Social Justice Laws - 845 Words

Justice Every action or decision we make is either justifiable or unjustifiable. Justice is usually decided by society or the norm. The norm changes from one society to another. However, there are always laws that can be broken, consequences that must follow, and punishment that must be imparted. Justice can be seen in two different ways, social and criminal. Justice is in the eye of the beholder because we all have different attitudes about right and wrong. Criminal justice is a term that refers to the area of social laws which a group of people deem valuable in order for the day-to-day mechanics of society to function. When these laws are broken, the infrastructure of a society breaks down, and this deviance from the norm†¦show more content†¦Social justice is usually someones feelings or actions toward another person. A social injustice was played out in Topeka with the case of Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education. Racism is an unjustified feeling toward a certain race because of the color of their skin. Just the same there are many people who are spit on for being HIV positive when they might not have had a choice in the matter. A 86 year old woman was recently discussed on the news because she was infected with HIV from a skin graft. Still people like Fred Phelps will freely picket people who are innocent. Thomas Aquinas said, Justice is a certain rectitude of mind, whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him. Do we impart such rectitude of mind? And if we do no, will there be tolerable private or public order in the twenty-first century? Despite our efforts to have justice, we will never succeed in the society in which we live unless social justice seeps into the laws that govern criminal justice. Then, the United States will truly be one nation with liberty and justice forShow MoreRelatedSocial Justice And International Law1511 Word s   |  7 Pagesvarying degrees of inequality first hand. My experiences as an immigrant and visible minority have transformed me into an advocate of social justice and made me keenly aware of the complex issues facing immigrants. These experiences have given me the desire to pursue a legal education, with a career goal of becoming a lawyer specializing in labor and international law. I intend to utilize the knowledge gained in helping new immigrants in my adopted country, Canada, gain a foothold in the Canadian jobRead MoreSocial Justice Is The Fair And Proper Recognition Of Current Laws2025 Words   |  9 PagesSocial Justice Social Justice is the fair and proper recognition of current laws, and focuses on the fact that all people, no matter of their ethnic origin, gender, possessions, race or religion are to be treated with great equality. Social Justice aims to remove prejudice to particular people who share the natural law of their race, gender, religion etc. Several Social Justice issues are present today, and while not all are targeted at a particular ethnic group, gender of race, they will stillRead MoreThe State Council Of The Peoples Republic Of China1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe State Council of the Peoples Republic of China violates the Hong Kong Basic Law by purposefully creating a pro-Beijing majority in the Hong Kong Election Committee and thus denies citizens participation in the election of their Chief Executive. This social injustice forms part of a larger social justice struggle whereby the autonomy of Hong Kong is slowly being eroded by Central Government control. Hong Kong citizens have long been discontent with the Chinese Central Government over concernsRead MoreSocial Work Reflection Paper871 Words   |  4 Pageswell-being. At this stage of my life Social Work is what I am most interested in practicing because it provides opportunities for me to work in many different settings with people whose problems, issues and needs are diverse. My second choice would then be guidance counseling which is the process of helping individuals discover and develop their educational, vocational, and psychological potentialities and thereby achieve an optimal level of personal happiness and social usefulness. I am interested inRead MoreThe Death With Dignity Act913 Words   |  4 PagesAs in all complicated matters such as this, the law is very contradictory in this field. Social workers who are well informed about life and death issues in the light of cultural and religious beliefs and practices, advanced directives, and the legislation related to them, will be more competent in assisting clients to express their desires and to make choices that encompass their life choices. Such knowledge enhances social work intervention by empowering the elderly to use their autonomous rightsRead MoreHouse Bill : The Rights Of The United States1545 Words   |  7 Pagesorientation, however, discrimination is all too common. Discriminatory laws and practices occur all over the United States daily and affect many minority groups. In recent months, North Carolina passed a new law, House Bill 2 or BH2, that requires individuals to use the bathroom of their biological sex, or what sex they were born. Hou se Bill 2 violates the rights of thousands of individuals and has caused many social justice issues to come to light. House Bill 2 affects transgender individuals allRead MorePoverty, Equity, Human Rights, And Health1390 Words   |  6 Pages was stated explicitly in US law in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Sade, 2012). While FDR offered rights that are familiar to those engaged in global health and Social Determinants of Health research and policy, and President Obama made the leap to national healthcare, Braveman and Gruskin take it a step further. They submit that wealthier communities should carry the burden of equity. Gostin and Powers agree and put forth a â€Å"social justice perspective† that is â€Å"interventionist†Read MoreSocial Justice Is More than a Definition 1189 Words   |  5 Pagespermanently with just one meaning, Social Justice definition goes beyond what it states. The dictionary’s defines Social Justice as â€Å"the ability people have to realize their potential in the society where they live.† However, Social Justice and what it entails for people who are interested in learning about it, and practicing it would have to dig even deeper to have a better understanding. According to Christopher Merret’s Social Justice: What Is It, Why Teach It? Social Justice â€Å"can be defined in termsRead MoreValues Ethics in Social Work 1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"In this essay, we have been asked to critically assess the professional values in the ‘British Association of Social Work’ (BASW). With this the concepts of ethics and how this operates in social work practice and analyse the general role in governing and representatives bodies in social work practice†. Values are described as set of rules and guides in the right and wrong decisions we make. Values facilitates the decisions in recognising what is worthy and valuable, with this, weighs out the importantRead MoreSocial Justice And Its Entire Entity1045 Words   |  5 Pages Social Justice in its entire entity: The Final Countdown to Defining Social Justice Kaylie Ines ID 201: Social Justice Dr. Jorsch Dr. Van Tassel â€Æ' Fear and cruelty are the weapons of animals, not humanity, and social injustices derive from fear-the masked ego of one who has sustained through power: white power. It is only fair to continue to talk about social injustice by defining what is social justice. Social justice embodies a framework (and certainly not limited to) a community,

Life Of Mahatma Gandhi - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 787 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/08/07 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Mahatma Gandhi Essay Did you like this example? Gandhi childhood, He was the youngest of four children in his family, but then his family moved to the town of Rajkot when he was only seven years old. Gandhi was a member of the Hindu religion which meant he wasnt allowed to eat meat or drink wine. Gandhi attended an all boy school when he was about seven years old in Rajkot. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Life Of Mahatma Gandhi" essay for you Create order Once he finished elementary school Gandhi attended a high school in Rajkot with other boys as well. As he was finishing high school Gandhi began to wonder where he would attend college. So in 1818 Mohandas Gandhi left his country, and his family to study law in London. There Gandhi adapted to the countrys way of dressing and other things involving school and work. Have you ever wonder why this particular Indian activist was important to us? He was a great leader that led Indias independence in the 1930s and 40s. Facing down the British colonialists with stirring speeches and non-violent protest. He was born on October 2, 1869, his full name being Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and was assassinated January 30, 1948, New Delhi, India.Mahatma Gandhis birthday is a national holiday in India. It is also the international Day of Non-Violence. Mohandas Gandhi is often called Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma is a term that means Great Soul. Its a religious title sort of like Saint in Christianity. In India he is called the Father of the Nation also Bapu, which means father. Gandhi would be put in prison for protests several times for organizing these protests. The British government would eventually have to release him because the Indian people had grown to love Gandhi. He would often not eat while he was in prison as well. The British were scared what would happe n if they let him die. Each of these protests may seem small by themselves, but when most of the population does them at once, they can have an enormous impact. Youre thinking what did Gandhi do in prison did he read books about protests? Well he Gandhis civil disobedience was inspired by American Transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau, whose famous essay Civil Disobedience. A fun fact about Gandhi was when the war was taken place with Hitler he wrote a letter to him, addressing him as Dear Friend, as beseeched him to stop the war, but Hitler never wrote back. When Gandhi traveled to South Africa In 1893 it was there when he and his fellow Indians encountered constant discrimination by the Dutch and the British, which inspired Gandhi to fight for their rights. Now lets start with some of successful protests. It was called the Salt March. When Britain put a tax on salt, Gandhi decided to walk 241 miles to sea in Dandi to make his own salt. Thousands of Indians joined him in his march. Gandhi did also fought for civil rights and liberties among Indian people. Gandhi forged Indias independence from British rule in 1947 by staging massive peaceful demonstrations against poverty, and the fight for womens rights and religious tolerance. He continues to inspire nonviolent human rights movements all around the world and has influenced the leadership of contemporary heavyweights like Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, the Dalai Lama, and Aung San Suu Kyi. Gandhi was not the best student. Although he was known for being highly ethical with good English skills, he was considered a mediocre student in math and poor in Geography. He also had bad handwriting, which he was embarrassed about. Similarly, Gandhi also conducted the Dandi march when the British imposed a heavy tax on salt.While Gandhi was elected to be a member of the Congress party in the year 1920, he later walked out of the party in 1934 and continued to work towards Indias independence struggle by himself. With repeated boycotts, disobedience movements, and nationwide rallying of the people with the Quit India movement to overthrow the empire, the British finally conceded and agreed to leave India, making it independent. After Indias partition came into effect, the nation split into India and Pakistan. Many people began to detest the policies of Gandhi. Nathuram Godse was a Hindu nationalist, who had a strong hatred for Gandhi. As a result, he fired three bullets at Gandhi on 30th January 1948 at around 5.17pm and assassinated him. The title of Mahatma was bestowed on Gandhiji and a   large funeral was arranged for him. More than 20 lakh people attended the funeral to bid goodbye to the father of our nation. In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi considered himself a failure. But his place in history is secure, and it does not diminish his greatness to point that in some respects. He had spent his life working toward the achievement of independence for India without violence or division.

English Gcse Media Essay - 789 Words

English GCSE Media Coursework 1. How does advertising reinforce gender stereotypes? Today in the late 1990#8217;s we can not escape advertising it bombards us from all types of media and every aspect of our lives. It is a multibillion-pound industry that stereotypes genders and tells us what we could become if we use certain products. Men being portrayed as cool, tough, athletic and stylish reinforce the gender stereotypes. One advert I have studied which reinforces the male stereotype is an advertisement for #8216;Old Spice, White Water#8217;. The advertisement shows a businessman in a kyak kyacking down a white water rapid. This is stereotyping the male businessman by showing him as an adventurous and carefree person who†¦show more content†¦In an advert for a female perfume by #8220;Givenchy#8221; a woman is shown who holds the materialistic characteristics. This is not how it really is in society. Not every woman has prominent curves, is slim and tall. This shows how adv ertisements do not fairly reflect society. The same is true for an advert from a weekday newspaper advertising #8220;DFS#8221;. A male with similar qualities to above is sitting on a sofa reading a paper. Again this shows a materialistic world which is not a true reflection of society. Both of these adverts only have one person in and this means that representing the whole of society could be difficult. I believe that advertisements do there best at reflecting society, but that is still nowhere near what society really is like. There never will be an advertisement that reflects the whole of society and they have a long way to go before they even getShow MoreRelatedGender Roles and Prejudice Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesGender Roles and Prejudice Gender roles in our society are based on prejudice is an essay about the ways in which we stereotype each gender. These stereotypes lead the children, through socialisation, to conform to the way in which both male and females are supposed to act in society. For example, the male stereotype in supposed to have physical strength, be aggressive and competitive characteristics, whereas female characteristics are supposed to be sensitive, caringRead MoreAchieving Motivation At The Workplace1177 Words   |  5 Pagesa company (Ridgeway, 1982). Thus, discovering the best way to achieve motivation at work is a very necessary topic to be discussed. However, the definition of â€Å"the best† may vary from person to person. â€Å"The best way to achieve motivation† in this essay is defined as achieving work efficiency as high as possible while maintaining the high morale of employees. Argument Outline:  · There is only relatively the best way of motivating people and that is to combine some of the tested, effective theoriesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Single-Sex Education1374 Words   |  6 Pagesworld, but after that, in the 19th century, more and more co-ed schools were established. Despite that, there are many countries, in particular in Asia, where the SSS is the only type of school which exists as a result of religion or culture. This essay argues that notwithstanding the fact that the co-ed system may have the advantage of the social aspect, it is not very helpful for students in many aspects such as academic achievement, learning styles, students’ preferences, and the level of bullyingRead MoreFrench Terms for Ib Sl French B8316 Words   |  34 PagesVocabulary List General and Topic Areas 1 to 5 GCSE French OCR GCSE in French: J730 OCR GCSE (Short Course) in French Spoken Language: J030 OCR GCSE (Short Course) in French Written Language: J130 This Vocabulary List is designed to accompany the OCR GCSE French Specification for teaching from September 2009  © OCR 2010 Contents Contents French GCSE Vocabulary List French Vocabulary List General 2 3 5 12 12 21 28 28 31 36 36 37 40 40 42 48 48 51 Topic Area 1 Home and local area Life in the home;Read MoreTheories and Principles of Assessment2217 Words   |  9 Pageshigher education levels, is of a more subjective nature, rather than the ‘tide-turning’ objectivity of modern assessment methods or regimes. Whilst each of the approaches has its merits, and de-merits, there is a need for continuous assessment. This essay will describe the principles of assessment, and some of the theories and methods of assessment, in a mainly contextual environment, related to my own area of work, before concluding with the role of assessment in teaching and learning and it contributionRead MoreThe Impact of social class on education1908 Words   |  8 Pagesmaterial circumstances; sub-cultural attitudes and values and the school labelling processes just to mention a few. Sociologists tend to be critical of the IQ theory for various reasons including the factors affecting how it is measured, so in this essay, I shall therefore concentrate upon the other more sociological approaches and exclude the IQ theory. The following list of key words were essential in my argument; different methods of attainment, gender, ethnicity, cultural deficits, social statusRead MoreRationale For Art And Design3002 Words   |  13 Pagessolve the problems, instead it may compound them. Society needs and values more than acad emic abilities. This is evident in the recent uproar against the now discredited EBacc, which was to replace the GCSE exam with an English Baccalaureate to focus studies towards three core subject areas – English, Maths and Science - not including Art and Design. Young people have much more to offer. The arts exemplify these capacities - of institution, creativity, sensibility, and practical skills. However,Read MoreSex Discrimination2767 Words   |  12 Pagesmembership, education, provision of goods, services, advertisements and pay. In this essay the discussion will cover subjects such as why woman hold a large percentage of the work force in companies but hardly any seem to have any power. Obstacles in the way of woman in careers, ifwomen prefer different jobs to men, equal pay for both sexes and whats changed since the law was made an Act of Parliament. This essay will only concentrate on the problem of sex discrimination in the U.K. Sex discriminationRead MoreDTTLS Assignments5208 Words   |  21 PagesDTTLS Essay 4. Subject Knowledge and Understanding ↠ Demonstrate an understanding of the skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT which underpin your subject specialism. What skills (and levels) in these areas do your learners need?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skills: Literacy – to read English for handouts. Spoken – to understand English and follow verbal instructions, to understand feedback and give tutor information re: progress. Written – to complete enrolment forms, health forms, learning aimsRead MorePlay Macbeth11985 Words   |  48 PagesMacbeth sinks into a slough of evil, his mind becomes disordered, yet in the final step, his warriors instinct returns to him. MacBeth - Attitude Changes In the tragic drama Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 during the English Renaissance, the hero, Macbeth, constantly declines in his level of morality until his death at the end of the play. Because of his change of character from good to evil, Macbeths attitude towards other characters, specifically Duncan, Banquo

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Marketing System

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Entrepreneurship and Marketing System. Answer: Introduction: Social entrepreneurship can be considered as the systematic technique based on which a particular start up organization tends to develop funds for resolving the social, cultural and environmental issues. This particular study has provided deep insight on how the concerned business experts have to face innumerable difficulties while making an effective social entrepreneur in the current market. This specific study is based on the case study of Dr. Sam Prince. This particular individual being a doctor by profession intends to form a restaurant in order to supply food to the children in school and to provide job opportunity to those persons who needs dependence for earning bread and butter. Analysis of entrepreneur traits: After evaluating the case study of Dr. Sam Prince it has been observed that social entrepreneur is possessed with some of the major traits and characteristics, which are as follows: The primary characteristics of social entrepreneurship are to resolve the social and environmental issues. From the case study, it has been observed that Dr. Sam Prince is by profession a doctor who aims to start a restaurant in order to create a job opportunity for the people of backward society. This particular organization after launching the restaurant has provided job opportunity to 170 staffs that are coming from backward class of society. In the current scenario, it has been observed that a large number of people are unable to maintain their bread their butter in their daily life (Ratten 2013). Therefore, this particular restaurant has helped large number of children by serving foods. Therefore, social entrepreneurship is very much successful to resolve social environmental issues. Mitigate risk factors and evaluate the alternative strategies The key characteristic of social entrepreneurship is to resolve the risk factors by implementing alternative strategies and policies. From the case study, it has been observed that Dr. Sam Prince is very much courageous to launch 30 restaurants more in the market of Australia. In order to maintain a balance of 30 restaurants, the business experts have to focus on some of the major factors among which the factor of economy is one of the most prominent. In order to mitigate the risk factor Dr. Sam Prince has decided to implement one new strategy. In order to run 30 restaurants with equal recognition and image, the businessperson has decided to include product diversity at the workplace (Barrett and Weinstein 2015). As a result, customers of different cultural backgrounds would like to purchase foods and services. Therefore, automatically the range of target market would be high. Social entrepreneurship is possessed with several mission and vision. The primary mission of social entrepreneurship is to resolve the issues of society rather than thinking organizational profit making. The primary purpose of launching restaurant for Dr. Sam Prince was to help the schoolchildren by providing foods and services. The profit making plans and the growth of revenue rate was not the actual vision of Social entrepreneurship. On the other hand, by recruiting 170 staff members Dr. Sam Prince has provided ample scope of job opportunity based on which people from different cultural backgrounds got the scope to earn money by applying their skills and competency (Barringer 2012). On one hand, resolving this kind of social issues is one of the most effective ways to gain organizational image and reputation. On the other hand, people get benefits and facilities form the establishment of new business process founded by Dr. Sam Prince. Focus on the customers and employees needs and demands rather than organizational profits: While establishing the entire business process, Dr. Sam Prince primarily wanted to help the society rather than make a successful revenue growth. From the above-mentioned case study, it has been observed that people the primary purpose of founding the entrepreneurship is nothing but helping the society by providing job opportunities (Bettiol, Di Maria and Finotto 2012). Dr. Sam Prince while launching the entire process of business knows very well about the risk factors of establishing restaurants in the market of Australia. Despite the issues, this particular organization has started entrepreneurship in order to stand beside society people (Griskevicius et al. 2012). Therefore, the primary trait of social entrepreneurship is to fulfill the needs and demands of customers rather than thinking about profit making. Challenges in social entrepreneur: Economic barrier is one of the most effective factors without which a business organization fails to run its service process effectively. While launching a new business process entrepreneurs do not have sufficient internal financial resources based on which the organization can establish their business (Sullivan Mort, Weerawardena and Liesch 2012). Therefore, financial barrier is one of the most important factors due to which people like Dr. Sam Prince have to face innumerable difficulties in running their business organization in the market of Australia. While making an entrepreneurship, the business experts have to take a risk while launching new products and services. At the time of launching new products, customers may not accept the products that have been launched. For an example, while opening restaurants, Dr. Sam Prince may have to face issue regarding the quality of food as well as services (Lerner, Leamon and Hardymon 2012). Therefore, business experts have to maintain product diversity at the workplace. If the customers show their reluctance in one particular product the service providers can service alternative option to the customers for fulfilling customers needs and demands. Implementing alternative strategy: In order to implement alternative strategy, the social entrepreneurs have to get a control over the monitory process (Lam and Harker 2013). With the help of limited number of capital, business organizations would not be able to implement alternative strategy at the workplace. Therefore, economic barrier is the primary issue due to which people fail to implement alternative strategy for avoiding risk factors (Nakara, Benmoussa and Jaouen 2012). However, this particular case study while implementing new strategy of establishing restaurants in the market of Australia has decided to focus on product diversity as well. As a result, the target customers have become huge in range. People from different geographical corners had showed their interest to purchase the products and services of those restaurants. The concept of social entrepreneurship implies that organization should primarily focus on resolving social and environmental issues. Therefore, business organizations cannot get the scope to make an effective profit making structure (Sol 2013). For an example, the business expert such as Dr. Sam Prince while establishing a new restaurant in Australia has decided to help the schoolchildren by delivering foods rather than thinking about effective revenue growth. Conclusion: The entire study has provided a deep understanding and knowledge about the impact of social entrepreneur in resolving the issues of cultural and environmental aspects. An effective case study has been made based on the methods of social entrepreneur followed by Dr. Sam Prince. However, the primary purpose of implementing social entrepreneur is not to start a new process of business but to stand beside those people who are backward both socially and economically. Reference List: Barrett, H. and Weinstein, A., 2015. Corporate entrepreneurship, the marketing mix, and business performance. InProceedings of the 1997 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 144-150). Springer International Publishing. Barringer, B., 2012.Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures, (2012). Bettiol, M., Di Maria, E. and Finotto, V., 2012. Marketing in SMEs: the role of entrepreneurial sensemaking.International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal,8(2), pp.223-248. Griskevicius, V., Cant, S.M. and Vugt, M.V., 2012. The evolutionary bases for sustainable behavior: Implications for marketing, policy, and social entrepreneurship.Journal of Public Policy Marketing,31(1), pp.115-128. Lam, W. and Harker, M.J., 2013. Marketing and entrepreneurship: An integrated view from the entrepreneur's perspective.International Small Business Journal, p.0266242613496443. Lerner, J., Leamon, A. and Hardymon, F., 2012. Venture capital, private equity, and the financing of entrepreneurship.Wiley. Nakara, W.A., Benmoussa, F.Z. and Jaouen, A., 2012. Entrepreneurship and social media marketing: evidence from French small business.International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business,16(4), pp.386-405. Ratten, V., 2013. Cloud computing: A social cognitive perspective of ethics, entrepreneurship, technology marketing, computer self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on behavioural intentions.Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ),21(3), pp.137-146. Sol, M., 2013. Entrepreneurial marketing: conceptual exploration and link to performance.Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship,15(1), pp.23-38. Sullivan Mort, G., Weerawardena, J. and Liesch, P., 2012. Advancing entrepreneurial marketing: Evidence from born global firms.European Journal of Marketing,46(3/4), pp.542-561.

How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression Essay Example

How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression Essay In this essay, the symptoms of depression will be described and aetiology discussed from a cognitive viewpoint. In particular, Seligmans learned helplessness (1975); Abramsons (1978) revision of learned helplessness; Becks cognitive distortion model (1976), and Teasdales differential activation hypothesis (1988) shall be evaluated. Cognitive theorists generally regard thought processes as causative factors in depression. The treatment of depression proposed by cognitive theorists will also be assessed in detail, and empirical evidence shall be considered. Finally, a conclusion of the efficacy of cognitive theory regarding depression shall be presented and suggestions offered regarding the direction in which research should go in the future. Many psychologists and psychiatrists alike have described the symptoms of depression; however, one description is particularly apt. Mood is sometimes dominated by a profound inward dejection and gloomy hopelessness, sometimes more by indefinite anxiety and restlessness. The patients heart is heavy, nothing can permanently rouse his interest, nothing gives him pleasure . . . Kraeplin (1921, p. 6). Depression is termed an affective mood disorder due to the foremost feature of abnormally low mood. Depression occurs when feelings of sadness or grief are prolonged and exaggerated beyond what seems reasonable. Depression therefore ceases to be a symptom and becomes an illness, involving widespread depression of mental and physical functions. The patient appears slow and indecisive, increasingly unable to cope with everyday problems. Physical symptoms are often prominent because bodily functions are upset and because depression lowers the tolerance for discomfort and pain. We will write a custom essay sample on How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does cognitive theory explain the aetiology of depression specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Seligman (1975) describes depression as the common cold of psychiatry because it is also so widespread. Following the cognitive revolution in the 1960s, theorists began to use cognitive theories to explain affective disorders. Cognitive theories are mainly based on unipolar rather than bipolar depression, which is believed to have an entirely different aetiology. Therefore unipolar depression shall be only investigated in this paper. Stated simply, cognitive therapy is based on the assumption that negative cognition distortion of experience underlies depression. This approach shall be analysed in consideration of Aaron Beck (1974) and additions by others, including Teasdale (1988) and Seligman (1975). Seligmans original learned helplessness theory (1975) was based on the experimental examination of two groups of dogs. The experimental group were given unavoidable electric shocks repeatedly, while the control group were given the same shocks but with the option of escaping them. The experimental group demonstrated what Seligman described as learned helplessness. This was characterised by lethargy, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. Seligman theorised that this phenomenon was a result of a perceived lack of control, and he generalised it into a theory of human clinical depression. He proposed that if you expose a person to a stressor and they perceive no control over it, they will respond with learned helplessness. Criticisms of Seligmans theory include: is it really possible to generalise from a sample of one species of animal to humans? And why do some people deal with stressors well and others poorly? Clearly Seligmans theory is inadequate because it fails to explain individual differences. Abramson (1978) revised the learned helplessness theory in an attempt to deal with the individual differences criticism. In order to do this, he introduced attributional styles into the theory. The four basic premises are displayed in Table 1. Expected aversiveness (Expecting that highly aversive outcomes are probable) Expected uncontrollability (Expecting that you will be unable to control situations) Attributional style Internal bad events caused by self rather than external sources Stable the source of a bad event is stable and will therefore happen again Global the repercussions of a bad event are far reaching (Maladaptive, so negative events are attributed to having internal, stable or global characteristics) Severity of symptoms (The more certain an aversive state of affairs is, the greater the resultant cognitive and motivational deficits) Table 1 basic premises of Abramsons (1978) revision of learned helplessness Criticisms of Seligman (1975) and Abramson (1978) tend to centre on the idea that the theory is simply too basic. It needs a richer framework and it needs to explain how structures and processes are organised. Seligman fails to even attempt this, however sis repertoire was within the animal field and not human beings, and the latter are more complex in certain faculties. The previous theories also ignore the consequences of peoples actions and the moral aspects of their thoughts. Seligman sees attributional style as a stable trait. Whilst, clinical observation of depressives shows that attributional style fluctuates with mood state. Studies of non-depressives and recovered depressives show no differences in their attributional style. Additionally, learned helplessness has been shown to be non-predictive. In a longitudinal study, Lewinsohn (1981/1988) found that dysfunctional attitudes/belief sets do not predict depressive symptoms in a 4 month follow up of college students. Therefore stable, maladaptive cognitions were not found to be vulnerability factors, thus contradicting the theory. In other words, learned helplessness is a descriptive account of depression as opposed to an aetiological explanation (Lewinsohn, 1981). Clearly, the aforementioned theories have been insufficient as causal theories of depression. Research has focused uttermost on Becks (1976) cognitive theory of depression. He devised a schema-based model of depression, aiming to provide a coherent account of the beliefs a depressed person expresses about themselves, the future and the world. To outline his model: Previous negative events are encoded in the form of schemas. Beck defined schemas as relatively stable cognitive patterns which form the basis for the regularity of interpretations of a particular set of situations. Becks schemas are latent, i. e. nly activated or influenced by similar events to the ones that defined them. These schemas contain prepositional information (e. g. I am worthless). When focused on three interlocking beliefs in a negative way (the cognitive triad), this causes and maintains depression. The cognitive triad causes negative, automatic thoughts (i. e. depressive thoughts occurring beyond the conscious control of the sufferer) and to systematic or logical errors. Systematic errors are a variet y of errors of reasoning a depressive shows, which serve to perpetuate their depression. Examples include: over-generalisation, which is arbitrarily drawing a conclusion about a wide variety of things on the basis of single events (e. g. I failed my exam so I will fail in everything I do). Arbitrary inference is the drawing of a negative conclusion in the absence of supporting information (e. g. my friend did not want to meet me therefore she hates me). Dichotomous thinking describes thinking in polar opposites. So something is either all good or a total disaster, (e. g. if I fail this year at university I might as well be dead). Effectively, Beck defines the maintenance of depression as an interaction between all these factors causing a vicious cycle. See Figure 1. However, Becks theory has many criticisms. Beck argues that the cognitive triad is a stable trait that depressives develop; yet research shows that attributions fluctuate with mood. Beck sidesteps this problem by saying that the schemas are latent, but this is not an adequate solution. Additionally, Becks schemas are vaguely defined and therefore inadequate and he doesnt state how they are activated. Beck states that Depressogenic schemas are caused by a critical incident, so how do you account for depression that isnt caused by a critical incident? Most importantly, the evidence supporting Becks theory is correlational. So we know there is a strong association between negative thoughts and depression, but there is no evidence that it is causal. Therefore Becks theory is a good description of the cognitive symptoms of depression, but there is no evidence that it is anything more. This leads us to wonder how do cognitive theorists actually explain the aetiology of depression? Teasdales differential activation hypothesis (1988) was an extension of Becks work. He revised Bowers 1981 network theory for prepositional memory and made it into a cognitive theory of depression. The network is made up of links and nodes, each node either being a prepositional item or a depression emotion node termed DEMON. The more related two nodes are, the stronger the link. Past experience is the basis of these links and activation spreads passively through the network according to the strength of each link. A depressive tends to focus on the Demons, strengthening the links to them; thereby creating a viscous cycle that keeps on strengthening the links to the DEMONs. The Teasdale model is certainly a major theory that has stimulated a lot of research. A major strength of Teasdales theory is that it doesnt rely on identifying a critical incident whilst Becks does. This is due to the nature of the nodes and links in the network; therefore less related incidents can still trigger the demon. However, this theory again doesnt attempt to explain the aetiology by definition. Teasdale saw the maintenance of depression as cognitive, but not the cause. On a personal note, this theory seems rather abstract and scientific as a theory of an only too human mood disorder. It makes you wonder exactly how is depression caused according to cognitive theorists? However, cognitive therapy of depression is a rather different story from cognitive aetiology of the mood disorder. It has been widely accepted by the clinical community since it was introduced and cognitive therapy has generally being supported in controlled trials (Dobson, 1989). Cognitive therapy is based on the assertion that individuals can learn to recognise and modify their negative beliefs and maladaptive information processing capabilities, resulting in preventing or alleviating depression. Cognitive therapy has typically proven superior to no treatment or wait-list controls in college students (Shaw, 1977). Cognitive behaviour therapy is an active, directive, time-limited, structured approach . . . based on an underlying theoretical rationale that an individuals affect and behaviour are largely determined by the way in which he structures the world (Beck et al, 1979, p. ) Becks theory is described in a manual (Beck et al. , 1979). It is an individual approach with many individual decisions and therapist choices of techniques. The manual suggests a typical structure for the sequence of sessions. Specific cognitive techniques are used to provide entry points into the patients cognitive organization. The techniques of questioning, of identifying illogica l thinking are employed to help the patient and therapist to understand and modify the patients construction of reality. Findings do appear to provide impressive support for the efficacy of cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression. In 1977 Rush et al found cognitive therapy superior to imipramine pharmacotherapy in an outpatient sample. However, levels of depression actually increased for the pharmacologically treated patients during the 2 weeks before the end of treatment, when the medication was withdrawn. This increase could account for the pharmacotherapys poorer performance at post treatment. Moreover, Hollon et al (1991) suggests that cognitive therapy may prevent symptom return following successful treatment. Patients previously treated with cognitive therapy, either alone or in combination with medication, evidenced a lower rate of symptom return than patients treated with pharmacotherapy only. Rush, Khatami, and Beck (1975) reported the treatment of three patients with chronic depression using a combination of cognitive and behavioural techniques. The cognitive approach was directed at exposing and correcting the patients negative distortions of the activities undertaken. These patients showed rapid and persistent improvement with therapy as reflected by their scores on clinical and self-report measures. The three major cognitive theories in depression have been considered: Seligmans ( Abramsons revised) Learned Helplessness; Becks Cognitive distortion model and Teasdales Differential activation hypothesis. However, there are certain criticisms that apply to these models in general: the experimental samples used were mainly college students; the models are so general that they can apply equally well to anorexics, alcoholics etc and are therefore not very specific to depression. Most of the terms used are vaguely defined, leaving many processes and organisations unexplained. However, cognitive theories of depression generally suggest that mistaken beliefs and maladaptive information processing play a role in the onset and maintenance of depression (Beck, 1976). On the other hand, cognitive therapies based on Becks (1976) model are usually the therapy of choice by practitioners, especially in cases of mild to moderate depression. Therefore although cognitive theory may not be adequate to explain the aetiology of depression it is sufficient as a treatment for depression. Looking to the future, new theories need to take a broader view and begin to model the interaction between biological, environmental, and physiological factors. Although the cognitive idea of aetiology of depression is hazy, the treatment they suggest for the disorder clearly works yet more work needs to be done before cognitive therapy can be regarded as a preventative of depression and supported empirically.

Dancing Diety essays

Dancing Diety essays For a long time I have had a vast interest in a small sculpture located in my parents entryway. This sculpture is a figure with four arms, stands on one leg atop what appears to be a baby, and wears a funny looking headdress of some sort. For years Ive wondered why this little man had four arms, stood in such an uncomfortable-looking fashion, and what meaning he has. Finally, my wonder has turned to insight, as a course I took in college, Art History, has suddenly shown me the light. The first real picture that I saw of this funny little guy, Nataraja, was in our textbook where I learned he is a god adopted by the ancient Indian imperial Cholas. We were then assigned a visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts where I had my first look at an original sculpture of the dancing god. The piece is named Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance). It is an archetypal sculpture made in the late tenth century by an unknown artist and was found in a temple near Pondicherry, India. The sculpture my parents have is a cast metal one with a very dull gray luster, about six inches high. You can tell with close examination that this was most likely one of many made from the same cast and sold as a souvenir type item. The one at the museum was quite different as it is made from bronze with a much smoother appearance and stands about twenty-eight inches high. Aligning the nose, naval, and weight bearing foot, the central axis of the figure maintains his center of balance and e quilibrium, while his arms extend asymmetrically to each side. The smaller figure at my parents is much more flat, and looks as if he is struggling to stand on his one leg. The one at the museum is much more three-dimensional, and looks much more relaxed. At first glance of this graceful dancing deity, my first reaction was one of awe. The fact that the piece is very old and is still fully intact is amazing in itself. Also, I didnt think...

The Protestant Reformations Impact on Europes Art, Music, and Research Paper

The Protestant Reformations Impact on Europes Art, Music, and Literature - Research Paper Example This ability to create images that could be envisioned in real space itself led to an explosion of ideas even as these artists were exploring subjects once considered taboo, such as the ancient mythologies of these past civilizations. Artists were able to link the mathematical knowledge to the proportional focus of their own world as a shared knowledge between artists and businessmen. Painters used their foundational knowledge in geometry to create familiar elements in their paintings that would convey their intentions to the greatest possible audience. By melding mathematics and artistic expression, artists discovered how to provide their figures with a new impression of weight and volume that had not been previously achieved. This new ability to provide realism in a painting and other written expression led to even greater explorations into how the world manifested itself, all of which contributed to an explosion of thought, design and implementation that would change the world. En glish Protestant Reformation that started under King Henry VIII, advances in technology that allowed for a greater production and distribution of books and a shift in religious thinking all contributed to a shift in the form and content of the literature of the 1500s and early 1600s.