Psychology 277 - Conceptual Journal #5

Psy 277
Nov 27, 2018
Conceptual Journal 6

Observation and Description

Sexual assault is at the forefront of the modern psyche these days.  With the Catholic Priests, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, we seem to be uncovering generations of sexual assault to both genders.  The most heinous of these crimes is that of child sexual abuse.  It is unknown how many children are sexually assaulted because it largely goes unreported (Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S., Fichner-Rathus, L., 2018, p. 496). One place where sexual assault is more common than in the general public is in Saddle Creek Cree Nation in Alberta Canada.  Though the researchers initially wanted to interview Cree members about the unusually high STI rates, they uncovered a tribe torn apart by generations of unreported child sexual abuse (Gesink, D., Whiskeyjack, L., Suntjens, T., Mihic, A., McGilvery, P., 2016, p. 16).

Conceptual Linkage

In the Cree Nation, a wounded person will seek out medicine. However, there is not a system in place to handle the wounds of childhood sexual assault.  This problem is so pervasive, that because they are choosing to self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, and sex, the reported STI rates have become astronomical, with Cree women having a higher rate of HIV infection than the general population (Gesink, D., et. al., p. 13) And yet, when the researchers arrived, the Cree interviewees, pointed to their massive problem with childhood sexual assault as the root “wound” of the healing circle (p. 14). As a victim of childhood sexual assault myself, who is a recovering addict as well, I agree that one needs to find the root problem of the addiction before the work on healing can begin.  It is a shame that the Cree Nation chooses to stay silent about the sexual assault, though I understand the reasons.  In our text, it is suggested that only 14% of all rapes are reported, a tragic fact that is a direct result of the flaws in our various cultures (Rathus, S., et. al., p. 480). I chose not to report my second rape.  I just hoped he wouldn’t do it again.  Cree Indigenous women have similar feelings (p.18).  They are taught to “suffer in silence” (pp. 480-481) while the assailant walks free.  This could be because of loopholes in the government, as Cree people do not have police, are drugged at parties, or are assaulted by family members (p.20).

Conceptual Insight for the Future

It’s important not to put our values onto other people.  While the Cree certainly should have better access to police and psychiatric care, it is important that their traditions, such as the medicine wheel (p. 14).  I don’t think there’s a clear cut answer to ending childhood sexual assault that doesn’t involve throwing everyone from the tribe (or at least most of them) in jail. The article makes it seem that almost everyone is either a participant, an assailant, or someone who looked the other way, and the text also mentions how Mexican women are told to deal with it and move on (p. 481).  We need a stronger justice system, and more punishments for rapists.  However, until we topple the patriarchy and handle our victim blaming, gas lighting, and slut shaming, it’s very unlikely to change.

References

Gesink, D., Whiskeyjack, L., Suntjens, T., Mihic, A., McGilvery, P. (2016) Abuse of power in relationships

     and sexual health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 58(2016) 12-23

Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S., Fichner-Rathus, L., (2018) Human Sexuality in a Changing World. New York, NY.

     Pearson

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Grade: 21/20
Professor Comments: Very interesting topic for your make-up CJ, and a very large social issue for the Cree Nation.

Philosophy 101 - Theme of Term Paper

Philosophy 101

Final Paper Theme

                I have chosen the topic, “Does God exist?”  I plan to use Thomas Aquinas/Augustine, Rene Descartes, Immanuel Kant, and Buddah as my scholars.  I also plan to ask my grandmother and Rabbi for the personal interviews as well as using the following link for an external scholarly resource:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-arguments-god/

https://www.iep.utm.edu/ont-arg/

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Grade: 1/1
Professor Comments: In addition, include a philosopher two says God does not exist.

Philosophy 101 - Essay block 14, 15

Chapter 14 – The Existentialist: Soren Kierkegaard

Abraham Joshua Heschel: “Let us labor under no illusions.  There are no easy solutions for problems that are at the same time intensely personal and universal, urgent and eternal.” (page 402)

I chose this quote because I am both a person of faith and a person of science.  I know first hand how challenging it can be to reconcile the scientific truth with the Truths about faith and belief.  Even though I believe that science and faith can peacefully co-exist if they grant each other a small space to exist in the unknown, I know that science poses heavy questions to belief, and likewise belief does the same thing.  Every individual must try to find a common middle ground between the two that works specifically for them about the external universe, lest they look to be literalist evangelicals and not philosophers. 

Alexander Solzhenitsyn: “We do not err because truth is difficult to see.  It is visible at a glance.  We err because this is more comfortable.” (page 404)

I think this quote speaks to the idea that we don’t examine our lives nearly as often as we should.  We hold such low bars for ourselves and grieve hard when we fail.  We choose not to open ourselves up to philosophical ideas because living in the dark is preferable.  But when we open ourselves up to the ideas that surround us, examining our lives in the process, we see the truth easily.  It is the darkness that keeps us warm at night.  Truth is a cold, hard mistress.  We like to stay where we feel comfortable rather than face a truth that is harsh.

Soren Kierkegaard: “Man is a synthesis of the infinite and the finite, of the temporal and the eternal, of freedom and necessity, in short a synthesis.  A synthesis is a relation between two factors.  So regarded, man is not yet a self.” (page 410)

Kierkegaard believed in the duality of humanity, the push and pull, as it were.  Yet, his last sentence, that “man is not yet a self,” despite the duality, he speaks to the inability to analyze himself objectively, because objectivity simply does not exist in Kierkegaard’s world.  I like this quote because it reminds me of what Socrates said about an unexamined life.  When pursuing Philosophy, one needs to step outside of their comfort zone and really think about what they’re trying to put into words. This is how a man becomes a self. 

Chapter 15 – The Pragmatist: William James

G. K. Chesterton: “There are some people, and I am one of them, who think that the most important and most practical thing about a man is still his view of the universe.  We think that for a landlady considering a lodger it is important to know his income, but still more important to know his philosophy.” (page 427)

This is a fantastic quote because it is absolutely important to know a person’s view of the universe.  There are a wealth of philosophies on life that could potentially conflict with my own philosophy.  It’s critical that I find out these things.  In today’s era, we look for people who align with us politically.  In previous years, we could just avoid talking politics but as an open Jew, it’s CRITICAL for me to know if someone does or does not support a politician who has emboldened racists and called them “fine people.”  To leave this unsaid or assumed could mean the difference between life and death.

William James: “All our scientific and philosophic ideals are altars to unknown gods.” (page 432)

I love this quote because it plays into my bias.  As stated before, I am a person of both science and faith.  As such, I see science and philosophy both “worshipping” (in a sense) to unknown gods (since we can’t empirically prove God exists).  We people of faith believe in a higher power and we worship according to the worship practices of our place of religion.  As people of science have hypotheses and theories at which to place altars.  Though it seems that science has a leg up by being able to “prove” things, there is still a lot that science doesn’t yet understand (like the inner workings of the brain), just as there is a lot that faith and philosophy can’t yet understand.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: “When we reason about the liberty of will, or about the free will, we do not ask if the man can do what he wills, but if there is enough independence in his will itself.” (page 440)

This quote makes me think.  Because of free will, we know that a person can do or say anything he wants, but we ask him if “there is enough independence in his will” because we want to know if he is a man of spontaneity or passion, or what have you.  Is he a person who will carry out decisions or will he falter while waiting for someone else to lead?  It is important to know this about a person because it will tell you a lot about the kind of person with whom you’re dealing.  It will let you in on a critical aspect of his personality. 

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Grade: 10/10
Professor Comments: There is one Block of Essays left, the Final Paper, and any exams you need to submit. The conclusion of the semester is close. Then the winter break.

Psychology 277 - Conceptual Journal #4

Observation and Description

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has long been a problem for children in the foster care system.  It has become one of those dark secrets plaguing the system already starved of resources necessary for the mental health survival of children.  What hasn’t always been linked to CSA has been the rise in incidence of risky sexual behavior common to children who suffered CSA.  I know that I personally have experience with this, being both a survivor of CSA and a teenager/20-something engaging in a lot of risky sexual behavior.  I was told that this wasn’t normal for a survivor, so when I read the study on “Childhood sexual abuse, sexual motives, and adolescent sexual risk-taking among males and females receiving child welfare services” (Werkerle, C., Goldstein, A. L., Tanaka, M., & Tonmyr., L. 2017. pp. 101-111), I felt vindicated. 

Conceptual Linkage

                The authors state, “This pattern of findings indicates that negative reinforcement motives in particular, including using sex to alleviate distress or negative mood, or avoid unpleasant social events, are associated with greater risk-taking.” (Werkerle, et. al., 2017, p. 103) In effect, the authors are stating that decreased access to mental health care (especially for those wards of the state for whom there is no funding for mental health care) leads to risky sexual behavior in adolescents who survive CSA.  I know that in my personal case, I used sex as a means to numb the empty mood I felt.  I would engage in sex with strangers and unprotected sex.  Prior to reading this study, I maintained that I was sexually liberal and free, when deep down, I know that the meaningless sex I had was less about empowerment and more about sex being the only way I knew how to cope with distress and negative moods.

While CSA in girls has been studied at great length, the authors noted that “Relative to female CSA, male victims are considerably under-attended, with research, services, and policy not adequately addressing the sexual abuse of young boys, as well as its link to a pattern of sexual health risk behaviors.” (2017. page 102) The authors go on to state, “experiencing CSA for males may not be as easily detected by child welfare workers as female CSA...” (2017, p. 107)  And furthered this discussion by stating, “As male youth age, gender norms and gender-based stereotypes for masculinity may add to stigma and shame associated with CSA, reducing the likelihood of disclosure at all…” (2017, p. 102) Two men very close to me were sexually assaulted. Neither of them wanted to disclose their assault to adult figures because of the deep shame they felt, because a “real man” would have been able to stop it. The authors maintain that CSA is difficult to see in males, that they are more likely to hide it from adults.  Knowing the men I know who were assaulted, I would emphatically agree.

Conceptual Insight for the Future

                “CSA has been identified as a critical global health, human rights, and humanitarian-related issue, with rates of self-reported CSA overall at 18% for girls and 7.6% for boys.” (2017. page 102) Since the birth of the #metoo movement, it has become more commonplace to talk about sexual assault, especially CSA.  Most of my friends have been sexually assaulted and many of us suffered from CSA.  What I knew anecdotally as truth, that most of us engaged in risky sexual behavior in the years following the end of our CSA, was argued as “not typical” by the adults we trusted with our disclosure.  In the study, the authors noted that “… many delay disclosing until many years after the termination of CSA.” (2017, page 2) If my friends reported at all, it was normally many years later.  I personally did not disclose until I was 12 (my CSA ended when I was 5). If only we had known then about how common CSA is and that survivors needed better mental health care to avoid the trappings of risky sexual behavior. 

References

Werkerle, C., Goldstein, A. L., Tanaka, M., & Tonmyr., L. (2017). Childhood sexual abuse, sexual motives, and adolescent sexual risk-taking among males and females receiving child welfare services. Child Abuse: The International Journal. 66 (2017) pp. 101-111

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Grade: 18/20
Professor comments: (all were relating to how I cited the paper)

Psychology 277 - Essay Questions for Exam 2

1.    List the environmental factors that may have an influence on prenatal development. Discuss the effects of environmental hazards on the child. (8 Points)  

Per the text, common environmental factors include, the mother’s diet, diseases, drugs taken by either partner, hormones, narcotics, and vitamins taken. (Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S. & Fitchner-Rathus, L. 2018. pages 283-288) Various substances that could affect the mother affect’s the growing fetus. As we learn more and more about various substances and their effects on pregnant women, new things are found to be toxic to optimal fetal development.  In the 1960s, it was common to see women smoking and having a drink during pregnancy.  These days, we know that smoking leads to low birth weight, and possibly SIDS, and that drinking leads to fetal alcohol syndrome.  We are still learning things about pregnancy and what will lead to the healthiest birth possible, but we are closer now than we were when doctors handed out Thalidomide for morning sickness, though I personally wonder if this same thing will happen with Zofran. 

2.    Compare two advantages and two disadvantages of combination oral contraceptives and progesterone-only oral contraceptives. (6 points)

One advantage to the pill is that you don’t have to interrupt sex for it to work.  It works by tricking the body into thinking its already pregnant so that no eggs are released, or if one manages to release, the cervical mucus is thicker, so it provides a natural barrier.  Another advantage is that, when used typically, it only has a 9% failure rate.  (Rathus et. al. 2018. pp. 310-313) One glaring disadvantage is that it’s hormonal so some women will have side effects. While most side effects will dissipate with time, the birth control pill can aggravate migraines, cause feelings of nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness and more. Sometimes these side effects are severe enough that a change may be warranted. Another is that the pill doesn’t protect against STIs.  Even within the various types, there are advantages and disadvantages.  One is that the mini pill has to be taken at the exact same time every day to be effective, while the combination pill has a little more leeway and needs to be taken within a 2-hour window. 

3.    Discuss cohabitation. What are some of the reasons couples may decide to cohabitate. Include in a separate paragraph the relationship between cohabitation and marriage? What does the current law say about cohabitating couples in Arizona? How might cohabitation impact an individual’s chances of getting married and of divorcing? (10 Points)

Cohabitation is “living together as though married but without the legal sanction.” (p. 362) There are many reasons couples choose to live together without being married.  Some want to “test run” marriage, some may want to share living expenses without losing public benefits, still others want to share a life without retaliation from adult children or parents. Up until May 2001, cohabitation was illegal in the state of Arizona.  Though considered a rarely enforced law in the state (much as with adultery and fornication), it was still on the books as a misdemeanor dating back to the 19^th century. (Fields, R. 2001. Retrieved from URL: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/20/news/mn-36308) The text states that the longer a couple lives together, the more likely they are to get married.  Table 11.6 shows that after three years of cohabitation, a couple is twice as likely to marry as their cohabitation counterparts are at year one. (Rathus, et. al., 2018. p. 364).  However, it is later stated that couples who cohabitate for a long period of time are more likely to divorce than couples who did not cohabitate.   

4.    Given what you have learned about orgasmic disorders, draw conclusions as to why orgasmic disorder is so much more prevalent in women than in men. (6 Points)

Orgasm is such a complex topic that I’m not surprised when the text says that women have a harder time achieving orgasm than men do. (2018. pp. 386-390) Women deal with their brain being the number one source of stimulation, so their libido is easier to sway.  One wrong word could completely turn off a woman’s libido.  While men can (and do) experience this, it is much more rare in men than women and on a much smaller scale.  Women also suffer with the idea that vaginal intercourse should lead to orgasm, when the truth is that very few women achieve orgasm through penetration alone. When this doesn’t happen, women are left wanting.  We also can have problems with lubrication or desire as a result of hormonal changes or the birth control pill.  With women, there are so many variables that the American Psychiatric Association has recently merged the two disorders into one concise diagnosis of “female sexual interest/arousal disorder.” (2018. p. 387) Men normally only experience problems related to achieving an erection (for which the drugs Viagra and Cialis were marketed), and premature ejaculation, both of which are easier problems to solve than the female libido and sexual response.  Women can experience lack of desire or lack of sexual response for any number of reasons ranging from physical to mental.  Men usually don’t have a problem with mentally being in the mood, but rather their body not responding (or responding too quickly).    

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Grade: 30/30
Professor Comments: None