FALL 2020
HUMS 95
Writing Assignment #1
When I start a non-profit agency it will be called Healed Warriors. It will focus on the mental health reintegration of veterans and their families. This means empowering individuals with tools to better understand a society that has changed since they joined the military; i.e. local friends moving on with their lives and having other priorities, or trying to find a job position that is suitable for their present mental state. For the family members the program would include such things as creating networks of support to join and engage with to find a stable community to be involved with. These are just two of the ideas that I can think of right now that we would be focused on and I am sure there is more that would benefit those in these positions. Again, this program would focus on members of the military and their families.
The purpose of this program would be an extension of the TAPS program which is a program for active-duty military members and their families that does their best to set these individuals up to transition out of the military. It is currently a requirement for everyone being discharged from the military to take the TAPS program; however, after completing this program and discharging the military member will be moved to Veterans Association (VA) assistance which sometimes can have delays in proper treatment and care.
Healed Warriors is dedicated to veterans and their families and empowering each individual with tools and resources to maintain and improve personal mental health.
The VA does its best to offer services for veterans and their families; unfortunately this organization has grown so large that it has become an issue of timing and allowing individuals to slip through the cracks in the system. Also, the VA does not necessarily give a wide array of assistance to family members. They offer certain programs to family members such as funding for schooling, and health care, but this can sometimes be delayed as well as the VA is quite cumbersome to navigate.
Healed Warriors will be local based, and will do its best to stay small enough within each area of operation to be able to focus on each member involved. As an example, if the program is a San Diego start-up then the area of operation would be maintained within that region until the program is running smoothly enough there to expand to a new area and still maintain a level of intimacy with each member and their families.
Although the VA provides medical assistance to veterans and their families again, it has a lot to do with the availability of the services and the length of the timeline that may be provided for the treatment. Therefore, programs such as Medical, Medicare & Medicaid can provide the extra support that is needed to fill those gaps. Also, the calWORKS program can be utilized to help veterans to transition into the civilian workforce.
If Healed Warriors were to start in San Diego then a program such as Veterans Village San Diego (VVSD) would be a great program to be involved with as they already have a well established network of programs and services to empower veterans and their families.
The goals for funding of a program like this would be directed at the government. I believe that if the government wants to continue supporting & empowering their veterans then they will be finding new ways in which they can invest funding within the non-profit private sector.
I would convince funders that this idea would work with facts. Here is just one example of such numbers. In 2016 nvf.org stated, “According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2.1 million veterans received mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the five year period from 2006 through 2010. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that only 50 percent of returning vets who need veteran mental health treatment will receive these services.” This is just one of the known statistics that I would utilize to persuade the funders that a program like this is needed and would benefit everyone involved.
Writing Assignment #2: The Power of Vulnerability | Brene Brown
I believe that an important factor when discussing Public Assistance & Public Benefits is our respect, comprehension & application of vulnerability. This may not be a specific program or resource that can be targeted locally or nationally; however, in my opinion, it is an overarching theme that is involved with each aspect of Public Assistance & Public Benefits. From the experience of an individual coming to ask for the assistance, to the respect the case worker maintains of said experience, we are all balancing within the cycle of vulnerability.
The power of vulnerability, a Ted Talk delivered by Brene Brown in Houston, Texas and released on YouTube in January of 2011 is a 20 minute synopsis of her 10 years of research involving human connection and the power of vulnerability. Brene eloquently summarizes her research, stating, “[We] are imperfect and [we’re] wired for struggle. [And we] are worthy of love and belonging...To let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole heart even though there is no guarantee, to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror and to believe that we are enough…When we work from a place that says ‘I am enough,’ then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.” This is a strong reminder for everyone involved in the public services.
The message I will highlight, amongst the many: "Vulnerability is the core of shame & fear and our struggle for worthiness, [and] it appears that it is also the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and love." (Brene Brown) Finding the path within vulnerability that leads to the birthplace being spoken of is within a cycle of vulnerability that many people experience:
Feel vulnerable (unable to maintain ourselves)
Numb vulnerability (eating, bingeing, addiction)
Numb happiness (overall sense of emotions)
Miserable (depression, anxiety, fear)
Looking for purpose & meaning (through others, through addictions)
Feel vulnerable (unable to maintain ourselves)
There are so many layers involved when analyzing the importance of this message. Understanding that we numb our vulnerability with substances & distractions, constantly striving to perfect every single experience, ours and others alike. Blaming others as a way to discharge our pain & discomfort while pretending that what we do doesn’t have an effect on other people, or simply believing everything uncertain that we personally think, say and do, to be certain and the bottom line (i.e. religion, science, philosophy); are all parts of this same whole. Brene presents possible evidence for the numbing of our collective vulnerability, “We are the most in debt, obese, addicted & medicated adult cohort in U.S history.” This simple statistic, which may be skewed, still holds a deep truth regardless of its veracity; being that we believe it. In our apparent collective experience, we are the most in debt, obese, addicted & medicated adult cohort in U.S. history, so we numb the vulnerability.
Of course there is another cycle of vulnerability...
Feel vulnerable (fully embrace the experience)
Courage to be imperfect (tell the story of who you are with your whole
heart)
Compassion (to be kind to The Self first which turns unto others)
Connection (result of authenticity)
Feel vulnerable (fully embrace the experience)
Remember: that which makes us vulnerable makes us beautiful. Also, our sense of worthiness determines our experience with vulnerability. Which leads to another message that Brene delivers in this presentation, "People that have a strong sense of love & belonging, believe they are worthy of love and belonging...the one thing that keeps us out of connection is our fear that we're not worthy of connection." Recognize the fear within others from the feelings of unworthiness and embrace the opportunity to experience vulnerability.
I love Brene Brown (bias) and I believe she has a well-trained skill for explaining some of the most complex human experiences in simple ways. Also, the message she delivers in this presentation is due cause for my favoritism. Within this presentation I do not believe she raises any ethical conflicts, as she is mostly speaking about perspectives of emotions; i.e. vulnerability, worthiness etc.. Brene applies examples from her research and her personal understanding of human connections.
The only issues I see about social services are those of conflicting beliefs about values & ethics. From one perspective Public Assistance & Public Benefits may be a fundamental right of citizens, meanwhile from another perspective it may be the foundations of a communist state. Neither of which being good or bad in my opinion. Furthermore, I have no opinion about social services in general or as a career choice; I will empower others.
Merriam-Webster defines social services as [any] activity designed to promote social well-being. It gives a sub definition of any organized philanthropic assistance (such as counseling, job training, or financial support).
Britannica defines social services, also called welfare service or social work, any of numerous publicly or privately provided services intended to aid disadvantaged, distressed, or vulnerable persons or groups. The term social service also denotes the profession engaged in rendering such services.
Regardless of personal opinions, social services are a piece of our society; whether we get rid of them, or expand them, people will need support.
I might present this differently by sharing more of my personal experience with the difficulties of being vulnerable and embracing it. Rather than joking around when I brought up my own experiences, as Brene appears to do several times throughout the presentation, and skips right past her experiences. Overall, I felt like the information was delivered precisely and to the point, as she clearly explained such a deep topic within 20 minutes and I now feel more informed.
HUMS 105
Discussions
Module 2
I have to give a little context to these thoughts as I just had a therapy appointment today that was highly centered around advocacy and what I am now realizing was my perspective that the services provided by the VA to veterans is not a Wrap Around Service Model (WAS). Unfortunately with this system (VA) it forces the veteran to do a lot of the grinding/leg work, and just gear-churning work of discussing the situation with many different people within the organization to get the slightest movement of anything. This often drives veterans to give up on their own advocacy and stop pursuing the potential assistance that the VA claims to provide.
I resonate completely with the idea of the WAS Model and the potential for the system to really do the outreach for the consumer rather than expecting each individual to be able to complete the required tasks to fit into said system. Although it may be a walk in the park for one, it may be a hellscape for another. In this sense the idea of the WAS Model seems like the potential for positive outcomes becomes more possible and that each individual will obtain the service from a provider that they specifically need. This concept is important to me because I have had many difficulties with my engagement with the VA and the government in general which has led me to many hardships and difficult times that have almost pushed me over the edge of society. Thankfully I have been able to maintain my resiliency and push through the barriers to continue on my path to self advocacy and eventually that of the community.
Module 8
Sustain Your Compassion
I needed to define each of these terms to comprehend the true meaning of “Sustain Your Compassion”. Sustain means to strengthen or support physically or mentally. Compassion being sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. To me this sentence “Sustain Your Compassion” means the conscious act of strengthening & supporting your ability to feel with others, the trials they are facing; to choose to embrace another’s situation and view it through a subjective lens while maintaining an objective viewpoint. Overall this is a fine line to walk and should be understood that practice will be from situation to situation. We will not always maintain our boundaries as we sometimes slip into complete involvement within another's experience. A best practice is to consciously re-establish those boundaries through conversation with the other party and to do your best to remain unbiased within the situation.
Practice Authentic, Sustainable Self Care Daily
This to me goes back to KISS, which we may remember from middle school English or the like; Keep It Simple Sweetheart. Self-Care is so many things; from personal hygiene to personal vacations, the levels to which Self-Care is applied is well and truly, up to the Self. Authentic, sustainable daily Self-Care brings to mind such things as taking a walk when school work or work projects get a bit hectic in the moment. Taking a moment to realign outside of the environment so that we can step back to the plate renewed, is key to completing tasks effectively. Also, creating a simple schedule for daily routines is also a great tool for empowerment. A key with these types of practices is to learn to be gentler with the Self when a task isn’t completed. There will always be another opportunity to make a different choice and it is okay to have hiccups. Think of these routines as guidelines rather than as set law, and embrace the process. To me there are multiple levels of this practice, two of which include; creating simple Daily Self-Care routines and being conscious of moment-to-moment needs of Self-Care.
Build a Support System
A support system is vital to any individual & group environment. It offers the individual an opportunity to be caught when falling, and it allows the group an opportunity to catch a falling member. This task overall can be daunting and may take time to establish; however with perseverance and a will to receive a support system can be the difference between failing and succeeding. The likes of which will be further empowered based on the support involved. Simply meaning if we go through a failure alone, it will be further empowered by the level of support we receive and similar to success. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to stand it back up...
Create a Work/Life Balance
This to me is one of the most important factors involved within this list; as I allowed my balance to be offset and I am slowly regaining it in my life. As many of you may know, through my other posts, I have lived on the streets in the past. This timeline alone has created an imbalance in my work/life balance as I have not had a job in almost 4 years. This creates a lot of tension within my personal life and adds to the weight of achieving my goals through schooling. However, I have recently begun applying for positions, it is quite an intimidating task when stepping onto the scale, and I am moving slowly to ensure I am not turned off from the process.
Apply Empathic Discernment
Yet again, I had to define each word to gain a better understanding. Empathy is showing an ability to understand and share the feelings of another. While discernment is the ability to judge well. Therefore, empathic discernment, to me, means the ability to determine when, where & how to apply resources, both outwards & inwards.
Recognize the Humor
This is the basis for my current practice in life. If I we’re not able to comprehend this great cosmic joke, I would not be able to take a step back and laugh at things when they sometimes appear tough or scary. This practice alone has allowed me the opportunity to be easier on myself, through the experiences & environments that I find myself.
Learn to Let Go
This has been a major theme for my life experience and a large portion of my ability to be resilient stems from this skill of being able to let go. I am still learning the healthiest processes to accomplish this, and I have dedicated much of my understanding to the process of letting go.
Acknowledge Your Successes
This is a major key when it comes to dedication & inspiration within any given individual. If we are able to recognize & appreciate our successes within the moments of difficulty, we are better empowered to follow through with our current journey. If we tend to forget our successes we can be lost in the over encumbered sense that we are not good enough or even unable to accomplish anything.
Remain Optimistic
Optimism is a skill that must be polished and honed on a regular basis. The ability to see a positive potential outcome through an apparent failure may be all it takes to turn that failure into a success. Remaining optimistic involves a conscious practice of recognizing the difficulties before us and engaging them in a way that is productive and beneficial to our overall desires.
Elevate Levels of Compassion Satisfaction
For me, this ties directly into the second law on this list, “Practice Authentic, Sustainable Self Care Daily”. Elevating the pleasure we derive from being able to do our work, is apparently correlated with our Daily Self Care Practices & Routines. If we can partake in activities and events in our personal time that feed our passions & desires, that in turn has the potential to elevate compassion satisfaction, especially if your daily work is encompassed by said passions.
Module 9
Please provide a definition of natural consequences in your own words.
Natural consequences are any results that occur due to any commonplace circumstance. (i.e. When you stand in the rain, you get wet. When you don’t eat, you get hungry. When you forget your coat, you get cold.)
Please provide a definition of logical consequences in your own words.
Logical consequences are any determined outcomes, following the Three R’s and an H guideline, that are imposed by the self or another. (i.e. A child spills the milk, ask them, what do you need to do now?”)
Why does the author, Dr. Jane Nelson not seem to encourage the use of logical consequences?
The author Dr. Jane Nelson seems to discourage the use of logical consequences because there is a fine line between this concept and piggy backing (external forces adding blame, shame, or pain to the experience). There is a common misconception among adults that children learn only if they suffer, which creates a tension between the child & their experience and the social backlash they receive for their newly discovered mistake.
What does the author, Dr. Jane Nelson, indicate are signs that a logical consequence isn't the best choice?
Dr. Jane Nelson indicates, "If a related logical consequence isn’t obvious, then it is probably not appropriate to use a logical consequence in this situation”
What options does the author, Dr. Jane Nelson, offer in place of a logical consequence?
In place of logical consequences, Dr. Jane Nelson suggests, holding a family meeting, focusing on solutions instead of consequences, creating routines, offering limited choices, asking for help, dealing with the belief behind the behavior, deciding what you will do instead of what you will make your child do, following through with dignity and respect, hugging, or another tool that seems appropriate for the situation.
Please connect what you've learned in these handouts to the reading you completed in the Woolis book for this module (Chapter 7 Balancing the Needs of Ill and Well Family Members).
These two handouts correlate to the Quick Reference Guide in the Woolis book titled, “Family Problem Solving”. Within this guide Woolis gives a step by step guide on how to problem-solve within the family, including as many family members as possible. The process she proposes in the book is very similar to Dr. Nelsons’ explanation of the Three R’s and an H of Logical Consequences. These two systems should be utilized in tandem for the best results.
Name at least two ways you'll use what you've learned in this week's module in your personal or professional life.
I will use what I learned in this week’s module to empower my friends & family with tools that will allow for more respectful engagements when discussing possible consequences for an action. I feel like these two handouts along with the quick reference guides in the book will bring a lot of structure to the conversations I have in my life around this subject.
PSYC 137
Kinsey Assignment (Sex Research: SciShow Talk Show)
What are the issues of sex research?
A couple of the issues that come along with sex research are the access to a diverse population willing to divulge information about their personal sex history. Also, it becomes difficult to find research participants with a broad range of experiences, ages, socioeconomic status and it is easier to access college students from the ages of 18-22 looking for extra credit for a psychology course.
Furthermore, if you're a sociology/psychology researcher you may not want to get branded as one type of researcher, you don’t want to rock the boat because this is your profession and you have to do the thing that is going to secure your tenure or get your research published.
Or possibly the uncomfortably of the topic may bring a hindrance to the research itself.
Why does this kind of research encounter challenges that other topics of scientific research do not?
It is difficult to get individuals to divulge this type of information regardless of anonymity simply because we can’t see all the information and it is for the individual to express in whichever way they see fit. The information they give may not even be accurate, it's just how they remember it, which alone creates a bias to the research findings.
What knowledge can be gained by studying sex in animals?
Reproduction may be the least studied aspect of animals, especially when they are not a social species and they only come together during a mating season. However, we can learn about the biological variables involved with sex when studying animals of all varieties.
What has this chapter and video taught you about research on human sexuality that you were not aware of previously?
This is strictly my perspective, and it may be controversial, but I still say that we all like talking about sex. Regardless of our personal history, good or bad, we all want it in the conversation, it’s basic human nature/needs (Maslow's Hierarchy).
Dr. Lindsey Doe says, “I think people love talking sex, it’s just giving them that permission to do it and establishing that rapport so they feel safe with you..” she then goes on to talk about Eve Ensler and the Vagina Monologues where she gives an example of a women who thinks it isnt polite to be asked these questions yet is excited to answer because she has never been asked such things before and it leads her to be comfortable enough to experience a personal sexual experience after the interview.
If you were to conduct human sexuality research, what topic would you explore and why? How would it benefit scientific knowledge?
I would research the reasons we all seem to think sex is taboo, and what the deeper meaning behind this cultural perspective. As in when this belief began and how it came to shape our conversations around sex. I think it would benefit scientific knowledge because if we could blow the lid (pun intended) off of this taboo then we could all come to terms with healthy and positive conversations about sex.
Playing Smart: The Mating Game and Mating Intelligence
This research article was published in the Current Psychology Journal in February 2015. According to its publisher, Springer Nature Group, Current Psychology Journal, “is an international forum for rapid dissemination of peer-reviewed research at the cutting edge of psychology. It welcomes significant and rigorous empirical and theoretical contributions from all the major areas of psychology, including but not limited to: cognitive psychology and cognition, social, clinical, health, developmental, methodological, and personality psychology, neuropsychology, psychometrics, human factors, and educational psychology.” The research was conducted by Haley M. Dillon, Lora E. Adair, Glenn Geher, Maya Zhe Wang and Patrick H. Stouts all of whom wrote the article for the Current Psychology Journal.
The validity of this research is brought into question within the limitations of the study group. 79% of the respondents for the data used were female and the majority of them were middle-class college students between the ages of 18-27, where adolescents and younger adults may exhibit different mating behaviors than older adults. Also, the article explains that the order in which the questions were displayed to the participants may have been a contributing factor, as the mate value variable was presented first and then self-perceived mating value after, this may have affected the participants tendency to rate themselves similarly to how they rated their potential partner. Furthermore the reliability of this research study may have implications as it is one of the first to target this specific criteria and did not assume a wider breadth of the population. Further research in this area of information will be needed to determine the reliability of the findings.
This study, “investigated the extent to which mating intelligence (cognitive processes that an individual utilizes for attracting mates) was related to one’s own mate value as well as the value of one’s mate (which were defined in this study by two constructs; the Mate Value Inventory, a multifaceted scale examining numerous traits to encompass Mate Value and the second being two short physical attractiveness questions, one of each subjective and objective values).” According to past research that assessed mating preferences across 37 countries, mate value in men corresponds to ambition, industriousness and resource acquisition; while mate value in women is more influenced by attractiveness and cues to fertility/good parenting indicators.
Participants were recruited from the SUNY New Paltz subject pool as well as Facebook. A total of 1,208 individuals participated in the study while only 616 completed it. Each participant was enrolled in college level courses, 18 years of age or older and defined themselves as being in a long-term relationship. All sexual orientations were invited to participate, however, non-heterosexuals and those who did not complete the survey were excluded for the purposes of the current research. Therefore, 549 surveys were included in the analysis; 79.1% (435) were female and 20.1% (114) were male, all between the ages of 18 and 50 with the Mean value being 22.31. Also note, that students in the SUNY New Paltz subject pool received credit for this study participation.
This study concluded that mating intelligence is positively related to self-perceived mate value and partner mate value. Meaning that the higher one views themselves as a suitable mate the higher the standards for mate value in their partner. Furthermore, lesser mate settling indicates that mating intelligence has important implications for individuals getting what they want in a mating market exchange.
This study is relevant to chapter 1 in the essence that every culture creates different standards for their perceived sexual intelligence which in turn relates to mating intelligence and mate value within that culture. Each culture has different standards that it looks for in a potential mate, all of which hinge around intelligence for survival. This is not to say that we do not find those with lesser intelligence less attractive, it is simply instinctual for us to find a partner that may empower us to thrive in a growing mating marketplace.
The Mask You Live In
What does it be to be a man in American society?
“Being a man in American society means proving that we are in control of our emotions and superior to others by showing physical dominance through violence.” -Andrew White
What are the challenges associated with adhering to gender role stereotypes?
To me the challenges associated with adhering to gender role stereotypes can be summed up by one quote from the documentary. “Comparison is the thief of all happiness.” -Joe Ehrmann
How could our culture provide more opportunities to express more diverse perspectives of masculinity?
Our culture can provide more opportunities to express more diverse perspectives of masculinity by recognizing that gender is a spectrum that can be traversed back and forth throughout an individual's life experience and that sex is a scientific designation for gene placement.
What could you do to encourage and support broader perspectives of gender expression?
In order to encourage and support a broader perspective of gender expression I can step out of the way for others to express themselves in any way that they feel comfortable doing and empower them to do such.
Neuroscience in the News - Ethics & Research Brain Activity Associated with Expectancy-Enhanced Placebo Analgesia as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
This research article was published in The Journal of Neuroscience in January of 2006. The publisher of the website, The Society for Neuroscience claims the mission of this journal is to, “advance neuroscience research by publishing and widely disseminating the highly rigorous research, representative of the breadth of neuroscience; to ensure the peer review system remains rapid and fair; and to provide outlets for discussion of neuroscience that are not available elsewhere, allowing for competing ideas, debate, and questions around neuroscience.” This specific research study was conducted by Jian Kong, Randy L Gollub, Illana S. Rosman, J. Megan Webb, Mark G. Vangel, Irving Kirsch & Ted J. Kaptchuk.
Being that they utilized a well established expectancy manipulation model alongside a novel placebo intervention, the validity of this study appears sound. With the amount of controls and manipulation that occurred in this study, it’s difficult to argue against it.
Utilizing an expectancy manipulation model combined with a novel placebo intervention to investigate the brain network involved in placebo analgesia researchers found that, “subjective pain rating reduction(pre-minus post) on the placebo-treated side was significantly greater than on the control side.” Meaning that the placebo-treated side created a greater reduction in pain compared to the control.
By splitting the study into three sessions they were able to:
Determine appropriate stimulus intensities for each subject, to minimize anticipatory anxiety, to control for rating strategy and learning effects, and to teach the subjects to rate the stimuli using the Sensory Box and Affective Box 0–20 scales.
Detect whether subjects could reliably rate calibrated noxious heat stimuli and to manipulate subjects’ expectancy of acupuncture analgesia.
Subjects were told the procedures were to be the same in session 3 as session 2, now while within an fMRI scanner. During the second set of stimuli sequences they added an extra 3 high pain and low pain stimuli. Followed by another sham acupuncture treatment. After which, “...subjects were told that we would again present the same stimuli sequences to test the acupuncture analgesia effect....Then, the four random sequences (RSs) were delivered at the original stimulus temperature on both placebo and control sides to test for an analgesia effect evoked by placebo treatment.” These findings, the difference between the placebo and control sides on pain rating and brain activation during these four random sequences, were the primary outcomes of the study.
Significant negative correlations were observed in the bilateral lateral/orbital prefrontal cortex, rACC, and cerebellum, right fusiform, parahippocampus and pons, which means that the stronger the analgesia effect, the greater the activity in these regions. No region showed significant positive correlation. The study concluded that the stronger the pain reduction effect, the greater the activity in these brain regions.
This study is relevant to chapter 5 because it brings into question the methods & strategies of research; specifically in regards to deception of human participants in studies involving a placebo. Although they are not utilizing any of the direct methods discussed in the book; neurochemical & genetic, we can still infer the ethical perspective involved.
