It stands to reason that the more time and money we commit to something, the more value we place on it. Unfortunately, if we look at the issue of America’s elderly in this regard, the implication is that the elderly are not valued. Instead of being revered for wisdom gained through years of life experience, often times the elderly are treated as an annoying obligation, and worse, they are often abused by those entrusted to their care. Since values determine the parameters of behavior that is considered socially acceptable, this does not speak well of America’s value system.
It is estimated between 1 and 2 million Americans aged 65 or older have been hurt, exploited, or mistreated by someone they depend on for care. Elder abuse can take various forms such as, financial, physical, neglect, and psychosocial. Of these types, the latter is the commonest. Ironically, statistical information indicates while American’s life expectancy length continues to rise, overall health and disability continue to worsen. The resulting frailty of the elderly and their dependence on the help of family members or care givers leaves them vulnerable to the potential abuse from those providing support, and thus is a risk factor for various forms of abuse.
Isolation from community and forms of mental instability, such as dementia, are key risk factors in elder abuse, in both the family care home environment, and residential facilities. When a dependent person is isolated from community, it makes detection of the abuse nearly impossible, whereas, the existence of social relationships can provide a level of protection in preventing abuse. Additional risk factors include, depression experienced by either caregiver and/or dependent, dependent’s denied victimization, and stress experienced by caregivers. Furthermore, in a living residential facility additional risk factors for abuse have been identified as, institutional regimen, improper work organization, selection of unqualified employees, and understaffing.
In order to help ensure the safety of this population, some key proponents are increased public awareness, with easy access to information and services for victims of elder abuse, support groups for family caregivers, enabling a reduction in their stress level, along with stricter requirements for residential facility care givers, such as mandatory background screening of employees. Social work professionals, gerontologists, service providers, the law enforcement community, and the general public must be aware of and vigilant to the warning signs of abuse and equally as important, they must know where to turn for help. A first step would be to contact the National Center on Elder Abuse/NCEA (www.ncea.aoa.gov ) to obtain information on local reporting laws, and local assistance available.
Sadly, Americans somehow have become more selfish throughout the years, perhaps in part due to the capitalistic society that encourages greedy, selfish behavior. While I believe individualism is good in a sense, it seems to have been taken to the extreme in modern society, the value of community has fallen by the wayside. We need to recognize the importance of helping and caring for others, not just for the recipients benefit but for the providers as well.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sociology Perspective Discussion Post
1. Explain your understanding of the field of sociology.
The field of Sociology encompasses the academic discipline centered on the scientific study of human behavior. Sociology provides a framework for perspective on everything people do in life, and holds the stated purpose of furthering the understanding of other people and ourselves. Sociology is based on the concept that changes in social setting, or arrangement, affect behavior and consequently in order to change an undesirable or unacceptable behavior the social situation must first be changed.
2. Based on the lecture, discuss the origins of sociology.
The origins of sociology reach far back in history to the seventeenth century. New scientific discoveries by Galileo and Newton were the foundation for a change in how people thought and viewed the world. This new thinking resulted in the emergence from the dark ages of superstition into the new light of the Age of Reason. This development of society also brought about a series of revolutions that caused much turmoil and death. Scholars believed in order to predict or control this new society it was necessary to study it in a scientific manner. The first of the three founding fathers of Sociology is Karl Marx, known for his historical approach to the study of society. He held the perspective that the only way to look at society was through the Conflict Approach, which stated that conflict is natural, always was, always would be, and was necessary for society to function. However, Marx also stated that the destruction of any society would be due to its own internal contradictions. The second founding father of Sociology, Emile Durkheim is noted as the first professor of Sociology and credited with the institution of Sociology as a discipline. Durkheim defined the perspective of Structural Functionalism as the belief that each of the many different institutions of society, such as family, religion, military, and law and order, held its own clear cut function. He further asserted that the mutual dependency created by the division of labor between mutually hostile people in society was the catalyst for its functionality. The final founding father of Sociology is Max Weber, credited with the perspective of Symbolic Interactionism, or Humanistic Sociology. This perspective pulled the focus of study from solely observation of social facts, to an interpretative understanding brought about by getting closer to people and directly inquiring why they behaved in certain manners and circumstances.
3. With the help of examples, explain the term "the sociological imagination".
C. Wright Mills, noted to be the greatest modern American Sociologist, put forth the concept of the sociological imagination which states that in order to understand society, one must understand life and society together. Mills encouraged the quality of mind to look deeper into how the relationships between man and society, biography and history, self and world affect ones experience of life. According to Mills, there are three specific questions that must be answered in order to understand any society. The first addresses the type of structure of the society as a whole. For example, due to the current structure of capitalism held by the U.S., it is one of a very few developed societies that does not provide health care to its people, effectively designating an individual’s health as a commodity, and thus level of care is determined by one’s ability to pay. Question two looks at the society’s standing in human history. With the U.S. again serving as example, we find its relative youth perhaps significant with age, accordant with level of wise judgment.
Mills final question addresses the varieties of men and women prevalent in the society and period, and the `human nature' as revealed by the conduct and character observed. As a last example the U.S. due in part to the answers provided from the previous questions show instead of a healthy distance between the groups of industry, military, and government, a close intertwining in order to benefit each other, amassing a huge amount of power which has led to its corruption.
The field of Sociology encompasses the academic discipline centered on the scientific study of human behavior. Sociology provides a framework for perspective on everything people do in life, and holds the stated purpose of furthering the understanding of other people and ourselves. Sociology is based on the concept that changes in social setting, or arrangement, affect behavior and consequently in order to change an undesirable or unacceptable behavior the social situation must first be changed.
2. Based on the lecture, discuss the origins of sociology.
The origins of sociology reach far back in history to the seventeenth century. New scientific discoveries by Galileo and Newton were the foundation for a change in how people thought and viewed the world. This new thinking resulted in the emergence from the dark ages of superstition into the new light of the Age of Reason. This development of society also brought about a series of revolutions that caused much turmoil and death. Scholars believed in order to predict or control this new society it was necessary to study it in a scientific manner. The first of the three founding fathers of Sociology is Karl Marx, known for his historical approach to the study of society. He held the perspective that the only way to look at society was through the Conflict Approach, which stated that conflict is natural, always was, always would be, and was necessary for society to function. However, Marx also stated that the destruction of any society would be due to its own internal contradictions. The second founding father of Sociology, Emile Durkheim is noted as the first professor of Sociology and credited with the institution of Sociology as a discipline. Durkheim defined the perspective of Structural Functionalism as the belief that each of the many different institutions of society, such as family, religion, military, and law and order, held its own clear cut function. He further asserted that the mutual dependency created by the division of labor between mutually hostile people in society was the catalyst for its functionality. The final founding father of Sociology is Max Weber, credited with the perspective of Symbolic Interactionism, or Humanistic Sociology. This perspective pulled the focus of study from solely observation of social facts, to an interpretative understanding brought about by getting closer to people and directly inquiring why they behaved in certain manners and circumstances.
3. With the help of examples, explain the term "the sociological imagination".
C. Wright Mills, noted to be the greatest modern American Sociologist, put forth the concept of the sociological imagination which states that in order to understand society, one must understand life and society together. Mills encouraged the quality of mind to look deeper into how the relationships between man and society, biography and history, self and world affect ones experience of life. According to Mills, there are three specific questions that must be answered in order to understand any society. The first addresses the type of structure of the society as a whole. For example, due to the current structure of capitalism held by the U.S., it is one of a very few developed societies that does not provide health care to its people, effectively designating an individual’s health as a commodity, and thus level of care is determined by one’s ability to pay. Question two looks at the society’s standing in human history. With the U.S. again serving as example, we find its relative youth perhaps significant with age, accordant with level of wise judgment.
Mills final question addresses the varieties of men and women prevalent in the society and period, and the `human nature' as revealed by the conduct and character observed. As a last example the U.S. due in part to the answers provided from the previous questions show instead of a healthy distance between the groups of industry, military, and government, a close intertwining in order to benefit each other, amassing a huge amount of power which has led to its corruption.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Middle Aged!
Since I tend to approach issues primarily from a logical perspective, I researched the statistical prediction of my life expectancy, which was determined to be 77, meaning that my own personal “middle age” begins at age 38.5. That statement just seemed wrong…very wrong…logic and statistical evidence be damned. My grandmother lived to age 90 and my grandfather to age 97, so I feel justified using them as a standard for my life expectancy, thus providing a mean of 93.5, making my middle age really to begin at 46.75…ah…much better. Using this same formula, middle age should last 23.75 years, with old age to begin at 70.12. This dictates that middle age begins for me just 13 years from now, which seems pretty soon.
I expect my middle age years to be the best of my life. My youngest daughter will be graduating high school and starting her own journey into adulthood, and my oldest daughter will be well along on her journey. I imagine I may feel a little sad about our “empty nest”, but most likely I will feel more joy than sorrow. I very much look forward to my middle age years. I plan to use this time to travel the world, to see, learn, and experience different cultures.
The accomplishments I expect to have met by the onset of middle age are the same as what I hope to accomplish by then. My main goal is to have properly prepared and raised my children to be well adjusted, productive members of society, who remain emotionally close to our family unit. Another goal I have and expect to achieve is to have helped grow our family construction business to the point where we will have a secure, comfortable economic situation for the middle age years and beyond. Additionally, I hope and expect to have furthered my education to the doctoral level. Finally and most importantly, I hope and expect to have invested enough time, attention and love into my marriage that my husband and I continue to appreciate, value, honor, and enjoy each other as we grow into our old age years. Almost 9 years ago my husband sang the following song to me at our wedding ceremony before we exchanged vows, and I believe it sums up how we both feel about our future.
I wanna Grow Old With You
I wanna make you smile
Whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All I wanna do, is grow old with you
I'll get you medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
So, it could be so nice growing old with you,....
I'll miss you, Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
Need you
Feed you
Even let you hold the remote control.
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
Oh I could be the man that grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you.
I expect my middle age years to be the best of my life. My youngest daughter will be graduating high school and starting her own journey into adulthood, and my oldest daughter will be well along on her journey. I imagine I may feel a little sad about our “empty nest”, but most likely I will feel more joy than sorrow. I very much look forward to my middle age years. I plan to use this time to travel the world, to see, learn, and experience different cultures.
The accomplishments I expect to have met by the onset of middle age are the same as what I hope to accomplish by then. My main goal is to have properly prepared and raised my children to be well adjusted, productive members of society, who remain emotionally close to our family unit. Another goal I have and expect to achieve is to have helped grow our family construction business to the point where we will have a secure, comfortable economic situation for the middle age years and beyond. Additionally, I hope and expect to have furthered my education to the doctoral level. Finally and most importantly, I hope and expect to have invested enough time, attention and love into my marriage that my husband and I continue to appreciate, value, honor, and enjoy each other as we grow into our old age years. Almost 9 years ago my husband sang the following song to me at our wedding ceremony before we exchanged vows, and I believe it sums up how we both feel about our future.
I wanna Grow Old With You
I wanna make you smile
Whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All I wanna do, is grow old with you
I'll get you medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
So, it could be so nice growing old with you,....
I'll miss you, Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
Need you
Feed you
Even let you hold the remote control.
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
Oh I could be the man that grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you.
Life and Death from a Neurological Viewpoint
Aside from politics, I cannot think of any subject more volatile to discuss than the assigned topic, the genesis of life. Each person holds his or her own personal view on this, and I am in no way claim my belief as fact, this is simply how I have come to understand the conception of life. I hold the neurological viewpoint of when life begins, which dictates that life begins at approximately 24 to 27 weeks into the gestation period, as this is the time the fetus produces a distinct EEG brain wave pattern. I came to choose the neurological viewpoint by first rephrasing the original question and establishing when I believe life ends. My personal conviction is that once a person’s brain is no longer functional the person they have been throughout his or her life is essentially gone, or dead, though the body may still produce a heartbeat with the aid of technology. I do not believe it wise or beneficial to use technology to force a body to function when the brain is no longer able, so it is only logical that this principle would direct my assessment of the origin of life as well.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
America the Corrupt
The recent explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig owned by Transocean this past April released 90 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest oil spill in U.S. history and the second largest in the world. Ironically, these 90 million gallons of oil would have powered the U.S. Economy for only four hours. This environmental catastrophe has put the social policy of off shore drilling with its risks and possible advantages of obtaining oil in this manner, into the national spot light.
The U.S. Minerals Management Service, U.S. Department of Interior, is supposed to regulate the offshore drilling industry. However, massive government corruption throughout the MMS makes this impossible. The Inspector General of the Interior Department made public a report showing evidence that agency employees accepted meals, tickets to sports events and other gifts from oil companies, but that is petty in comparison to the corrupt deeds executed at the hand of Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Department of Interior. In 2009, attorneys for the Center for Biological Diversity were granted a court order to vacate the Bush Administration’s Five Year Off-Shore Drilling Plan. In reaction Salazar filed and was granted a special motion to exempt approved oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, specifically identifying BP’s operation as one that should be released from the vacature. The MMS also exempted BP’s offshore drilling plan from environmental review by using a loophole in the National Environmental Policy Act meant only to apply to projects with no, or minimal, negative effects like outhouses. The MMS exempts hundreds of dangerous offshore oil drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico every year. Salazar has illegally approved four hundred oil projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty seven offshore gulf drilling operations have been approved since the BP spill, two of which were awarded to BP; and twenty-six of those were approved under the same loophole environmental review exemption used to approve the disastrous BP drilling.
An example of how an understanding of human development could inform legislators on how to approach this issue is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory, which states that development reflects the influence of an individual’s five environmental systems; the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem. Issuing legislation providing for a clean world in which to live would fall into the Ecological Theory’s Macrosystem, which is the largest and most remote set of people and things, which still has a great influence, thus our nation’s environmental health and the legislation of same is directly involved with human development. Unfortunately it is likely not a lack of understanding that legislators are suffering from in regard to oil-drilling, but is instead the broader problem of lack of moral responsibility in government which encourages it’s corruption.
The U.S. Minerals Management Service, U.S. Department of Interior, is supposed to regulate the offshore drilling industry. However, massive government corruption throughout the MMS makes this impossible. The Inspector General of the Interior Department made public a report showing evidence that agency employees accepted meals, tickets to sports events and other gifts from oil companies, but that is petty in comparison to the corrupt deeds executed at the hand of Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Department of Interior. In 2009, attorneys for the Center for Biological Diversity were granted a court order to vacate the Bush Administration’s Five Year Off-Shore Drilling Plan. In reaction Salazar filed and was granted a special motion to exempt approved oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, specifically identifying BP’s operation as one that should be released from the vacature. The MMS also exempted BP’s offshore drilling plan from environmental review by using a loophole in the National Environmental Policy Act meant only to apply to projects with no, or minimal, negative effects like outhouses. The MMS exempts hundreds of dangerous offshore oil drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico every year. Salazar has illegally approved four hundred oil projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty seven offshore gulf drilling operations have been approved since the BP spill, two of which were awarded to BP; and twenty-six of those were approved under the same loophole environmental review exemption used to approve the disastrous BP drilling.
An example of how an understanding of human development could inform legislators on how to approach this issue is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory, which states that development reflects the influence of an individual’s five environmental systems; the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem. Issuing legislation providing for a clean world in which to live would fall into the Ecological Theory’s Macrosystem, which is the largest and most remote set of people and things, which still has a great influence, thus our nation’s environmental health and the legislation of same is directly involved with human development. Unfortunately it is likely not a lack of understanding that legislators are suffering from in regard to oil-drilling, but is instead the broader problem of lack of moral responsibility in government which encourages it’s corruption.
Repressed?
Memory in Cluster C Personality Disorders
and the Role of Depression, Worry
and Experiential Avoidance
The classification of Cluster C Personality Disorders refers to avoidant, dependant, and obsessive compulsive personality disorders. It is important to look at the relation of overgenerality in Cluster C Personality Disorders, specifically the role of depression, worry and experiential avoidance in these disorders. When asked to describe specific autobiographical events, individuals with Cluster C Personality Disorders (PD) often display manifestations of overgenerality. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Overgenerality is defined as a feature of memory closely related to the psychopathology of emotion, and is displayed by failure to provide specific autobiographical memories upon request, instead substituting general memories that summarize a category of similar events. Since autobiographical memory is an integral part of the sense of self, and effects ones orientation in the world and pursuit of personal goals, it is important to look further into the correlation of overgeneralization and Cluster C Personality Disorders. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Various tests were administered to investigate the role of worry, experiential avoidance, and depression in Cluster C Personality Disorders and the relationship between those roles and the prediction of overgenerality. Test results showed that each type of Cluster C personality disorder group produced significantly fewer specific memories and significantly more categorical memories than the control groups. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
A series of hierarchal multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the predictive value of depression severity was marginally significant. Age and education level (with younger and higher educated individuals showing higher rates of specificity recall) and experiential avoidance were significant predictors with worry indicated to be the highest predictor. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
This current data deserves consideration despite the limitation of using short standardized self report questionnaires and warrants replication and extension of the present study with the addition of experimental tasks for manipulation. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Additionally, this study’s present findings on reduced memory specificity in Cluster C Personality Disorders justify further studies into mechanisms underlying memory specificity in other Personality Disorder categories. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Reference
Spinhoven, P., Bamelis, L., Molendijk, M., Haringsma, R., & Arntz, A. (2009). Reduced specificity of autobiographical memory in cluster c personality disorders and the role of depression, worry, and experiential avoidance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118(3), 520-530. doi:10.1037/
and the Role of Depression, Worry
and Experiential Avoidance
The classification of Cluster C Personality Disorders refers to avoidant, dependant, and obsessive compulsive personality disorders. It is important to look at the relation of overgenerality in Cluster C Personality Disorders, specifically the role of depression, worry and experiential avoidance in these disorders. When asked to describe specific autobiographical events, individuals with Cluster C Personality Disorders (PD) often display manifestations of overgenerality. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Overgenerality is defined as a feature of memory closely related to the psychopathology of emotion, and is displayed by failure to provide specific autobiographical memories upon request, instead substituting general memories that summarize a category of similar events. Since autobiographical memory is an integral part of the sense of self, and effects ones orientation in the world and pursuit of personal goals, it is important to look further into the correlation of overgeneralization and Cluster C Personality Disorders. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Various tests were administered to investigate the role of worry, experiential avoidance, and depression in Cluster C Personality Disorders and the relationship between those roles and the prediction of overgenerality. Test results showed that each type of Cluster C personality disorder group produced significantly fewer specific memories and significantly more categorical memories than the control groups. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
A series of hierarchal multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the predictive value of depression severity was marginally significant. Age and education level (with younger and higher educated individuals showing higher rates of specificity recall) and experiential avoidance were significant predictors with worry indicated to be the highest predictor. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
This current data deserves consideration despite the limitation of using short standardized self report questionnaires and warrants replication and extension of the present study with the addition of experimental tasks for manipulation. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Additionally, this study’s present findings on reduced memory specificity in Cluster C Personality Disorders justify further studies into mechanisms underlying memory specificity in other Personality Disorder categories. (Spinhoven, Bamelis, Molendijk, Haringsma, & Arntz, 2009).
Reference
Spinhoven, P., Bamelis, L., Molendijk, M., Haringsma, R., & Arntz, A. (2009). Reduced specificity of autobiographical memory in cluster c personality disorders and the role of depression, worry, and experiential avoidance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118(3), 520-530. doi:10.1037/
Jails...Americas New Asylums
The video “The New Asylums” clearly depicted a serious failure in today’s American society. Poverty dooms the indigent mentally ill to a life of incarceration, since prison is the only place they can receive mental health care. The astronomical fees of private treatment facilities make it impossible for most Americans to afford this type of care. It seems we have an “out of sight-out of mind” attitude. The lack of government funding for public mental health programs indicates our miniscule regard for the mentally ill.
I felt a sense of shame as I watched the video. How can we deem it acceptable to treat our fellow Americans with so little regard? Our society places much more importance on material possessions than on the lives of some human beings. How we spend our money shows our values. The answer to the dilemma of America’s mentally ill is not an easy one. We must develop a whole new system of care for the mentally ill, but before this can happen, our country’s values have got to change. We must want to help people more than we want to buy ourselves new things. Media coverage of the issue is essential, and getting funding for programs is paramount. Someone has to be the voice for these people who are unable to speak for themselves, the question is, Who?
I felt a sense of shame as I watched the video. How can we deem it acceptable to treat our fellow Americans with so little regard? Our society places much more importance on material possessions than on the lives of some human beings. How we spend our money shows our values. The answer to the dilemma of America’s mentally ill is not an easy one. We must develop a whole new system of care for the mentally ill, but before this can happen, our country’s values have got to change. We must want to help people more than we want to buy ourselves new things. Media coverage of the issue is essential, and getting funding for programs is paramount. Someone has to be the voice for these people who are unable to speak for themselves, the question is, Who?
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