In most of Shakespeare’s plays, the rulers are portrayed to be in a state of mental stress. This is particularly true with respect to the two plays – King Lear and Measure for Measure. King Lear, which is a tragedy, is full of expressions of anguish and pathos by the old king, whose mental faculties…
Category: Psychology
Existential inquiry in ‘Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ by Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce’s short story titled An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is one of the classics of the art form. The story could be read from three different angles. First, the political angle provided by the American Civil War of the 1860s. Second is the cultural angle, whereby the unique flavors of the American South…
Why can Buddhism be considered “psychological”?
Buddhism is a major religion in current times, but its origins goes back thousands of centuries. Having originated in North Eastern India, it had spread far and wide in the Eastern hemisphere, making it a dominant religion in the Asian continent. Buddhism has been in existence even before the rise of Judeo-Christians, making it stand…
Do sociological theories weaken taking personal responsibility for our actions?
Yes, there are obvious dangers in adopting sociological perspectives wholesomely. Firstly, sociology as a branch of rational enquiry, alongside psychology, is the most contested among all sciences. Several sociological theories such as Conflict Theory, Functionalism and Network Theory have elicited substantial proofs to the contrary, that their validity cannot be taken for universal truths. In…
What is the liability of employers for employee psychiatric illness in relation to the common law duty of care
Business corporations are instituted for the primary purpose of economic gain. Often, as the pressure to show impressive profits in each financial quarter increases, it is the workforce who are put under undue stress. Ranging from unreasonably high productivity standards, to sub-standard and hazardous work environments, workers face several potential risks to their mental and…
Compare and contrast: Contemporary and historical approaches to individual differences
The study of differences between individuals is as old as recorded history. These differences could pertain to aspects of personality, interests, physical traits, talents, etc. Only during the last few centuries has this field of inquiry attained a more scientific and methodological approach; for prior to it, theories were constructed based on select observations and…
Different theoretical perspectives on family as a basic social unit
Sociology as a field of inquiry has wide ranging applications in the understanding of human societies. While sociology does not lend itself to rigorous scientific analysis in terms of conception and verification of theories, there are indeed some proven methods of testing the veracity of theories pertaining to sociology. Sociology is usually approached from certain…
Cognitive Theory, Bereavement and Aging
The basic tenet of Cognitive Theory is the fact that people are products of the way they think and construct their realities; and by identifying the flaws and distortions in thought patterns, the therapist can devise ways of rectifying the problem. Cognitive Theory is founded on the principle that each individual’s conditioned thought patterns go…
Compare and contrast two explanations of social disorder in contemporary UK society
The issue of maintaining law and order is as old as the origins of civil society. While a large majority of the population are law abiding and conform to the social norms of the times, there is always an underbelly of disorderly conduct on part of a disturbed minority. As the process of urbanization takes…
The Silence of the Lambs Psychological Profiles: Hannibal Lector and Buffalo Bill
Hannibal Lecter is a recurring central character in many of Thomas Harris’ novels. Starting from the novel Red Dragon, the character appears in all four sequels including The Silence of the Lambs. In the author’s own words, Lecter is a masterful psychiatrist and a cannibalistic serial killer. Given that Lecter is a fictional character, the…