A Dramatistic Analysis of the Sandy Hook Shootings

A Dramatistic Analysis of the Sandy Hook Shootings Identification of the Problem Background On the morning of December 14, 2012, a mentally disturbed youth named Adam Lanza gained access to Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 individuals using a Bushmaster rifle, before taking his own life with a single shot from a Glock handgun (Barron, 2012; Chaney Robertson, 2013; Semeiks, 2013).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on A Dramatistic Analysis of the Sandy Hook Shootings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the unprecedented shootings took 11 minutes to complete, they attracted widespread condemnation as various media outlets published as much information as possible, some even without following the protocols for accurate reporting. For example, some reputable media outlets such as CBS and Fox News wrongly reported that the killer’s mother worked at the school’s kindergarten and that she was killed as she taught the children (Folkenflik, 2012 ). However, school administrators later clarified that Lanza’s mother was not an employee of the school and had been killed at her home. The proposed project uses Kenneth Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad to undertake an analysis of the Sandy Hook shootings with the view to illuminating the local and national media coverage of the massacre. Rationale The proposed project is embedded in the justification that whatever is published by mainstream media outlets heavily influences how Americans perceive events, policies, individuals and groups, and that there is an urgent need to analyze how these media outlets primarily exhibited the diverse groups of individuals in the tragedy as well as the various policies that allowed the shooter to have access to guns. Lastly, it is felt that understanding how an individual with a mental condition was allowed to purchase guns is critical to understanding how blame shifted from particular social systems to the shooter as a single en tity. Value of Project The proposed project has immense contribution to the existing literature, particularly in distilling the knowledge on media reporting of shooting incidents, American gun rights, and employment of mental illness to explain national tragedies.Advertising Looking for case study on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Burke provides useful insights in his dramastitic pentad criticism model, where he focuses on â€Å"a flawed individual and an imperfect society as rhetoric dominated by scene-agent ratio† (Zafis, 2013, p. 5). Drawing from this elaboration, the Sandy Hook massacre can be explained within the realms of gun control supporters assuming that the American society (scene) permits individuals (agents) to arm themselves with dangerous weapons, hence making shooting incidents to be perceived within the context of imperfect systems or a deficient gun rights scene (Rosen berg, 2014). Conversely, gun rights advocates employ the mental illness frame to insinuate that an imperfect society allows mentally flawed agents to slip through a damaged mental health system and have access to guns, leading to incidences such as Sandy Hook (Chaney Robertson, 2013). Statement of Problem Available scholarship demonstrates that â€Å"recent mass shootings by persons seemingly afflicted with serious mental illness (SMI) have received extensive news media coverage and prompted national dialogue about the causes of, and policy responses to, mass shootings† (McGinty, Webster, Jarlenski, Barry, 2014, p. 406). But while such news media framing of serious mental illness as a cause of Sandy Hook shootings may influence public attitudes about individuals with mental illness and support for gun violence prevention proposals, questions proliferate about the role of the media in dealing with gun rights, flawed agents, and the various policies that seem to place weapons at the hands of the mentally ill (Rosenberg, 2014). The proposed project aims to fill these gaps in the literature. Purpose of Project and Key Research Questions The purpose of the proposed project is to use Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad to explore the rhetoric surrounding Sandy Hook’s shootings as reported in the media. The proposed research questions are as follows:Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on A Dramatistic Analysis of the Sandy Hook Shootings specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More RQ1: With reference to Sandy Hook shootings, how does the media reports the shift in focus from a gun rights scene to a flawed agent? RQ2: Does the media use mental illness as a scapegoat for why national tragedies occur? These research questions will be addressed by analyzing primary literature on mental health issues and gun crimes in America as well as secondary literature (newspapers) on Sandy Hook’s incidence and how it was reported. Method Research Design The proposed project will use the dramastitic pentad form of criticism as the method of exploration. Originating from philosopher, critical theorist and rhetorician Kenneth Burke (1897-1993), the pentad operates â€Å"grammatically as a means of articulating the relationships among ideas [and] how words about motives fit together to explain human action† (Blakeslay, 2001, p. 8). Burke developed the five key terms to dramatism (act, scene, agent, agency, purpose) and argued that these terms not only generate the principle of our investigation, but also determine what person or kind of person (agent) performs the act and what means or instruments are used (agency) to perform the act. Additionally, Burke, comprehensively cited in Blakeslay (2001), argues that â€Å"any complete statement about motives will offer some kind of answers to these five questions: what was done (act), when or where it was done (scene), who did it (agent), how he did it (agency), and why (purpose)† (p. 24).Advertising Looking for case study on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the context of the proposed project, the media may incessantly disagree about the purposes behind the frequent shootings in the United States, why individuals choose to perpetuate shootings in a particular place (scene), as well as the character of individuals who perpetuate the shootings (agents). Owing to the fact that the pentad is perceived as a strategic technique for analyzing discourse by focusing on how it attributes motivation to human action, it is evidently clear that both simple and complex statements about why individuals engage in certain things are potential material for dramatistic analysis (Blakeslay, 2001). As such, the pentad can be used as a form of rhetorical analysis or as a method that can be employed by readers to identify the rhetorical nature of any text that explains or represents human motivation, implying that the method can be used to dramastitically analyze how media outlets in the United States reported the Sandy Hook’s shootings as well as the repercussions of their reporting on different groups of individuals and social systems. In undertaking a dramastitic analysis of the Sandy Hook shootings, the proposed project will use Burke’s pentadic concepts of agent (names what person or kind of person who performed the act) as well as scene (the background of the act or the situation in which it occurred). As demonstrated by Demikiw (2010), Burke’s model not only allows a critic to achieve multiple perspectives or perceptions on the same scenario by attributing diverse terms of the pentad to the same components of the situation under investigation, but also provides users with a means for understanding motives, attitudes and perspectives by undertaking an analysis of language use. Understandably, therefore, Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad can be applied in efforts aimed at not only analyzing how the media reports shift in focus from a gun rights scene to a flawed agent in the Sandy Hook shootings, but also understanding why the media employs mental illness to explain the occurrence of national tragedies in America. Materials The proposed project will employ online newspapers and articles as the basis for data collection, in large part due to the fact that the researcher is interested in dramatistically analyzing how local and national media outlets covered the Sandy Hook shootings. It is the information contained in the online newspapers and articles that will be analyzed using Burke’s theory of dramatistic pentad to provide responses to the stated research questions. Primary resources such as peer-reviewed research articles will also be used to provide an evidence base on mental health and gun crimes in America, American gun laws, as well as media reporting of violent crimes in America. Some of the advantages of using secondary sources (online newspapers) include ease of use, low cost of acquisition, capacity to clarify research question(s), as well as capability to p rovide responses to the stated research questions. Conversely, some of the advantages of using primary sources (e.g., peer-reviewed articles) include capacity to develop critical thinking skills as well as propensity to construct knowledge (Scheuler, 2014). Secondary sources (newspapers) need to be carefully selected, as available literature demonstrates that â€Å"not all information obtained from secondary sources is equally reliable or valid† (Stewart Kamins, 1993, p. 17). This predisposition is also applicable in the collection of primary sources (peer-reviewed articles), thus the need to exercise caution. Drawing from this elaboration, the following procedure will be used for gathering materials: â€Å"(1) what was the purpose of the study? (2) Who collected the information? (3) What information was actually collected? (4) When was the information collected? (5) How was the information obtained? (6) How consistent is the information with other sources?† (Stewart Kamins, 1993, p. 17). In sampling, the researcher is of the opinion that representativeness of the artifact set (online newspapers and articles) will be balanced with considerations for the attainment of homogeneity for the sampled artifacts not only to facilitate replication of results, but also to enhance credibility as well as validity. Discussion and Conclusion Anticipated Findings The first research question relates to how the media reports the shift in focus from a gun rights scene to a flawed agent within the context of Sandy Hook shootings. Available scholarship is consistent that mass shootings can enhance mental health stigma, entrench stereotypes that individuals with mental conditions are violent, and influence public policy (Rosenberg, 2014), that gun violence perpetuated by mentally unstable individuals has been and continues to be a serious public health concern in American schools and communities (Ruggles Rajan, 2014), and that many gun violence prevention groups h ave underscored the relationship between mental illness and aggression and called for policies to prevent individuals with mental illness from having guns (McGinty et al., 2014). Using the agent (Adam Lanza) and scene (American society) continuum of Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad, it is anticipated that the ratios between the two elements will lean more toward the exploration of the flawed agent in newspapers and other media outlets. The application of these ratios to any rhetorical scenario permits the rhetorician (in this case, the researcher) to constrict an analysis from a bigger picture to a more defined one (Blakeslay, 2001; Demikiw, 2010), implying that the researcher will have the capacity to come up with responses as to how the American media has shifted attention to the flawed agent and failed to account or advocate for the gun rights scene even after repeated gun-related massacres. The second research question relates to why the American media uses mental ill ness as a scapegoat for the routine occurrence of national tragedies. Again, research is consistent that the rhetoric about the relationship between poor mental health and controlling access to firearms in the American society appears to be most predominant in the wake of mass shootings (Ruggles Rajan, 2014), that mass shootings often lead to widespread public anger, renewed debate on gun control as well as implementation of several mental health policies at the state and federal level (Rosenberg, 2014), and that many gun policy proposals across the United States are based on the common conjecture that mental illness is an important cause of violence (Chaney Robertson, 2013; McGinty et al., 2014). Using Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad as the basis for analysis and following the stream of research indicated above, the anticipated findings are likely to reinforce the assertion that the American media indeed uses flawed agents (individuals with mental illness) to form the basis for justifying the constant occurrence of national tragedies such as the one that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Such a finding will be instrumental in assisting the researcher to look for gaps in the various gun laws and policies which undoubtedly allow flawed agents to gain access to automatic weapons. Additionally, the analysis and findings will assist the researcher to delineate the reasons as to why American media is increasingly shifting blame from the failure of specific social systems to the debilitating mental effects of the shooter as a single entity. Limitations The expected results are likely to be limited by (1) complexity of analysis using Burke’s theory of dramatistic pentad as the two components (agent and scene) may overlap or be applied to another part, (2) difficulties in generalizing findings due to lack of scientific rigor, (3) potential for the researcher to fail to exercise objectivity in examining various discourses with the view to u nderstanding how they function to influence an audience, and (4) difficulties in establishing the correct ratios within the context of the relationships formed between the components of the pentad (Blakeslay, 2009; Smith, 2009). Overall, the anticipated conclusions of the proposed project will not be lacking as the researcher will take all the necessary steps to ensure reliability and validity of findings. Such steps include (1) familiarization with the Burke’s theory of dramastitic pentad, (2) reference to other research studies that use similar methodology and approach, (3) ensuring representativeness of the artifact set, and (4) ensuring adequate knowledge of, and familiarity with, Burke’s dramatistic tools and cluster analysis techniques. It is the conviction of the researcher that the conclusions of the proposed project will provide important insights on how local and national newspapers and media outlets cover shooting incidents and if such coverage is to blame f or reinforcing the flawed agent perspective at the expense of restructuring gun laws to ensure that individuals with mental illness do not have access to weapons. Using the contextual framework of the Sandy Hook shootings, it is also the conviction of the researcher that the conclusions of this project will provide important insights on whether the American media use the mental illness concept to hide the realities on why national tragedies keep on occurring. The findings of this study will go a long way in informing policy directions on mental health issues, American gun laws, mass school shootings, as well as media reporting of violent crimes in the United States. References Barron, J. (2012, December 14). Nation reels after gunman massacres 20 children at school in Connecticut. New York Times. Retrieved from nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school.html?_r=0 Blakeslay, D. (2001). The elements of dramatism. Harlow: Longman. Chaney, C., Ro bertson, R.V. (2013). Media reporting of the Sandy Hook elementary school angels. Journal of Pan African Studies, 5(6), 74-114. Demikiw, J.J. (2010). Taking rhetoric to work: A dramatistic analysis of organizational leadership in the office (Master’s thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon). Retrieved from http://ecommons.usask.ca/bitstream/handle/10388/etd-12052010-122034/Demkiw_Julian_MA_thesis_December_2010.pdf Folkenflik, D. (2012). Coverage rapid, and often wrong, in tragedy’s early hours. Retrieved from npr.org/2012/12/18/167466320/coverage-rapid-and-often-wrong-in-tragedys-early-hours McGinty, E.E., Webster, D.W., Jarlenski, M., Barry, C.L. (2014). News media framing of serious mental illness and gun violence in the United States, 1997-2012. American Journal of Public Health, 104(3), 406-413. Rosenberg, J. (2014). Mass shootings and mental health policy. Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, 41(1), 107-121. Ruggles, K.V., Rajan, S. (2014). Gun possession among American youth: A Discovery-based approach to understand gun violence. PLoS ONE, 9(11), 1-12. Scheuler, S. (2014). Primary and secondary sources in history: A primer for undergraduates, challenges for librarians. Reference Librarian, 55(2), 163-167. Semeiks, J.G. (2013). We the paper confront Sandy Hook. Confrontation, 113, 11-17. Smith, C.R. (2009). Rhetoric and human consciousness: A history (3rd ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Stewart, D.W., Kamins, M.A. (1993). Evaluating secondary sources. In D.W. Stewart M.A. Kamins (Eds.), Secondary research (pp. 17-33). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd. Zafis, N.S. (2013). The deadliest school shooting in American History: A dramatistic analysis of the Virginia Tech massacre. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1138context=comssp

Napalm and Agent Orange in the Vietnam War

Napalm and Agent Orange in the Vietnam War During the Vietnam War, the United States military used chemical agents in its fight against Ho Chi Minhs Army of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong. The most important of those chemical weapons were the incendiary napalm and the defoliant Agent Orange. Napalm Napalm is a gel, which in its original form contained naphthenic and palmitic acid plus petroleum as fuel.  The modern version, Napalm B, contains plastic polystyrene, hydrocarbon benzene, and gasoline. It burns at temperatures of 800-1,200 degrees C (1,500-2,200 degrees F). When napalm falls on people, the gel sticks to their skin, hair, and clothing, causing unimaginable pain, severe burns, unconsciousness, asphyxiation, and often death. Even those who do not get hit directly with napalm can die from its effects since it burns at such high temperatures that it can create firestorms that use up much of the oxygen in the air. Bystanders also can suffer heatstroke, smoke exposure, and carbon monoxide poisoning. The US first used napalm during World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters, and also deployed it during the Korean War. However, those instances are dwarfed by American use of napalm in the Vietnam War, where the US dropped almost 400,000 tons of napalm bombs in the decade between 1963 and 1973. Of the Vietnamese people who were on the receiving end, 60% suffered fifth-degree burns, meaning that the burn went down to the bone. Horrifying as napalm is, its effects at least are time-limited. That is not the case with the other major chemical weapon the US used against Vietnam   Agent Orange. Agent Orange Agent Orange is a liquid mixture containing the 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T herbicides. The compound is toxic for only about a week before it breaks down, but unfortunately, one of its daughter products is the persistent toxin dioxin. Dioxin lingers in soil, water, and human bodies. During the Vietnam War, the US sprayed Agent Orange on the jungles and fields of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Americans sought to defoliate the trees and bushes, so that enemy soldiers would be exposed.  They also wanted to kill off the agricultural crops that fed the Viet Cong (as well as local civilians). The US spread 43 million liters (11.4 million gallons) of Agent Orange on Vietnam, covering 24 percent of South Vietnam with the poison. Over 3,000 villages were in the spray zone. In those areas, dioxin leached into peoples bodies, their food, and worst of all, the groundwater.  In an underground aquifer, the toxin can remain stable for at least 100 years. As a result, even decades later, the dioxin continues to cause health problems and birth defects for Vietnamese people in the sprayed area. The Vietnamese government  estimates that about 400,000 people have died from Agent Orange poisoning, and about half a million children have been born with birth defects. US and allied veterans who were exposed during the period of heaviest usage and their children may have elevated rates of various cancers, including soft tissue sarcoma, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and lymphocytic leukemia. Victims groups from Vietnam, Korea, and other places where napalm and Agent Orange were used have sued the primary manufacturers of these chemical weapons, Monsanto and Dow Chemical, on several occasions. In 2006, the companies were ordered to pay US$63 million in damages to South Korean veterans who fought in Vietnam.

The Influences of Culture On Learning and Assessment Among Native Article

The Influences of Culture On Learning and Assessment Among Native American Students - Article Example The author cites information from the national data sources regarding the achievement of the Native American students, and he discusses the principles of assessment and the cultural aspects of assessment. He further uses personal experience to assist others in the reflection of cultural aspects of assessment. Assessment information, data gathered nationally on Native America and educational research is seriously limited. There is a lot to be learned about the Native Americans and other minority students’ assessment and external influences such as environment, context, perspectives culture, and attitudes. Priorities differ in different societies and they influence what the children learn and take as important; there is plenty of opinions and limited research that support this argument. The author concludes by giving several considerations that have to be taken into account in the assessment of a Native American student. An example of such a consideration is the language of inst ruction and the language of home. The article is important because it provides information about the culturally-based curriculum for the Native American students. Three points of relevance; (a) it provides limelight into the present assessment of native students, (b) it attempts to show that the current assessment may be biased because it fails to take into account the influence of culture on the understanding of the world, variety of intelligence we possess, the learning context and the individual’s experiences and, (c) few studies have shown that culturally-based curriculum actually increases the achievement of native students.