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<title>Lauren Johnson</title>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Mental Illness:
Biology or Society?</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'>                        </span>I
designed my course in such a way that the familiar myths and generalizations
about mental illness are explored and debunked. I will utilize facts, apply
outside knowledge and ideas, and bring in guest speakers to relate our ideas to
the material that is being studied in class and bring it into a real world
context. Over the semester, I will attempt to show, if any, the correlation
between mental illness and cultural diversity, the stigma that is attached to mental
illness and how mental illness affects both genders. </p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'>                        </span>It
is necessary to provide my students the proper framework with which to study
this topic. Before my students delve into the deep and complex world that
comprises mental illness, I would incorporate a class discussion on cultural
diversity and how it relates to mental illness. It has been my experience that
people assume that mental problems affect only a certain ethnicity and race. It
is imperative that my students understand that mental illness does not
discriminate. No matter what your cultural background and gender is, you are
susceptible to the illness. My students and I would then study the reasons
behind why many people feel that this illness is a cultural problem for some
and why it appears to not be a problem for others. Is it because we only see a
certain type of person advertised in the media discussing mental illness? Is it
for other reasons? In order to do this, I would utilize small group exercises
to have students discuss what advertisements they have seen in the media and
focus on what gender and ethnicity is portraying the illness.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%'>Because the study
of mental illness is sensitive, as a teacher, I would do my best to convey to
my students that there is a stigma attached to mental illness and it is not
right. We are trained to be perfect, to not have any quirks or idiosyncrasies
about ourselves, and if we do, we are labeled “crazy” by others. My students
need to realize that this illness is, in sorts, a biological and societal problem,
and that it will not go away if we do not talk about it. It is all around us
whether we choose to see it or not. As a teacher, I would encourage and expect
my students to be honest and direct about their feelings of mental illness so
that we are able to shed light and understanding on this complex subject.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'>                        </span>First,
in order to bring the study of mental illness to a level that my students can
relate to, I would incorporate a discussion on depression then move into small
group exercises about the illness. I think depression is a pertinent matter to
discuss because I believe that depression can and does occur frequently with
college-age students. I feel this way because the new physical, mental and
situational demands that are being thrust upon them in a university setting are
quite overwhelming. I also feel that teaching a topic that my students can
relate to is essential for their understanding of how serious mental illness
can be. Also, studying depression at the university level is cogently important
because, like mental illness, depression does not discriminate. Depression
influences everyone, not just women as we are led to believe. To help make this
point, I would arrange for a guest speaker from the university’s <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Counseling</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
 w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for Human Development to provide
my students first hand accounts of how depression takes hold of your life and
what can be done if one is facing a similar situation.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'>                        </span>In
addition to depression, I would integrate discussions of language and how it is
used to belittle persons with mental illness. Language is a powerful tool and
how it is used in a mental illness setting further stigmatizes the individual.
It has been my experiences that studying the language of those who are in
position to diagnose mental illness are seeking to engulf the person, that is
to say that language is a matter of control. An exercise to assist my students
in learning how language affects the individual would require the students to
get into small groups and list negative and positive words that are associated
with mental illness. As a group, students would then discuss how those words
made them feel and come up with potential reasons as to why psychiatrists use
these words.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-tab-count:1'>                        </span>Finally,
I would include discussions of mental illness as being a biological or societal
construct. I would urge my students to perform research about the history of
mental illness and then come up with an answer, if any, to determine whether we
as a society created mental illness. To facilitate this discussion, I would
encourage my students to find reasons for and against the argument and present
their findings in a debate setting in class. To some extent, there would be no
right or wrong answer, but I feel this would allow for a step in the right
direction as for having a political debate about this precarious subject.</p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%'>In conclusion,
what I hope my students took away from the class is that mental illness does
not go away if you choose to not discuss it. It is an ever-present problem, and
we must acknowledge it in ways that encourage positive discussion. Because I am
a creative person, I feel that giving tests and quizzes to determine whether or
not someone understands the material is an unfair process. Instead, I would
assess my student’s understanding of the course by having them complete group
collages of what they thought mental illness looked like at the beginning of
the semester and then juxtapose it against what they now believe mental illness
looks like. I would hope that their vision of what mental illness is has
changed. </p>

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