The topic of my persuasive essay and advocacy project is Mental illness and bringing awareness to this silent killer. The first part of my paper will cover the prevalence of mental illness and de-myth certain views that some people have, such as, everyone who has a mental illness is diagnosed; unfortunately only 36 percent of people with a mental illness receive treatment. I bring to light the truth that, the fact that many people with a mental illness are not diagnosed make the public think it isn’t as serious as a problem as it is.
Next, I will continue by discussing the media’s role in creating stigma against mental illness which most people–who do not have a mental illness–do not even notice. Not only does media in general create stigma, but some of the most watched, such as Disney movies, who create stigma in the brains of children. A 2004 study in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found that a total of 85% of Disney animated films contained references to characters with mental illness. Most of the characters referred to as mentally ill serve as objects of derision or amusement. This stigma that stems from the media places a barrier in front of any one who would talk about their mental illness, they feel uncomfortable talking about it and refrain from seeking out the help that they need, which then in turn can turn into suicide.
My next point will be about how even with our society’s strong desire to have complete equality, some groups are left out–in this case. For example here at Penn State there was a mental awareness October 21-25 2013, but not many people actually knew about it. I may also use other group of people to compare, such as African-Americans and LGBTA communities and how they were, and still are discriminated against and how I believe Equality should be increased for those who are mentally ill and to spread the awareness of the seriousness of the issue.
After that I will throw in a section about why I personally care for this issue, using the personal experience of my family and friends who have gone/are going through this. I hope this will increase the pathos in my essay. Also, I will emphasize that everyone should care to and restate the stats that one in four in their lifetime will go through a mental illness.
Lastly I will specifically state how people can help reduce the stigma and allow for a more open communication between those who have a metal illness and those around them. I will throw in some myths here that people have about those with mental illness and offer solutions, such as constructive ways to discuss mental illnesses with a friend or how to spot warning signs of a worsening of a mental illness. My goal here is to get people to realize mental illness is just that–an illness. Some people may view illnesses like depression as in their control, when it is not. I aim to get more people to understand that people with mental illnesses are not any less “normal” than everyone else, they are just ill, and that blaming someone does not help. The best way for anyone to be supportive to someone with a mental illness is to realize their illness is out of your control (unless you are a certified doctor), and the best and most helpful thing to do is to offer acceptance and support because most people with a mental disorder expect their friends to do the exact opposite and leave. When people who desperately need help are left feeling like this, it’s no wonder so many lives lost because of it. That is something we need to change.
Category Archives: RCL
Persuasive Essay and Advocacy
For my paper/advocacy project(s), I want to write about mental health awareness. I feel like everyone everywhere is worried about the physical health of others–especially for those with serious physical disabilities. I don’t usually feel many people are concerned with those with mental disabilities/disorders, which are usually just as bad, if not worse than many physical disabilities. As well, from knowing many personal friends who have mental disorders, I know there is not an openness about talking about mental illnesses and therefore many people who have them feel like “freaks” because there is a lack of knowledge about these diseases and so those who have them feel uncomfortable talking about it. Keeping quiet about these things is the very last thing they should be doing.
Really I am extremely motivated to write about this–mainly because I have known many people to have mental illness, even very severe cases which have become suicidal at points. I have heard form some friends how it feels for them to go through all that they do and I know there needs to be a change in our society to fix this. If people who crucially need help don’t feel comfortable sharing, they will most-likely keep quiet and there condition will worsen for them, it can be fatal. Not only do more people need to be informed with it, they need to be taught how to be a support group for those going through it. I’m not sure how exactly I will format this, but I just know this is a very important topic for me–especially being a (an English and) Psychology major and, like I said before since I have friends who suffer through it.
RCL Ted Talk Beginning Outline
TED Talk
- Hook: about Dodgeball and Columbine and how they spurred the movement for equality for everyone.
- Thesis/main point:Generally though this increase in rewards would been seen as a good thing right? But equality does not entirely exist in the real world so it does not prepare people for the real life and has a negative impact on children.
- How the school system has changed: as recently as 1969, 78 percent of instructional staff comprised tenured or tenure-track professors, with adjunct faculty making up the rest, according to information from the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. By 2009, the figures had nearly flipped, with a third of faculty tenured or on the tenure track and two-thirds ineligible for tenure. Of those non-tenure-track positions, just 19 percent were full-time.” Since tenure, the assurance of teachers keeping their jobs, has declined, teachers are more wary of losing their jobs. They are pressured into giving out higher grades, so all children receive higher grades.
- Not giving it out because rewards are deserved, rewards are good if they are deserved.
- Leveling the playing field.
- Many schools are unsettled these days and have a zero tolerance policy. The consequences for breaking rules are getting a lot more serious, and a lot of it has to do with the huge impact the Columbine shooting has left on the nation.” Schools reasonably became cautious with new rules to prevent any further harm of children—even such things such as banning dodge ball. Not only did society begin to want to protect children’s physical being, but their emotional being as well with. But how would the change in trophy awards and ban of dodge ball decrease bullying? Well, it eliminates competition. Competition lives at the base of most bullying—a want to be better than others.
- The psychology of it: Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, found that “kids respond positively to praise; they enjoy hearing that they’re talented, smart and so on. But after such praise of their innate abilities, they collapse at the first experience of difficulty. Demoralized by their failure, they say they’d rather cheat than risk failing again.” By giving out trophies so easily to these kids and by emphasizing how “great” they are—in order to increase self-esteem— their self-esteem and success decrease later on as a result. It ties into simple psychology; in operant conditioning psychologists look/have looked at the process of punishment verses reward. When given positive feedback (a reward) for an action the action will increase. In the situation of organized sports the action is showing up to the sport, the reward is a trophy, and the increased action is kids not trying their hardest. As well since so many people get trophies, those that do lose sight of its value.
- It ties into simple psychology, what it will do to kids; in operant conditioning psychologists look/have looked at the process of punishment verses reward. When given positive feedback (a reward) for an action the action will increase. In the situation of organized sports the action is showing up to the sport, the reward is a trophy, and the increased action is kids not trying their hardest.
RCL Post (Ted Talk Ideas)
1. One thing I know I want to include is some element of a psychological study, or multiple ones–like the one study I referenced in my essay about how a lot of praise and awards actually increase potential of failure in school and later on in life. It makes me think of the stereotype of Asian and how it is said that they are very tough on their kids not giving a lot of praise–though this is a stereotype there are cases where it’s true–which pushes the kids to not give up. This form of parenting may actually benefit children and prepare them for their career whereas a lot of awards might not be good–especially if the kids did not try as hard. I can talk about how are trophies actually beneficial or not (my opinion is not).
2. Another thing I may want to include is about fairness and equality and how it relate and how generally it is thought to be a good thing, but if acted on in certain ways can decrease the value of competition (which is an important thing kids need to be exposed to for later on in life which is full of competition). It would break the commonplace that equality is possible when the fact is, is that in life a perfect equality does not exist. In whatever career path you choose there will be competition between co-workers to get promotions. whoever is better in the work place will most-likely get the promotion. Equality cannot exist in the work place, so why should we raise out children on the idea that equality does exist and everyone gets a fair share?
Two Possible Topics (RCL)
My first topic I’m considering is to write about the paradigm shift of the attitude of “everyone’s a winner” and how now a days kids always get trophies in sports even if they fail, because we are afraid to honestly tell children they might need some improvement. I’m sure it hasn’t always been this way in our society. I can some how research, maybe by interviews with relative, the ideals related to this and it’s progress and how we got to where we are today in this ideal. I will first start by asking question–like we did in class–such as how has this ideal impacted the development of children in relation to self-esteem. When did this change come about and what caused it to come about? Does this relate to out current ideal of having political correctness? The only thing about this one would be how I’d conduct research being that most of m relatives live least an hour away…I could possibly find information from online or text sources though they may be more difficult to find.
My second idea would be to research the changes in media and the paradigm shift from hard-core facts to the medias current view of covering entertaining stories so they maintain viewers and money. This one would be more research based, instead of interviews. I’d discuss how exactly this paradigm shift came about in relation to changes in the world and economic system. When did this shift happen? How does this effect us today? Is it necessarily positive or negative?
What Makes a Good Blog (RCL post)
So far, the two blogs I have enjoyed reading include Alicia Campbell’s “The Living Art”, which focuses on different aspects of theater life and the importance and value of theater, and Thomas Foster’s “This Day in History”, which like the title suggests gives and describes a relatively important event that happened on the blog post date in history.
Alicia’s blog catches my attention because it breaks the stereotypes some people hold of theater. Most people may think of happy pointless musicals and plays; what Alicia writes about is how these play–which certainly aren’t pointless–convey bigger meanings and messages to the public and how these plays are a form of fighting against issues which may be controversial. Being in theater herself, I feel as if she brings a whole new level of understanding and credibility to her blog. You can tell with all the specific facts she knows what she’s talking about: she cares about her topic and there lies passion beneath the words. It’s fascinating to me the deep, direct, connection these plays have with societies issues, past and present. This blog it not to ostentatious or too cliche. It’s informative, to the point, and illustrate great points!
The “This Day in History” by Thomas Foster is a great blog, in my opinion, because of it’s general factual quality and beneficial quality. Maybe it’s because I grew up around many aunt’s, uncle’s, and cousins who are enthralled with history, visiting graveyards to find people, reenactments, museums, and, many historical accounts–but I believe more people should appreciate and know more about history. That is exactly what this blog does. The official mien of the blog template itself emanates a plain but mature and smart feel, the font is professional in a way that brings the writer more credibility/ethos. Every word clearly has been thought out and the writer has definitely done much research to inform the reader of the historical event, giving me the impression of a well-informed and passionate blog writer who writes about actual important subject matter as opposed to some more generic entertainment blogs.
This brings me to the question, what makes a good blog? Well the definition of good can differ per person, but for me in entails the following: obvious passion, knowledge of the subject, relatiative , and interest. When I’m reading someone’s blog who lack’s passion for what they are writing about, I can feel it hidden under the words; less passionate blogs contain a bland uninterested point of view. Both blogs I meantioned are definatel written by two people who are very passionate about their subject. Whatever the subject is, the writer must have some knowledge of it, whether that includes research or previous notions. I like to be able to relate to a blog in order to enjoy it fully, therefore with my appreciation of history and my fondness of theater I can relate to and enjoy these topics. Lastly, it has to be interesting. If Alicia just wrote about plays but didn’t connect it to real issues, I would not be sold. If Thomas just wrote historical accounts with no relevance to our current day, Kairos would be lacking. Everyone’s blogs are excellent, these are just the two I found most enjoyable to me.
Rhetoric Analysis Essay (Very Rough) Draft (“Hump-Day” ad)
Erin Servey
English 137H
Kyle King
September 27, 2013
Rhetoric Analysis Rough Draft (To be Titled)
“Guess what day it is?” starts the commercial we have all come to know and quote: the GEICO “hump day” ad featuring an enthusiastic talking camel. Now, many people may believe this is one of the most effective commercials currently out there. But, though this ad remains wildly memorable, humorous and relevant, it lacks appeal in many other areas as well, such as facts, credibility and actually associating the commercial with the company more noticably.
We all live in a world where saving money is very important to us, seeing the state of our economy. This fact on top of society’s current norm and definition of “hump day” adds humors and Kairos to the ad. It is a widely accepted idea: “hump day”. Generally referring to Wednesday—a day occurring at the middle, or “hump” of the week—Hump day can be and is associated with the sexual slang version of the word. Since majority of society has this notion, the fact that the commercial uses a camel, makes a joke out if it using a unique, laughable perspective on the phrase—many people would not think to associate camels with hump day. The humor of a happy animal appeals to our emotions as well and at the end of the commercial, where it talks about saving money, makes for well times Kairos as well since, like stated earlier, the state of our economy isn’t the greatest and now, compared to previous decades, people are becoming more and more thrifty as a means to conserve their wealth. Had this ad been used in a more prosperous time for our country, it would not be as effective.
Another thing about the commercial, it’s so catchy: people quote it all the time now; it’s rare to find someone who hasn’t see or at least heard of the commercial. But, that’s just it, many people—such as myself—spend time quoting its catchy phrase when we don’t even remember what company or purpose the commercial was for. This means GEICO—whose name is only mentioned briefly at the end—spent too much time making us laugh and not enough time engraining the company name into our heads, like many consumer jingles do. Many of us familiar with GEICO also know them based on the talking gecko or caveman, so without either of those, we forget that the purpose of the comical camel is to endorse GEICO. As well, at the end of the commercial, though they state, “15 minutes or less you save you 15% or more on car insurance” there are no facts to back it up, or any credibility, how do we know they—who produced a slightly juvenile commercial—know what they are talking about?
One rhetoric based positive outcome accomplished by the ad consists of supporting civic engagement. When the camel walks into the work place, everyone depressingly works at their tedious job in their dull cubicles (this make the commercial more relatable to office workers). The commercial claims—not so directly—through demonstration of the camel’s happiness, we too came become as happy as a camel on hump day, if we use GEICO and save money. The civic implication here is that by becoming happier (through saving money) the environment of our workplace will be enlivened.
GEICO’s ad, quoted frequently, may not be as rhetorically savvy as it first appears. First of all people do not remember the company’s name or purpose, making it go against (I can assume) what GEICO initially intended, even though they have Kairos in the use of Hump Day. Secondly though pathos is achieved through entertaining, and slightly ironic, humor, the commercial lacks strong credibility and facts to back up their source.