about to lose his virginity. In another instance, Sam locks his girlfriend in the closet because he finds her behavior of touching his things as disgusting. As a result, it can be said that people with ASD find it hard to keep their social interactions and relationships together, but that cannot be used to conclude that these people lack the interest in sex and dating.

People with autism spectrum disorder can find it difficult to focus, pay attention, and go through transitions, organization, memory, time management, emotional control and frustration. These are top-level abilities that help us do lots of everyday tasks such as cooperating with others at work and prioritizing things we are supposed to do. For instance, Sam uses rat-a-tat sounds in his communication. Moreover, despite excelling in class, he has difficult times interacting with students like in the instance where he asks his peers about dating and they end up teasing him, an experience he admits to be painful (Tonnsen and Hann, 2016).

Another effect of autism spectrum disorder on an individual is that it impairs their view and perception of things. For example, in the series Atypical, Sam tries on a leather jacket in an attempt to look cool but while in class, he ends up feeling very uncomfortable that he gets it off and throws it in the trash can. The discomfort can be understood to be caused by the leather which is stiff and its buckles that are so loud. As a matter of fact, every cheerful moment is accompanied by a corresponding heartbreaking one. Further illustration can be drawn from Sam telling his father that the igloo is really a good one. Remember his father made him the igloo in an attempt to link up with his son.

There is currently no specific cure for ASD. However, research and studies show that intervention treatment services at an early age can improve a child’s development (Eissa et al. 2019). Furthermore, early intervention services will enable and enhance children from birth to 3 years old to learn and develop essential skills. Services such as therapy intended to aid the child with talking, walking, and enhancing their interaction with others is crucial and proven to be effective. Therefore, it is significant to talk to your child’s doctor as early as possible if you suspect that your child has ASD or other developmental issues. it does not matter if the child has been diagnosed with an ASD or not, he or she may be entitled to early intervention treatment care. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) external icon clearly states that children of below the age of 3years (36 months) and especially those who are at a higher risk of experiencing developmental delays may be of worth for the services. These services are being offered in form of an early intervention system in your state. Through this system, you can ask for an evaluation. In addition to that, treatment for a given number of symptoms including speech therapy for language delays, in most cases does not need to wait until a formal ASD diagnosis is completed and received.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is believed to be the best treatment for ASD. This is a remarkable treatment approach for people with ASD. ABA has turned out to be widely recognized all over among healthcare professionals and service providers. Moreover, it is used in many schools and treatment clinics. ABA stirs up positive behaviors and disheartens negative behaviors with the aim of improving a variety of skills and abilities in the child. As a result, the child’s progress is observed, traced and measured. There are several types of ABA including: Discrete Trial Training (DTT) which is a design of teaching that entails a series of trials aimed at teaching each step of an intended behavior or response. Lessons are divided into simple parts that are easy to understand and learn, positive reinforcement is used to reward right responses and behaviors while the incorrect answers are ignored. In addition to that, there is Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI); this is just a sub-type of ABA for very young children with ASD, in most cases children younger than 5. EIBI uses a highly structured teaching approach to build positive behaviors like social communication and reduce unwanted behaviors like tantrums, aggression, and self-injury. EIBI takes place in a one-on-one adult-to-child environment under the supervision of a trained professional. Other forms of ABA include Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) which is for children with ASD between the ages of 12-48 months and assists parents and therapists use play and joint activities to enable children to advance their social, language, and cognitive skills. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) looks to improve a child’s motivation to learn, monitor their own behavior, and initiate communication with others and finally Verbal Behavior Intervention (VBI) which emphasizes on teaching verbal skills.

References

Bal, V. H., Kim, S. H., Fok, M., & Lord, C. (2019). Autism spectrum disorder symptoms from ages 2 to 19 years: Implications for diagnosing adolescents and young adults. Autism Research, 12(1), 89-99.

Eissa, N., Al-Houqani, M., Sadeq, A., Ojha, S. K., Sasse, A., & Sadek, B. (2018). Current enlightenment about etiology and pharmacological treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in neuroscience, 12, 304.

Grove, J., Ripke, S., Als, T. D., Mattheisen, M., Walters, R. K., Won, H., … & Awashti, S. (2019). Identification of common genetic risk variants for autism spectrum disorder. Nature genetics, 51(3), 431-444.

Lord, C., Elsabbagh, M., Baird, G., & Veenstra-Vanderweele, J. (2018). Autism spectrum disorder. The Lancet, 392(10146), 508-520.

Tonnsen, B. L., & Hahn, E. R. (2016). Middle school students’ attitudes toward a peer with autism spectrum disorder: Effects of social acceptance and physical inclusion. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(4), 262-274.

Underwood, J. F., Kendall, K. M., Berrett, J., Lewis, C., Anney, R., Van den Bree, M. B., & Hall, J. (2019). Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in adults: phenotype and genotype findings from a clinically derived cohort. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 215(5), 647-653.

Learning Contract and Action Plan Report

Management Skills – BUMGT2601

Tutor/Lecturer: Peter Osman

Due: September 15th, 2008

Student Name: Sally Jones

Student Number: 2764835

Executive Summary

A key factor for all managers is the ability to manage their time more efficiently. “The only way to create more time is to effectively become a manager of your own time” (Colwill & Birchall, 1992, p.243). The ability to manage your time has to come from the recognition of what your time is spent on; therefore completing activities such as a journal can assist in improving time management skills. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) To improve time management skills, different theories are discussed and analysed in this report in relation to improving study time. The first theory tested was the Lakein ABC system, which requires tasks to be prioritised according to their importance and urgency.

The second theory discussed is Pareto’s 80/20 rule, which identifies that 80 percent of our activities are trivial and only provide 20 percent of the results that we desire, where 20 percent of our time is spent on vital tasks which is 80 percent of the results we desire (Hunsaker, 2005). Another theory called the biological prime time theory identifies that each person has a time of day in which they are more productive, the key is to discover this time and capitalise on it by assigning the most important and urgent tasks to be completed at this time of day. (DeJanasz, Wood, Gottschalk, Dowd & Schneider, 2006)

Another factor that can help to maximise time is the division of tasks; by dividing up large projects it helps to avoid feeling overwhelmed and it also helps to identify accomplishments. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995)

Time management theories also suggest that in organising you work space can assist individuals to maximise their time so it cannot rob you of time in two ways. One, to spend time looking for items and two, you are not interrupted or distracted. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) The last theory explored is to make a list of discretionary tasks, which is the process of making a list of some five to ten minute tasks to complete in those spare times that occur throughout the day, being careful that these tasks do not consume time off the urgent or important tasks. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995)

These theories were tested and the results in the report have discovered ways in which time can be maximised through the study of time management theories to achieve a certain goal.

Contents

1.0 Time ManagementPage 4

2.0 Time recognitionPage 4

3.0 ABC SystemPage 4

4.0 Pareto’s 80/20 RulePage 5

5.0 Biological Prime TimePage 5

6.0 Division of TasksPage 5

7.0 Organisation Work SpacePage 6

8.0 Discretionary TasksPage 6

9.0 FindingsPage 6

10.0 ConclusionPage 9

11.0 ReferencesPage 10

1.0 Time Management

Managers need to “direct activities and control events so that goals are met within the appointed time frame” (Caroselli, 2000, p.72). In order to achieve this within the time frame, time management needs to be emphasised. Time management is defined by DeJanasz et..al (2006, p84) as “the ability to allocate our time and resources to accomplishing our objectives”. It refers to the way in which we manage our tasks and priorities. Time is a constant, there are always twenty-four hours in a day, the challenge for managers in to maximise time (Flanagan & Finger, 1998). The “only way to create more time is to effectively become a manager of your own time” (Colwill & Birchall, 1992, p.243). In managing your time, it enables you to prioritise and complete more goals and tasks. (DeJanasz et..al, 2006, p.84) Various theories can assist in achieving this.

2.0 Time Recognition

The only way in which to maximise time is to recognise exactly what our time is spent on, therefore completing activities such as a journal can assist in improving time management skills. This self-analysis alerts us of our tendencies to use time inefficiently (Whetten & Cameron, 1995). Whetten and Cameron (1995) argue that it is impossible to undertake time management or decrease time stressors unless you know what your time is spent on. It relates to self-analysing what we do and how we spend our time, the sudden realisation of how our time is spent can result in an incentive towards personal change. (Stewart, 1998) Therefore different theories can be put in place to assist managers and people wishing to use there time more efficiently.

3.0 ABC System

In order to use ones times more effectively, tasks need to be prioritised. This can be done using the ABC system developed by Alan Lakein. To apply this to everyday tasks each task receives an A, B or C. The letter the task receives depends upon the urgency or importance of the task, where A tasks are most urgent, B tasks are important but not urgent and C tasks are those that can be done after tasks A and B are completed. (Hunsaker, 2005) These tasks can further be prioritised, for example, ‘A’ tasks can be A1, A2, A3, etc. (Stewart, 1998) By making priorities and lists daily, although seemingly it is just common sense, enhances time management as memory is not solely relied upon. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) Although whilst making these lists “avoid generating multiple lists, unmanageable numbers of priorities, items duplicated on several lists, and constantly changing priorities” (Stewart, 1998, p.27)

4.0 Pareto’s 80/20 Rule

Pareto’s 80/20 rule states “80 percent of our activities are trivial and only provide 20 percent of the results that we desire” (Hunsaker, 2005, p.139) where 20 percent of our time is spent on vital tasks which is 80 percent of the results we desire. Therefore we need to consider what is the best use of time right now and is this achieving maximum effectiveness? (Hunsaker, 2005) Therefore it is crucial to “analyse which tasks make up the 20 percent and spend the bulk of your time on that” (Whetten & Cameron, 1995, p.125) For this principle to work, the 20 percent of activities that are most important and provide the most pay off need to recognised. This is in comparison to the other 80 per cent, which tend to be time wasters. Once this is recognised, then more time needs to be allocated to these tasks and to further analyse if what we are doing is the most effective use of our time. (Hunsaker, 2005)

5.0 Biological Prime Time

By recognising your optimal work time, or also known as biological prime time, it allows you to “maximise use of this time by scheduling and doing demanding jobs during these peak periods” (DeJanasz et al. 2006, p.88) This ensures that the most important tasks receive the most effort. For managers, this technique could be critiqued to apply to all workers, if their prime time is known, then tasks which require a lot of effort and importance can be delegated to them at their peek times (Whetten & Cameron, 1995).

6.0 Division of Tasks

Large projects can be divided into smaller tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed. This helps to identify accomplishments and avoids the feeling of being inundated, this then leads to procrastination as the individual is feeling overloaded. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) This means that large or difficult tasks are broken down into stages or parts to complete one at a time, seemingly making the task smaller and more achievable. This can result in the individual feeling less stressed over the capacity of work to be completed and achieving these in stages results in more positive thoughts of success. (Worrall & Cooper, 2001)

7.0 Organisation Work Space

Organising our workplace can greatly assist our time management. In doing so, it cannot rob us of time in two ways. One, to spend time looking for items and two, you are not interrupted or distracted. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) In order to be organised, critical factors such as location, comfort, having items readily accessible, establish a filing system, stick to one task at a time and clear the desk of all other tasks, this can assist in reducing time wasters such as searching for various documents (Flanagan & Finger, 1998) Distractions rob people of time. By having an area away from these distractions, or a set time of the day when no one is to disturb you, it can give the individuals time to concentrate on important tasks or just give them a time in which to relax and have time to think (Whetten & Cameron, 1995)

8.0 Discretionary Tasks

Making a list of some five to ten minute tasks to complete in those spare times that occur throughout the day can assist managers utilising their time. It is important to be careful that these tasks do not consume time off the urgent or important tasks. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995) This means those times throughout the day when waiting for a meeting, taking a phone call or for something to begin are not wasted and this time can be used more effectively maximizing time usage. (Whetten & Cameron, 1995)

9.0 Findings

These theories were all tested in relation to the aim of maximising time in order to increase at home study by thirty percent. By using time recognition, a journal was created to identify current level of study time, this concluded that ten hours per week was the current level and identified that to increase this by thirty percent would result in thirteen hours per week. This realisation came from a journal kept on week one, (Refer to Appendix A) which acknowledged four key areas on which my time was spent: work, university, study and T.V. The aim of the action plan was to increase study time, therefore it was noted that T.V needed to be decreased and spare moments throughout the day needed to be utilised in order to capitalise on study time. In doing this, I recognised that there were large chunks of time that were wasted throughout my week, although I felt as though I was constantly busy. This technique of keeping track of my time throughout my research provided both my post and pre test measures. I would also keep a journal every week to analyse progress using various theories.

In week two, the theory of making lists of things to accomplish that day was used along with the Alan Lakein ABC system (Hunsaker, 2005) to prioritise these tasks that were set throughout the day. In doing this, I made a draft list and then set priorities to each activity, then a final list was done with these in order containing an A, B or C next to each task so I recognised which tasks were most important to complete first, and B tasks would not be started unless all A tasks were either complete or at a stage in which no further work could be done on them. My expected outcome for this theory was that I would complete most tasks labeled A and B as I already make lists, but do not prioritise these, and that productivity would not increase dramatically. The actual outcome was a surprise. By making a list with priorities on them, I found that my productivity did increase as I was accomplishing tasks that were of importance, rather than doing the trivial tasks that looked good as I crossed them off the list. I found the theory of Lakein to be fairly straightforward, but did in fact help increase my study time, as study was a higher priority than doing the washing.

I also attempted to recognise my biological prime time in week two. This is to attempt to increase the amount of work done, as high priorities would be done in the time in which the body was more productive, hence being referred to as the optimal working time. (DeJenasz et al. 2006) I kept a chart where I rated my energy levels from one to ten each day to assess where my prime time stood, which I have highlighted peek times throughout the day where my energy levels were at its highest. (Refer to Appendix B) The expectation from this was that my ‘prime time’ would be later in the day, as I do not consider myself as a morning person, but in reality I found it was very difficult to recognise this time of day, as I found my energy levels each day changed, but the most common trend was to have my peek later in the day, from around 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. generally. This theory did not work as well as I hoped as although recognising this time proved difficult, actually being able to schedule activities in this time was close to impossible, as work hours would change, unexpected priorities would occur, and homework was slotted in at spare moments throughout the day, as my weeks are unstructured and vary, arriving at a certain time of day to complete study was not realistic at this point in time. I have concluded that this theory may be more useful when I start full time employment, as my week will be more controlled with less variables to juggle.

In this week, I also decided to try to organise my workspace. According to Whetten and Cameron (1995), a disorganized workspace can rob you of time in two ways. One, to spend time looking for items and two, you are not interrupted or distracted. I have a room in my house which is purely for study, therefore I already have a place which is away from distractions, although I removed my mobile phone, my MP3 player and all other non related university material. My desk however needed to be organised, I brought shelves and containers so that various documents were no longer lying around and cleared my desk of all clutter and mess so that my working environment was clean and organised. The anticipation of this theory was that the time I spent cleaning my desk would be a complete waste of time. However on reflection it was not, I did find that time spent looking for things was reduced dramatically if not distinguished. Also having a clear space to work in was more motivating, as I didn’t feel cluttered and stressed as much.

I then tested the 80/20 rule in week three. This proved to have similar results to the Alan Lakein ABC system (Hunsaker, 2005) as the most urgent tasks were more focused upon than the irrelevant tasks. The only difference was I was unclear on exactly how much percentage of my time was spent on urgent compared to trivial tasks, as I focused on the urgent ones, and once they were complete then moved onto the trivial tasks on my to-do list. Therefore I concluded that this theory although useful, did not present to be any more helpful than simply prioritising tasks.

It is very often that throughout my week I find myself very rushed and have the constant feeling of not having sufficient time, so Whetten & Cameron, (1995) suggested that in order to maximise time, discretionary tasks should be recognised in and completed in the small amounts of spare time that occurs throughout the day. This theory sounded good on the surface, but with my perceived lack of time, did not think that it would prove to be successful. On reflection, I did have spare moments throughout the day in which I never recognised prior to this activity. I made a list of a few quick tasks that could be achieved in ten to fifteen minutes for times throughout the day when I was waiting for something to begin. This proved to be quite helpful as in those spare moments little tasks that rarely were achieved got completed. Although in relation to my aim of increasing my study time, this theory did not have much effect, as the tasks I listed did not directly affect the amount of study time.

The last theory in which I tested was to divide up large projects to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. I did not have high expectations for this theory as I assumed that I would still feel quite overwhelmed with my workload, as I would know that I still had to accomplish all tasks even if they were broken down into smaller ones. On reflection of this, I was mistaken. By breaking larger tasks down and achieving small amounts at a time, it gave me a sense of accomplishment and kept me more motivated to complete extra tasks, therefore resulting in the large tasks being completed earlier. I felt less pressure to sit down and try to finish a whole assignment or a group of questions. This theory proved very useful as I could see “the light at the end of the tunnel” and I will continue to use this theory well into my working life.

10.0 Conclusion

From the analysis, which took place over a five-week period, the post-test results showed that in using time management theories, I was able to maximise my time use to exceed my goal of increasing my study time of thirty percent to actually achieving sixty percent for a total of sixteen hours per week. This was achievable due to putting in place these theories and finding which ones worked well with my schedule and daily life.

11.0 References:

Caroselli, M., (2000) Leadership Skills for Managers, United States, McGraw Hill.

Colwill, J., & Birchall, G., (1992) Practical Management: An Introduction to Management Skills, Australia, Longman House

DeJanasz, S., Wood, G., Gottschalk, L., Dowd, K., & Schneider B., (2006) Interpersonal Skills in Organisations, Australia, McGraw Hill

Flanagan, N., & Finger, J., (1998) Just about everything a Manger need to know, Queensland, Australia, Plum Press

Hunsaker, P., (2005) Management: a skills approach (2nd ed.) New Jersey, Pearsons Education

Stewart, D., (1998) Handbook of Management Skills, (3rd ed.) England, Gower Publishing Limited

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K., (1995) Developing Management Skills (3rd ed.) America, Harpers CollinsWorrall, L., & Cooper, C., (2001) Management skills development: a perspective on current issues and setting the future agenda, Leadership & Organization Development Journal 22(1) Retrieved September 4, 2008 from HYPERLINK “http://www.emeraldinsight.com” http://www.emeraldinsight.com

MAP: 1 – Page Project and Trial Run

The MAP consists of being able to do a video analysis from scratch. This 1-pg description is mainly designed to focus your question to a particular activity. Please take a look at the corresponding video on D2L before starting this.

What is the physical activity you plan to analyze?

There are no right or wrong answers here – because we are using video analysis, there are two factors that will constrain your choice of activity:

The number of dimensions the movement occurs in– Video analysis means we can only look at 2 dimensions (i.e. left/right and up/down). Any activity that has significant motion in all 3 dimensions cannot be analyzed accurately. Examples of 2D movements are walking, running, vertical jump, dart throwing, basketball free throw, reaching on a table etc. Examples of movements that are 3D are baseball pitching, complex gymnastics/diving maneuvers etc. Avoid 3D movements – if you are in doubt, please ask

Speed of the movement – do not choose extremely rapid movements like a golf swing or a hockey slap shot (unless you have access to a high speed camera). S

Find a published research paper related to the physical activity:

Provide a full citation for this paper (APA format)

Describe the main findings of the paper you have reviewed in your own words in 1 paragraph

To find research articles that are published in Journals, use websites such as Pubmed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/) or Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)

Access to these journals can be obtained through the MSU library website.

Use keywords such as “biomechanics”, “kinematics”, “EMG”, “force plate” etc. along with your physical activity. For example, if you want to examine papers looking at muscle activity during walking in stroke survivors, type in something like “Gait walking EMG stroke”

Develop a research question based on the paper that you have reviewed

The research question must be of the form – “We want to look at the effect of X on Y”

Where X is the factor you manipulate in your experiment (i.e. the independent variable).

Examples of independent variables are age (children vs. adult), sex (male vs. female), expertise (novice vs. expert) etc.

And Y is the biomechanical variable(s) you will measure from the video (i.e. the dependent variables).

Examples of dependent variables are knee angle at landing, range of motion in shoulder flexion-extension, peak hand speed, release angle at take-off, average horizontal velocity of the hip during the jump, etc.

Choose two dependent variables for your experiment

One will be a linear variable (e.g. displacement, velocity etc.)

One will be an angular variable (e.g., angular displacement, angular velocity etc.)

So for example, if you are looking at a squat lift, your research question must be of the form,

“We want to look at the effect of expertise (novice vs. expert) on:

(a) the maximum vertical velocity of the hip during the squat, and

(b) the maximum knee flexion during the squat.”

Describe the anatomical locations you will need to analyze on video (e.g., hip, knee, shoulder etc.)

If you need to compute an angle, you will need to analyze at least 3 points – for example, if you want to compute elbow angle, you need a marker on the shoulder, one on the elbow and one on the wrist

Describe the experiment you plan to do (in one paragraph)

How are you going to control the independent variable?

Who is going to perform the activity? Where will you film the activity?

Describe which angle you will film from (frontal plane, sagittal plane, transverse plane)

Describe any safety precautions you might need to take during filming

Trial Run:

You will also do a quick trial run to make sure you can do all the steps that you proposed. For the trial run, you need to the following steps:

a) Record a calibration video for your movement

b) Record a single video of the movement you want to analyze. For example, if you are comparing expert vs. novice, then just do one of the videos for now

c) Import the calibration and movement videos into Tracker and calibrate the movement video (similar to all labs that you have done on Tracker)

d) Check the calibration using a tape measure (e.g., just like on the labs, you can measure the height of the person using a tape measure to check if your calibration gives a reasonable answer)

e) Analyze the movement you recorded and compute your two dependent variables that you proposed in step 4 (e.g. hip velocity/knee angle etc.). Take a screenshot on Tracker with the graph for each of the corresponding variables (two screenshots total)

You will then submit on D2L

– The TRZ file

OR

– The TRK file AND the associated videos (the mp4 files). Please remember that unlike the labs (where we had the video files), if you just submit a TRK file, we will not be able to check your work on our end without the video file

So for the MAP trial run, you have to submit 2 things:

1. A PDF document answering the 6 questions about your MAP, and two screenshots of the trial run (described in step e)

2. The Tracker files (either TRZ or the TRK+ movie files) for one condition in your MAP

Please note that the MAP trial run is meant to help you get started with the work required to do the final project correctly. This component itself will not be graded – instead we will provide feedback about what things to fix on the final project. So please don’t worry if something is not ‘perfect’ now – the goal is to be able to get used to the steps involved and use the feedback to do well on the final project

Map Exercise

(30 points)

1. Please look at the three maps shown on the slide labeled question one.

Name one difference you can find in the size and shape of a continent (3 Points)

The continents are all of different sizes and shape but Africa and south America seems to have almost similar shape and size but there is a difference still.

All other continents except Africa and south America have an absolutely irregular shape.

Some continents are too small in shape compared to others

Which map would you use if you where sailing a ship (3 Points) (Hint which shows the least distortion of the ocean)

I would use the MD 1951 Map

Open the map entitled 1951

And look at the key shown below

What do the brown lines on the map represent and what do the numbers mean (2 points) (Hint they look like this below)

The brown lines on the map represents the contours.

The numbers are the altitudes of the different areas.

How do you use these lines to understand the landscape (2 points)

These lines give the landscapes altitude and the slope. When the lines are close to each other, it means that the landscape is steep and if they are distanced from each other the landscape is less steep.

How can you find out where this map (entitled 1954) is of (I am looking for a location) (2 Points) (Hint look at the bottom)

By using the information provided at the bottom of the map one can know where this map is of. That is, Lanham, MD. Upper Marlboro 15’ Quadrangle, N 3852.5-W 7645/7.5.

How can you measure distance on the map and where is this located and why is this important to all maps (2 point)

Distance on the map can be taken using a string or flexible material and then the measurements are converted using the maps scale.

The map’s scale is located at the bottom of the map.

Open the map MD_1993

Compare this map to the previous map how has this area changed (3 Points)

The area has become more occupied. The population of people has increased as well as that of infrastructure. More structures like roads and buildings have been added to the map changing the area. The vegetation seems to have reduced significantly.

What does the pink areas of the map represent (Hint look at the pink writing at the bottom) (3 points)

The pink areas represent the extension of urban areas.

Can you find Prince Gorges Community college on this map and describe how would you identify the location using what you have on the map (2 points)

Yes. Towards the eastern part of the map.

I would identify the college by first looking at the map key. I would then go through the map identifying the college sign as indicated in the key. After that I would look for the name prince Gorges.

Please find a map and either paste it below or provide a link (Either from the internet or else were.) I found an Africa physical features map. The link is,

https://www.google.com/search?q=africa+physical+features+map&rlz=1C1CHBD_enKE808KE808&sxsrf=AOaemvIBy35TZ4GAfoexrcAH_88chnUtjA:1639707376758&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=hfiePwPaK5wygM%252CC2DPvM1hHWYV2M%252C_%253BAed0GjpxZwophM%252CYQIypt6hfy_zKM%252C_%253BqqjjYYpCjkRMzM%252CtBZqx7LN5zyKIM%252C_%253BvrBTlKdQWw4QeM%252CUNww4orlmYByWM%252C_%253BW85cFEtLKxRmhM%252CA2zWlhJHaeCvXM%252C_%253BP_DR4RfllGhsnM%252CYQIypt6hfy_zKM%252C_%253B9H1MW0kGdDKEEM%252CpK4CSaQjg52AWM%252C_%253BJkiLAfTydpAuKM%252C69hr08vNrX7nuM%252C_%253B8l-NVGSwAa0bFM%252Cm7mhWWyQmwTMdM%252C_%253BT3uJ3VCDa2_8SM%252CTdlDjia1vseXJM%252C_%253BQ1p2l7cvdrz1XM%252CSLztBRad-4VJoM%252C_%253BDgc0_xOjsZ2ZxM%252CZZNUZv94WPuXdM%252C_%253BfTsRHMUJhl8ucM%252ChiSdl2bsdpUKyM%252C_%253BwBQuAVGSXP3ieM%252ComwKNZG2CXExnM%252C_%253BH1eahH8XnetmLM%252C4gnmI6tqmfQ3tM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQ17AL9wISibClAQVNkefwjbqv1Qg&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiM_ef94en0AhVGVhoKHVkXAwoQ9QF6BAgIEAE#imgrc=hfiePwPaK5wygMPlease describe what the map shows (2 points)

The map shows Africa continent physical features and also the latitudes and longitudes.

Please describe why this map interests you (3 Points)

I am interested in knowing more about Africa continent physical features and mostly because of the unique features which support life of many wild animal. I also want to learn about this feature which mostly sustain summer climate.

How does the design of map you chose help emphasize the purpose of the map? (3 points)

The physical feature map indicates the topography and the physical features of areas in the map. This indication helps learners know more about other places in details.

MD_1993.tifMD 1951.tifQuestion 1.pptx

LEGAL DNA (WALL STREET JOURNAL 2002)

THE WORLD ECONOMY is putting modern capitalism through another stress test. Like tests that physicians do for people with heart disease, this one highlights the system’s weaknesses and brings forth various prescriptions for treating symptoms. But, just as with heart disease, the stress test raises intriguing questions about genetic advantages: Do some economies have institutions, laws and commonly accepted business norms that produce a stronger strain of capitalism, one better adapted to withstand shocks and improve its people’s prosperity?

Specifically, why do the U.S. and Britain have bigger stock markets and more shareholding citizens than Germany and France, and does that make their economies more flexible? Why do more companies go public in India than in Brazil? Why do American businesses use private arbitration more than others to resolve corporate disputes? Why are U.S. governments more comfortable settling trade disputes one case at a time than their Continental counterparts?

To a remarkable degree, the answers can be traced to the different legal traditions that emerged in England and France in the 12th century and spread through their colonies. Nine hundred years later, these traditions still influence business, investors and government. And as globalization steadily erodes national boundaries, the differences are causing unavoidable strains. WESTERN COMMERCIAL LAW comes from two traditions: the common law, with roots in England, and the civil law, rooted in ancient Rome and refined later by continental Europeans. Common-law countries, including the U.S. and other former British colonies, rely on independent judges and juries and legal principles supplemented by precedent-setting case law. In civil-law countries, which include much of Latin America, judges often are lifelong civil servants who administer legal codes packed with specific rules. Case law matters less. Civil-law countries distrust judges and arbitrators; common-law countries venerate and empower them. Rule-laden civil-law countries aren’t well-adapted to cope with change; the case-law approach makes common-law countries inherently more flexible. All this has long fascinated law professors. After the early failures at building capitalism in Russia following communism’s collapse, the issue also attracted a band of economists, led by Harvard’s Andrei Shleifer. They sought to identify conditions essential for functioning markets and private property. Whatever they were, Russia didn’t have them.

Examining 49 countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe, the economists discerned a distinct pattern in both rich and poor countries: “Civil-law countries exhibit heavier regulation, weaker property-right protection, more-corrupt and less-efficient governments and less political freedom than do common-law countries,” Mr. Shleifer puts it. As France well illustrates, civil law “more easily accommodates the expansion of government intervention in economic and social life.” Investors in civil-law countries, Mr. Shleifer and colleagues argue, are less certain that their property rights will be enforced. One symptomatic example: Civil-law countries more frequently require shareholders to attend meetings to vote instead of voting by mail. In these countries, few people own stock, bond and stock markets are smaller and more companies are controlled by a few big holders. In the past decade, this has proved a significant constraint on investment and economic growth. The law matters—and it matters a lot. AS FINANCIAL MARKETS outgrow national borders, economies built on different legal foundations are being forced to reconcile their differences. When shares of a French company are traded on the New York Stock Exchange by a Japanese brokerage house, there is pressure to agree on consistent accounting standards and a shared understanding of investor-protection rules. The trend is toward the U.S.-British approach, but the deep roots of the alternative explain the resistance in other countries.

Similar tensions appear in world trade disputes. The U.S. tends to be more willing to allow World Trade Organization arbitrators to make case law (particularly when decisions favor the U.S.) than Europe, which prefers clear rules. The old differences also inform some international environmental disputes: Civil-law countries, accustomed to well-articulated and rigid rules, are uneasy relying less on rules and more on tradable pollution permits. There remains a chicken-and-egg dispute about which came first: The law, as Mr. Shleifer and allies argue, or the rise of an independent business-investor class that demanded legal protection, as Columbia law professor John Coffee Jr. sees it. In either case, the lesson of history is sharp: Markets and the prosperity they can provide do not exist independent of the law and the institutions of government but are intertwined with them. Well-functioning financial markets, in particular, rest on clear and enforced protections for investors. And when a changing economy requires new rules—for auctioning radio spectrum, modernizing stock markets, regulating new financial products, enforcing intellectual property rights—it’s wise to remember that the economic impact is long-lived.

Name:

Course:

Title: A comparative analyses of the Japanese and Western perspective of indebtedness

Date: August 7th 2013

Introduction

This paper is based on an analysis from the book “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” that was written by Ruth Benedict who is an anthropologist. The paper presents a comparative analysis with a guide from the text of the Japanese and western perspective of ineptness. The ideas presented in this paper have been researched and gathered from the book and personal interpretation and understanding of the book. The paper will present a description of different societies in the west and how they perceive debts and the issue of paying debts. The issue of indebtedness is closely associated with community believes, as different communities approach paying debt differently. This paper will also draw the close relationship between communities believes and actions in paying debt. Communities in Japan show very contrasting ideologies and all that is covered in this paper.

Debt is viewed differently by both Americans and Japanese; this is majorly affected by the communal setting. Americans hold the view that they owe their existence to no person while Japanese pay allegiance and feel to be in debt of the people who lived before them. This presents different approaches to debt between two communities; Japanese view themselves as debtors to the ages. This means that they owe their existence to those who lived in the world before them. Americans take a different approach to this, viewing themselves as heirs of the age; we exist by our own right and have ourselves to thank.

Debtors to ages

This is an approach to debt in Japan, with great reasoning behind it. Those who existed and lived before us played a great role in maintaining a place that we would find. They took good care of the environment for us to find a better place, took part in research and inventions to make life easier. We enjoy life and go through our day to day activities more easily because of the efforts of those who lived before us. The ages are our ancestors and we are their debtors in this approach. Taking thought into this, it makes sense to be grateful for finding a wonderful place where we can call home. The fact cannot be stressed enough that we are somehow here because of those who lived before us, our ancestors and by this virtue we are debtors.

Heirs of ages

Our existence does not make us debtors by any virtue, not to our ancestors and not to those who live in our generation. We are free to take our actions just like those who came before us were free to live and exist. Our definition of debt is an obligation, which arises from a situation in which we take part in. this provides for free existence, naturals; we come into this world to inherit and by this fact we are heirs of ages. We inherit from those who lived before us and are free to make what we want of our existence.

The meaning of the word debt in Japanese context is of great importance in understanding the communal belief of debt. According to Japanese, debt is a duty and obligation of the debtor to a person who has done him/her well and contributed to their existence. There are two parties in the case; the debtor is a person who has a greater ability than the creditor. The debtor assists the creditor because of his/her high standing in society. An example of such a relationship is that between a child and his parents, a parent is a debtor to a child because of all that the parent does to maintain the welfare of the child. Being raised by your parents and given a good life in all that is within their abilities makes you owe your parents. This is a communal belief by Japanese, based on the definition and understanding of the word debt.

In the west, debt has a different meaning and communities approach it with a different perspective. There is a distinction between debt and moral duty; in Africa it is the moral duty of a child to obey the parents. The moral duty further extends to bind the child to take care of his parents when they get old, and to support them financially as a symbol of gratitude. Sometimes a child is not as successful or as prosperous as his parents and may not be able to support them financially but does not dishonor them. This is not seen as breaking the moral duty. This is a significant comparison between the definition and idea of debt as a word. What the Japanese see as debt, in the west is termed as a moral duty and responsibility.

In the battlefield, soldiers were served with many things including cigarettes and water here they were put in debt. This brings a new understanding to the word debt in a Japanese context; you can get into debt involuntarily. This shows that according to the definition of debt, aid can put you in debt, while you are working in the interests of your creditor. The scenario where soldiers are termed as creditors for receiving supplies form the king contrasts the initial understanding of the word debt. It is difficult to understand how one gets into debt for receiving what they require when in the battlefield. The soldiers are in the battlefield to defend their country, but Japanese have a different view on this. Soldiers are said to be working for the emperor and whatever they do in during the war is for the emperor.

The scenario is different for soldiers in the west. Soldiers go to battle to defend the borders of their nation and to fight the enemy of their nation. The act of going to war is not for the king of the land to take glory or vest his own interests but soldiers go to war to protect the interests of the entire country. During war, soldiers are entitled to getting supplies and this does not put them at debt. Debt is not something you can get into involuntarily; you have to consent to get into a debt. It is the duty of the country, whose interests are being protected to provide the soldiers in war with supplies. After the war and the soldier come back home with victory, the state rewards them to show appreciation. Rewards to soldiers are not to imply payment of any form of debt; they imply that the state appreciates the services of the soldiers and their bravery.

In Japanese a sign of help has to be reciprocated with words of appreciation, the debtor has to thank the creditor or his helper for any help received. However, the words that are used to express appreciation for kind action are quite contradicting and paint a different picture from that of being assisted. From a direct simple translation of the words used to express gratitude, the message passed by the debtor is that of receiving not help but a burden. This brings another understanding to the word debt in the Japanese context, a debt is a burden placed on you.

Kino doku

This is one word that is used to express appreciation by the Japanese, this when translated is an expression of a bad feeling. The word, though an expression of gratitude is used only in specific scenarios for example when a stranger helps you and you are not able to pay them back or do a similar generous act. By saying Kino doku, you will be expression the situation that you find yourself in of being assisted but not in a position to do the same. This presents a feeling of self-pity, that you are more of a receiver than a giver.

Arigato and Sumimasen

These are other words that are used to express gratitude in Japanese; the translation of these words also would not bring out the meaning of appreciation to a person from the western world. Both terms are used in a business setting to compliment and show thankfulness to a store owner. When translated, they mean, a difficult feeling that a debtor will never forget. It is a never ending feeling of gratitude; this presents a different image of a burden and commitment. A debtor is burdened and should always remember his creditor. The words of appreciation indicate that the debtor knows that he may never have the chance to pay back or reciprocate the actions of kindness shown to him.

In the west, showing appreciation is quite different and the meaning is presented with the actual words. Thank you is a word used to show express gratitude for help for serviced rendered. A debt is not a burden and the debtor is not in any way committed to the creditor. A person who has been helped, though may not have a chance to go the same and help his debtor is not obliged to always remember. People tend to forget those who helped them when they were in needy situations and they move on with life. The intention of helping someone is not to make him always remember you but to remove him from the current situation to a better situation so that he can help himself in future and help others. The cause of helping people in Japanese is different from that in the West, in Japanese a difficult feeling is created after helping someone and may express regret while in the west an uplifted feeling is created and sincere gratitude is expressed.

On

This presents a relationship and the nature of the relationship between a debtor and a creditor. There is a relationship that is formed when a person helps another, in the Japanese context, on is the simple word that presents all the relationships that may emerge. On could represent, Loyalty, Love and Obligations from the debtor to the creditor. In an example, you have an on to your parents, you are a debtor and this could mean you have an obligation to love and be loyal to them. The on will show the relationship, this may be quite confusing as one word could stand for so many meanings.

On comes with many implications, which we from the West may call consequences and this is the reason why Japanese may not accept a kind offer from a stranger. It poses a demand for you to feel obligated to be loyal to a person who showed you kindness at one time, you may not remember all strangers who helped you while in a difficult situation. Remember, debt is a burden in Japan, and you have to carry this burden everywhere you go for this reason nobody wants to carry a burden from a stranger. A person is more likely to accept a favor or an action of kindness from a relative or a close neighbor because he can bear the burden and at one time will be close enough to reciprocate. This shows the fear of consequences of being in debt to the extent of refusing to accept help.

The expression of gratitude and saying thank you in Japanese is done with humility. A person who is saying thank you expresses humbleness in the words used to thank and at the same time is apologetic. This is the ultimate symbol of being grateful, being sorry that you have been helped. In the west a person may say thank you just to show courtesy and not necessarily humility. The feeling of being helped does not make a person feel sorry rather it makes them feel joyful. Thank you is not only used to show gratitude but also show courtesy in the west. Appreciation does not necessarily make you feel sorry for yourself rather it bring joy. This is a great difference between the two cultures, the expression of gratitude and the feeling of help on the debtor. Here two different situations express the same feeling.

Summary

We see two cultures with a similar feeling of debt but with different approaches, due to the difference in understanding. While the west debt and indebtedness is an obligation only if financial and entered to if both parties are in consent, the situation is different in Japanese. A debt can be entered into even when the debtor does not agree or is not in consent of the debt. Simple actions of kindness can make you debtor, once you accept the kindness. This creates a situation where people are resentful in receiving help, in fear of being in debt.

A child and parent scenario; in Japanese, a child is a debtor to his parents for being raised and receiving a good life. In the west, a child has a moral obligation to be loyal and hold a special place in his heart for his parents and being raised does not make him a debtor. Even when a parent single handedly raises his children, educating them and providing for them, he is performing his duty and not helping the child. However in Japanese, when a parent raises the children, it is not his duty but it is a debt being made.

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Course

Professor

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A Comparative Analysis of the Philosophical Views on the Existence of God and Evil.

The concept of evil and morality has been one of the most pivotal in the history of humanity. Evil is a moral concept covering all forms of pain, misfortunes and suffering. Morality, on the other hand, is a binary system of determining good and evil. Evil and morality traverse through philosophy, religion, governance, culture and to some extent science. Wars have been fought over differences in schools of thought concerning evil. For religion, the concept is even more crucial. Many traditional religions believe in an omnipotent, omniscient and perfectly moral deity. This being said, the concept of evil has always threatened the collapse of religions that believe in such a god. Epicurious raised the “unanswered” question that questioned the concurrent existence of such a god and evil within the same reality ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1017/S0034412509990369″,”ISSN”:”00344125″,”abstract”:”This paper develops a challenge to theism. The challenge is to explain why the hypothesis that there exists an omnipotent, omniscient and all-good god should be considered significantly more reasonable than the hypothesis that there exists an omnipotent, omniscient and all-evil god. Theists typically dismiss the evil-god hypothesis out of hand because of the problem of good – there is surely too much good in the world for it to be the creation of such a being. But then why doesn’t the problem of evil provide equally good grounds for dismissing belief in a good god? I develop this evil-god challenge in detail, anticipate several replies, and correct errors made in earlier discussions of the problem of good. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Law”,”given”:”Stephen”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Religious Studies”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”3″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2010″,”9″]]},”page”:”353-373″,”publisher”:”Cambridge University Press”,”title”:”The evil-god challenge”,”type”:”article”,”volume”:”46″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=5a27d49a-7deb-34cf-aa56-5ef99c03fefc”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Law)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Law)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Law)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Law). Many arguments have been raised throughout the years to explain or to dispute the existence of god. In this brief review, the beliefs of Hume, Kant, James and Augustine are discussed in contrast and comparison to one another.

David Hume was a Scottish philosopher in the 1700s. In his writings, Dialogues, Humes considered Epicrious’s question and raises many views concerning it. He argues not from the view of an atheist but as a sceptic. He considers all the unnecessary forms of evil within our reality in the juxtaposition of a provident God. He challenges the view held by some that perhaps what we consider as evil is just apparent evil or “evil” whose eventuality will lead to good. Hume reasons out that the human’s view of morality and evil is determined by how his mind perceives reality and not by any philosophical arguments. Therefore, such a philosophical belief, that evil does not exist, cannot be a fathomable reality for an individual. Hume questions the provident God he believes in. He wonders why such a God would not provide fully for his creation despite his infinite ability to do so. Hume does not see the presence of evil as evidence for the absence of a god. Instead, he sees that we not only have no reason to argue for his existence but we also have none to dispute it. Overall, Hume believes that unnecessary evil exists concurrently with God. He also believes that God exists, is all-powerful, can end and prevent evil but chooses not to ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1017/S0031819114000229″,”ISSN”:”1469817X”,”abstract”:”The problem of evil for theists was how to reconcile suffering with a benevolent God. Hume solved the problem of evil by claiming that the divine was amoral but not by denying God’s existence which he needed in order to advocate his favoured notion of a general providence. Indeed, Hume’s treatment of the problem of evil showed that his quarrel in the Natural History of Religion 1and the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 2 Section XI, was with a particular providence rather than the possibility of a divine orderer. The fundamental problem of evil for Hume, was evil’s potential to drive people to the notion of a particular providence with its attendant damaging passions. In considering his alternative of the general providence Hume is shown to be closer to theism than has often been thought.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Tarrant”,”given”:”James”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Philosophy”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”4″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2014″,”10″,”17″]]},”page”:”603-620″,”publisher”:”Cambridge University Press”,”title”:”Hume’s fundamental problem of evil”,”type”:”article”,”volume”:”89″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=52e8a7e3-456e-35f0-9676-c18e2e016808″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Tarrant)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Tarrant)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Tarrant)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Tarrant).

On the other hand, Kant (an 18th-century metaphysical philosopher) offers a non-theistic view of evil. He claims that humans have free will and can be inclined to do either good or evil. He views evil as a “stain” in the human will and classifies it in degrees of severity. He starts with those who are not necessarily corrupted by evil but are too weak to do what is morally right. He then goes on to describe the impure who do good but fueled by impure intentions and ends with those that have a fully evil will. He explains that this last category of individuals converts what is morally right to self-serving interests. Kant’s views have been disputed by many philosophers because his view does not necessarily explain natural evils nor heinous morally wrong acts ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1080/09608788.2012.718860″,”ISSN”:”09608788″,”abstract”:”Kant proclaimed that all theodicies must fail in On the Miscarriage of All Philosophical Trials in Theodicy, but it is mysterious why he did so since he had developed a theodicy of his own during the critical period. In this paper, I offer an explanation of why Kant thought theodicies necessarily fail. In his theodicy, as well as in some of his works in ethics, Kant explained moral evil as resulting from unavoidable limitations in human beings. God could not create finite beings without such limitations and so could not have created humans that were not prone to committing immoral acts. However, the work of Carl Christian Eberhard Schmid showed Kant that given his own beliefs about freedom and the nature of responsibility one could not account for moral evil in this way without tacitly denying that human beings were responsible for their actions. This result is significant not only because it explains an otherwise puzzling shift in Kant’s philosophy of religion, but also because it shows that the theodicy essay provides powerful evidence that Kant’s thinking about moral evil and freedom underwent fundamental shifts between early works such as the Groundwork and later works like the Religion within the Limits of Mere Reason. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Duncan”,”given”:”Sam”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”British Journal for the History of Philosophy”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”5″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2012″,”9″,”1″]]},”page”:”973-991″,”publisher”:” Routledge “,”title”:”Moral evil, freedom and the goodness of god: Why kant abandoned theodicy”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”20″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=be59283e-30f1-3fcd-87d8-ef6c845aad52″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Duncan)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Duncan)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Duncan)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Duncan). 

Augustine, a Christian philosopher, confesses his struggle with the origin of evil in his writings (Confessions). He goes through a journey of trying to balance out the paradox of the existence of God and evil all at once. Early on he reconciled the two by shedding his belief in God’s omnipotence. If God is not omnipotent, then he cannot stop evil. He then rejects this notion and comes to view evil not as a created entity on its own but distorted good. He further rationalizes this though by explaining that all that is created by God is inherently good, but at varying levels. Therefore, when morally evil acts occur, it is because of a corruption of the inherent good in a person and not an evil caused or allowed by God. He believes that the choice to do evil is based on the free will which God gave to humans ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1017/S0034412513000401″,”ISSN”:”00344125″,”abstract”:”The question of why humanity first chose to sin is an extension to the problem of evil to which the free-will defence does not easily apply. In De libero arbitrio and elsewhere Augustine argues that as an instance of evil, the fall is necessarily inexplicable. In this article, I identify the problems with this response and attempt to construct an alternative based on Peter van Inwagen’s free will ‘mysterianism’. I will argue that the origin of evil is inexplicable not because it is an instance of evil, but because it is an instance of free will. © 2013 Cambridge University Press.”,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Willows”,”given”:”Adam M.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Religious Studies”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”2″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2014″]]},”page”:”255-269″,”publisher”:”Cambridge University Press”,”title”:”Augustine, the origin of evil, and the mystery of free will”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”50″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=0d814966-edd1-3e13-92ed-32bd1116caa0″]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Willows)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Willows)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Willows)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Willows).

Lastly, the 19th-century pragmatic philosopher William James. From his writings, James did not believe in an omnipotent, omniscient and perfectly moral God. He instead viewed God as a being in the metaphysical realm whose knowledge has bounds and leaves humans to dictate their actions without the foreknowledge of what they might choose. Concerning evil and morality, James, unlike the three other philosophers, abandons the binary confines of good and evil. He proposes a pragmatic school of thought concerning morality. He sees morality as an intuition built through experiences in life. The societal norms within which one is raised determine their inner sense of right and wrong. Good and evil. A pragmatic society does not set morally right and wrong laws but rather considers the additive value of a series of moral action and chooses those which offer the least friction ADDIN CSL_CITATION {“citationItems”:[{“id”:”ITEM-1″,”itemData”:{“DOI”:”10.1017/S0025727300005457″,”ISSN”:”09505571″,”abstract”:”William James is often described as one of America’s foremost philosophers and the founder of American psychology. During the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century he published several key texts on a broad range of topics, including the psychology of religion, ethics, epistemology and metaphysics. Many are still in current use, and contemporary philosophers continue to pore over them. Biographers, meanwhile, happily speculate on everything from James’s parental relationships to the state of his marriage. However, there has been relatively little detailed exploration of how James’s published writings and his private life may have intersected. This article explores one such intersection: that between James’s protracted experience of ill health and the elaboration of the notion of evil in his writings. Any perusal, however perfunctory, of the thousands of letters written by James that are still in existence, cannot fail to miss his repeated references to his health, or lack of it. He certainly was not one to suffer in silence, and it is clear that, for much of his life from his early adulthood onward, he considered himself a confirmed invalid. His references to his health cover a variety of different ailments. In the 1860s, when James was in his twenties, he was plagued by everything from a bad back, to melancholy and constipation. These symptoms have not escaped the attention of his biographers; most, however, have brought to them Freudian-inspired schema. Daniel Bjork, for example, suggests that James’s ongoing problems with back pain had something to do with the unfulfilled sexual urges of a young man. He reminds us that once James was married, few such back complaints continued. 1 Similarly, Howard Feinstein ‘explains’ James’s constipation with reference to psychoanalytic theory, calling attention to the same condition suffered by his brother Henry, the novelist. According to Feinstein, the two brothers found it difficult to sever their suffocatingly close fraternal bond-an event that was reminiscent of their original ‘separation crisis’ from their parents. That ordeal, moreover, is held to be inherently linked to the brothers’ acquisition of sphincter control for the first time. Thus we should not be surprised that a later fraternal separation crisis was accompanied by a symbolic re-enactment of this bowel control process which manifested itself as constipation, concludes Feinstein. 2″,”author”:[{“dropping-particle”:””,”family”:”Sutton”,”given”:”Emma K.”,”non-dropping-particle”:””,”parse-names”:false,”suffix”:””}],”container-title”:”Medical History”,”id”:”ITEM-1″,”issue”:”3″,”issued”:{“date-parts”:[[“2011″]]},”page”:”389-392″,”publisher”:”Cambridge University Press”,”title”:”When misery and metaphysics collide: William James on ‘the problem of evil'”,”type”:”article-journal”,”volume”:”55″},”uris”:[“http://www.mendeley.com/documents/?uuid=49082bdb-24c4-3cbf-89d4-33e9b7b4f2ba”]}],”mendeley”:{“formattedCitation”:”(Sutton)”,”plainTextFormattedCitation”:”(Sutton)”,”previouslyFormattedCitation”:”(Sutton)”},”properties”:{“noteIndex”:0},”schema”:”https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json”}(Sutton).

In my subjective opinion, God, to be a sovereign creator and one in control of the physical world has to be all-powerful, all-knowing and good in every sense. The existence of evil in such a reality is best explained by Augustine’s school of thought since it allows the existence of such a God in this harsh reality. The only shortcoming would be that Augustine’s rationale does not explain the reasons for the existence of natural evil under the reign of such a God. Objectively, James’ beliefs have a much better fit within our reality. Since God is not all-powerful, evil, a separate force within the metaphysical realm can exist and cause sheer unnecessary harm within the world.

Works Cited

ADDIN Mendeley Bibliography CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Duncan, Sam. “Moral Evil, Freedom and the Goodness of God: Why Kant Abandoned Theodicy.” British Journal for the History of Philosophy, vol. 20, no. 5, Routledge , Sept. 2012, pp. 973–91, doi:10.1080/09608788.2012.718860.

Law, Stephen. “The Evil-God Challenge.” Religious Studies, vol. 46, no. 3, Cambridge University Press, Sept. 2010, pp. 353–73, doi:10.1017/S0034412509990369.

Sutton, Emma K. “When Misery and Metaphysics Collide: William James on ‘the Problem of Evil.’” Medical History, vol. 55, no. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011, pp. 389–92, doi:10.1017/S0025727300005457.

Tarrant, James. “Hume’s Fundamental Problem of Evil.” Philosophy, vol. 89, no. 4, Cambridge University Press, 17 Oct. 2014, pp. 603–20, doi:10.1017/S0031819114000229.

Willows, Adam M. “Augustine, the Origin of Evil, and the Mystery of Free Will.” Religious Studies, vol. 50, no. 2, Cambridge University Press, 2014, pp. 255–69, doi:10.1017/S0034412513000401.

Corinna Rodriguez

Dr. Ledbetter

ENG 3301

25 October 2018

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens is the author of the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ and he takes Marxist’s perspective throughout the story. Dickens adopts the Marxist perspective in the sense that he identifies a ladder of achievement that begins with social improvement and ends with social order. For a social ladder to occur, the story portrays an audience that public life matters much more than private life. The story ‘A Christmas Carol’ takes place during the nineteenth century, and this was the primary reason why people judged others over their dressing or even how they acted in public.

In the beginning of the story, the author introduces Ebenezer Scrooge as an older man who is grumpy, selfish, and cold-hearted as he criticizes everyone that he tend to encounter. To paint the image of Scrooge, the author introduces two gentlemen to Scrooge and asked if he was generous enough to donate money to the poor. However, in regards to asking Scrooge for money, it shows the audience that it is a way to be able to provide food and drinks. They ask, “What shall I put you down for?” “Nothing!” Scrooge answers. “You wish to be anonymous?” “I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. (Dickens 31). Scrooge’s ignorance and critic to the two gentlemen implies that he doesn’t believe in helping people or in the sense of happiness and therefore this is another reason that compelled Dickens to write the novel showing the audience that the rich people are ignorant and selfish and that they think they are bigger and better than the people around them.

As a matter of fact, during Stave One, there is a time where Scrooge encounters his partner who has been dead for the past seven years. However, the quote “The same face, the very same. Marley, in his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head.” (Dickens 38), describes the way Jacob Marley looked like now that he is a ghost. Therefore, even when Scrooge saw Marley as a ghost, he began to question himself if he was hallucinating due to the fact that Marley could make a conversation happen. On the other hand, Scrooge realizes that Marley could sit perfectly motionless in a chair.

Also, of all this happening Scrooge begins to question Marley about his chains compelling Marley to break down the process in a more comfortable and better way. He does it for Scrooge to understand the fact that Marley has the chains attached to him is because during the time that he was alive all he did was hard work labor for Scrooge instead of being able to live his life as an individual. Marley informed Scrooge that he had been receiving visits from three ghosts due to the fact that it was based on the many different things that Scrooge had done during his lifetime. However, even when Marley seemed to inform Scrooge, he believed that it was all a dream at one point due to the fact that he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. Therefore, even with the mindset that he had of him believing that his mind was casually playing trick on him was just some sort sense of denial due to the fact that it shows the audience that Scrooge is the type of character who wants to be casually right all the time even when they know that they are wrong.

However, towards the first few pages of Stave Two, it shows the audience that Scrooge had just received his first visit from The Ghost of Christmas Past and therefore, once The Ghost of Christmas past assisted Scrooge to relieve his memories from when he was a little boy, it made him all feel ecstatic. The reason behind is that he began to recognize everything from childhood. Coming from the audience’s point of view it depicts that there is this nostalgic feeling that Scrooge is having since it shows that he was once a happy child. Besides to this being a nostalgic feeling for him, there is a part where Dickens mentions that there is a little girl back in his past. For example, the quote “You are quite a woman, little Fan!” exclaimed the boy. She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried to touch his head; but, being too little, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him.” (Dickens 56). The phrase shows the audience that there is such a strong connection with this little girl due to the fact that Scrooge and Fan seemed to share such a strong bond since they are brother and sister. As a matter of fact, for the way it was described it seems to the audience that when his sister passed away, it took such a big toll on Scrooge due to the fact, that they had such a strong bond, unlike any other siblings.

On the other hand, coming from the perspective of the reader it seems that the more it covers over the topic of his sister’s death, the more the audience gets to realize that this is where Scrooge begins being mean and rude to every person he gets to encounter. Coming from the reader’s perspective, it is entirely understandable the way Scrooge has been acting from his sister’s death due to the fact, that every person must go through the five stages of grief in their way. Also, of accepting the five stages of grief, it shows the audience that Scrooge might have been just stuck on the topic of grief for such a long time, which perhaps made him go through so much pain since he had nobody to share his grief.

Towards the end of Stave Two, that is where a beautiful woman is being introduced that goes by the name of Belle. Besides to her introduction, it is mentioned that Scrooge was deeply and madly in love with her when he was a young man. However, there came a time where they were both engaged to each other, but at the end, Belle decided to break off the engagement due to the fact that Belle started to realize that time had come where Scrooge was being consumed with greed and lust. Therefore, when he encounters her once again but this time via the Ghost of Christmas Past, he starts to realize that he completely lost the one true love he possessed to her due to the fact, he kept putting his need for money way ahead of everything else. If he did not believe that money was more important than her, then he would have still have Belle at some point in his life due to the fact, before money came into the picture, they were both two poor people.

In addition to Belle breaking the engagement off due to the few reasons she decided to marry someone else who had his life set out and who believed that they were right for her. For example the quote, “Belle,” said her husband, turning to his wife with a smile, “I saw an old friend of yours this afternoon.” “Who was it?” “Guess!” “How can I? Tut, don’t I know?” she added in the same breath, laughing as he laughed. “Mr. Scrooge.” “Mr. Scrooge it was. I passed his office window, and as it was not shut up, and he had a candle inside.” (Dickens 66 – 67) illustrates the fact that Belle’s new husband had a time where he saw Scrooge which he tells Belle that Scrooge seems like he is a miserable man because Scrooge had lost his long-term business partner. Even when the ghost of Christmas past is showing him this piece that happened between Belle and her husband, it shows the audience that Scrooge was showing all sorts of emotions, for example, he was showing anger and hurt due to the fact, that was his first love whom he had lost over the fact, that he decided that lust and greed were much more important than her.

However in the third stave, once Scrooge wakes up from his slumber due to the fact, that the church clock had startled him since he is already started to prepare himself for the second ghost’s arrival. Therefore, once the ghost of Christmas present has arrived, he has Scrooge touch his giant green robe due to the fact that it looked so elegant because of the white fur that boarded along the garment. As a matter of fact, when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows up, he seems to be sitting down on a throne of gourmet food. Besides to the Ghost of Christmas Present, he decides to show Scrooge all these amazing things he is missing out on due to the fact, that he is this bitter and uptight person who does not know how to enjoy celebrating a holiday or even how to accept any happiness. As this is taken in the present time, the ghost seems to first take Scrooge to Bob Cratchit home where it shows that the family is doing the best they can to be able to put food and treats on the table.

However, it is also showing the audience that Bob’s oldest son is wearing a hand me down from his father; therefore, it also shows that the only daughter is returning from her job that way she can spend time with her family. The ghost of Christmas Present also shows that Bob is carrying his youngest who goes by the name of Tiny Tim. However, the ghost seems to tell Scrooge that the same time next year there will be an empty chair at Bob Cratchit’s Christmas dinner. The only reason he seems to inform Scrooge is that Scrooge seems to know what the pain of losing someone feels like and Scrooge does not want anybody to go through the same thing he went through. On the other hand, the only reasons Scrooge is being haunted is because each ghost wants Scrooge to be able to have a change of perspective since they want him to be able to open his eyes in regards of being able to do good for others occasionally.

However, once he has met with the ghost of Christmas yet to come, he gives off such a mystery and gloomy sense due to the fact that he knows what he is going to show Scrooge if he does not change for the better. Therefore, when Scrooge has met with the last ghost, he comes to terms that he has to change for the better due to the fact that he does not want to be left alone as he saw in the vision that the ghost shows him. As a matter of fact, Scrooge finds this last ghost much more terrifying than the past two since the ghost of Christmas yet to come has this vague horror because of the things he has shown people, and that is everything that will happen if they do not get their act together. The only reason Scrooge might find the ghost a bit more fearsome is that of the way he is dressed since he is mainly dressed in a black hooded cloak. However, even when he shows Scrooge an ominous view of his lonely death, it makes Scrooge want to be able to change for the better due to the fact, that he experienced what he does not wish to. For most people nowadays, they need something drastic to happen to them or in their lives for them to be able to have a change of thought or a change of appearance.

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. Christmas carol. Alma Books, 2018.

Authoritative Patriarchy

Name

Institution

Authoritative Patriarchy

The State of Patriarchy Today

Patriarchy according to Bell Hooks is a socio-political system that insists men are inherently dominant and have power over everything and everyone especially females (Hooks, 2000). Under this system, men have the right to dominate and control the weak and preserve that dominance (Hassel, Reddinger, & Van Slooten, 2011). This conversation takes a different turn on patriarchy and instead of discussing it traditionally, the paper focuses on the changing spectrum and the threat to this old system.

Feminists have started gaining more power and influence that it is making the dominant males uncomfortable. To illustrate, Greta Thunberg the 16-year-old climate activist with her participation in many climate protests, her address in the United Nations and her influence in many other places generated furious responses from powerful men especially politicians and media personalities (Kramp, 2019). Andrew Bolt an Australian pundit called Thunberg a freakishly influential and deeply troubled girl, Arron Banks a notable figure in the politics of the United Kingdom sent a tweet that appeared to threaten Thunberg saying “freaking yacht accidents do happen in August” in response to the activist’s zero-carbon voyage across the Atlantic (Kramp, 2019). U.S. President trouble also contributed to the issue with sarcasm after the girl made a public statement admonishing world leaders for doing nothing on global warming. In his tweet, Trump said “She seems like a very happy girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” (Kramp, 2019).

These comments were clear evidence of modern men attacking women for having a voice and expressing their interests with boldness in a patriarchal society. In previous generations, men holding positions of power would not have felt the need to use such assaultive remarks. Rather, they would have used strategy to downplay the relevance of an underage braided woman, escorted her away or belittled her influence. But these acts by powerful men suggest that patriarchy may be in transition.

When patriarchy is fully functional, men do not need to justify their right to dominate, they are naturally dominating. When the patriarchy is in perfect form, men do not need to insult women, rather, women and the weak section of society consent to its authoritative protection. But when the system is struggling, men are forced to use different tactics to reclaim their presumed privilege. The recent struggles of patriarchy have emanated from women’s activism and the proliferation of women in Congress. Female leaders in Congress have raised hostility from men and ironically from a section of women against women uncovering its desperate state.

The manifestation of Patriarchal Values

Although the patriarchal system appears shaking and has started the journey to extinction, there are still classic ways in which patriarchy manifests today. The mass media is a significant culprit as it accentuates patriarchal values and thoughts. The media intensifies patricidal ideas through negative coverage of sexual violence such as focusing on how a verdict would impact on the perpetrators rather than the victim like in the famous commentary of the Steubenville rape case- which focused on the impact action would have on the young athletes rather than how the victims life was altered (Serres, 2014). The media is also notorious for promoting gender duplexes. Promoting the continuous objectification of women and discussion on their appearances and body image is another manifestation of a patriarchal system in the media.

In the workforce, men hold more and top leadership positions than women, mostly because they exhibit individual-based leadership and showcase the very traditional male features including being outspoken and rational. In addition, women often do not receive the same compensation as men for the same amount of work and are stuck at lower ranks for long among other prejudices.

Sexual violence is also another huge indicator of a patriarchal system where men make up 99 percent of the people who rape. According to Kokopeli and Lakey (1984), patriarchy gives men the idea that their need for affection and respect can only be fulfilled by expressing masculinity, becoming powerful and violent in the end. This idea also contributes to the huge number of men who stand by and do little to nothing to prevent sexual violence.

Needed Change

Certain changes need to be pursued in order to deal with authoritative patriarchy and should center on challenging the institutions that appear to contribute to it. The conservatives need to change their war on women. Many conservative politicians tend to assert that their policies are not meant to attack women but they have a record in terms of legislation that limits the rights of women. For decades, the conservative party has been fueling this war against women and in recent times it has been ramped up at the state-level especially (Crawley, 2019). These regressive policies need to be faced with ultimate disapproval and the implications of this war properly highlighted.

The other change is holding the media accountable for any activities that appear to enhance patriarchy. This may include male-dominated journalism/movies or sending the blame in the direction of a victim in cases involving sexual violence. The media should be stopped from promoting dominant culture and instead redirected to reflect its views in all types of backgrounds and relationships. In general, emphasizing accountability means that, compelling victims to either avoid or accommodate male aggression is not right and men should be held accountable. The objective should be enabling the interaction between men and women with respect and recognition of mutual humanity.

Another thing that needs to change is society’s modern gender paradigms. Conventional gender paradigms need to be out to a test and thoroughly questioned. Many people especially feminists understand that modern gender paradigms put women at a significant disadvantage. These paradigms are made up of the idea that man is inherently aggressive while females are innately passive. As a matter of fact, this argument has no gender basis. These gender stereotypes inspire women to tolerate males that are violent and respond to “aggressive” women as abnormal. It is time for society to embrace the full range of individuality. The system should change from one that encourages men to express aggression and hold back emotion to one where all sexes are free to express themselves and their feelings and develop an attitude of gentleness and sensitivity to the feelings of fellow men and women.

Additional change that should be adopted to bring down a patriarchal system is challenging the perception of an ideal nuclear family. The last few years have seen a rise in nontraditional family settings although the nuclear family still remains the ideal standard. The problem with this is that the model of the nuclear family is fundamentally patriarchal. The male is placed at the helm and given responsibilities such as the breadwinner, the leader, and the decision-maker. The rest of the members are reduced to subordinates. Children from these settings grow up to internalize sexist ideas of men as natural leaders. In most cases, these children never gain the poise to decide the structure and substance of their lives in the absence of a leader or partner.

Alternative family models enable people to think about gender in new, modern ways. This supports movement beyond destructive power binaries in which an individual has authority at the expense of others in a manner that reduces them to submission.

The Audience

The fight against patriarchy is about erasing the barriers for every individual regardless of gender. It also has a connection to works against white supremacy, sizeism, homophobia and discrimination against any minority group. The fight against patriarchy begins with every individual to end the patriarchal domination of men, women, boys, and girls. The contribution of every citizen means creating a society where love can exist because in one that there is coercion and domination it is not possible. The contribution of men is also as important not only for society but for themselves. Men cannot be able to love themselves or experience genuine love in a culture that is patriarchal because rules of submission are not desirable. If men could embrace feminist thinking and practice which creates emphasis on the significance of common growth and self-actualization in all affiliations, their emotional welfare will be without doubt enhanced. According to Hooks (2000), “A genuine feminist politics always brings us from bondage to freedom, from lovelessness to loving.” Grassroots anti-capitalism feminism is significant to the transformation from an oppressive system, either as a conceptual-ideological-political framework or a communal praxis and crusade.

The quest to bring down the patriarchy and its oppressive structures, as well as societies, is central to dealing with the challenges climate change, biodiversity, inadequacy and among others which are deeply rooted and interconnected across societies and environments (Bhatnagar, & Hasan, 2018). Socialists should take the initiative to demand social change that will see the creation of societies based on the sovereignty of the people and the acceptance of their social, environmental, sexual and gender justice. These initiatives include demanding freedom from patriarchal systems and any form of oppression that either take advantage of women or puts little to no value on them as equals.

Women have the greatest role in this because it is obvious that the battle is central to their claim. Through empowerment movements, federations and lobby groups, women should create a holistic political vision of justice and alteration to the system. These groups should increase efforts in support of women in leadership and protagonists such as Thunberg, the little girl with a huge voice. Having female politicians or group members that share the same vision means the chance to dismantle patriarchy from the inside.

Women should not confuse nonparticipation with activism. Phrases like dismantling patriarchy imply that actively becoming part of the action against the oppressive authoritarian structure. Those women that feel they have done enough by not conforming to patriarchal values are absolutely wrong. Although boycotting sexist films and such kind of passive action is a step in the desired direction, it is not an effective way of addressing the sexist problem. Activism on the other will effect action against such an oppressive value.

References

Bhatnagar, D., & Hasan, R. S. (2018, October 31). Dismantle patriarchy for system change. Retrieved from https://www.foei.org/news/system-change-dismantle-patriarchy

Crawley, J. (2019, April 4). Six Ways To Smash The Patriarchy. Retrieved from https://yourdream.liveyourdream.org/2017/06/six-ways-to-smash-the-patriarchy/

Hassel, H., Reddinger, A., & Van Slooten, J. (2011). Surfacing the Structures of Patriarchy: Teaching and Learning Threshold Concepts in Women’s Studies. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 5(2), n2.

Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate politics. Pluto Press.

Kokopeli, B., & Lakey, G. (1984). Leadership for change: Toward a feminist model. New Society Pub.

Kramp, M. (2019, November 14). The Patriarchy Is Getting Mean ? and There’s a Whiff of Desperation. Retrieved from https://www.ozy.com/news-and-politics/the-patriarchy-is-getting-mean-and-theres-a-whiff-of-desperation/241371/

Serres, D. (2014, January 9). Why Patriarchy Persists (and How We Can Change It). Retrieved from https://organizingchange.org/patriarchy-persists-can-change/