Assignment 1: LASA 2—Critiquing an Article

For this project, you will compose a researched response to Peter Singer’s article “America’s Shame.” This assignment allows you to assess and defend the reasonableness of personal beliefs through critical assessment of Singer’s arguments and the presentation of your own, original arguments on the subject.

Review the following:

• Singer, P. (2009). America’s shame. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(27), B6–B10. (EBSCO AN 37137370)
  http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/214643086?
  accountid=34899

Develop a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation summarizing the main points of the article. Complete the following:

• Summarize the portions of Singer’s article you seek to engage/critique.
• Using the tools of evaluation you have learned throughout the course, create an original argument to Singer’s article that advances your own thesis in light of Singer’s argument. Remember the nature of the stance is not important; you can agree or disagree with any point Singer makes within this article. The important thing is you construct a stance that clearly engages a portion of Singer’s text.
• Support your argument with the use of original research. Use at least three credible, academic resources to support your positions.

Develop an 8–10-slide presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint format. Be sure to include two additional slides—one for the title and the other for references. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Assignment 2: Course Project Part I: Interview and Background Research

 

 

 

Refer to the Course Project Overview in Module 1. Early in the course, you have selected a specific disorder. Research it using your textbook and Argosy University online library resources. A minimum of 5 sources in addition to your text book should be used. At least three of those sources should be peer-reviewed journal articles. The remaining 2 sources may be books, journal articles, or reputable web sites (like those from professional organizations or governmental agencies, not Wikipedia or similar sites).

 

 

 

Review the rubric, as it provides detailed instructions on how best to succeed on this assignment. In the rubric, you will find that you need to address the following in a paper:

 

 

 

• Description of the selected disorder (Identify the DSM-IV-TR diagnostic category for the disorder and distinguish between diagnostic and commonly used terminology.)
• Causative factors of the disorder
• Diagnosis of the disorder
• Treatment of the disorder
• Survey of current research on the disorder

 

 

 

Write a 4–5-page paper in Word format. Remember to use the rubric as you write your paper. Apply APA standards to citation of sources, and include an APA style title/cover page and reference page. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A2.doc.

 

 

 

By Wednesday, March 6, 2013, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 2 Dropbox.

 

 

 

Working ahead Using the feedback provided to you by your peers and instructors, finalize your interview questions and conduct the interview with a mental health professional in preparation for the paper due in Module 5.

 

 

 

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Description of selected disorder.	20
Causative factors of the disorder	32
Diagnosis of the disorder	32
Treatment of the disorde	36
Survey of current research on the disorder	36
Organization (12 points): Introduction, Thesis, Transitions, Conclusion Usage and Mechanics (12 points): Grammar, Spelling, Sentence Structure APA Elements (16 points): Attribution, Paraphrasing, Quotations Style (4 points): Audience, Word Choice	44
Total:	200

 

 

 

The topic I chose for my course project is “PTSD” which stands for posttraumatic stress disorder. My focus will be as it relates to the military. This disorder is very important and to me because I am a combat marine with PTSD and the veterans that I will be working with through my non-profit suffer from the same disorder. I have referenced some statistics. One statistic that is not mentioned that is just arisen is a very saddening one, is the new dilemma of suicide on the battlefield. Research is showing that recently our military is losing more troops to suicide on the battlefield then they are in actual battles firefights.

The Ten questions for my health profession are:

1. What are the accepted diagnostic criteria for PTSD?

2. What would an evidence-based criteria set for diagnosis of PTSD include?

3. What constitutes a stressor?

4. How should stressful events be diagnosed and documented?

5. How can and should a patient document a stressful event?

6. What are the components of an evidence-based diagnosis of PTSD?

7. What would diagnostic criteria be, based on best evidence, either based on or apart from official standards?

8. What constitutes optimal evaluation of a patient for PTSD?

9. What neuropsychological evaluation or other testing should be included in an optimal evaluation of a patient for PTSD?

10. What are useful biomarkers?

PTSD and the Military

If you are in the military, you may have seen combat. You may have been on missions that exposed you to horrible and life-threatening experiences. You may have been shot at, seen a buddy shot, or seen death. These are types of events that can lead to PTSD.

Experts think PTSD occurs:

In about 11-20% of Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom), or in 11-20 Veterans out of 100.

In as many as 10% of Gulf War (Desert Storm) Veterans, or in 10 Veterans out of 100.

In about 30% of Vietnam Veterans, or about 30 out of 100 Vietnam Veterans.

Other factors in a combat situation can add more stress to an already stressful situation. This may contribute to PTSD and other mental health problems. These factors include what you do in the war, the politics around the war, where it’s fought, and the type of enemy you face.

Another cause of PTSD in the military can be military sexual trauma (MST). This is any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the military. MST can happen to both men and women and can occur during peacetime, training, or war.

Among Veterans using VA health care, about:

23 out of 100 women (23%) reported sexual assault when in the military.

55 out of 100 women (55%) and 38 out of 100 men (38%) have experienced sexual harassment when in the military.

Even though military sexual trauma is far more common in women Veterans, over half of all Veterans with military sexual trauma are men. This is because there are many more male Veterans than there are females.

Sources

Kessler, R.C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E. Hughes, M., & Nelson, C.B. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52(12), 1048-1060.Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., & Walters, E. E. (2005a). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 593-602.

 

Kulka, R.A., Schlenger, W.E., Fairbank, J.A. Hough, R.L., Jordan, B.K., Marmar, C.R., & Weiss, D.S. (1990). Trauma and the Vietnam War Generation: Report of Findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, New York: Brunner/Mazel.

 

Tanielian, T. & Jaycox, L. (Eds.)(2008). Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

Paper on Character, Dignity, and Self-Respect

For your Unit 5 assignment, you will write a paper based on the themes of Character, Dignity, and Self-Respect. You will choose to view the movie A Man for all Seasons, the movie Glory, or another movie that has been approved by your instructor, and will interpret the movie and relate one or two of the movie’s characters to the philosophies of Aristotle, Epictetus, and Saint Augustine.

You will relate your character selections to the following:

• Aristotle: Ethics based on personal virtue.
• Epictetus: Ethics based on inner strength of the individual.
• Saint Augustine: Ethics based on following a Divine Command.

Aristotle

Aristotle was a student of Plato and lived from 384 to 322 B.C. His ethical theory centered on the attainment of the Good Life and on his theory of happiness. This is not the type of happiness one normally thinks about as in the statement, “I am happy.” Rather, you should understand happiness as a sense of well-being or the overall quality of one’s life. Yet, this “happy” life does not just happen. It is the result of specific actions and qualities.

To accomplish the Good Life one should look at the nature of action. Aristotle wrote in his book the Nicomachean Ethics that all actions have both an excess and a deficiency. Accordingly, all actions have a mean between those two extremes that is suited to a specific individual. This is a mean that is suited to us as an individual, as a member of society, and leads toward the Good Life. And, it does not have to be the same for everyone. So, how do I find the mean suited to me?

To begin, Aristotle directs us to the nature of habits and the formative influence they have in our lives. He felt that habits have an essential role. They are the creators of one’s character, and ultimately one’s destiny. In other words, habits produce character and character produces a destiny. And destiny is our life. And what is more interesting, he believed that if we do not like the person we have become, we have the ability to change our habits, and therefore, our character and ultimately our destiny.

In your paper, address how the characters you have selected from the movie represent Aristotelian ethics. How have they demonstrated a mean between excess and deficiency? How have they demonstrated a change in habit or character? How have they made a conscious decision to change?

Epictetus

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher and lived from 55 A.D. to 135 A.D. This was the time of the Roman Empire and the result had been a loss of personal and ethical control over one’s life as considered against the needs of the Empire. This sense of personal and intimate control over one’s decisions and actions had been a part of the small Greek City-States from the time of Aristotle and had formed the basis of ethical theory. Now, the Roman Empire had created events and actions that were no longer in the control of the individual person. One simply lived at the mercy of events no longer directly connected to the individual and over which one had no control.

Thus, the Stoic philosophy concentrated on the following:

• What control did a single individual have over the events in life?
• Would one’s personal choice even make a difference?
• How can one maintain a sense of self-control and direction when I have no control over the events that happen to me?

Epictetus decided that he should control the only thing within his absolute power: His response. He believed that, while he could not control what occurred outside of himself, he could control how he responded: That was the only true freedom he had, and the source of his personal worth and dignity.

As you study the characters from the movie selection, identify those actions and scenarios that depict the philosophy of Epictetus. Ask yourself the following:

• How have your characters decided to respond to their circumstances?
• How have they exercised personal self-control?

St. Augustine

St. Augustine lived from 354 to 431 A.S. and authored a book titled Confessions. I think the title says it all. He is considered one of the founders of Christian Theology and his influence is felt in all aspect of our civilization. For St. Augustine, the foundation for the Good Life lies in the act of confession and the knowledge of God. He approached the ideas of dignity, character, and self-respect from a straight forward religious perspective. Meaning: We attain those personal qualities and live the Good Life through our relationship with God.

He believed that our souls are restless and cannot find character, dignity, and self-respect until they find the greatest good, and for him that would be knowledge of God. He believed that our relationship with God cannot be lost once it is attained, and no matter what befalls us we have a lasting relationship to the Greatest Good. As such, he believed that no one can take that God-given concept of self-worth from us.

As you look at the various scenarios and characters in your movie selection think about how a religious attainment of the Greatest Good or the knowledge of God inspired and motivated choices that lead to the Good Life.

As you write your paper, consider the following questions:

• How have the characters you selected attained the values and virtues of the philosophers?
• What obstacles did they overcome?
• What hardships did they endure?
• How did they demonstrate a life of character, dignity, and self-respect?

You are expected to use a minimum of 3 citations from your source reading and from the Capella University Library.

Assignment Requirements:

• Paper Length:Approximately 950 words.
• Written Communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA Formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
• Font and Font Size:Arial, 12-point, double-spaced. Use Microsoft Word.
• Number of Resources:Cite a minimum of 3 sources.
• SmartThinking Submission: Prior to submitting your paper, submit your work to SmartThinking for feedback from one of their e-structors.

Review the Paper on Character, Dignity, and Self-Respect Scoring Guide to ensure you have met all of the grading criteria for this assignment.

Submit your Paper on Character, Dignity, and Self-Respect in the assignment area.

Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information

Discussion 2: Power, Privilege, and Classism

Power, privilege, and classism are interconnected. The more privilege you enjoy, the more power you have to access opportunities that build wealth. The more wealth you can amass, the higher your social standing. It is important to note that having wealth is not an indictment. However, the privileges that have often led to inequalities in wealth distribution are real. As a social worker, you may find yourself working with clients who do not enjoy the privileges you knowingly or unknowingly enjoy. The more you understand your own relationship to power, privilege, and class, the better you will understand your clients’ realities. For this Discussion, review how classism is represented in the Hernandez family.

By Day 5

Post

• An explanation of how classism is demonstrated in the Hernandez video.
• Identify specific barriers to social services that the Hernandez family experiences because of their class status (e.g., working poor).
• Explain how the intersection of class (e.g., working poor), ethnicity (e.g., Hispanic), and migration history (e.g., move from Puerto Rico to mainland) may further impact the Hernandez’s experience.
• Identity 2-3 strengths in the Hernandez family.
• Provide recommendations for how social workers might address issues of classism present in the Hernandez case.
• Explain how recommendations would address class issues.