Pac-man and The Theory of Mind (Part 1)

        

(Photo credit: https://www.mobygames.com/game/game-gear/pac-man/promo/promoImageId,57172/)

        Pac-man is a video game in which a player controls a yellow creature called Pac-man going around a maze and eating the small dots. The goal of the game is to help Pac-man finish eating all the dots in the maze. The challenge of the game is the ghosts running around the maze. The ghosts will chase Pac-man once they see him. If Pac-man is caught by one of the ghosts, he will lose a life.  Pac-man has three lives within a level. If he loses them all, the player will lose the game.

    

        Pac-man is a two-dimensional world. The player has the superior view of the maze. He or she can observe all the ghosts, dots, and Pac-man. The player witnesses all of their existence. Unlike the player, Pac-man is unable to see them all. Although Pac-man is in the game, he can’t observe what is happening in the maze as much as we do. He can only witness, acknowledge a thing when he faces them. This reminds me of the principle “Esse est percipi” of the philosopher George Berkeley.

        “Esse est Percipi” means “To be is to be perceived”. Berkeley didn’t believe in the existence of matters, which represents immaterialism. According to Berkeley, our perceiving mind and ideas were the only things that exist (BBC, 2015).  In other words, he assumed that we recognize an object not because it exists external to our perception. If a matter doesn’t exist, then why do we feel hurt when we kick a big rock? 

        Berkeley explained that our sensory experience with the rock verified its existence (BBC, 2015). Sensory experience consists of hearing, touching, and actions that physically interact with a thing. Because we can perceive our sensory experience with our mind, we can acknowledge the existence of the rock by seeing and kicking it. If a tree falls and nobody is there to see it, how can we verify the existence of this phenomenon? 

        In this case, Berkeley claimed that if something exists but we don’t have any sensory experience with it, God would be the one who witnessed it (BBC, 2015). This means God’s sensory experience will verify one’s existence when we are unable to do so. However, according to Berkeley, we don’t directly discuss with God about what happened to the tree. Instead, we look at the fallen tree and assume that God saw it fall. 

(Photo credit: Painting A Portrait of Glory (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)

        The dots are the only thing of which Pac-man can be aware. In the game, the maze is built up with small dots lying on most of the paths. Each path has a chain of dots lying on it. Because one dot is behind the other, it’s easy for Pac-man to keep track of them. In other words, there is always a high probability that the dots are in front of him. This set-up helps Pac-man face and eat the dots everywhere he goes. He perceives this sensory experience in mind, which helps him verify the existence of the dots almost consistently.

        On the other hand, Pac-man can’t verify the existence of the ghosts running in the maze at the beginning of the game. The reason is that he hasn’t had any sensory experience with them. Assuming that Pac-man faces a ghost in the middle of the game, when he runs away, he won’t be able to verify that the ghost is still chasing him or if the ghost is moving. However, that doesn’t mean the ghost no longer exists in the game. According to Berkeley, when Pac-man sees the ghost again, he will learn that the ghost is still running around the maze. This phenomenon happens because the player has witnessed the movements of the ghost since the last time Pac-man and it met.      

Eurus Thach.

References:

[BBC Radio 4]. (2015, Aug 6). Esse est Percipi - ('To be is to be perceived') [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBryNYU49Y. 

Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade! [Part 2]

     Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade!

Link to part 1: http://eastyblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/dont-rain-on-streisands-parade-part-1.html

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/143833781818629027/)

         At the beginning of her music career in the early 1960s, Streisand took a shoot in the singing audition for the Broadway play The Sound of Music. Having the first rejection couldn’t stop her desire was still burning passionately. According to Lamb (2019), thanks to the comedian Phyllis Diller, Streisand officially became a paid singer working at Bon Soir nightclub, where her talents and sense of humor combined and created lively performances (par. 6). That was similar to what happened to the main character in the movie Funny Girl (1968). 

         Streisand has great ambitions. After top-charted albums with Grammys and an Oscar award, she started writing songs and brought home an Academy Award with the original single “Evergreen” (1976), which appeared in the top money-making film A Star Is Born (1976) co-starring her (Lamb, 2019, par. 13). After all of these successes, Streisand didn’t settle down to only acting and music.

        In the 1980s, Streisand involved in the film industry and became the first female producer and director. Her first project, Yentl (1983), received rejections from many Hollywood studio at first when they found out that the director and the main actress of the film would be Streisand. However, the rejections couldn’t stop her. Shortly after Yentl (1983) was released, Streisand received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and became the first certified female director (Lamb, 2019, par. 15). This reminds me of her song in the 1960s, which implies the unstoppable, inner strength of femininity.  

        “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (1964), which appeared in the film Funny Girl (1968), was about a Rebel who controlled her own life. Nobody could tell her how to live or rain on her parade (see Appendix B). She just simply wanted to spend her life doing what she enjoyed. It’s hard to deny the popularity of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (1964) in its time when the women's liberation movement had successfully impacted the society’s thinking about women’s freedom. 

         The song began with a direct, powerful message: “don’t tell me not to live”. After singing the word “don’t”, Streisand paused a bit. This pause didn’t portray hesitation. Instead, it showed her persistence and even her stubborn when she ignored others’ advice. With the wonderful chest voice and resonance, Streisand had made the song a powerful declaration, an anthem for the feminine world.     
   
        However, what makes Streisand an icon of feminism are her philanthropy and her support for women, minorities, and LGBTQ community. She never misses a chance to speak up for them. Since 1986, through the Streisand Foundation, she has successfully raised fund for feminine and humane organizations like Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center,  Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Feminist Majority Foundation, the Rape Foundation, and Brennan Center for Justice. She is also a supporter for political, environmental, and educational institutions like Center for Economic Policy Research, the Nation Institute, Environmental Media Association, Climate Reality, the UCLA Foundation, the Cambodian Children’s Fund, etc (Influence Watch, n.d., par. 4). With her contributions, in 2004, Streisand received the Humanitarian Award from Human Rights Campaign.

        Always standing up for justice, Barbra Streisand shows her insecure feelings toward the U.S. government with her original song “Don’t Lie To Me” (2018) in the album Walls. The song reflects unequal judgements and protection from the politicians. It carries the message that everyone deserves the truth and equal rights. The highlight of the song is the powerful question “how do you sleep when the world is turning?” (see Appendix C). In this song, Streisand has portrayed a Rebel who is asking for liberation.     

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/464855992784126572/) 

   
        Barbra Streisand is an influential figure who inspires people, especially women, to fight for their rights and start giving back to the community. In many cases, she seems to be a Rebel that ignores the rules or social standards for a woman. However, she is a Wonder Woman to the majority with the openness in her thinking and speaking. 

Eurus Thach.

________________________________

References:

Greenwald, M. (n. d.). “Don’t Rain On My Parade” [Review of the song “Don’t Rain On My Parade”]. Allmusic. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-rain-on-my-parade-mt0028617657.

Iskowitz, M. (1998). Streisand and Brolin on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barbra Streisand Archives. Retrieved from http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/90s/brolin_star_walkoffame.html.

Lamb, B. (2019). Barbra Streisand Biography: Her Life and Career [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.liveabout.com/barbra-streisand-biography-4586388.

Sony Music Entertainment. (n. d.). Biography [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://barbrastreisand.com/biography/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Barbra Streisand: American Actress, Singer, Director, Producer. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbra-Streisand.

Wikipedia. (n. d.). Barbra Streisand discography. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand_discography.

Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade! [Part 1]

Don't Rain on Streisand's Parade!

(Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand)

     In front of the landmark Chinese Theater, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a shiny pink star has always been reflecting a glorious history of the powerful Barbra Streisand (par. 1, Iskowitz, 1988). In April of 1942, a rose blossoms under the sunbeam of the Spring Goddess. Like a rose with a passionate smell and sharp thorns, Streisand impacts the male industries and areas like films and political attitudes with her powerful and respectful femininity. Hence, during the 1960s and 1970s, our rose, Barbara Joan Streisand had refined the female stardom with multiple talents and ethnic outspokenness (par. 1, Britannica, 2019). Streisand symbolizes the urban Wonder Woman of her time with the strong independence, admirable career achievements, and powerful impact on liberal politics.

     Starting with the first winning in a Manhattan small local nightclub’s amateur talent contest, Streisand devoted more to music. Her singing engagements in Greenwich Village cabarets had brought her the ticket to the musical industry. She took the chance to be Miss Marmelstein in the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962). Although it was a small comic role, Streisand had stolen the stage light. Receiving attention from the public, her image was spreading on television. Thanks to the generous host, Streisand received more audience's approval in the Judy Garland Show. With this trigger, she released a series of The Barbra Streisand Albums (1963 -1964) and People (1964). The Barbra Streisand Album, her first album, has brought her many honorable awards. Two of them are from the Grammy academy for The Best Album of The Year and The Best Female Vocal Performance (par. 2, Britannica, 2019). Also, her fourth album  People (1964) reached the top 1 in the US peak chart positions (Wikipedia, n.d.). However, the success couldn't limit her talents with only the music industry.

     Barbra Streisand had made a breakthrough in the musical Funny Girl (1964), which was turned into a movie in 1968. She received an Oscar for The Best Actress. Streisand was in the role of Fanny Brice (1891 -1951), a young woman from a slumdog neighborhood with great ambitions of being a musical star. From the beginning, Brice stood out from other colleagues with her clumsiness and loose outfits. Although her appearance wasn't special, she had high self-confidence with her talents.
The film reflected the heavy expectation of the Compliant stereotype of women before the 1960s. It was when a female’s appearance decided her whole life. "When people pay good money in the theatre, especially the male elements, they want something extra to look at… If a girl isn't pretty, like a Miss Atlantic City. All she gets in life is pity and a pat",  Brice's aunt made her statement. However, since her first success, she was unstoppable.

     By gratefully appearing as a pregnant lady in a wedding dress and performing "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964), Streisand had created a great impression in the musical industry. Both Brice and Streisand had made an iconic phenomenon since. Nowadays, this highlight scene still gains the audience's amazement and laughter in every Funny Girl musical plays.

     "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964) is a musical song about a woman who gains self-confidence via her lover. A Compliant, "strictly a female female" ("I Enjoy Being a Girl", 1958), who needed a man to feel pretty. After the line "Ziegfeld presents her with justifiable pride" (Appendix A), the audience expected to see a grateful bride with gentle walking and gestures. Fanny Brice (played by Streisand) had turned everything upside down. She stepped out, in the audience's amazement with a huge belly. The audience busted out laughing. With this joke, the film had claimed that a woman was beautiful despite how her appearance changed. "Thank you for putting such a beautiful dress on a pregnant woman", a female audience told Ziegfield. "His Love Makes Me Beautiful" (1964) was portraying an appreciated Compliant.

(Photo from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/434456695275422272/)

     Barbra Streisand, with her great acting, raised her voice whenever she sang the word "beautiful" or the phrase "of my love's affection". At the same time, she looked down her belly with an overwhelming face. She questioned in silly tone "I'm beautiful? Oy" and the expression "Oy" completely stole the show. Streisand's voice was natural. Her funny facial expressions were so real as if she was being herself instead of Brice.   

Eurus Thach

_____________________________________________________________________
References:

Greenwald, M. (n. d.). “Don’t Rain On My Parade” [Review of the song “Don’t Rain On My Parade”]. Allmusic. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/song/dont-rain-on-my-parade-mt0028617657.

Iskowitz, M. (1998). Streisand and Brolin on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barbra Streisand Archives. Retrieved from http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/90s/brolin_star_walkoffame.html. 

Lamb, B. (2019). Barbra Streisand Biography: Her Life and Career [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.liveabout.com/barbra-streisand-biography-4586388. 

Sony Music Entertainment. (n. d.). Biography [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://barbrastreisand.com/biography/.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Barbra Streisand: American Actress, Singer, Director, Producer. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbra-Streisand.

Wikipedia. (n. d.). Barbra Streisand discography. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Streisand_discography. 

The Nostalgic Time of Equal Educational, Political Access, and So Forth, For The Achievement of Gender Equality (Part 2)

     Race interacts with gender in many ways. I grew up in Vietnam, a country whose citizens are still influenced by traditional gender roles. Traditionally, Vietnamese people follow four virtues called “Công-Dung-Ngôn-Hạnh”. This consists of good domestic skills, good-looking appearance, gentle speech, and exemplary conduct. Being a traditional Vietnamese woman means being an individual who can take care of the chores and her look, speak modestly, and live harmoniously with her husband and children. On the other hand, traditional Vietnamese men are expected to be the provider of the family. The identities of his children and his wife are recognized through the relationships with him. In the past, sons had more opportunities to have higher education since they were expected to bring home glorious achievements (Bui, 2019).

     Vietnamese also hold a similar belief to the “rule of thumb” discussed in Lutze and Symons (2003, p. 321). Men gain control through their social privileges and authority. That is how domestic violence begins (Lutze & Symons, 2003, p. 321). As a child, I witnessed many men physically and verbally abused their wives. One of the bystanders told me that they did so to gain power over their partners. From this experience, I learn that a wife's happiness depends on her husband. To avoid such a suffering marriage I tell myself to learn my man thoroughly.

     Vietnamese people have made many changes to gender roles. Nowadays, both the female and male population have equal educational opportunities. Many men share chores with their wives. Also, more and more women enter the workforce during motherhood.

     Witnessing this changing process, I am inspired to fight for my career path and personal achievements.  Although my relatives expect me to financially and emotionally dependent on my future husband, I receive support from my parents for my decisions. They said it was vital for a woman to gain independence and have equal authority in marriage.

     However, fighting over power in a romantic relationship is not a smart step to achieve this goal. Besides high education, my mother always tells me that a woman needs to adjust her behaviors to gain respect from her husband. These behaviors aren't the ones discussed in the reaction essay of Lutze and Symons (2003). Instead of being a compliant or a weak woman (p. 320), a woman should know how to use her gentleness. Gentleness in the female population, in my opinion, reflects a modest and wise attitude. If a man is associated with power, it will not be a smart decision for a woman to use it against him. She could use a gentle attitude or speech to talk him down. Unlike helpless compliance associated with women in the past, this gentleness contains an internal feminine strength. Coco Chanel had an interesting quote about this topic, “gentleness doesn't get work done unless you happen to be a hen laying eggs.”

     To achieve gender equality, I believe women should have the freedom to participate in activities, educational, and political field. This belief reflects a gender perspective called liberal feminism. According to Lutze (n.d.), liberal feminists claim that limited opportunities in education for women are the cause of gender inequality (p. 4). Many friends of my parents always encourage my brother to study hard and achieve materialistic goals. Meanwhile, they wish me to find a good husband and become a happy housewife. The reason for this phenomenon might be because there weren't many women went to universities at the time. 

     Like other girls who live in traditional homes, my mother wasn’t allowed to go to school. Growing up in the rural, she helped her parents all day on the field. She enjoyed school so much that she spent her sleeping time studying. However, with the traditional view of gender roles, her father made her stay home and found her a husband. He said it was a waste of money to send a girl to school because she would end up being a housewife in the future. When I heard this story, I was disappointed about how people kept maintaining such an unhealthy stereotype about gender roles. 

     As a female individual in the twenty-first century who receives the chance to equally access higher education, political participation, and so forth, I am responsible to reach my fullest potentials. In doing so, I would receive academic respect from my male partner. The academic achievement is the preparation for gaining the impact in the workforce and the respect for my political views or voting. With this belief and effort, hopefully, I will be able to use my success as an example to teach my children about equal respect for both femininity and masculinity.

Eurus Thach.

References:



Bui, M. (2019). Vietnamese Traditional Gender Roles [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.itourvn.com/blog/vietnamese-traditional-gender-roles.



LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.



Lutze, F. E., & Symons, M. L. (2003). The Evolution Of Domestic Violence Policy Through Masculine Institutions: From Discipline to Protection to Collaborative Empowerment. Criminology & Public Policy, 2(2), 319–328. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2003.tb00128.x.



Lutze, F. E. (n.d.). Perspective on Gender Theory [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://apps.aoi.wsu.edu/onlinemedia/transcripts/crmj403_3_art%20(c092).pdf.

The Nostalgic Time of Equal Educational, Political Access, and So Forth, For The Achievement of Gender Equality (Part 1)

     The term “socialization” is defined as a learning process through which an individual fits in society (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 18). It begins at birth with observation and reinforcement. LaViolette and Barnett (2014) claim that we tend to practice rewarded behaviors and avoid punished ones. We also learn these behaviors by observing others’ reinforcement (p. 18). “Socialization” consists of “gender socialization” through which one acknowledges stereotypes about gender roles.   

     It’s undeniable that gender socialization has an impact on our lives. Like many girls, I was taught to behave in a dress. When I was in kindergarten, my parents used to buy me floral dresses and tech me graceful poses. Since I was encouraged with praises, I learned that was how a girl should behave. That was my first stereotype about gender roles. Before kindergarten, I was interested in superheroes, machines, and soccer suits. I gave up this interest because being a “princess” seemed to make my parents happier.

     My elementary school teachers used pink and blue colors for gender categorization in our classes. Besides that, my clothes were mostly pink and bright. From that experience, I learned to associate different genders with different colors.

     During the eighth grade, I watched a movie in which a woman was a professional Taekwondo fighter. “Girls can also be fighters,” I told myself. Despite the disagreement from my parents and siblings, I registered a Taekwondo course. It was a great experience. The instructors encouraged me a lot since I was one of the few female learners in the class. My mother used to say that a girl supposed to involve in graceful and gentle activities like cooking or sewing. Fortunately, my family eventually changed their minds after I persuaded them that Taekwondo would be a useful self-defence for women.

     This milestone has influenced many of my decisions including pursuing my dream major and working during motherhood in the future. I believe that women can have equal access to any field as men do. With this belief, I am planning to get a PhD degree in Psychology. This is the greatest motivation I get from practising this non-traditional view of gender roles.

     There are also disadvantages for holding this thought. During high school, since being independent of men was my target, I ignored my male classmates' help. Moreover, I didn't pay any attention to my appearance. “If men aren't stressed about their look, why women have to be so," I told myself. At that time, I judged girls who prefered their appearances over their academic success. I desired to show people the internal strength of being a woman so much that I always criticized and thought too intensely. This resulted in the isolation I got from my classmates, which supercharged my antisocial thoughts.

     I got so carried away by the wish of not letting my life be influenced by others that I argued with my mother many times. I tried to show her my right to make decisions with sharp words, which hurt her many times. Realizing this, I learned to adjust my attitudes more gently.

Eurus Thach.

References:

Bui, M. (2019). Vietnamese Traditional Gender Roles [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.itourvn.com/blog/vietnamese-traditional-gender-roles.

LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Lutze, F. E., & Symons, M. L. (2003). The Evolution Of Domestic Violence Policy Through Masculine Institutions: From Discipline to Protection to Collaborative Empowerment. Criminology & Public Policy, 2(2), 319–328. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2003.tb00128.x. 

Lutze, F. E. (n.d.). Perspective on Gender Theory [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://apps.aoi.wsu.edu/onlinemedia/transcripts/crmj403_3_art%20(c092).pdf. 

The Synergistic Relationship Between Sexual Violence and Rape Culture

     Female youngsters grow up with the belief that sexual violence among men should be expected (Hlavka, 2014, pp. 339, 344). They misperceive these violent behaviors as romantic gestures or sexual stimulations. In doing so, young women normalize sexual violence, which accidentally empowers the unforeseen rape culture. The reason is, according to Morczek (2015), “sexual violence and rape culture have a synergistic relationship” (p. 50). In other words, sexual violence and rape culture strengthen each other’s existence.

     Hence, the beginning of rape culture was triggered by social perceptions towards genders. Traditional gender roles invoke thinkings and fantasies of male victimizers and female victims (Belknap, 2001). Because of this, underreported cases in which men are victims attract less social attention. Male victims had been eliminated from the definition of rape for a long time in our history. Before 2012, rape was defined by the Code of Hammurabi as the violation of female virginity against a woman’s will by a male offender (Morczek, 2015, p. 51).

     Since these scenarios, in which women are sexually abused by men, has been implanted in the community for centuries, rape culture is still acknowledged based on this foundation. According to Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth (2005), feminists suppose that the view of gender-based violence, in rape culture, is expected and assumed to be a harmless social fact. This results in the growth of sexual violence against women. Besides rape, “sexual victimization also covers sexual coercion, verbal and visual harassment, and most stalking behaviors” (Fisher, Daigle & Cullen, 2010, p. 3).

     Repeated sexual violence, despite physical and mental injuries, is believed to be less offensive (Dines, 2010, p. 63; Deming, Covan, Swan & Billings, 2013, p. 466). In the rape culture, violence continues to occur without any penalty. Instead of being viewed as a crime, violent expressions and language associated with sexual activities are considered sexually attractive (Buchwald et al., 2005, p. xi).

    The fact that victims perceive rape culture and sexual violence as understandable manners reminds me of two Stockholm syndrome characteristics. They are viewing the abusers as “good guys” and “denial or rationalization of violence and anger toward the abuser” (Graham, Rawlings & Rigsby, 1994). In spite of the injuries caused by the abusers, the victims still have an emotional relationship with them. The similarity between the patients who have Stockholm syndrome and the female victims discussed in Morczek’s report (2015) makes me question if young girls are trained to have an unhealthy mental life.

     We don’t know if the violent expressions in Morczek’s report (2015) occurs within a romantic relationship. Either being in a romantic relationship or not, a woman experiences a violation of her mind or bodies, like unwanted sexual contact, should be considered as a victim of sexual victimization (Fisher et al., 2010, p. 3). In Morczek’s report (2015), sexual violence isn’t seen as a crime in the rape culture (p. 50). The male and female victims seem to view themselves as followers of traditional gender roles. Sex-role stereotypes are the rules that they choose to obey.

    Although I am not a victim of sexual violence, reading about the rape culture invokes many emotional aspects in me. I used to be sexually assaulted in both verbal and physical way. Each time my body was violated, either I was on my date or not, I was so shocked that I froze. However, I never reported them. The reason is that I couldn’t stand the frustration and the shame talking about them.
This thinking of mine might be influenced by the rape culture. When women are expected to be silent and “enjoy” the violation of their minds or bodies (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), their words seem to be powerless. The worst reaction I have ever received was how others normalize it. Since then, I don’t feel safe telling people these unfortunate stories.     

    Some people manipulate the rape culture for their benefits. Last year, in Vietnam, Hung Manh Do, a 48-year-old man, tried to kiss a girl in the elevator without her consent. Despite her resistance, Hung succeeded. His behavior was recorded by the camera in the elevator. After the release of the video, the only legal punishment he faced was the fine of 8,66 dollars. That was how Hung got out of the crime (Dong, 2019).

     This frustration made the young female victim speechless. Fortunately, Hung couldn’t lead a peaceful life after that. After the case ended, the Vietnamese community on social media criticized Hung and shared his photo. Media sensationalism, according to Morczek (2015), strongly impacts and shapes public opinion on sexual offenders (p. 51). Under such pressure, Hung eventually apologized to the girl. However, the girl still stayed silent. However, the girl still stayed silent.

     I also knew a woman experienced both domestic and sexual violence. She shared that her husband forced her to be naked in front of her child. Like the women discussed in the rape culture (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), she didn’t speak up. However, unlike them, she didn’t accept or enjoy it. She ended up divorcing him.

     Instead of leading a better life, she was always haunted by the painful past. Hence, she is still suffering from battered woman syndrome. The reason is the self-destructive coping behaviors she learned during the abuse (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 162). She spends her earnings on drinking and lives in poverty.

     Rape culture is potentially harmful to every human being. It threatens a human’s right to protect the physical property like his or her body and the mental property like his or her emotional stability. If the law couldn’t help the victims receive a better life, it’s our responsibility as a community to support and protect them. 

Eurus Thach.

References:

Belknap, J. (2001). The invisible woman : gender, crime, and justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Buchwald, E., Fletcher, P. R. & Roth, M. (2005). Transforming a rape culture. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.

Deming, M. E., Covan, E. K., Swan, S. C., & Billings, D. L. (2013). Exploring Rape Myths, 

Gendered Norms, Group Processing, and the Social Context of Rape Among College Women: A 

Qualitative Analysis. Violence Against Women, 19(4), 465–485. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213487044. 

Dines, G. (2010). Pornland : how porn has hijacked our sexuality. Boston: Beacon Press.

Dong, P. (2019). Vụ "cưỡng hôn" bị phạt 200 nghìn đồng: Quá nhẹ và không đủ sức răn đe. Lao Dong. Retrieved from https://laodong.vn/ban-doc/vu-cuong-hon-bi-phat-200-nghin-dong-qua-nhe-va-khong-du-suc-ran-de-663344.ldo. 

Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., & Cullen, F. T. (2010). Unsafe in the ivory tower : the sexual victimization of college women. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Graham, D. L. R., Rawlings, E. L., & Rigsby, R. (1994). Loving to survive: Sexual terror, men’s violence, and women’s lives. New York, NY: New York University Press.

Hlavka, H. R. (2014). Normalizing Sexual Violence: Young Women Account for Harassment and Abuse. Gender & Society, 28(3), 337–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243214526468

LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Morczek, A. (March/April 2015). The Synergistic Connection Between Sexual Violence and Rape Culture. The Sexual Assault Report, 18(4), 49-64.

10 Resources in Pullman, WA that Can Help You With Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

     The first resource is Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP). They have three main contacts. One for 24/7 services 1-877-334-2887. The other two are 1-509-332-HELP (4357) and 1-208-883-HELP (4357). Besides people who seek help for themselves, the contacts are also available for everyone who wishes to support these victims. This organization aims to provide urgent and supportive services for sexual and domestic violence victims, survivors and their children. Moreover, they also provide knowledge and education related to this field.

     Their emergency services are shelters and crisis intervention to these male or female victims and their dependent children. Besides that, many support services like court support, therapy, family and child advocacy, transportation, food and clothing, employment and school assistance are also provided.

     ATVP is supposed to be a discrimination-free place. However, the website is only available in only English. Some immigrants, who are not familiar with this language, might have some difficulties accessing to ATVP’s services. On the other hand, ATVP is thoughtful when they have “Quick Escape Button” on the top of the website, on which the victims can click and move to a random Wikipedia page. This might help them avoid the attention of the abusers.

     The second resource available in Pullman is Cougar Health Services. After-hours telephone nurse line is 509-335-3575. The line for crisis support service is 509-335-451.

     Cougar Health Services provide emotional support, medical care, and reporting for domestic or sexual violence victims. They also provide Green Dot bystander intervention program for students to learn about the signs and interventions for domestic or sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
Although Cougar Health Services provide psychological and medical services, they lack emergency services. Victims who are in life-threatening situations are encouraged to dial 911. Moreover, Cougar Health Services are not efficiently available off-campus, which is not a good option for victims who are not students.
 
     The third resource is the Pullman Regional Hospital. The 24/7 phone number of the Emergency Department is 509-336-7359. They also encourage victims to dial 911 in life-threatening situations.

     Their aim to support victims of sexual assault and rape. They have a service called Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), which provides forensic medical examinations. Within 4 days of the assault, a victim would receive a professional evaluation from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The nurses will identify and care for injuries, collect physical evidence, assess the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and give preventative treatment, give crisis information and referral to support services, etc.

     Pullman Regional Hospital helps victims collect evidence for an efficient report. Besides the exam, they also help victims contact the support services available in the community. They should have this service translated to different languages and attached to many places to get victims’ attention.

     The next resource is on the Psychology Today website. In Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA section, there are many therapists available for domestic or sexual violence victims who are looking for interventions and mental treatments. This resource is inclusive since different counsellors are willing to help. However, it is only a good option for the victims whose fiance is stable and their children to strengthen their resilience.

     City of Pullman Police Department is also a great local resource for these victims and their children. The victims can dial 911 anytime to get physical, urgent support. This resource is the most inclusive. They also have to help the victims contact with available local services.

     The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office offers a Victim / Witness Coordinator is another good resource for these victims to receive assistance with restitution benefits. The victims contact one of the prosecutors via phone number 509-397-6250. Their responsibilities are gross misdemeanor prosecution, file and prosecute felony complaints, victim and witness support, child support enforcement. Because they work based on the Washington State Legislature, this resource should be inclusive.

     Washington State Department of Labor and Industries also support domestic or sexual violence victims. Their contacts are 1-800-762-3716 and 360-902-5355. They are responsible to pay for the Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) and additional medical or mental health treatment via a crime victim’s compensation claim. To receive these services, the victims will need to cooperate with law enforcement or participate in the criminal justice system and file a police report.

     WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation (CRCI) provides criminal investigation for the victims who involve sexual assault. They could be contacted via 509-335-8288. The limit of this organization is that only WSU students would be contacted by a representative from the WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation.

     These victims and their children can also get help from the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline via phone number 1-800-562-6025 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. They would help the victims connect the nearest domestic violence program and resources, including safe shelter, advocacy, counseling and legal assistance. Moreover, their missions also include crisis assistance, emotional support, and safety planning.

     The National Sexual Assault Hotline is similar to the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline. The victims can contact 800-656-4673 to get help. Unlike the state’s hotline, this national hotline works 24 hours, which is more appropriate for victims who are available in the evenings. 


 Eurus Thach


References:

Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. (n.d.). About ATVP [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://atvp.org/aboutus.shtml.
Cougar Health Services. (n.d.). Violence Prevention [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://cougarhealth.wsu.edu/violence-prevention/.
KING Staff. (2016). Resources to help domestic violence victims. K5 News, Health. Retrieved from https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/resources-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/361205012.
Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation. (n.d.). Investigations [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://crci.wsu.edu/.
Pullman Regional Hospital. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Treatment & Resources: Providing healthcare and treatment to victims of sexual assault and rape [ Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pullmanregional.org/patient-care/services/emergency-care/sexual-assault-treatment-resources.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/domestic-violence/wa/pullman.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Victims [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/sexual-assault-victims#information-for-victims.
Whitman County. (2018). Prosecutor [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.whitmancounty.org/Page.aspx?pn=Prosecutor.
WSU Police. (n.d.). Reporting a Sexual Assualt [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://police.wsu.edu/sexual-assault-investigations/elements-section/.

What I Have Learned from Child Abnormal Psychology Class

     The first specific issue that we have covered in class that impresses me is gaining information about the child’s age and how long the symptoms have lasted. This is the basic and initial step to do when we approach a young patient. Before attending the class, I always misperceived that it was important to focus on the symptoms first because it might be the shortest way to diagnosis and intervention. However, after the first few lectures, I acknowledge that it is not always necessary to make a diagnosis for a child’s problems.

     Besides creating a stigma for him or her, we might limit the interventions. Moreover, we might miss some other symptoms that are outside of our diagnosed category. To make a proper intervention for a child, we should focus on the specific symptoms and find a way to make it better. I feel grateful for learning this lesson right at the beginning of the course. Moreover, I appreciate the fact that professor Barry keeps reminding us of it, which makes me remember it better. If I accidentally miss this piece of information, I will trap myself in great confusion when I study counseling psychology in depth. 

     Age is an essential factor since we can acknowledge if the patient is in the onset age of a disorder. Moreover, this information will help us know if the described behaviors are normal at the patient’s age. For example, chewing largely non-nutritive items might be normal for toddlers who haven’t learned much about categorizing food. However, if a teen persistently picks paper as his enjoyable snack then it’s time for serious consideration.

     Asking “how long” is undeniably important. Each disorder will be officially diagnosed after a certain time. For instance, a ten-year-old child is more likely to have pica if she keeps eating non-edible items for over a month. Also, a child before age 18 might be diagnosed with Tic disorder or Tourette syndrome if he has sudden, involuntary motor movements and vocal utterances for at least a year.

     My favorite aspect we have learned in class is reinforcement. Since the beginning of the class, I have had an interest in reinforcing and how it shapes our behaviors or helps rehabilitation. I believe in the influence of reinforcement on humans’ mind.

     In the past, I used to think that it might be a myth to apply reinforcement to anyone with moderate psychopathological symptoms or disorders. When we learned about youngsters with intense substance use, I suggested reinforcement as an intervention. At that time, I thought my idea wasn’t persuasive because the patient in the given case was a teen. However, professor Barry made me gain more confidence in this idea. He said that we shouldn’t deny the influence of reinforcement on people from different walks of life. Moreover, it is also a motivation used by parents and other significant ones as a protective factor to improve one’s behavior or thinking. Since then, I have always considered reinforcement in every disorder or symptom’s intervention. One day, when I have children, I will apply reinforcement to help them shape their healthy behaviors. It will be much better than stressful punishments.

     Last but not least, the final issue which is impressive to me is the compromise between children and parents. Hence, the bond between parents and children strengthens the mental health of both children and parents, which also helps them understand each other more. During the lesson about conduct problems, students were given the situation that a child crying in the middle of the mall to get what he wanted. Professor Barry presented us with a surprisingly simple way to deal with it. He suggested that parents should talk to their children before coming to the mall, which means making a friendly, positive compromise. He said that if the child still showed negative expression during the shopping anyway, we can remind the child of the compromise so he or she can recall the punishments or rewards they could receive from his or her behaviors.

     This suggestion is wonderful since I grew up in an Asian country where people favor physical or verbal punishments. I don’t want to hurt my child. Moreover, I hope he or she will respect me. To achieve these goals, I need to respect him or her first. Hopefully, with what I have learned in this class, I can help my child gain balanced mental health.   

Eurus Thach.

Domestic Violence Through "Runaway Love" & "Independence Day"

Both Independence Day and Runaway Love are about domestic violence and emotional neglect.

Unlike Runaway Love, Independence Day’s message is about a mother who decides to set herself and her child free from painful days. This happens right after the Crisis Phase in the Cycle of Violence (2019). Why doesn't she escape from the fire? This is because she might feel guilty toward her child or she knew she couldn't be emotionally stable enough after the escape. According to the “battered woman syndrome" addressed by the book It Could Happen to Anyone (2014), a woman who involves in domestic violence is more likely to have “behaviors brought on by victimizations, learned helplessness behavior, and self-destructive coping behaviors" (p. 162). Based on this section of the book, we can be more empathetic to her decision. Since this domestic violence is long-term, it has shaped her tolerance and coping mechanism in a negative way. Also, she might feel stressful to explain things to her daughter after she kills her dad. This pressure might strengthen her decision somehow.

Runaway Love includes different stories with a similar background as domestic violence. In the video, a child tries to tell her mother that she is sexually abused by her stepfather. However, her mother doesn't believe her. Shouldn't the mother trust her daughter? To explain this, let's consider the Power and Control circle (n.d.). The stepfather might use emotional abuse to make the mother feel useless and doubtful of herself, which makes her unable to judge him. It might also because of the Clam/Honey Phase in the Cycle of Violence (2019). She has been comforted by her husband with sweet talk, loving messages that she completely believes in him. One more reason is that she might be abandoned by her previous husband, which strengthens her love and trust for the present one. Similar to other mothers in the video, she is left no choice but emotionally and physically neglects her child.

All the mothers in both videos can't leave because she believes that the man would change (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 40).

Eurus Thach.

_______________________

References:

Barnett, O. W., & LaViolette, A. D. (1993). It could happen to anyone: why battered women stay. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage.

Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs. (n.d.). Power and Control. Retrieved from https://www.theduluthmodel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PowerandControl.pdf. 

Walker, L. (1979). Cycle of Violence, The Battered Woman. Retrieved from https://www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org/get-help/cycle-violence. 

[Martina McBride]. (2010, Mar 8). Martina McBride - Independence Day [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VPpAZ9_qAw.

[Ludacris]. (2010, Jan 14). Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blige - Runaway Love (Official Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISvMS6s41vY. 

Should We Focus More On Intervention or Prevention Mental Health Problems and Disorders among Youngsters?

     Although the prevalence of mental health problems and disorders among youngsters is low, the focus on intervention is undeniable. Intervention, in other words, is a method that prevents patients’ symptoms from going worse. When researchers study interventions for different patients with different levels of impairments, they target the psychopathological symptoms and behaviors from mild to moderate level. Within the range of mild level, they aim to find the early signs of the mental problem or disorder. Therefore, if an adolescent or a child exhibit abnormal behaviors with a low frequency, we can keep track of them and try applying a few mild level interventions.

     Many people may argue that developing prevention is a better way to keep youngsters mentally healthy without suffering psychopathological symptoms. Understandably, children should not receive the intervention after an amount of time feeling unhappy or psychologically unstable. However, mental syndromes are various and hard to identify separately. Many syndromes share similar symptoms and signs. Moreover, the causes of a symptom can also vary. Looking for prevention for a specific symptom is like diving in the ocean to find a perfect fish out of thousands.

     Despite that, there are ways to improve youngsters’ mental health. Children and adolescents still emotionally depend on family. Parents and siblings can either a protector or a threat to their mental problems. The most important and basic thing for parents to do is to genuinely listen to their children. By showing respect and interest in their children, the youngsters will be able to appreciate their values and beings. This is a good sign that leads to a healthy mental life.

     Taking a closer look at eating disorders among teens, if the cause is about the distorted body image and altered appearance culture, comments from people around them are one of the most essential motivations for them to starve themselves or make a great effort to throw up. Researchers concluded from their studies that young patients who have this disorder tend to be influenced by society and their beloved ones. Besides medical and behavioral treatment for this disorder, all of these unhealthy activities can’t be ended successfully without mental support from their families.

     According to Smith, Robinson, and Segal(2019), what family members could do is to learn more about the eating disorder their youngsters are having. Besides that, avoiding negative comments about youngsters’ appearances is also necessary for recovery at home. It’s a good idea to have meals together as a family, which improves their eating habits and makes mealtime more enjoyable and relaxing. Smith et al. (2019) state that another thing to do is to help these youngsters gain more self-confidence through what they are good at. Hence, parents can encourage them to involve in activities that they might be interested in. One of the most negative, common things parents accidentally do in these situations is to blame themselves. Instead, she (2019) claims that parents should focus more on how to deal with eating disorders within their children.       

     To prevent this situation from occurring, boosting a youngster’s confidence is a good start. Family members should give compliments to each other’s appearance. Moreover, parents should comfort youngsters when they are teased with their look.

     Paying attention to children and adolescents is not always an easy task. However, if we invest enough mental support from the beginning, we can reduce the prevalence of psychopathological symptoms within our youngsters. In doing so, youngsters will appreciate their values and feel being loved.

Eurus Thach
_______________
Reference:
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2019). Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder. HelpGuide. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/helping-someone-with-an-eating-disorder.htm.

Article Critique: Adolescent Social Networking by Oberst and Colleagues (2017) [Part 2]

     According to Oberst, Wegmann, et al. (2017), female participants scored higher in SNI (p. 55). Hypothetically, psychopathological symptoms might mediate higher SNS use in girls than they do in boys. The researchers explain that girls are more likely to involve in online communication, which causes distraction from their daily routine, brings them undesired outcomes like unhealthy relationships, disconnection with their families, etc. Since then, these female SNS users are supposed to develop higher anxiety and negative consequences of intense involvement in SNS (p. 57). 

     However, since Oberst and colleagues (2017) studied only social media users from Spanish-speaking Latin-American countries (p. 54). Their conclusion might not be ideal enough to apply to female social media users from other cultures. With this limitation, the relevant findings for females in this research can only be used as a stereotype, a potential idea for further studies with a larger sample. In my opinion, these findings are agreeable to some degree.

     Mood disorders like anxiety and depression in female adolescents, according to Steingard (n.d.), are more than twice as high as they are in male adolescents (par. 1). Anxious youngsters, without proper mental care, can develop unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their psychopathological symptoms, which mediates impairments in their studying and relationships (par. 9). Inappropriate coping mechanisms can vary from bottling up their emotions to seeking secure feelings through some intense activities.

     If an anxious female adolescent chooses to intensely involve in SNS to feel safe, she will likely to be distressed by public criticism. This stress comes from the failure to stay connected with others. It is FOMO discussed in Oberst and colleagues' research (2017) (p. 53). To satisfy her needs, it is reasonable for her to spend more time checking social media. When more female adolescents engage in SNS to cope with their anxiety, the relevant findings to females in Oberst and colleagues' research (2017) seem to be more persuasive and understandable.

     A study conducted in Dutch by CBS organization (2019) shows that 91 percent of female adolescents were on social media like Facebook and Instagram, which is more than male adolescents (83 percent) (par. 4). From this result, we acknowledge that girls from this culture and similar cultures form higher SNS use habit. This habit is maintained during their depression and anxiety. Since this is not a healthy activity to cope with these psychopathological symptoms, its negative consequences like more serious disconnection with others are reasonably predictable. As long as the number of girls who in SNS use nowadays increases, the number of female youngsters who have SNI also increases.

Eurus Thach.
_________
References:

CBS Staff. (2019, May 27). Girls more on social networks than boys. CBS. Retrieved from https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2019/22/girls-more-on-social-networks-than-boys.  

Newport Academy Staff. (2017, March 27). Looking for ‘Likes’: Teens and Social Media Addiction [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/teens-social-media-addiction/. 

Oberst, U., Wegmann, E., Stodt, B., Brand, M., Chamarro, A. (2017). Negative Consequences from Heavy Social Networking in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 51-61.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.008.

Shepherd’s Hill Academy Staff. (n.d.). Teens and Social Media Addiction. [Blog post]  Retrieved from https://www.shepherdshillacademy.org/resources/teens-social-media-addiction/.

Steingard, R. (n.d.). Mood Disorders and Teenage Girls: Why They Are More Vulnerable Than Boys, and What Signs and Symptoms You Should Look For. Child Mind Institution, Depressive and Mood Disorders. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/mood-disorders-and-teenage-girls/.