Journal #8

Here are my responses to four of my comrades' presentations!

Alissa - I've probably said this before, but I just love how your argument has expanded and evolved from whether or not leggings should be worn as pants to a feminist study involving so much more. The inclusion of the MSN poll was great because, as you mentioned, it shows that this is something that is being discussed rampantly, by people of various ages, backgrounds, etc. The video you showed where men were asked to "create" their perfect woman via a computer was really important and definitely provided insight into the bigger picture of this argument: are women merely trying to conform (with fashion as an agency) to what is "expected" or "wanted" from/of them?

Angela - Well, you definitely had great quotes in your presentation! ;) But seriously, I think that this argument is so important. And the strange thing is, if I had not studied abroad, I'm not sure if I would react the same way to it. I found excuses not to go for my first two years at Walsh, but finally Caleb kicked my butt and said "we're going!" and I had run out of excuses. Much like I mentioned in response to your Journal 7, I think it is so important that these questions are addressed. I know that my excuses came from a fear of the unknown, of taking chances. I'm sure this is the same for a lot of people - they just need to be shown that the pros outweigh the cons by a ton! I think your Harley article is great and also, Walsh's adjustment of the program itself has changed so that you can PICK what classes you're going to take there so that they fit with what you need curriculum-wise. This is so great because it will mean more people can go and experience eating gelato while viewing the Fontana di Trevi, getting lost amid the stone walls of Venice, and just being a part of a society other than your own country's!

Corey - Your argument really interests me, as I had, for several years, been very anti-video games because of the violence. However, this has changed as I've been exposed to more of the games - although I am, in no way, a gamer, I like to indulge in some Left 4 Dead or Sims 3 occassionally. I think that what makes your argument so strong is the inclusion of the effect that parents have on their kids. It is not just the fact that kids may want to mimic the violence they see, it is that they don't feel like they can discuss these feelings with their parents. I agree with you completely when you say that parents should be actively participating in what their children play, and are truly the only ones who can decide whether or not it is appropriate for their child. I also think its important to recognize that many parents do not take the time to know what is appropriate or harmful for their children, which may be why some kids feel as though their only outlet (and way to get their attention) is through violence.

Allison - I think that your argument is important because, at first glance, it may seem as though the obvious decision is that there should be seatbelts on schoolbuses. After all, most people would reason, what's harmful about seatbelts? But I really enjoyed that you went beyond the basic ideas and formulated your own decision based on more in-depth research. I think that, especially important, is that many times, these rules can be made due to an emotional event. Much like you mentioned, the only times there are seatbelts on regular schoolbuses is after a tragedy where a parent lost a child in an accident on a schoolbus which may have been preventable had there been seatbelts. And while I can certainly understand and empathize, I like how you went beyond that and reasoned that these same "safety precautions" could actually become hazards and cause more children to get injured.

Journal #7

Thanks to the wonderful Walsh librarian Melissa Bauer, who helped me navigate the completely foreign PsycINFO database, I was able to find some very interesting case studies/articles about bibliotherapy and adolescents.

1) Gregory, Katherine E., and Judith A. Vessey. “Bibliotherapy: A Strategy to Help Students with Bullying.” Journal of School Nursing. 20.3 (2004): 127-133.

            While a little juvenile, this article is great because it looks specifically at the effect bibliotherapy had on students in about 1^st-5^th grade and their responses. This article’s main audience is school nurses, but it is clear that there can also be a larger audience to this discussion as well. For your enjoyment, I’ll conclude this portion of my journal with some words of advice from kids about bullying (sorry Ron, this makes my word count go sky high):

• “If you are a bully, you won’t make any friends.”  Loud Mouth George and the Sixth Grade Bully, reviewed by Andie, age 7, Montana
• “To fight with your wits instead of your fists.” King of the Kooties, reviewed by Emmett, age 10, Missouri
• “When you see someone fall or look different that you shouldn’t laugh at them.” Don’t Laugh at Me, reviewed by Suzana, age 7, Maine
• “I learned that bullies aren’t really the mean person that you think they are inside.” How to Handle Bullies, Teasers and Other Meanies: A Book that Takes the Nuisance Out of Name Calling and Other Nonsense, reviewed by Melissa, age 10, New Hampshire
• “People and animals come in all different shapes, sizes, and looks, and that no matter your skin color, everyone has feelings.” Nothing Wrong With a Three Legged Dog, reviewed by Bryan, age 11, New York
• “Not to bully around other people just because they are different.” Robbie and Ronnie, reviewed by Kienan, age 8, Missouri
• “I learned that being cool isn’t about the clothes. It matters about how you treat people and how people like you.” Pinky and Rex and the Bully, reviewed by Sydney, age 9, Montana 

2) Tussing, Heidi L., and Deborah P. Valentine. “Helping Adolescents Cope with the Mental Illness of a Parent Through Bibliotherapy.” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. 18.6 (2001): 455-69.

            This article is interesting because Tussing and Valentine look at adolescents who are struggling with a parent’s mental illness (which you undoubtedly saw in the title). While they do not specifically do a study of these adolescents, they do review 11 books that could possibly be used to help these individuals via bibliotherapy. After further review, seven are selected as being helpful; the other four are rejected (poor unhelpful books! L) The reviewers pay special attention to certain aspects of the books, including the characters’ socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and the family life (blended families, single parent homes, etc). Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of any of the seven books chosen. This article helped shape my argument because it is interesting to see some of the criteria the books had to meet in order to be selected.

3) Tamara Robinson, et al. “The Process Of Personal Change Through Reading Fictional Narratives: Implications For Psychotherapy Practice And Theory.” Humanistic Psychologist 37.4 (2009): 326-352.

            Despite the overly flowery title (my suggestion: Helping People via Novels in Therapy?) this article is very helpful. According to Robinson, bibliotherapy “appears more successful with depression, anxiety disorders, and alcohol abuse, and less so with severe alcohol abuse or smoking cessation” (328). A recent survey (around 2009) found that 68% of therapists use bibliotherapy. They cite the benefits of it as self-awareness, emotional adjustment, and self-control, while also stating “age-appropriate readings appear to extend the period of clients’ self-reflection beyond the counseling session” (329). Robinson’s study, while helpful with basic facts, does not fit with my argument completely because it looks at six individuals of various ethnicities/religions/etc between the ages of 25-60. However, it does offer a sort of helpful background to my argument overall, especially when it comes to how this whole “case study” thing works.