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Mental health can be considered as a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift as defined in the dictionary as “a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.” In the 1800s, mental illness was seen as punishment. If you were mentally ill, you were in need of religion or possessed. There was a negative connotation to mental illness, as people that were mentally ill were institutionalized. There was great stigmatization when it came to mental health. They were neglected and so was the subject. Mental health was really thought of as a “private matter” between families and was not really discussed in the public.

 

When deinstitutionalization occurred, the idea of mental health came more out to the public. People were less isolated and more exposed. This was mainly because of the harsh conditions they were living in, and it was also cheaper. There is also a big shift when Kennedy signs into law the Community Mental Health act. This act helped change the delivery of mental health services and led to mental health care facilities being built throughout the country. This forced people to talk about the subject instead of avoiding it.

 

Is there starting to be another shift in mental health? In today’s society, the topic of mental health is growing rapidly. It has evolved even more since then, and is also very controversial with the recent events that have been going on around the United States. Almost every time there is a mass shooting or school shooting, most people claim the shooter has mental health issues. Many can  argue that the idea of mental health and mental illnesses today is a common excuse when hate crimes occur.

 

Paradigm shift is a when there is a change in the normal way of thinking. This change is threatens the old way of thinking and is now considered the norm. Cellphones are a great examples of this. Cellphones have taken over the youth as we know it today. For example, the author starts off with a 13-year old girl and asks her what her ideal definition of “hanging out” is. She basically describes her and her friends on their cell phones with no parental vision or distractions.

As few as one generation back, the youth would play outside and enjoy times with their friends. A time with no cellphones and no distractions. Now we have started to the serious effects of over usage of cellphones. It has changed many perspectives in teens’ lives today. This most definitely includes mental health. Many research studies have been said to tie cellphones and social  media with major mental health problems in today’s society.

 

This shift, as seen in the article goes for independence too. It says in the 1970’s, most kids worked to gain their independence. Nowadays children are more dependent on their parents and childhood stretches well into our High School years. Parenting shifts and the economy as well are reasons for the lack of responsibilities in teens which is sadly also starting to become the new way of thinking as well.

 

My artifact for my essay is going to be on the trilogy written by John Lewis called March. These books are basically his views and takes on Civil Rights. John Lewis has been around for a long time and is today one of the most well known congressman today. He was one of the freedom riders and was attacked in the march from Selma to Montgomery. I believe this trilogy argues the fight for civil rights and how it has in some ways has changed in his lifetime.

image via npr.org

This artifact really stuck out to me because it was the perfect thing to relate to my speech. My speech is on John Lewis and his struggles through the civil rights, and the civic part of it. It mainly talks about the actions and steps he took as a civil rights activist to the congressman he is today. This, on the other hand, is the rhetoric of it all. It is how he reflected all that into writing. It shows how from being a victim from the Civil rights movement, he reflected that and gave back to people by getting even more involved and running for congress.

 

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73WIvk09IcI

video via youtube.com

Kairos is the right moment to act on something or make a decision. It is simply saying  the time to act is now. A  movie that has great kairos is called Selma.

Selma was a movie that was made in 2014 based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the famous march from Selma to Montgomery. This march was one of the most important in the Civil Rights movement. This was a turning point because the walk was formed in  effort to register black voters. In a state like Alabama which was very racist at the time, this was a risky thing to do. But they still persisted and marched anyway. Because they thought the time was right. They were tired of being treated poorly just because of the color of their skin.

photo via NC museum of history

I feel this movie came out at an appropriate time in history. In the recent years, there has been an increase in police brutality and violence of minorities. Cases like Trayvon Martin, and Eric Garner are prime examples of police brutality around the time this film was  created. This relates to kairos because watching the film could have sparked some kind of realization in viewers. They would feel the need to act and bring to light social injustices that are going on in the U.S.

With this being said, people after viewing this powerful film could have went and joined an advocacy group such as Black Lives Matter, or simply protested to promote the awareness of this nationwide issue. Dr. King’s motivational speeches can also be seen as kairos because they have a sense of urgency. In the film, he has many followers and people that support him because of these speeches. Pathos is in play here as well relating to the deaths and beating of blacks in the film. It can easily emotionally disturb anyone who watches it.