Friday, December 27, 2019

The Effects Of Slavery On American Culture - 903 Words

In today’s society, many negative connotations of slavery are perpetuated in American culture. Some of the most popular stereotypes are the content slaves which are manifested in the Sambo and Mammy figure. Other slaves formed bonds of resistance against slavery through the invisible institution of religion. As more slaves came to America, white slave owners decided to divide the labor. Development of slavery expanded beyond plantations to rural, urban, and university settings typically in the southern region of the United States. Urban slavery grew at a lower rate compared to rural slavery, due to the southern regions reliance on agriculture and the lack of industrialization. Even though urban and university slaves were considered to have it better than rural slaves, they still did not have power since they still had to adhere to the rules of slave owners. Rural slavery was mostly executed through gang labor and the task system (Lecture 3). In gang labor, which is most often depicted in documentaries and movies about slavery such as Roots, it shows slaves working in the fields from sun up to sun down with only an afternoon break. Slaves usually worked in small groups, undoubtingly divided by age groups and physical strength, under the power of the overseer who would keep all of the slaves working at the same pace to maintain and increase production. In the task system, a system that existed before the antebellum period, allowed slaves to work on an assigned task and useShow MoreRelatedLasting Effects Slavery Has Had on African American Culture Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the colonial period early American settlers came up with the idea to bring African natives overseas to America and use them as slaves. The white man was higher up than the black man in society at the time because of the color of his skin. Americans consider this the biggest blight on our history. The shame of this period in our history still continues today for many whites, bu t many blacks still feel angry and oppressed. With the election of our first black president, we are really showingRead MoreThe Issue Of Black Slavery906 Words   |  4 PagesThe issue of black slavery has been a thorny issue in the American society for so many years. The history of black slavery dates back to the time after the United States attained its independence and continued until just before the American civil war. Black slavery was made possible by the American constitution that made it legal for the white people to own black slaves. Slave trade ensured a constant supply of slaves from the African continent with the most affected part being West Africa. HenceRead MoreSlavery And Its Impact On The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery dates back to as early as 1760 BC. It is defined as the condition of a slave; in bondage. A slave is a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant. It fiendishly raised its repugnant head amongst many c ultures and nations around the world. Many people viewed slavery as immoral and some viewed it as a necessary evil. However evil, it may have been, it did have a tremendous impact on shaping the United States, particularly the South. From the period of 1800 toRead MoreAmerican Institutional And Intellectual Life Essay1455 Words   |  6 PagesThe issue of slavery in the United States has been hotly debated for centuries. Historians continuously squabble over the causes and effects of America’s capitalistic, industrial form of slavery. But two of the most heavily discussed questions are whether the institution of slavery destroyed African culture in America, and whether it reduced slaves to a child-like state of dependency and incompetence. Anthropologist Melville Herskovits, and historian Stanley Elkins both weigh in on this debate: HerskovitsRead MoreThe Effect Of Slavery During The 19th Century1446 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effect of Slavery Plato, a great philosopher, once stated, â€Å"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.† During the 19th century in America, extreme liberty was exactly what the South had. The South was characterized by slavery not just because Southerners owned slaves, but because slavery directly affected the way of Southern life. Unfortunately, by enforcing the slaveholding liberties of white SouthernersRead MoreThe Cause and Effect of Slavery in the United States1303 Words   |  6 Pagesthey done selfish acts in the name of â€Å"survival†. Every generation, and every culture built much in this world, yet might have still used the wrong path to do so. America is one major example for this. The Americans, just like many other cultures, have used immoral techniques for the benefit and prosperity of themselves and their dawning country. They stole the lives of millions in order to keep their lives intact. Americans captured Africans and traded them in the colonies, and tormented them in orderRead MoreRacism And Racism1404 Words   |  6 PagesBeginning from the Western slavery, caused and created mostly for economics reasons, racism consequentially was promoted through law and social institutions. Using various means of dehumanization, marginalization of African Americans, and creating and legitimizing their image as a lower race, racism has been cultivated in society for hundreds of years. Gradually racism and racial stereotypes were woven into language, science, wide social opinion. The biological interpretation of the race has dividedRead MoreCharles Dubois Souls Of Black Folk Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesof African Americans in this country. The familial structures, sexual habits, and participation in economic markets of these young women are rooted in the historical mental and social scars of American slavery and the post Emancipation practice of sharecropping. WEB DuBois’ Souls of Black Folk is an anthropological study of African Americans published in 1903, fifty years after slavery. His writings are applicable to the current situation of these young women and other African Americans of the sameRead MoreAfrican Americans And Identity Of African American1169 Words   |  5 PagesIn the year of 1619, the largest oppressive legal structure in American History came about, the institution of slavery. Although slavery was abolished in the year of 1865, African Americans are still enslaved by intuitional racism. There are systems in place to keep minorities at a disadvantage. This system of oppression is carried by a number of factors such as; the segregation of black people in urban areas referred to as ghettos, mass incarceration rate for people of color, large educational gapsRead MoreMajor Themes Of Us History During Slavery Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pages Major Themes of US History During Slavery During creation, God made man and gave him the free will to do and act according to as he pleases as long as it is in agreement with His teachings. Fellow human beings could not have control over their fellow men because it was against God’s will. A state whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls his life, liberty, and fortune is known as slavery. The history of slavery dates back to creation times where the Israelites were taken as

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Autism Spectrum Disorder ( Asd ) - 1273 Words

Life as a human is full of mystery and discovery. Throughout history, people have set out to learn more about the world and the people inhabiting it. In the process, they gained knowledge about a disorder that is now referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or simply Autism. ASD is a developmental disorder that results in difficulty in social interactions, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Researchers have come a long way in gathering knowledge about the complex disorder since it was first discovered. Many of its aspects have been discovered and redefined to shape the disorder that is diagnosed and studied today. However, much like many other well-known psychological disorders, autism has yet to be fully understood; instead,†¦show more content†¦In 2013, the most recent version of DSM, DSM-5, was released, in which autism, PDD, Asperger’s, and childhood disintegrative disorder were all combined into the current definition of ASD(American Psychiatric Assoc iation). With each new definition, a product of new information and reevaluated old information was created that made the disorder easier to understand and diagnose. When the APA released DSM-V in 2013, they modified the diagnosis criteria for ASD. According to Autism Speaks, in order to be diagnosed with ASD under the old criteria a person would have had to show signs of at least six out of twelve of symptoms that coincided with problems with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior. The criteria set by DSM-5, on the other hand, required signs of three symptoms in a social communication category and at least two symptoms in a behavior category (â€Å"Answers to Questions about DSM-5†). Autism Speaks also reports that the DSM-V allows for past symptoms to be included in the tally of symptoms. The new criteria also specify that the symptoms must have appeared in the early stages of the developmental period. Additionally, patients who were previously diagnosed with the developmental disorders that merged with ASD would be reclassified as an ASD patient or a social communication disorder patient depending on whether or not t hey

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Psychology Social Cognitive Theory

Question: Discuss about the Psychologyfor Social Cognitive Theory. Answer: Introduction Stress is activated in most human while learning to have control over the environmental demands by expanding and developing core competencies. While struggling to master over the threatening situation in academic environment, stress is aroused in students. As per the health assessment data collected from different countries, there is a high prevalence of stress among students studying in universities, which is increasing the demand for counselling services (Schofield et al., 2016). Therefore, student retention and progression is a matter of prime concern for the universities. The paper is the literature review of two theories, the theory of social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behaviour. The theories are explained in the context of their application in reducing stress among university students. Literature Review Social Cognitive Theory or SCT developed by Bandura was derived from social learning theory. SCT proposes that an individual in addition to direct instruction also learns through others behaviour by observation. Learning occurs by observing others behaviour, encoding the images of behaviour observed, reproducing them, and being motivated to perform that behaviour. The consequences that follow a particular behavior is the motivating component for an individual to perform that particular behavior. If a behvior results in rewards and being valued then an individual is highly likely to engage in such behvior and if it results in punishment then one is highly likely to refrain from it. It includes the role of cognition in determining particular behavior (Rosenthal, Zimmerman, 2014). Schunk Usher, (2012) mentioned that this theory can be applied to understand and alter the self regulatory behaviour of human beings as their functioning is an interplay of behavior, cognitive, personal and environmental influences. The study executed by Swearer et al., (2015) applied social cognitive theory or SCT in understanding the bullying behaviour that is the common cause of harassment among university students. Bullying has been reported to be the cause of victimisation of students worldwide. Bullying has resulted in increasing level of stress among other students. Therefore, SCT was applied to understand the psychological, cognitive and social characteristics in students that are responsible for bullying. Bandura had explained aggressive behvior using SCT. It will eventually help in developing interventions to transform the bullying behaviours in students into prosocial interactions. Therefore, this study identified various reasons such as growing in an environment with violent behavior, domestic violence in home, childhood abuse, and similar others. Observing such behvior and not learning it as unacceptable leads to engagement in bullying in some but not all students. Therefore, cognitive behavioural i nterventions address the dysfunctional behavior, cognition and attitudes surrounding the bullying behavior. The study results showed application of SCT as skills training or management training was effective in reducing disruptive behavior and stress among students. University students are highly stressed during examinations and presentation of dissertations due to various factors such as time limitations, pressure from parents, peers, and professors to achieve high grades for acceptance in higher education programs, and fear of failure. High stress leads to cheating incidents and not reporting the same (Schofield et al., 2016). Burnett et al., (2016) applied SCT as a framework to understand varying factors that cause students to perceive cheating as an option due to stress. Therefore, framing the students perception by identifying the viewpoints and motivational component of cheating helped reduce the behavior. According to Haider et al., (2012) high stress among university students and associated ill health is the cause of lack of physical activity. Engaging in exercises has been found to reduce the level of stress and anxiety and associated health risks such as chronic heart disease, stroke likely to occur in older adults. Social cognitive th eory was applied to exercise behavior in South Asian college students using persuasion and reinforcement. The results showed decreased stress level by implementing exercise behavior. Similar study by Br et al., (2014) used social cognitive intervention to reduce stress in university students of Hungary. In this study when the students were provided with a credit course of social cognitive intervention, it showed a reduction in mental distress. The intervention was related to provision of information such as stress reduction by use of the psychoactive substance, development of skills for reducing stress, improving communication and problem solving skills. Prior to the intervention students mental stress was assessed and compared to the results obtained after intervention. The results showed moderate but significant reduction in psychological distress. Therefore, this study implied that social cognitive theory can be integrated as a course curriculum for education in higher students. Icek Ajen proposed the Theory of planned Behavior or TPB. The theory explains human behavior and perceived behavioural control. According to this theory, an individuals behaviours and intentions are shaped by the three components, which are perceived behavioural control, subjective norms and attitude towards behavior (Ajzen, 2011). The available literature shows the application of TBP in predicting human intentions in health related field such as diet, exercise, and leisure. It has been used for developing intervention strategies by using behavioural constructs of TPB. For eliciting behavioural change in health, it is necessary to measure knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural control, and intentions (De Leeuw et al., 2015). The cause of stress among university stress is related to low self-efficacy, and lack of self-control. Students who can feel that particular activity is achievable it determines their intention (Li et al., 2012). For example, intention to exercise depends on their attitude towards it (it I pleasant exercising next week), subjective norms (my parents feel I should exercise next week) and perceived behavioural control (I dont know if it is possible but I want to exercise next week). Perceived behavioural control in many cases has been used a predictor of willingness among university students to seek professional help during stress. It was found that the willingness was strong when the student had previous counselling experiences (Nam et al., 2013). Australian universities are witnessing growing rate of international student enrolment. Various international students studying in Australia reported tress and other emotional issues as major obstacle in studying. The concerning issues behin d stress involve cultural shock, financial crisis, family separation, and language barrier (Bexley et al., 2013). Therefore, Montano and Kasprzyk (2015) applied the TPB as framework to investigate the help seeking behavior in these students while addressing the adjustment issues and utilization of their campus counselling services. The theory has helped to identify various factors inhibiting resolution of stressful situation that assist in developing interventions to reduce stress among the students. Considering the perceived behavioural factors several researchers have examined the impact of particular behaviour and special skills on an individuals behavior that may not be under their control (Ajzen, 2011). Nam et al., (2013) studied help seeking behaviour of university students in stress using TPB. Majority of the respondents showed willingness to reduce stress consulting a psychiatrist. Similar studies were conducted with non-depressed students. They were exposed to the vignette of the depressed people. They were later asked if they were in the similar position would they like to see mental health services. Majority of the participants agreed to consult psychiatrist in such situations. Ability of most of the university students to overcome stress is the outcome of their control beliefs and behaviour. Those unable to reduce stress seeking professional help was mainly the lack of help seeking intentions (Li et al., 2014). Louis et al., (2009) tend to address the stress among university situations by predicting the intention to eat unhealthy food which further increases the stress level this is attenuated with the subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. The strength of the application of SCT is that an individual can be made to proactively engage in personal development. All it needs is to enable them to practice and control their thoughts and feelings so as to bring adaptation and change. However, its limitations include. However, it is difficult to apply theory in its entirety as it lacks one unifying principle. It is highly likely to focus on concept such self-efficacy (Schunk Usher, 2012). The strength of TPB includes provision of constructs (attitudes, perceived power and control) based on which it is easy to determine an individuals control over the behaviour responsible for a phenomenon say stress. However, the limitation of TPB is that it does not explain how to develop skills to reduce mental depression, state of anxiety and stress. The theory fails to understand that the behaviour can change over time. The theory only assumes that the behaviour of human is the result of linear decision-making process criticised (Ajzen, 20 11). Moreover, the construct of perceived behavioural control is an added construct of the theory but it does not address the time frame between the intention and the behavioural action. It also does not explain the actual control over behaviour. Conclusion There is a great body of literature showing successful application of SCT in reducing stress among university students. However, there is a lack of data on application of SCT on teachers to modify their teaching skills and its effect on reducing stress among students. This area may need intense research. The studies using TPB helped to develop interventions such as health eating, exercises and tendency to seek professional mental help for students in mental stress by analysing their intention and subjective norms. However, due to the limitations of TPB there are fewer studies on reducing stress in university students. It has only helped in developing interventions by predicting behaviour rather than explaining the way to change the behaviour making SCT is more effective in this context. References Ajzen, I. (2011). The theory of planned behaviour: reactions and reflections.Psychology health,26(9), 1113-1127. Bexley, E., Daroesman, S., Arkoudis, S., James, R. (2013). University Student Finances in 2012: A Study of the Financial Circumstances of Domestic and International Students in Australia's Universities.Centre for the Study of Higher Education. Br, ., Veres-Balajti, I., dny, R., Ksa, K. (2014). Social cognitive intervention reduces stress in Hungarian university students.Health promotion international, dau006. Burnett, A. J., Smith, T. M. E., Wessel, M. T. (2016). Use of the Social Cognitive Theory to Frame University Students Perceptions of Cheating.Journal of Academic Ethics,14(1), 49-69. De Leeuw, A., Valois, P., Ajzen, I., Schmidt, P. (2015). Using the theory of planned behavior to identify key beliefs underlying pro-environmental behavior in high-school students: Implications for educational interventions.Journal of Environmental Psychology,42, 128-138. Haider, T., Sharma, M., Bernard, A. (2012). Using social cognitive theory to predict exercise behavior among south Asian college students.Journal of Community Medicine Health Education,2012. Li, W., Dorstyn, D. S., Denson, L. A. (2014). Psychosocial correlates of college students help-seeking intention: A meta-analysis.Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,45(3), 163. Louis, W. R., Chan, M. K. H., Greenbaum, S. (2009). Stress and the theory of planned behavior: Understanding healthy and unhealthy eating intentions.Journal of Applied Social Psychology,39(2), 472-493. Montano, D. E., Kasprzyk, D. (2015). Theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, and the integrated behavioral model.Health behavior: Theory, research and practice (. Nam, S. K., Choi, S. I., Lee, J. H., Lee, M. K., Kim, A. R., Lee, S. M. (2013). Psychological factors in college students' attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help: A meta-analysis.Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,44(1), 37. Rosenthal, T. L., Zimmerman, B. J. (2014).Social learning and cognition. Academic Press. Schofield, M. J., O'Halloran, P., McLean, S. A., Forrester?Knauss, C., Paxton, S. J. (2016). Depressive Symptoms Among Australian University Students: Who Is at Risk?.Australian Psychologist,51(2), 135-144. Schunk, D. H., Usher, E. L. (2012). Social Cognitive Theory and.APA educational psychology handbook,1. Swearer, S. M., Wang, C., Berry, B., Myers, Z. R. (2014). Reducing Bullying: application of social cognitive theory.Theory Into Practice,53(4), 271-277.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Portrayal Of Reality In Great Gatsby Essays - The Great Gatsby

Portrayal Of Reality In Great Gatsby Mr. Gordan, an esteemed English teacher, once said Literature is Life. I had not been able to grasp the reality of those words until I read The Great Gatsby . After reading The Great Gatsby, I understand that literature is written through inspiration from our daily lives. In this novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the themes of morality and life versus illusion. Through his excellent writing techniques, Fitzgerald reduces most of the characters of the novel as seemingly obsessed with material possessions, petty, and selfish. Theses characterizations are portrayed because of the realness of human nature. Fitzgerald uses contrasting morals and values of the characters to show the true disparity in human nature. Nick's characteristics are completely incompatible with Tom's. Since Nick has a strong foundation and is honest, he is thus very faithful. His faithfulness and loyalty is apparent when he attends and organizes Gatsby's funeral. On the other hand, Tom is unfaithful and dishonest. He is dishonest with Daisy and Myrtle. He also shows his unfaithfulness when he is not present at the birth of his daughter. In addition, Fitzgerald also uses Tom and Gatsby to show the sentimental disparity. Gatsby is a dreamer and a romantic man, who by following his dreams, went from rags to riches. He is proud of the fact that he has been able to accumulate his wealth independently, despite the fact that it is hinted that much of his money was earned illegally. Tom, on the other hand, is a realist and a straightforward man. He does not dream, as Gatsby does; he merely acts on his instincts. He has n ot earned his great wealth: he has inherited it. In spite of the fact, that all of the main characters in The Great Gatsby have very different personalities; they are however all affected by money. Some characters, like Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, have money, and are very expressive with it. Other characters, such as Myrtle, lust for money. Essentially being of the middle class, Myrtle's attraction to Tom is not based on love or affection. Rather, Tom represents something that Myrtle has never had : endless wealth; and with this Myrtle correlates happiness. Fitzgerald uses the lust for money in his novel because it is one thing that almost everybody in the world lusts for. He also tries to use the prejudices against rich as being flamboyant and superficial to create a contempt against Tom Buchanan and Daisy. However, these prejudices might have some truth or reality to them as Fitzgerald shows it in the end through Nick's judgment. Fitzgerald also adds a dash of reality to his novel when Gatsby doesn't achieve his dream of winning Daisy back from Tom. In this case, the strong, bullying character of Tom represents reality, and with his powerful nature he easily squashes any hopes that Gatsby may have of a relationship with Daisy. This shows that sometimes dreams don't come true, as opposed to the fairy tale version of ?. and they lived happily everafter. Although, Fitzgerald may despise all that the American dream stands for, he more importantly illustrates that it is not always easy to obtain it. The novel ends with the death of Gatsby. This may seem surprising to the reader, as Fitzgerald seems to have built Gatsby up as being one of the true heroes of the novel. However, Fitzgerald understands that reality is often very harsh to dreamers, a central quality in Gatsby's character. The death of Gatsby, and the unaffected life of Tom after both Gatsby's and Myrtle's death is testament to the fact that illusion is often shattered when confronted with reality. Rather than this fact detracting from Gatsby's character; the reader, however, supports the image of Gatsby all the more: a man who has died while in pursuit of something worthy. This alternative is far better than any other solutions. If Gatsby had not died, then he would have been desperate and desolute. In addition, Tom would have had the upper hand and would have only enlarged his own ego. Fitzgerald ends the novel with another reality. He shows that Gatsby's life had no worth if measured with how many real friends