Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Critical Review Of Screening Trauma Film Studies Essay

The Critical Review Of Screening Trauma Film Studies Essay Cinema and its relationship with psychology, history and memory is a wide area which can be shaped by visual media and identification of culture. Susannah Radstone( 2000) analyses the movie of Forrest Gump( Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) with examinations and expressions that have been accompanied with screening trauma in her study. Also the theoretical and methodological tension over memory and inclusive cultural framework shapes these film analyses with further details, especially in cinepsychoanalysis and memory/ history. This review will highlight the main points as a summary with some critiques of Radstone s perception of critical thinkers and this academic work s relationship with the comprehension of visual culture and memory.As an aim, this study will try to show cinema s effects on shaping the human perception of history also memory s relationship with history in the context of psychology, especially with the movie of Forrest Gump( Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) . SUMMARY : In the study of Screening Trauma: Forrest Gump, Film and Memory (Radstone, 2000) Radstone starts by emphasising that Forrest Gump ( Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) , which contains the last three decades of US history as from 1964 nearly, with the associations between memory and history from the protagonist s unconscious perception in the context of manipulations of technology which is fed by contemporary Western culture. After that memory s connection with cinema adresses cinepsychoanalysis paradoxically due to the fact that memory s visual usage recalls traumatic events childhood seduction or abuse ( Freud and Breuer [ 1893- 5] 1974, cited in Radstone 2000: 82) Freud later and famously abandoned this seduction theory for an understanding of hysteria that connected its symptoms, rather, to unacknowledgeable fantasies of a sexual nature ( Freud [ 1905] 1977, cited in Radstone 2000: 82) . Radstone tries to emphasise the interweaving of trauma, fantasy and memory in the psychoanalytic u nderstanding of the letter in order to answer this question: What is the relation between memories of traumatic events and physical predispositions which entails dominant fantasy scenarios in the context of the movie of Forrest Gump ? Other disciplines offer different accessions to memory research within cultural studies and history which are not untouched by psychoanalytic ideas ( Kuhn 1995; King 1997; Vidali 1997, cited in Radstone 2000: 85) . For example; in the work of the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies( 1982, cited in Radstone 2000: 84) , analyses of autobiographical memories revealed both how public history shaped identity and, conversely, how marginal memories could overturn established histories. At this point of the Radstones study, these disciplines like history and cultural studies are combined with the psychoanalytic understanding of memory because Radstone says that if psychoanalytic points of view contribute memory s understanding, its insights will be more understandable or assimilable within history and cultural studies. In this manner, Radstone points out that the concept of Afterwardsness ( Laplanche, 1992, cited in Radstone 2000: 85) refers to a process of deferred revision, where experiences, impressions and memory- traces may be revised at a later date to fit in with fresh experiences or with the attainment of a new stage of development ( Laplanche and Pontalis 1988: 111, cited in Radstone 2000: 85). Radstone tries to search for the truth of an occurrence and the experiences of its results in the context of Afterwardness which suggests that determinations of memory s tropes can not reach the truth of the past but it can be only a revision of the past as reporte d by Radstone. Under these influences, she tries to argue the history s trustworthiness in the context of changeable memory, which can be shaped by past especially repressed effects of experiences, in Forrest Gump( Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) . Moreover, after these reviews of Forrest Gump, Radstone emphasizes that Burgoyne s Prosthetic Memory/ Prosthetic Nation forms part of a collection addressing the construction of nation in selected US contemporary history films. In the context of Forrest Gump, Burgoyne emphasizes throughout both the dissociation between Gump s memories and that history of violence which is in effect noted but bracketed in the film ( ibid: 112, cited in Radstone 2000: 96) , and Forrest s incapacity to understand that same history which he is, unbeknownst to himself, shaping: Only Gump s ignorance protects him from the scarifications of history and the resulting distortions of character that plague most of the other figures who populate the film ( ibid: 109, cited in Radstone 2000: 96) . Radstone argues that the film s effect was linked only to Forrest s ignorance, and that the film was therefore trading in a historical common sense, or Gump that might be likened to false memory . She tries to inte rrogate the movie of Forrest Gump not also with the complex inner world of human being but also with the complexities of historical agency and responsibility. CRITIQUE : If Radstone s essay is analysed in a general way before the analysis of Forrest Gump; my critique will start with this question: How might the relationship between memory, history and cinema can be understood in a simple way with the association of the other areas like psychoanalysis and humanities? Because Radstone s explanations are so impetuous and compound. This situation creates the concept of transdisciplinarity which carries risk in order to analyse the movie. Transdisciplinarity produces travelling concept ( Bal , 2002,cited in Radstone 2008: 35) concepts that may be attached very quickly to various occurrences including reviews, forms and cultures. Concepts such as trauma and memory start to be a bridge between the various disciplines in a complex way. In addition, she elaborates the thinkers points of view exceedingly. Does she try to analyse the movie of Forrest Gump in the context of these disciplines or does she want to explain these disciplines deep points to reader ? After the general critique of the study of Radstone, in order to understand the role of Forrest Gump in US history my review will compare the thoughts of Vivian Sobchack and Robert Burgoyne in the context of Susannah Radstone s study. Radstone uses the study of Prosthetic Memory / National Memory: Forrest Gump ( Burgoyne , 1997) in order to analyse the usage of memory in movies and the effects of this usage on real history, especially with the protagonist s ignorance as Gump. The emergence of mass cultural technologies of memory, moreover, provides vivid experiences of the past that can shape and inform subjectivity. ( Burgoyne, 1997: 105) Burgoyne argues that what might be the media s effects on representing history through the cinema. He believes that cinema might shape the history and it might affect people memory like forming false memory ,especially with Gumps ignorance. In this manner Radstone tries to make comparisons between the study of History Happens which was written by Vivian Sobchack ( 1996) and the study of Prosthetic Memory / National Memory : Forrest Gump ( Burgoyne, 1997) . Sobchack believes that one of the media s parts which is cinema might create the consciousness about the history through the movies like Forrest Gump with new technologies. Sobchack figures out a sense in which we believe we can go right out and be in history ( Sobchack, 1996 : 5) . After these points of view, Radstone analyses history s usage in cinema might be likened to false memory or it might remind history to society. So that there is a paradox which comes from different interpretations. I suppose that the history s us age in cinema can be understood as media s atrocious effect or , at the same time, its a freeway to be in history even if it is represented from innocent protagonist s perception as Sobchack supports. In order to analyse the movie of Forrest Gump ( Robert Zemeckis, US, 1994) in the context of Afterwardsness, phantasy- memory psychologically; firstly Radstone starts by emphasising Afterwardness, which is stated as the cause of memorys representations of the past by Radstone , is the summary interpretation which reduces the psychoanalytic view of the subject s history to a linear determinism envisaging nothing bot the action of the past upon the present ( Laplanche and Pontalis 1988: 111- 12, cited in Radstone 2000: 86 ) . In this manner, i support Laplanche and Pontalis ideas that Afterwardsness s relationship with temporality, which contains repressed experiences of the event, creates the issue of losing real history. Secondly, Radstone indicates For Freud, at least, the physical reality revealed in memories was understood to be more closely associated with primal fantasies than with historical reality. ( Radstone, 2000). So that with the theory of primal fantasies, which suggests that inner reality is shaped by fantasies generally, Laplanche and Pontalis points out it is only as a memory that the first scene becomes pathogenic by deferred action ( Laplanche and Pontalis 1988: 467- 8, cited in Radstone 2000: 87) . Under the influences of the comments of Laplanche and Pontalis about Freud; i support Radstone s analyse which, shows lived experience and subjectivity differentiate from historys earlier relationship with objectivity, tries to analyse Forrest Gump in the context of temporality,memory and history. CONCLUSION : Visual culture and memory is a comprehensive area which memory s situation can be researched into visual media in the context of cinepsychoanalysis. This study tries to focus how media, which is the part of visual culture, can affect societies perceptions of history objectively and memory subjectively on psychology framework. Societies are able to understand the US history and they can constitute their memory positively or negatively from the movie. In this manner, visual culture and memory are associated that cinema can shape societies perceptions about history which can be understood by the help of this study.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

challenger :: essays research papers

The Challenger Explosion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even some sixteen years later I still remember the day and what I was doing when I heard that the space shuttle Challenger had exploded. I was five years old in 1986, attending elementary school and being a normal five year old. On Tuesday January 28, 1986 I was home sick from school being babysat by my grandmother because my parents were at work. I knew that day was important because we had talked about the space launch in school and planned on watching it that day. The space launch was extra special this time because it was going to be the first time a civilian would go into space and this was no ordinary civilian it would be a high school teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Just like everyone else tuned into the television that morning I witnessed before my eyes the worst space disaster to date.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dubbed the most memorable moment of the 80’s the Challenger explosion was the 80’s children most memorable event. There were several reasons that the explosion has had such an affect on my generation. The space launch was being broadcasted across United States live from Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Mahal). This launch was one of the most publicized launches due to the first civilian going into space and also that the launch had been delayed five times before (Mahal).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The launch took place on January 28, 1986 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Mahal). The skis about Kennedy Space Center were clear and the sun was out in the sky. However the day was very cold the temperature were only slightly above freezing. This launch was going to be the coldest that NASA had ever launched before. The time of lift off was 11:38 AM Eastern Standard Time this was when the 25th shuttle mission lifted off headed towards space.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shuttle would never make it into space it exploded only seventy-three seconds after liftoff killing all seven members of its crew. The video footage of the explosion is the most haunting thing about the moment. It would be played over and over again throughout the day. The footage never seemed to get any less shocking you could watch it a hundred times and still be transfixed by a massage space shuttle blowing up into oblivion. The explosion was blamed on the O-rings, a set of gaskets that sealed the joints between the rocket booster sections failed due to being exposed to cold weather.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Devil in the white City Summary

The World's Fair was an amazing event for our country. It represented how capable we were and how amazing our technology could become. It negated many of the stereotypes surrounding Chicago that it was only a city of animal butchery. It set a standard for how cities should be run and it picked up the economy with all of the work and tourism It created. But, hidden within all of this good was evil. Although pick pockets and thieves were very common, largely represented In the book Is murder.Holmes takes advantage of this situation and lures In young women who are traveling alone. Without the magnificent fair, he would have had a much more difficult time doing what he did. The good that people were creating within the fair created this room for evil. Honestly, It seems this Is a real world theme as well. Wherever good Is done, corruption Is always a possibility and often this opportunity Is taken. The sad theme that permeates this book Is that where there Is good, there will be evil.An d although unfortunate, It is reality-To me, the text had one BIG theme: evil as the result of good. The World's Fair was an amazing event for our country. It represented how capable we were and how amazing our technology could become. It negated many of the stereotypes surrounding Chicago that it was only a city of animal butchery. It set a standard for how cities should be run and it picked up the economy with all of the work and tourism it created. But, hidden within all of this good was evil. Although pick pockets and thieves were very common, largely represented in the book is ruder.Holmes takes advantage of this situation and lures in young women who are traveling alone. Without the magnificent fair, he would have had a much more difficult time doing what he did. The good that people were creating within the fair created this room for evil. Honestly, it seems this is a real world theme as well. Wherever good is done, corruption is always a possibility and often this opportunit y is taken. The sad theme that permeates this book is that where there is good, there will be evil. And although unfortunate, it is reality.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Understanding Maslows Theory of Self-Actualization

Psychologist Abraham Maslows theory of self-actualization contends that individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential in life. Self-actualization is typically discussed in conjunction with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which posits that self-actualization sits at the top of a hierarchy above four lower needs. Origins of the Theory During the mid-20th century, the theories of psychoanalysis and behaviorism were prominent in the field of psychology. Though largely very different, these two perspectives shared a general assumption that people are driven by forces beyond their control. In response to this assumption, a new perspective, called humanistic psychology, arose.  The humanists wanted to offer a more optimistic, agentive perspective on human striving. The theory of self-actualization emerged out of this humanistic perspective. Humanistic psychologists claimed that people are driven by higher needs, particularly the need to actualize the self. In contrast to the psychoanalysts and behaviorists who focused on psychological problems, Maslow developed his theory by studying psychologically healthy individuals. The Hierarchy of Needs Maslow contextualized his theory of self-actualization within a hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy represents five needs arranged from lowest to highest, as follows: Physiological needs: These include needs that keep us alive, such as food, water, shelter, warmth, and sleep.Safety needs: The need to feel secure, stable, and unafraid.Love and belongingness needs: The need to belong socially by developing relationships with friends and family.Esteem needs: The need to feel both (a) self-esteem based on one’s achievements and abilities and (b) recognition and respect from others.Self-actualization needs: The need to pursue and fulfill one’s unique potentials. When Maslow originally explained the hierarchy in 1943, he stated that higher needs generally won’t be pursued until lower needs are met. However, he added, a need does not have to be completely satisfied for someone to move onto the next need in the hierarchy. Instead, the needs must be partially satisfied, meaning that an individual  can pursue all five needs, at least to some extent, at the same time.   Maslow included  caveats in order to explain why certain individuals might pursue higher needs before lower ones. For example, some people who are especially driven by the desire to express themselves creatively may pursue self-actualization even if their lower needs are unmet. Similarly, individuals who are particularly dedicated to pursuing higher ideals may achieve self-actualization despite adversity that prevents them from meeting their lower needs. Defining Self-Actualization To Maslow, self-actualization is the ability to become the best version of oneself. Maslow stated, â€Å"This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.†Ã‚   Of course, we all hold different values, desires, and capacities. As a result, self-actualization will manifest itself differently in different people. One person may self-actualize through artistic expression, while another will do so by becoming a parent, and yet another by inventing new technologies. Maslow believed that, because of the difficulty of fulfilling the four lower needs, very few people would successfully become self-actualized, or would only do so in a limited capacity. He proposed that the people who can successfully self actualize share certain characteristics. He called these people self-actualizers. According to Maslow, self-actualizers  share the ability to achieve peak experiences, or moments of joy and transcendence. While anyone can have a peak experience, self-actualizers have them more frequently. In addition, Maslow suggested that self-actualizers tend to be highly creative, autonomous, objective, concerned about humanity, and accepting of themselves and others. Maslow contended  that some people are simply not motivated to self-actualize. He made this point by differentiating between deficiency needs, or D-needs, which encompass the four lower needs in his hierarchy, and being needs, or B-needs. Maslow said that D-needs come from external sources, while B-needs come from within the individual. According to Maslow, self-actualizers are more motivated to pursue B-needs than non-self-actualizers. Criticism and Further Study The theory of self-actualization has been criticized for its lack of empirical support and for its suggestion that lower needs must be met before self-actualization is possible. In 1976, Wahba and Bridwell investigated these issues by reviewing a number of studies exploring different parts of the theory. They found only inconsistent support for the theory, and limited support for the proposed progression through Maslow’s hierarchy. However, the idea that some people are more motivated by B-needs than D-needs was supported by their research, lending increased evidence to the idea that some people may be more naturally motivated towards self-actualization than others. A 2011 study by Tay and Diener explored the satisfaction of needs that roughly matched those in Maslow’s hierarchy in 123 countries. They found that the needs were largely universal, but that the fulfillment of one need was not dependent on the fulfillment of another. For example, an individual can benefit from self-actualization even if they have not met their need to belong. However, the study also showed that when most citizens in a society have their basic needs met, more people in that society focus on pursuing a fulfilling and meaningful life. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that self-actualization can be attained before all of the  four other needs are met, but that having ones most  basic  needs met makes self-actualization much more likely.   The evidence for Maslow’s theory is not conclusive. Future research involving self-actualizers is needed in order to learn more. Yet given its importance to the history of psychology, the theory of self-actualization will maintain its place in the pantheon of classic psychological theories.   Sources Compton, William C. â€Å"Self-Actualization Myths: What Did Maslow Really Say?† Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2018, pp.1-18, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022167818761929Maslow, Abraham H. â€Å"A Theory of Human Motivation.† Psychological Review, vol. 50, no. 4, 1943, pp. 370-396, http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htmMcAdams, Dan. The Person: An Introduction to the Science of Personality Psychology. 5th ed., Wiley, 2008.McLeod, Saul. â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.† Simply Psychology, 21 May 2018. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.htmlTay, Louis, and Ed Diener. â€Å"Needs and Subjective Well-Being Around the World.† Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 101, no. 2, 2011, 354-365, http://academic.udayton.edu/jackbauer/Readings%20595/Tay%20Diener%2011%20needs%20WB%20world%20copy.pdfWahba, Mahmoud A., and Lawrence G. Bridwell. â€Å"Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Th eory.† Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, vol. 15, 1976, 212-240, http://larrybridwell.com/Maslo.pdf