The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Aggression Dissertation

The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Aggression - Dissertation Example The following review of literatures will identify the findings of twelve research articles along with their originality in terms of research on the area chosen. A study by Baumeister, Bushman and Campbell (2000) bring in the importance of threatened egotism to explain the relation between aggression and self regard. The contemporary works of the authors did not confirm the association between low self-esteem and aggression which was established theoretically by traditional views. In fact the new concepts of narcissism and unstable self-esteem can foresee aggression more efficiently. The article explores the research domain with the help of different literatures, some of which explain why people with low self-esteem were less liable to cause aggression. Normally such people will try to avoid risk and hence would not take the risk of being aggressive towards others. In fact people with fluctuating self-esteem or manic depression are more likely to be aggressive and display violence during the manic phase when the person has high views about himself compared to the phase of depression when self-esteem is at its low. This also explains the aggre ssive orientation caused by alcoholic people during the phase of intoxication when the self-esteem momentarily heightens. The second part of the discussion presented in the research now moves on to explore the newer constructs in order to defend the low self-esteem hypothesis regarding aggression. Studies showed that narcissism or unstable self-esteem was more responsible for violence and aggression than low self-esteem. After studying different literatures the authors have inferred that hidden low self-esteem demonstrating self doubts might bring on aggression rather than obvious low self-esteem. In fact high self-esteem is a characteristic of both aggressive and no aggressive people. Again narcissistic people are aggressive towards specific individuals who insult or criticize them rather than being aggressive socially. The original angle in the research lies in the fact that this study explored the new constructs like threatened egotism or hidden low self-esteem rather than trying to establish he simple and direct link between self-esteem and aggression explored till then. Anderson and Bushman (2002) studied the different theories on aggression showed by human beings and the original angle of the research lies in the use of general aggression model (GAM) to incorporate different variables which reflect cognition effect, apart from situational and personological parameters. The use of this model also helps this study to identify the required research which can fill in the gaps in theoretical frameworks and this can help in testing the interventions in bringing down aggression. The study begins with definitions of aggression and related terms and then discusses the particular theories of aggressive behaviour before embarking on the General Aggression Model. The model considers three categories of inputs – person factors (values, goals, beliefs) and circumstances (drugs, pain, frustration etc) related inputs, cognitive (hostile thoughts, scripts etc), af fective (mood and emotion etc) and arousal paths along which the inputs have their final impact and lastly, the results of the implied process of appraisal and decision making. Certain means of interventions are also suggested with the help of this model and these include multisystemic therapy like family oriented methods etc, prison treatments etc and the model also predicts that with age and experience aggression might decrease. The literatures studied in the research also show the relation between high self-esteem and a

Book review of Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin Essay

Book review of Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin - Essay Example The book highlights the darkest moments in the history of US, where social justice to blacks was bare minimum. The author in the best manner elucidates the obstacles and the hardships that a black man undergoes. He not only highlights the cursed life of blacks but, also involves himself in a quest to discover his own identity. The racial oppression led to problems for the black people in US, in finding food and shelter, even the rest rooms through out the country which the black people were allowed to use as there was a great scarcity. There was discrimination in day to day affairs like travelling by bus, getting a cheque cashed and sitting on bus stand or park benches. Their residential areas were filthy, stinking and dark like ghettos. The social justice was conspicuous from the behavior of each race in another's company. A white used to receive respect and courtesy from the whites only, whereas they were always formidable from the behavior of blacks, always suspicious of their actions; whereas, blacks were looked upon with animosity and hostility. The blacks were generous with each other. Where Griffin mentions all the bad sides, he also mentions examples of P.D East and construction worker from Alabama - the whites and the blacks like Sterling Williams (who helped him in his transformation, made him learn the etiquettes, the style and the mannerism of the blacks) and the mill worker who proved that human kindness and generosity cannot be overshadowed by the evils of racism. The book addresses the sociological issues and concerns related to racism and sexism. The book points out how African Americans were a stereotyped because almost majority of the Americans had no knowledge of their culture. Black men were subordinated because white believed that blacks were sexually perverse. The book provides a very sentimental and heart rendering approach to the sufferings of the black people in American South. It touches the heart directly because the events are unfolded by a white man himself, who experienced the troubles of the blacks by under covering himself as a black man. It was a quest for the author to see how blacks struggled. The author left his family and friends and lived under cover for whole six weeks, travelling from Texas to Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. The author tells how he started off with his transition from a white to black; the most interesting part, because this is his quest for search of an identity. He starts to make friends with black people and one of his very first mates was a shoe shining man, Sterling Williams; living amongst black, the author starts to realize what these men in Atlanta have been through to come so far. He ends the book on a worrying note that the time will come when blacks will come haunting the American white racists, for all the cruel and the deadly treatment they have done to blacks. John Howard Griffin's social experiment of converting into a black man, proved to be a success; it was a contribution of his efforts as a white man to bring to front the relentless efforts of blacks to be recognized how badly they have been treated. His guise for putting himself into shoes