Day: April 13, 2020

MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA 16

APHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OFMILITARY, RETIREES, AND VETERANS WOMEN LIVING WITH THE EFFECTS OFSEXUAL TRAUMA

Institutional

Contents

Background of the Problem 3

Introduction 3

Statistics of the Problem 4

Problem on the part of the government and military administrative organs 5

Health Issues 9

Comparison to Situation in Civilian Settings 10

References 13

APhenomenological Study of the Lived Experience ofMilitary, Retirees, and Veterans Women Living with the Effects ofSexual Trauma

Backgroundof the ProblemIntroduction

Accordingto its nature, culture and systems of operation, the military can bewell described as Total Institution- one that has an enclosed andisolated social system. The purpose of making the military systems tobe like that is to ensure effective and efficient management, controland direction of the people serving in the armed forces in a directmanner. Over there years, however, there have been increasingconcerns about sexual trauma in the military all around the world,and the United States is not an exception. Theword Military Sexual Trauma (MST) refers toexperiences of sexual assault and or sexual harassment by militarypersonnel (Allard et al., 2011). The Department of Veterans Affairsobserves MST as sexual assaults and sexual harassment experiences ofpeople during times of military service (Eftekhari et al., 2013).O`Brien and Sher (2013), report that MST remains an issue withsignificant prevalence but little reporting in administrative andpublic spheres. In particular, the iniquity of MST has a substantialnumber of women on the receiving end of the adverse effects it causeson people’s lives. It is also important to note that the culture inthe military is not only hierarchical but also masculine at the sametime. Ithasbrought about systemic discrimination, exploitation, and orsubordination of women, which is highly responsible for thecontinuance of occurrence of MST in the military. There is also asense of gender inequality regarding leadership in the military.Turchik, &amp Wilson (2011), indicate that victimization of femalesoldiersaboutsexual abuse continues to orchestrateat high levels within the United States Military. An associatedmatter of great concern is that reports of MST often remained ignoredand downplayed by stakeholders in the government, local communitiesand within the military. Focus is instead placed on other stressorsof warzoneareas like witnessing of combat, death and or injury as well asseparation from family or loved ones (Gates et al., 2011).

Statisticsof the Problem

Researchshows that reports of MST in the military have increased byapproximately 88% between the years 2007 and 2013, from 2,688 casesto 5,066 cases respectively (DOD, 2011, 2014). An inner lookindicates that the situation is even more alarming since the DOD(2013) bears the opinion that only 15% of the cases are ever reportedwhile the rest are not. Fromthis understanding, an individual might be inclined tobelieve statics offered by peer reviewed research as opposed to thedisclosures of the DOD since it isunderstandablethat the military always aims to constrain relaying of internalinformation to the public.

Indeed,peer-reviewed articles indicate that the number of women sufferingfrom MST intothe armyis much greater than that which is specified by the DOD. In examiningthe matter of MST by use of a holistic approach, all forms of sexualharassment and assault areinto consideration,Turchik and Wilson (2011), report that up to 84% of women that havebeen in military service wereexposedto the experience at some point during their employment. Afterlooking into the separate branches of the United States army, andconsidering information of the year 2012,the Military had the most sexual assault reports at the rate of 2.3for a group of a thousand service members. The Marine Corps reportedthe lowest incidents of sexual assaults at the rate of 1.7 for agroup of a thousand service members (DOD, 2013). Such informationonly reveals that occurrences of MST are prevalent in all branches ofthe armed forces of the United States.

Bell,Turchik, and Karpenko (2014), however, ensure to note that statisticsrelating to MST in the military may differ significantly from studyto study owing to methodological and assessment differences in theconduction of research. Again, one cannot decline to note thatendeavors of measuring and evaluating issues of the subject matterpose a challenge per se due to the sensitive nature of the subject,especially in the context of the military (Groves, 2013).

Problemon the part of the government and military administrative organs

Itis terrible to note that the country administrationand its involved agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) aredoing little to curb the adverseeffects of MST among military personnel (Burgess, Slattery &ampHerlihy, 2013). It emerges that the government ought to implementstringent mechanisms of dealing with the problem of MST. A look athistory on the subject matter shows that sexual assault against womenremains a common concernin that a female member of the United States military is more likelyto be a victim of the attackthat she is likely to be killed in action by enemy fire (Burns etal., 2014). Additionally, the DOD hardly offers guidance ordirectives for the implementation of sexual assault policies in areasof deployment of the United States military. What is more devastatingis that the DOD has engaged in actions of waiving informationregarding criminal and violent acts of sexual harassment and assaultagainst female members ofthe military.The predisposition of the DOD regarding MST points towards theexistence of misdiagnoses in the cases that arereported(Stander, &amp Thomsen, 2016). Indeed, many people render most womenthat leave the job as ineligible for service owing to issues likepersonality and adjustment disorders, over and above the most commonaspect of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Mattocks et al.,2012 Scott et al., 2014).

Withoutany doubt, women aged between 30 and 50 years areagroupof people that are most affected by MST (Mattocks et al., 2012). Itis a matter of great concern considering that more and more women areforming an increasing portion of the veteran population in the UnitedStates. Even so, it is important to note that the issue of MST is notonly a matter of great concern to female veterans and retirees alonebut also to women in the larger military population (Nichols, 2015).

Themost vulnerable persons, however, are those with some forms ofdisability (Klingensmith, et al., 2014). Still, one cannot decline tonote that the number of female members thatredeployedremains very low. Despite this fact, much is unknown about thelong-term mental and even physical needs of veteran women that havesuffered from MST implying a sense of disregard of interest by thegovernment to facilitate research procedures on the subject (Turchiket al., 2012). Otherresearchers have expanded on asignificant number of male soldiers that werepreviously accusedof sexual assault and or harassment were discharged honorably frommilitary service, with no mention of convictions on their records(Kimerling et al., 2011). One cannot decline to note that thissituation represents a serious problem within the nation’s armedforces system. Itis worrying aspect thatmost women that make reports of sexual assaults or harassment get toleave military service before the end of their employment contracts(Nichols, 2015). Such hints that the prevailing culture of themilitary discourages reporting of such cases.

Thesituation under-recognition of the issue has characterized the natureof military organs not only in the United States but also around theworld for a very long time. Even so, there is a need for insight intothe causes of such under-recognition, which has been in existencesinceantiquity.Some studies purport that women in the military do not reportoccurrences of MST simply because they are uncomfortable orembarrassed by revealing information regarding assault against themor they strive to do away with memories of such incidentsin their lives (Bell, Turchik, &amp Karpenko, 2014). Such only leadsto the continuance of badhandling of assault and harassment cases within the military- asituation that encourages prevalence of instances of rape. In someother cases, women that report rape cases facethe accusationof committing the vice of adultery. Such has great potential ofaffecting their lives in an adverse manner.

Also,there is a likelihood of little support from colleagues, especiallywhen the military members get deployedto a combat zone, in that filing of assault and harassment reportswill serve to disrupt team operations. Some believe that such storiesbring about divisiveness and demoralization to members of a givenunit, some team members may find it hard to believe a female teammatethat is accusing a respected team leader of assault or harassment.Other than failing to acceptthe testimony of an accuser, other team members are likely not tosupport the woman and even indicate that they have disbelief in thereport since they find it expedient and may desire to maintain goodterms with the accused (Kelly et al., 2011). Research indicates thatMST victims that report cases and are disbelieved or forced towithdraw suffer from severe depression and other forms of mentalchallenges like PTSD even as they continue to serve in environmentswith a lack of or little emotional assistance (Katz et al., 2012).

Eventhough there may be some level of truth in such suggestions, theyhardly address the weight of the subject matter from the perspectiveof astandardobserver. Over time, many governments and military organs around theworld have shown a sense of reluctance in ensuring there are minimalrestrictive barriers to mechanisms of addressing issues of MST(Nichols, 2015). For instance, in the United States, militarypersonnel have to deal with involving administrative hurdles andpolicies when it comes to reporting MST. They have to engage ininvolving surveys and filling of meticulous questionnaires whilefostering the perception that their efforts of reporting will notlead to any meaningful change of policy or gain of interest by theadministrative organs (Groves, 2013). Clearly, the reporting systemis aprimarycontributing factor to underreporting and ineffective law enforcementagainst offenders. A further look into the system shows that it istwo-tiered in nature. There is the tier whereby a victim can file arestricted report anonymously and then be eligible to receivecounseling as well as medical care without the prosecutionof the perpetrator. Then there is the tier of reporting where thevictim of assault and or harassment opts to prosecute the offenderin this tier, the details of the report are not anonymous. Eventhough this two-tier system may serve to increase numbers of personsseeking medical care or treatment, it does not serve the purpose ofensuring justice is well served or achievement of prevention of MSTcomesto passin the military.

Insome way, the generalmilitary philosophies characterized by the need for loyalty anddiscipline establish atmospheres that discourage reporting of MSTover and above publicperceptions that members can be harassed or assaulted at any time.The resultant effect is that a good number of affected members do notenjoy job satisfaction and would rather leave the service wheneveranother opportunity of employment presents itself (Groves, 2013).

Theidea that members of the military become optimistic if not merelyready and willing to capture any future opportunities for employmentin the private security sector also implies that there is lesslikelihood for reporting of MST. In fact, and in most cases, womenthat have suffered MST do not have direct options of quitting theirjobs. They are even likely to endure difficulties of continuing towork with persons that have assaulted or harassed them whiledemonstrating respect, obedience and loyalty to them at the sametime. An interior look atthe situation also shows that such is not only depressing andstressful but leaves the women at more risk of continuedvictimization in future times.

HealthIssues

Scott,Pietrzak, and SM Southwick 2011are adamant that the issue of MST is a major public health problemwith the potential of adverse effects on female members of themilitary. Acareful look at the conditions on the groundshows MST occurrence associatedwith health issues of the psychology of persons in a grave manner.Mattersof post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stand out as oneofthe most prominent psychological health challenges.Further analysis shows that sexual harassment and assault isseparableregardingtheir prediction capabilities of health challenges.

Cater&amp Leach (2011), indicate that sexual harassment does not pose asignificant PTSD predictor in cases where warfare stressors areabsent. Itimpliesthat combatstressors have potential of posing as mediators between healthchallenges (mostly PTSD) and sexual harassment. Nonetheless, sexualassault remains asignificantand weighty predictor of health problemsand in particular, PTSD even in cases where warfare stressors areabsent or controlled in attackedindividual.

Itis worth noting that a majordistressing issue among the women is that their attackers or enemiesof their wellbeing are team members on the same side with them.Without any doubt, MST poses as a determining factor for thedevelopment of not only psychological health challenges but alsophysical illnesses among existent and former members of the military. In as much as most male veterans and retirees have PTSD owing toissues related to exposure to combat most women suffer from the sameas a result of sexual trauma (Cater &amp Leach, 2011). In some ways,the governing bodies of the military focus on the stressorsassociated with combat since most cases of MST remain unreported(Boyd, Bradshaw, &amp Robinson, 2013). A matter of far-reachingconcern is that members of the military hardly make any formalreports concerning MST- a trend that even more propagates developmentof worrying health issues. Again, a good number of reports made byfemales areusually let outbefore any meaningful correctional, or disciplinary action takesplace (Allardet al., 2011).

Still,it is important to remember that research shows that general exposureto the everydaystressors of war zones also result in some health challenges thatassociate with the disordered function of musculoskeletal, arterial,and, gastrointestinal systems in people (Burgess, Slattery, &ampHerlihy, 2013). Overall, however, victims of MST have tendencies ofsuffering from comorbid psychiatric illnesses like liver andpulmonary diseases in addition to the PTSDabove.

Otherconditionsthat the people risk suffering from include but are not limited todifferent forms of heart diseases, cancer, respiratory andcardiovascular diseases on top of chronicpains on the differentpart of the body like the head and back. Nevertheless, MST bearscorrelation with Axis I diagnoses and use of prescription drugs formental challenges. Likewise,MST associates with the developmentof depression by a person. Such instances of depression are alsoescalated by substance abuse, more specifically, alcohol abuse. Thereality is that a good number of MST victims that suffer from alcoholand substance abuse had no such challenge before experiences ofsexual harassment and or assault it only developed as an aftereffect (Burgess, Slattery, &amp Herlihy, 2013). What is more is thatsuch forms of drug addiction have a connection with the developmentof PTSD. From another perspective, the frequentuse of alcohol and other recreational drugs among military personnelpose as a risk factor for the propagationof MST.

Comparisonto Situation in Civilian Settings

Alook at how the situation of the subject matter compares withcontexts of the civilian society shows that a relatively highpercentage of women in the military are vulnerable to MST. Accordingto Allard et al., (2011), female veterans are exposed to much moreprevalence of rape in comparison to civilian women.

Itis also worth mentioning that womenin the military are more likely to be victims of additional forms oftrauma other than MST, with the most common being sexual abuse asfull-grown civilians in the society. From another perspective, beingmilitary personnel does not imply a sense of less exposure tointimate partner violence. In fact and in cases of female members ofthe armed forces that havecivilian spouses, the women bear more risk of harassment and orassault from their husbands.All the same, and within the context of the military, sexualharassment,and aggressionappear to be two subjects that are very much more intertwined ascompared to the situation in unilateral civilian settings (Stander &ampThomsen, 2016). Because of this intertwinement, it is easy formilitary administrative organs to downplay the reality of some severecases of assault on women, giving them concern that relates to thoseof mild instances of harassment in the civilian context. It isunfortunate that the military does not make use of the exceptionalopportunity it has of studying and evaluating the connection betweensexual harassment and rapeas clearmanifestations of sexual violence.

Insummary, it is important to note that there are limited platforms forcommunity support and care for individuals (women) that have sufferedfrom MST after they are discharged and resume mundanelife as civilians (Pavao et al.,2013). Such is responsible for development or manifestation of someforms of Antisocial Behaviors (ASB) such as eating disorders andimpulsive behavior patterns among others (Kearney et al., 2012). Thepeople suffering from MST engage in such conduct as coping mechanismsto help them get by with their day-to-day routines of life. It isvery likely to find them living isolated lives, with little or nointerest in engagement in publicor social activities in the context of the community. When it comesto substance and or alcohol abuse, use of prescription drugs andeating disorders, the people often exercise impulsive behavior ofactions like reckless spending, binging and purging. Similarly,the people often end up with challenges like smoking, obesity,suicidal thoughts, sexual promiscuity and sedentary lifestyles amongothers (Pavao et al.,2013). Forthis reason, it is imperative for membersof the communityand primarily the family members or relatives of the distressedpeople to help them in the recovery process. Simple initiatives likethe establishmentof a friendly and accommodating home and publicenvironments can go a long way in facilitating the healing orrecovery processes. Indeed, criticalsocialization leads to engagement in appropriatesocial behavior that discourages undesirable social behaviors thatinvolve alcohol and substance abuse and eating disorders amongothers.

References

Allard,C. B., Nunnink, S., Gregory, A. M., Klest, B., &amp Platt, M.(2011). Military sexual trauma research: A proposed agenda.&nbspJournalof Trauma &amp Dissociation,&nbsp12(3),324-345.

Bell,M. E., Turchik, J. A., &amp Karpenko, J. A. (2014). Theimpactof gender on reactions to military sexual assault andharassment.&nbspHealth&amp social work,hlu004, 39, 25–33.

Boyd,M. A., Bradshaw, W., &amp Robinson, M. (2013). Mental health issuesof women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.&nbspArchivesof psychiatric nursing,&nbsp27(1),10-22.

Burns,B., Grindlay, K., Holt, K., Manski, R., &amp Grossman, D. (2014).Military sexual trauma among US servicewomen during deployment: Aqualitative study.&nbspJournalInformation,&nbsp104(2).

Burgess,A. W., Slattery, D. M., &amp Herlihy, P. A. (2013). Military sexualtrauma: A silent syndrome.&nbspJournalof psychosocial nursing and mental health services,&nbsp51(2),20-26.

Cater,J. K., &amp Leach, J. (2011). Veterans, military sexual trauma, andPTSD: planning implications and rehabilitation.&nbspJournalof Applied Rehabilitation Counseling,&nbsp42(2),33.

Departmentof Defense. (2011). Departmentof Defense annual report on sexual assault in the military, thefiscalyear2011.Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Departmentof Defense. (2013). Sectionof Defense and annual report on sexual assault in the military, thefiscal year2012.Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Departmentof Defense. (2014). Departmentof Defense annual report of sexual assault in the military, thefiscalyear2013. Washington,DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Eftekhari,A., Ruzek, J. I., Crowley, J. J., Rosen, C. S., Greenbaum, M. A., &ampKarlin, B. E. (2013). Theeffectivenessof national implementation of prolonged exposure therapy in VeteransAffairs care.&nbspJAMAPsychiatry,&nbsp70(9),949-955.

Gates,M., D. W., Vasterling, J. J., Keane, T. M., Marx, B. P., &amp Rosen,R. C. A., Holowka (2012).Posttraumaticstrain disorder in veterans and military personnel, Epidemiology,screening, and case recognition.&nbspPsychologicalservices,&nbsp9(4),361.

Groves,C. (2013). Militaryerotic offense An ongoing and prevalent issue.&nbspJournalof Human Performance in the Social Environment,&nbsp23(6),747-752.

Hamilton,A. B., Frayne, S. M., Cordasco, K. M., &amp Washington, D. L.(2013). Factorsrelated to erosion from VA healthcare use: outcomes from the NationalSurvey of Women Veterans.&nbspJournalof general internal medicine,&nbsp28(2),510-516.

Katz,L. S., Cojucar, G., Beheshti, S., Nakamura, E., &amp Murray, M.(2012) Military sexual trauma during deployment to Iraq andAfghanistan: prevalence, readjustment, and genderdifferences.&nbspViolenceand Victims,&nbsp27(4),487-499.

Kearney,D. J., McDermott, K., Malte, C., Martinez, M., &amp Simpson, T. L.(2012). Associationof participation in a mindfulness program with measures of PTSDdepression, and quality of life in a veteran sample.&nbspJournalof clinical psychology,&nbsp68(1),101-116.

Kelly,U. A., Skelton, K., Patel, M., &amp Bradley, B. (2011). Extra thanarmy sexual trauma interpersonal violence, PTSD, and mental healthin women veterans.&nbspResearchin nursing &amp health,&nbsp34(6),457-467.

Kimerling,R., Pavao, J., Valdez, C., Mark, H., Hyun, J. K., &amp Saweikis, M.(2011). Military sexual trauma and patient perceptions of VeteranHealth Administration health care quality.&nbspWomen`sHealth Issues,&nbsp21(4),S145-S151.

Klingensmith,K., Mota, N, Tsai, J., Southwick, S. M., and Pietrzak, R. H.(2014). Military sexual trauma in US veterans: results from theNational Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.&nbspTheJournal of clinical psychiatry,&nbsp75(10),1133-1139.

Mattocks,K. M., Haskell, S. G., Krebs, E. E., Justice, A. C., Yano, E. M., &ampBrandt, C. (2012). Femalesat War: Understanding how women veterans cope with combat andmilitary sexual trauma.&nbspSocialscience &amp medicine,&nbsp74(4),537-545.

Nichols,J. L. (2015). Reaching those who are difficult to reach: Exploringonline interventions for survivors of military sexual trauma.&nbspJournalof Military and Government Counseling,&nbsp3(4),2-24.

O’Brien,B. S., &amp Sher, L. (2013). Militarysexual upset as a factor in the development of mental and physicalillness in male and female veterans.&nbspInternationaljournal of adolescent medicine and health,&nbsp25(3),269-274.

Pavao,J., Turchik, J. A., Hyun, J. K., Karpenko, J.,McCutcheon, S., … &amp Kimerling,R. Saweikis,M.(2013). Military sexual trauma among displaced veterans Journalof general internal medicine,&nbsp28(2),536-541.

Scott,J. C., Southwick, S. M., Pietrzak, R. H., Silliker, N., Brandt, C.A., &amp Haskell, S. G., Jordan, J., (2014). Militarysexual trauma interacts with combat exposure to increase the risk forpost-traumatic stress symptomatology in female Afghanistan IraqVeterans.&nbspTheJournal of clinical psychiatry,&nbsp75(6),637-643.

Stander,V. A., &amp Thomsen, C. J. (2016). Sexual harassment and assault inthe US military: a review of policy and research trends.&nbspMilitaryMedicine,&nbsp181(1S),20-27.

Turchik,J. A., &amp Wilson, S. M. (2011). Sexual assault in the US military:A review of the literature and recommendations for thefuture.&nbspAggressionand violent behavior,&nbsp15(4),267-277.

Turchik,J. A., Pavao, J., Hyun, J., Mark, H., &amp Kimerling, R. (2012).Utilization and intensity of outpatient care related to militarysexual trauma for veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.&nbspThejournal of behavioral health services &amp research,&nbsp39(3),220-233.

Philosophystatement of working with young children

Theeducational philosophy at children schools should be child centeredand developmentally based. The philosophy is founded on theunderstanding that young children learn best through interacting withthe environment and people around them. Children are curious fromearly ages and possess the desire to learn from their surroundings.There should be a social interaction in a learning setting.

Whenchildren interact with peers and adults, they feel safe andencouraged to explore new things. The teacher’s role should includeguiding children to accomplish tasks independently without directingthem all the time. To achieve this, the teacher should provideexperiences which are not only challenging but also attainable by allthe children in the classroom. The educator should facilitatelearning by an in-depth study of subjects which interests thelearners. Children should feel actively involved and motivatedproduce quality work (Browne and Gordon, 2013).

Teacheras a facilitator

Teachingoffers an opportunity for continuous growth and learning. An educatorcan play a role of the instilling passion of learning to children byproviding them with a variety of stimulating materials and programs.As a facilitator, the teacher ought to support the children in thequest to make discoveries about themselves, and understand theirstrengths in various subjects (Epstein, 2014).

Childrenshould be allowed an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideasfreely. The educator needs to realize that every child as itsstrengths and weaknesses. In this context, the teacher should worktowards ensuring that children make improvements in learning. Teachers should design programs where the children can work as a teamto create something on their own with the teacher being just afacilitator. During the lessons, children should be given choices andoptions as opposed to being made to think and work in a specific way.The programs need to be flexible, engaging and stimulating. Thelessons should provide forums where students can get examined intheir ability to solve problems make discoveries and enhancecreativity (Epstein, 2014).

Teachingchildren the values

Cooperativelearning will enable children to learn how to communicate in a groupand how to live with others amicably. Children should be providedwith learning materials which relate to the lessons. This is becausechildren learn best by doing. Teachers should assist children to knowhow they can learn effectively, and enjoy doing so (Epstein, 2014).

Educationremains a lifelong process. The foundation of learning is establishedat early stages of life. This could start from Early ChildhoodElementary Education, where children learn academic, emotional andsocial basics. Children deserve teachers who are qualified in theirprofession to prepare them for the world of learning. The educatorsshould take up the roles of the leader, counselor and coach. Theeducator should also assume the role of the mentor and inculcate inthe children the good values that they supposed to guide themthroughout their lives (Browne and Gordon, 2013).

Theeducator should be the epitome of high values and a role model to theyoung ones. The children should be taught values which prepare themto be responsible citizens in the society. They should learnkindness, honesty, patience, cooperation among others (Curtis &ampCarter, 2003).

TheCurriculum

Thecurriculum must be of authentic lessons needed to assist the childrenin meeting life challenges. The educators should have effective classmanagement skills, which should guide them in planning and executingthe learning programs for children. An educator requires theknowledge and is conscious of the processes involvement in childdevelopment and growth. A good education for the young learnersshould relate to real life for it to be useful. The educators should,therefore, strive to prepare lessons and learning programs which meetthe needs of children. Quality education entails a teacher evaluatingtheir lessons to determine what is understood and what is not. Thisshould be followed by efforts to make improvement where necessary(Curtis &amp Carter, 2003).

Theteacher should structure the curriculum in a way that it promotes thedevelopment of literacy where children gain experience throughvarious sign systems such as dance, drama, music, math, science, art,reading and writing. The curriculum derived from this philosophyought to be open-ended with the primary focus being the children’schoice. It should be dynamic and should change based on children’sneeds and interests. The curriculum must allow a free choice timewhere the children can explore the environment around them (Curtis &ampCarter, 2003).

References

Browne,K.W. and Gordon, A.M. (2013). EarlyChildhood Field Experience Learning to Teach Well,2nd edition. ISBN: 978-0-13-265706-8

Carter,M. &ampCurtis,D. (2003). Designsfor Living and Learning Transforming Early Childhood Environments.ISBN: 978-1-929610-29-7)

Epstein,A. S. (2014). TheIntentional Teacher Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children`sLearning.ISBN: 978-1-938113-06-2

Running header: THE PRIESTLY FORMATION

Over the years, the Catholic Church has been consistent anddistinctive in the way it follows the Christian teachings. Inparticular, the selection of leaders such as the Pope, Bishops,priests and teachers have all gone according to some predeterminedregulations. Also, the theological education is without any doubtbased on the Holy Book, as United States Conference of CatholicBishops (2006) affirms, the Catholic Church highly values priestlyformation as it is directly connected to its mission, more so thehuman evangelism. Just as Jesus mandated his disciples to “Go,therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), so doesthe Catholic Church. This paper purposes to examine the reasons whymore good men would try to become priests especially at thesetroubled times and a look at what need to be added in the process andrequirements of priestly formation.

Reasonsfor priesthood

The priesthood has its basic foundation on the humanformation, where serving God brings a wholesomeness in Christianity.The formation of the priesthood is not similar to a secularorientation of education and employment training. The candidates haveto prioritize their corporation with the grace of God (USCCB, 2006). Paul marvels in 2 Corinthians 3:17, how the Holy Spirit changesChristians into the embodiment of Jesus, the image of God. A God’sminister has a human character, aping the way of Jesus Christ. Inhim, the priest has a good example of a fully developed humanity,actually free to dedicate himself for the salvation of the worldthrough Gospel teachings. Priesthood makes a man develop a solidmoral character of prudence, humility, patience, of communion andable to growth in practicing the Christian virtues. Additionally, itinstills the sense of living a simple life, observing body respect asfound in the education chastity.

Secondly, a good man has a reason to choose priesthoodlife to live in intimate and unceasing union with The Creator throughJesus in the Holy Spirit. This surety makes it a worthy cause, asbelievers always pray to develop a person relationship with God. Thegrowth of spirituality fostered through the Holy Eucharist, personalmeditation, reading the Bible, the Sacrament Penance, and Liturgy ofthe Hours (USCCB, 2006).

Thirdly, priesthood brings intellectual growth in theword of God. Spirituality opens vistas of understanding in thebeliever. USCCB (2006) argues that the formation of intellectualityis an essential demand of the intelligence of man. It makes aChristian participate in the light of God’s mind and expands wisdomwhich translates into knowing and adhering to God. All the doctrinestaught for intelligence formation serve to foster faith, loyalty, andauthenticity in teaching the Gospel.

The missing component of priestly formation

The Seminary system should be field oriented so as tokeep in touch with the ever-changing societal, cultural, andreligious realities. Isolating the priest candidates from the peopleand situation makes it difficult to justify its existence before God.The suggestions that training the priest based on their regionsshould be practical. Additionally, the training misses thecultivation of spirituality that humanizes. This has a mixture ofprayer and living. It is measured by the fruits of the Holy Spirit.Also, there is a lack of proper screening at the family level whenpicking the candidates. The values that the young man internalizedduring childhood are important in determining what priest he becomes.

Priesthood in the troubled times

God invites His priests from particular human and ecclesialsituations that affect them but are sent for the service of theGospel of Jesus. The troubled times sets a renewed sense of mission,a new evangelism in the Church. The problems are there to rekindlethe beginnings and allowing the priests the impetus of ardor of theapostolic preaching that came after the Pentecost.

In the U.S for instance, there is a weak ethical standard,an overriding secular ethos and the paradox of widespread hunger forspirituality (USCCB, 2006). Many citizens are not affiliated with anydenomination, yet open to evangelism. Therefore, more priests wouldbe vital in charging the wandering souls back to God through thepreaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reference

The New International Version Bible

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2006), Program ofPriestly Formation (Fifth Edition), Retrieved fromhttp://www.stbasilseminary.com/wa_files/ProgramforPriestlyFormation-U_S_A_.pdf/Accessed on December 13, 2016

CulturalActivity Report

CulturalActivity Report

Theevent

Theevent attended was a public exhibition open day at the MetropolitanMuseum of Art on Saturday the 10th day of 2016. Being a publicexhibition open day, the event was attended by members of the publicof different demographic characteristics such as ethnicity, socialclass, and ages. When I just arrived at the event and entered themuseum, my initial reaction was to take a step back and glare inamazement at the profound diversity and richness of culturesrepresented by the many works of arts displayed all-around the largeviewing room. I could almost feel I was in the presence of items ofhistorical significance and power.

Piecesof art observed

Amongstthe many pieces of arts displayed two portraits took centerattention the portrait of a woman and that of a man displayed sideby side. The portrait of a woman is presumed to be the Lady Ginevrad’Antonio Lupari Gozzadini, and the portrait of the man is presumedto be Matteo di Sebastiani di Bernardino Gozzadini. The two portraitsare attributed to the renowned artist Maestro delle Storie del Panean Italian artist from the late periods of the 15th century.

Thetwo portraits are made in representation of the couple as husband andwife of the powerful Gozzadini family of Bologna. In both paintings,there is a show of the court of arms which shows the power andinfluence the family had in the society. The portraits give anallusion to the importance of love and marriage between couples ofsuch a powerful family in the society. The paintings consist of otherdifferent features to depict some of the important values of thetime, and held by such powerful and influential families. Theseinclude a Phoenix and pelican representing resurrection andchastity, and a rabbit and unicorn representing chastity andfecundity.

and Reaction to the event

Theevent was kicked off by a talk where one of the local officials gavean overview of the history of the museum and its roles and valuessince. In this, the event was stated as an attempt to popularize andpromote different historical cultures through the various forms ofhistorical arts being displayed. It is meant to bring the societycloser to historical art and its historical significance to the stateof the society today. As such, most of the works of art to bedisplayed would be art between the 15th and 17th centuries ofsignificance to the different components of culture in society.

Attendingthe event gave me a new outlook on the role of art in portrayingdifferent values and their impacts on society. It also gave me aperspective of the comparison of such values in the past and theirnature today to understand changes in society and their impacts. Artcan offer an excellent account of a culture’s history to enableunderstand origins and changes over time and their implications.Taking for instance, the two paintings offered a view of the positionand values such as love and communism held by powerful families ofthe 15th century. This can be compared to the present state ofcorrupt and selfish powerful families to depict the changes thatoccurred. Understanding these differences can be vital for futuredevelopments in cultures and societies.

References

Cline,A. (2012). The Evolving Role of the Exhibition and its Impact on Artand Culture. The Journalof Museum Education.

PUBLIC RELATIONS 5

Social Media as a Marketing Tool

Technology has been changing rapidly and the advent of social mediaplatforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and MySpace havedominated the tech space. Millions of people especially the younggeneration have created accounts with these social media platforms.To any business person, such a huge congregation of people in oneplatform creates a marketing opportunity. Big brands across the worldhave found an intersection between social media and commerce. The PBSdocumentary, “Generation Like” by Rushkoff explores how bigcompanies exploit the need for fame and self satisfaction by theyouths to market their products and services. Young people spendnumerous hours in front of their screens liking, retweeting orsharing their favorite songs, movies, chocolates bars, artists orcars. Whereas the teens seek to be empowered through having onlinerecognition and following, they unknowingly market the brands ofparticular companies.

One primary example in the documentary is the recognition of CeiliLynch, a teenager, as the number one fan of the movie franchise, TheHunger Games. Lynch said that she has been constantly retweetingabout The Hunger Movies saying how much she likes them. As a result,her followers, who are mainly her age mates, get to watch the moviesand probably like them. The fact that the company put her in theirwebsite as the number one fan excited numerous young people (Lavelle,2014). She instantly got more followers and this was to the advantageof the company. Young people identify with particular products,services or celebrities. Lynch hardly knew the role she was playingthrough her retweets and likes on social media. She primarily helpedto market the movies to all her followers and peers. It is essentialto note that what brands look for is publicity and young people onsocial media help to create this essential publicity. The biggesttragedy is that the young people are doing all this for free.

Corporations use social media to build trust among the followersthrough having them to share for certain favors. For example,companies may advertise through their social media accounts thatwhoever shares their updates has a chance of meeting a celebrity suchas Beyonce. Furthermore, they might promise to have the photo of thefollower on their website. The more the people who follow, retweet orshare the company’s brand, the more it manages to create brandtrust among the fans. While it may appear as exciting and empoweringto the teenagers, it is clear that they are aiding in the marketingof major brands across the world.

The Concept of Opinion Leaders

Opinion leaders are people within a community who havespecialized knowledge about a product or service and their voice caninfluence the purchasing decisions of the people. Many marketers knowthe value of opinion leaders and use them to influence the decisionsof the people regarding their products or services. In recent years,celebrities have become critical opinion leaders with regards tomarketing. Many companies across the world are using the celebritiesto endorse their products and services in order to influence theopinions of buyers.

Coca Cola is one of the largest multi-national beverages company. Inits “Share a Coke and a Song campaign”, it used the photo ofcelebrity Selena Gomez sipping a Coke sod with a black and whitestraw. Selena is one of the most famous celebrities in the US and herendorsement of the soda would definitely influence numerousconsumers. The photo received over 4 million likes and this is thehighest number any single photo has ever received (Moye, 2016). Withher over 89 million followers, it is clear that Gomez is an opinionleader who can indeed influence the decision of many people. AlthoughCoca Cola products are well-known across the world and have numerousconsumers, it is clear that the endorsement by such a celebrityclears any doubts that some critics might be having regarding thequality of the product.

Opinion leaders are considered to be extremely effective due to theinstance influence they have on the marketing campaigns of products.Opinion leaders can help a company penetrate a market that they havebeen unable to pursue. In some communities, the opinion leaders speakfor the community and their opinion is obeyed by the entirecommunity. As such, when they endorse a politician, product orservice, it is likely to receive appreciation from the community.Moreover, when celebrities are used as opinion leaders, they usetheir charisma to influence the decisions of their followers. Manypeople imitate and emulate the behaviors of their favoritecelebrities such as artists. Therefore, when the celebrity is using aproduct or a service, the followers are likely to emulate.

While concluding, it is evident that companies are going to greatextents to market their products especially in this era of stiffcompetition. Companies employ various strategies such social mediamarketing and the use of opinion leaders to win customers. The younggeneration, which spend considerable time on the internet end upmarketing brands without knowing. This is through liking, sharing,favoring or retweeting their favorite brands.

References

Moye, J. (2016). Selena Gomez ‘Share a Coke and a Song’ Photois Instagram’s Most-Liked Image Ever. Web:http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/this-selena-gomez-share-a- coke-and-a-song-photo-is-instagrams-mo

Lavelle, M. (2014). What Did “Generation Like” Think of“Generation Like”? Web: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-did-generation-like-think-of-generation- like/

DavidStatue

Brieflyidentify the artist, when and where it was painted, and its place inthe history of arts.

TheDavid’s statue is one of the most recognizable sculptures ofMichelangelo. He is remembered as one of most renowned Renaissancesculptors. He belonged to High Renaissance, a period characterized byemotions and ability to transcend mortal weakness. The statue wasstationed at Palazzo Vecchio’s entrance in Florence.

Inwhat medium is the artwork created?

Thesculpture is made of a single marble block. Michelangelo worked on areused block and began the work in 1501 and completed in 1504. Thestatue is 5.16 meters high and depicts the biblical David patientlywaiting for the battle with Goliath. With this sculpture, the artistproved to his contemporaries that he is the best among the Romans,Greeks, and all other modern artists, by inculcating formal beautywith influential meaning and expressiveness.

Whatare the work`s important lines and shapes?

Thesculpture is free-standing. He uses diagonals and curves to produce atwisted figure. Carved from a single marble block, the statue standsin an ideal contrapposto position. The diagonal and curved lines ofthe statue’s left arm and leg contrast with the slight linesrunning down the right side. The statue is asymmetrically balanced.The artist has achieved unity by the use of the smooth, 3-dimensionalrealism as evidenced by the neck tends and hand veins. David’s handdemonstrates the unbelievable realism. One can observe musclescoiling in readiness for the incoming battle.

Ifapplicable, how does the work use color and light?

Inthe Statue, the artist uses light and shadow to represent shape andvolume. The light and dark aspects indicate the use of the lightsource. The statue is also in three-dimension.

Doesthe work contain significant patterns?

Howthe parts of this work combine into a meaningful whole?

David`srugged torso, large hands, and sturdy limbs alert viewers of thevictory to come to the tightening sinew and swelling veins amplifythe psychological energy of the statue` pose. The statue also has theemotional impact and heroic physique. The statue symbolizesperfection.

Discusshow you relate to the painting intellectually and aesthetically, whatmeaning it has in your life

Michelangeloheld that sculptures lived inside a black stone until the artist setsit free. Michelangelo sculpted a plethora of figures in variedspaces, postures and movement. In David’s statue, the figure iscarved in high relief. David`s neck is tense, his brow drawn and theblood veins are seen bulging out of hand. The twisted body conveysthe feeling that David is in motion.

Thestatue is naked to reflect the Classical Renaissance. Nude reflectsknowledge and wealth in classic literature reading. Michelangelochose to make some hands disproportionately large to bring thedesired effect. The proportions are based on the biblical David, ahumble shepherd lad who defeated Goliath with a slingshot. The statueis understandable as a humble man, particularly free of attributesthat could readily recognize him as a hero.

Theformal pattern is evident and essential to the identity of thestature. The statute would be rendered shapeless had it not been forthe pattern. Michelangelo portrays human form in perfect proportionand varied attitude. Great emphasis is placed on emotions andattitude.

DoesTelevision Harm or Help our Younger Generation

Thetelevision has become part of many households in both rural and urbanhomes. A big number of people can access television daily, thus, ithas a big impact on their lives. When it was first introduced, itused to bring the family together. Furthermore, televisions wereexpensive and only had a few shows to air, so people would sittogether as family around it. However, with time, technologyadvancement brought a wide range of television brands choicesavailable at affordable prices. Every family in the society will finda television that fits its budget and, in the long run, thisentertainment system has brought negative impact on the youngergeneration. The cable networks broadcast 24 hours in a day. Theyoung ones watch the television alone, unlike traditionally when theydid with parents. An average young person spends two hours in a weekwatching TV, which is mostly sexual and violent content. No one issafe, even children’s cartoons and other animated programs containvicious acts. Their sense of creativity and imagination has beeneroded by what they watch. The television is causing harm to theyoung generation.

Viewingthe television is fun nonetheless, it has vast negative influence onthe youth. Most of the programs aired give incorrect impressions thatmake it hard to cope with what happens in everyday life. It affectstheir development and behaviors because they imitate what thetelevision airs. Young ones who are five years and below cannotdifferentiate facts and fantasy. Therefore, they copy what is done bytheir favorite super heroes who hurt others and are still consideredas the good guys.

Watchingtelevision encourages sedentary lifestyle, which leads to obesity. Apart from sitting for long hour hours without doing exercises, TVviewing encourages the young ones to eat a lot. Most commercials arefood related and as a result viewers are influenced to consume fastfoods. The young minds are bombarded with plenty of sexual content.A big percentage of the programs aired do not contain any meaningfulinformation about sex. It is the medium where the youth satisfytheir curiosity about intimacy. Movies, series and many other storieshave sexuality as the major plot. Since the young generation watch TVwithout parental guidance, they end up taking the wrong informationabout sex. Cable networks are busy competing with each and the use ofsexual references and questionable language has increase due to itshigh demand from the youth.

Somethink it is still a good idea to have kids indoors watching TV thanallow them roaming out with friends. But, it does not make themsmart they lose their moralities and imagination. When young onesinteract with their age mates, they can be guided how to spendquality time. It will not make them any less happy. However, theycan still watch the television under supervision. In fact, if theyare accompanied by a grown up mature person, they will understand theTV programs better.

Nomatter how one looks at it, there is no perfect benefit the younggeneration can gain from watching TV. Whether it’s about theimmorality passed to them or lack of creativity in real life, it isclear the television is causing harm to the younger generation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1

Date of submission:

Discussion Question 1:

From the Writing Process media piece, I find freewriting and mappingto be the most helpful brainstorming techniques. Freewriting enablesone to generate a block of text that is useful for writing (GrandCanyon University, n.d). Its advantage is that it eliminates the fearof poor quality work. Mapping is generation of ideas in a graphicform, and it helps one to visualize how aspects of the researchconnect. The two techniques are helpful in information literacy asthey enable the student or researcher to locate the necessaryinformation and integrate it into the main body effortlessly. As forthe writing process, the two techniques enable the researcher togenerate relevant ideas and know how to present them at differentparts of the research. They also help in streamlining the outline anddrafting, hence making the writing process easier and accurate. Thetwo techniques, combined, can also help the researcher to finish apiece of research within the required timeframe.

Discussion question 2

Informationliteracy is the set of abilities that the students need to enablethem to conduct a research successfully. With these skills, a studentis able to focus on capturing only relevant and accurate pieces ofinformation and utilize them to produce a well-informed piece ofresearch. As well, with this ability, the students can handle thedynamic nature of research, and be able to choose and utilizeresources efficiently. The process of information literacy islocating the information, evaluating its value, and using theinformation creatively to produce a piece of academic research. Forcollege students, the main challenges for becoming informationliterate are the diversity of academic resources, lack of experiencein managing resources and poor research skills.

References:

Grand Canyon University. (n.d). The writing process: The collegeessay. Retrieved on 13 December 2016 from:http://lc.gcumedia.com/unv104/the-writing-process/index.html

DescriptiveStatistics

DescriptiveStatistics

Part1: Continuous Variable

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics
Father`s occupational prestige score (2010)
N	Valid	47012
	Missing	12587
Mean		43.68
Median		44.00
Mode		46
Std. Deviation		11.999

From table1 above it is evident that the average father’s occupationalprestige score (2010) is 43.68 which is the mean. The most frequentfather’s occupational score is 46, which is the mode. That is mostof the people had a father’s occupational score of 46. The middlefather’s occupational prestige score is 44, which is the median.

Thestandard deviation shows by how much individual scores on averagevary from the mean (Gravetteret al., 2016).Therefore, the standard deviation of 11.999 indicates that theindividual father’s occupational scores do deviate from the mean onan average of 11.999.

Thebetter measure of central tendency is the mean because it will enablethe study to determine the average father’s occupational prestigescore, which can then be used to compare with other periods to knowwhether there is an improvement or not(Lake, 2013).The mean as a measure of central tendency will also enable the studyto know the father’s occupational prestige score that are above andbelow the mean (Statistics, 2013).

Theresearch question can be “Does the father’s occupational prestigescore (2010) differ significantly from the previous year?”

Part2: Categorical variable

Table2

LABOR FORCE STATUS
&nbsp		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	WORKING FULLTIME	29437	49.4	49.4	49.4
	WORKING PARTTIME	6115	10.3	10.3	59.7
	TEMP NOT WORKING	1253	2.1	2.1	61.8
	UNEMPL, LAID OFF	1977	3.3	3.3	65.1
	RETIRED	8102	13.6	13.6	78.7
	SCHOOL	1841	3.1	3.1	81.8
	KEEPING HOUSE	9650	16.2	16.2	98.0
	OTHER	1208	2.0	2.0	100.0
	Total	59583	100.0	100.0	&nbsp
Missing	NA	16	.0	&nbsp	&nbsp
Total		59599	100.0	&nbsp	&nbsp

Fromtable 2 above, majority (49.4%) of the people work fulltime whilevery few people (2.1%) who are temporary not working or have otherlabor force status. The most appropriate measure of variation is theIndex of Qualitative variation since this is a categorical variableand this measure will enable us to know if most of the cases fall inone category of labor force status(Katz, 2015).An IQV close to 0 indicates that most of the cases fall in onecategory. The IQV of 0.79 shows that the people are diverse when itcomes to the labor force status. The research question will be “Doesthe labor force of a person differs significantly per gender?”

References

Gravetter,F. J., &amp Wallnau, L. B. (2016). Statisticsfor the behavioral sciences.Cengage Learning.

Katz,J. (2015). A theory of qualitative methodology: The social system ofanalytic fieldwork. Méthod(e) s: African Review of Social Sciences Methodology,1(1-2),131-146.

Lake,L. (2013). Basic : Measures of CentralTendency.

Statistics,A. E. R. D. (2013). Measures of Central Tendency.

LEADERSHIP 1

LeadershipChallenge

Martin Luther King demonstrated some of the powerful leadershipvalues that every person would like to imitate. One of his quotes,“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments ofcomfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challengeand controversy” denotes that the traits of effective leadershipare best recognized when a leader acts accordingly during tough timesand when things are not running smoothly.

Leadership in a time of danger, trouble, and in difficulty is verydifferent from leadership in a time when things are normal (Adair,2011). My experience as a leader in a particular company involved amajor disruption in service. As a leader, I had to act at theearliest possible moment for things to go back to normal. At the lookof things, almost all my team members were nervous. I had to remindthem about the organization’s vision that captivates and unites usall. In a calm manner, I assigned some duties to them and told themto meet me at the boardroom after two hours. When giving themdirections, I ensured that it was done systematically without hurry.After two hours, we met with other team members and each member’sopinion was important because we were able to work together towards asolution. I was also open to different unpopular advice.

Some of the leadership traits that I exhibited during this timeinclude self-confidence, team orientation, and charisma. Theseactions were not a surprise to me because as an effective leader, Iwas always prepared to face any challenge that might come my way. Insome scenarios, I had to employ various leadership styles because Iunderstand that one leadership approach is not practical enough tosolve any given situation. Competent leaders should switch theirleadership styles to match with the type and atmosphere of asituation. There was no other better way that I could have dealt withthe crisis than how I handled it. Adair (2011) observed thatconsistency is paramount in leadership because it ensures that yourfollowers are confident that their leader can manage differentsituations effectively. Moreover, consistency creates harmony amongemployees.

References

Adair, J. (2011).Effective Leadership: How to be a successful Leader. London:Pan Macmillan.