Abstract The topic examined in this dissertation is that people who exercise power and control tend to be operating at the lowest stages of moral development. Specifically, the focus of the dissertation is on low-level exercisers of power, political officials or activists who serve in positions on city councils, community boards or organizational boards. The paper includes a comprehensive review of the literature on the subject as well.
Contents:
Contents of a Literature Review
Power and Control Theory
The Power-Elite Theory and the Pluralist Model
Legitimate Exercise of Power, Control and Authority
Theories of Moral Development
Positive Exercise of Power
References
From the Paper "Generally, sociologists suggest that two alternative models of identifying how power and control in American society have been proposed. Power, as defined by Weber (1946) is the probability of realizing one's goals even against the opposition of others. At the societal level, from a functional perspective, power is the ability to govern and maintain order within the group. From the conflict perspective, power is typically analyzed in terms of the capacity of a social class to realize its objectives (Hess, Markson, & Stein, 1989). Power is a crucial aspect of relationships between people and among groups, often studied within the context of authority."
Abstract This paper states that PTSD is an anxiety disorder, which has its origins in the psychological reactions to a traumatic event, perceived by the individual as being traumatic. The paper says that, while PTSD can occur at any age, younger people are especially susceptible because they have developed fewer strategies for coping with severe stress and that the future psychological development of adolescent PTSD victims is jeopardized by the condition. The author concludes that a multi-faceted treatment program, administered as soon as the trauma is identified, is the best response to prevent and repair the harm to the individual.
From the Paper "Diagnosis is complex; a range of criteria must be present in order to diagnose PTSD accurately. Early intervention can help to mediate the impact of trauma, as can factors in the individual's life, including personal resilience and social support. Trauma can also be aggravated by the presence of other stressors and the context in which the trauma occurs, and effective treatment must address all of the factors surrounding the trauma."
Abstract This paper examines the above book which uncovers various aspects of family structure and family dynamics in relation to the concept of family therapy and group discussions and counseling. It looks at how it provides a clear guide as well as a detailed insightful account of family relationships and how our perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and psychological existence affect our role as friends, family members, spouses and human beings or social animals. It also details how it provides ample material for normal families that undergo change, stress and difference of opinions and how it highlights the various pragmatic techniques involved in family therapy and offers thought-provoking accounts pertaining to the problems within the family structures.
From the Paper "The language, though is kept quite professional throughout the book, sounds not only interesting but remains spell-binding, compelling the reader to go on and on until the magnum opus culminates. The authors have done a great job in selecting words and putting them together in such a manner that with ease, the reader can understand while the writer skillfully manages to put the message across. For instance, when Napier writes on page 2, "Here was that perpetually awkward moment: not knowing whether to shake hands. There is a social component in the beginning of a family therapy, but there is also a professional distance" (Napier & Whitaker, 1988, Chapter 1). With simple words used adequately and artistically, the tone is made effective and what goes on in the mind of therapists or co-therapists and the minor confusions that they face as well as the professional requirements that they are to meet and social responsibility that they have to shoulder, all put in one single sentence."
Abstract This paper begins by defining ADHD as a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. The most common behaviors associated with this disorder include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It then provides a brief case study of a typical child with ADHD and looks at possible way to modify and direct his behavior.
From the Paper "Children with ADHD often have trouble with their schoolwork, peer relations, and following rules at home and at school (Raniber, 2000). Therefore, researchers assume that children with ADHD have lower self-images than children who are assumed to be normal, particularly regarding feelings about their behavior, ability to get along with others, and ability to do well in school. Therefore, the behaviors of children with ADD or ADHD may not be modifiable in the same way as the behaviors of children who are assumed to be normal. Parents and teachers may need to provide more reassurance and understanding to a child with ADHD."
Abstract This paper argues that the U.S.'s war against drugs is a failure and a waste of money. It presents arguments such as the medical uses of marijuana and the fact that most people who take the drug do not move on to stronger drugs. The writer claims that the legalization of the drug would make it less attractive to youth who are trying to rebel.
From the Paper "The reality of the situation is that a large percentage of the American public, including those who are opposed to the legalization of marijuana have experimented with the drug. During the sixties and the seventies, marijuana was symbolic of one's political beliefs. A large percentage of those who vocally opposed and eventually helped to end the Vietnam war used the drug on a regular basis. It is hypocritical for those who once used the plant as a status symbol to now condemn it as something which is dangerous and addictive."
Abstract It was reported that in 2000, there were seven million households with single mothers and children under the age of eighteen, representing approximately ten percent of households in the U.S. This paper examines the problems associated with single parent families, including stress, conflict between the parents and custody problems. The paper looks at the emotional stages which both adults and children involved go through. The paper also discusses several studies done on the subject.
From the Paper "Despite the fact that even the term single parenting brings to many people's mind juvenile delinquency and low academic performance, this does not mean that everyone is against single parenting. Societies are becoming more accepting and accommodating of the changing structures of families. In one survey of 248 undergraduate college students, eighty five percent saw single parenting as a viable option and approved of single parenting. The study also revealed that the attitude is no longer that of single mothers as "young poor woman who becomes a single parent because of carelessness, lack of judgment or desire for a government stipend but that of a mature woman who consciously chooses single parenthood". ( Knox et al, 2000)."
Tags: American, Psychological, Association, socio-economic, status
Abstract This paper presents a detailed examination of how and why criminal gangs are formed. The writer uses theories of conformity and the elements of family life that contribute to the willingness of a teenager to join a gang and perform illegal acts. The paper explains that gangs act as one unit in many instances though they are individuals who commit the actual acts of crime. The paper points out that there are several social theories in operation when young men join gangs, with the main reason being the need to conform and not feeling like they fit in elsewhere.
From the Paper "Law enforcement officials are often faced with crimes that have been committed by gang members. The crimes can range from petty to extreme and can include everything from vandalism to murder. A teen girl who is almost abducted by a gang stands a chance to have serious harm committed to her because of some of the elements that cause gangs to form and to act once they are formed. There are many social theories that work in tandem when it comes to a gang and its members, and the combination of those theories provide the foundation that the gang is based in."
Abstract Recent research reveals that about one percent of the general population suffers from manic-depression and five percent suffers from major depression during their lives. However, the incidence for depression in women is twice as high or more; as many as one in five American women has a history of depression during her lifetime.
This paper examines the causes and effects of depression in both young and older women. It examines existing medical research for both groups, identifies major differences in depression for young and older women and presents a conclusive analysis of observations.
From the Paper "Additional studies reveal that from early adolescence onward, there is a steady increase in the number of women who experience symptoms of depression. Women's risk for depression during their reproductive years also presents a significant social problem, as the risk of depression in children is greater when they have depressed mothers. In addition, depression has been identified as the fourth most common cause of disability worldwide and has surpassed accidents as a major cause of lost work time."
Abstract The poet W.H. Auden once wrote that ?Where love is strengthened, hope restored,/ In hearts by chemical accord.? For the past 50 years, a growing body of research has been proving Auden's observation, that love has a strong bearing on a person's health and physical well being.
This paper examines the effects of being loved on a person's health. The first part of the paper looks at the relationship of the love and intimacy associated with romance and marriage and a person's longevity and health. The next part of the paper then examines the effects of love in the context of family and a larger community. In conclusion, this paper posits that the growing recognition of the role of love in a person's health signals a shift, from viewing health as a purely physiological concern to a more holistic picture of physical, emotional and spiritual well being.
From the Paper "In his book Love and Survival, noted cardiologist Dean Ornish writes "love and intimacy are at a root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing" (3). Though he is a medical doctor trained to focus on physical symptoms, Ornish believes that love has a greater impact on a patient's treatment and cardiovascular than other factors such as diet, smoking, genetics or exercise."
Abstract This paper discusses the movie "A Beautiful Mind" while it compares the movie with the true-life happenings of a Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash, who had suffered from schizophrenia. Both the story and the movie played a successful part in portraying the disease as having no association with brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Abstract This paper looks at the development of psychotherapy and counselling as an existential therapy. The paper covers the grounds in regard to its historical development, principles and modern standing in the field of psychiatry.
Abstract During the past two decades, Howard Gardner's work in developmental and educational psychology has offered teachers and educational psychologists the means of education, but, until recently, he has not made explicit his theory of the purpose of education (the ends of education). His description of the means of education has been based on his research establishing the seven, eight, or nine intelligences. His work in the 1980s and early 1990s demonstrated that nearly all humans, regardless of culture, have seven basic intelligences (linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, and bodily-kinesthetic). Since that time, he has added an eighth intelligence, the naturalistic and he is toying with the idea that there might be a ninth, the existential.
This paper is a review of Keebler-Ross? book on the stages of death, "On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy, and Their Own Families".
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, 2002, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper critiques an article that is based on the personality disorder caused by anxiety in a person. The article is Anxiety and attention: is there an attentional bias for positive emotional stimuli?(The Journal of General Psychology ) Ruiz-Caballero, Jose A.; Bermudez, Jose; 04-01-1997".
Abstract This paper analyzes the three groups of post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in war veterans, women, and children. This paper is broken into two parts: First, PTSD is clarified in respect to each of these categories of patients. Next, this paper identifies the key differences found in each of these groups, including differences and similarities and the impact of PTSD on each of these groups.
