Grief Could Apply to other Losses Beyond Death

In most cases, when people talk about grief, they link it to death. However, grief is a more comprehensive emotion that goes beyond death. For example, people could grieve over distressing changes that they experience in life, such as job loss, being diagnosed with a chronic disease, insecurity, separation, and imprisonment, among other events/ situations that could trigger grief. However, in the modern world, many controversial societal issues arise from drastic changes in urbanization, modernization, and technological advancement. Such problems could include the rise of social media, increased divorce rates, high suicide rates, and shifting of sexual norms, among others. However, the controversial issues of moving away from punishment/ discipline and the increased suicidal rates in the US could be analyzed through the lens of behavioral and psychoanalysis theories to illustrate how they could result in grief.

The education system has changed regarding punishment/ discipline in the past century, which could be linked to increased social immorality and lack of responsibility among the youth. In the 19th century, educators used whipping as a punishment to instill discipline among the students. However, whipping has been replaced with exclusionary discipline systems. Students get suspended or expelled from school for misconduct (Warnick & Scribner, 2020). However, these changes have compromised the initial view of schools as centers for physical and moral growth, as suspension, expulsion, and subjection of children to criminalization could affect their mental, psychological and physical well-being affecting their academic performance. For instance, according to the behavioral theory, behavior is learned; therefore, rewards could be used to motivate good behavior while punishments deter misconduct (Pierce & Cheney, 2017). However, in the case of new school discipline forms, a child could develop maladaptive behaviors to deal with the psychological trauma of missing classes (Warnick & Scribner, 2020). Instead of reforming, they could develop worse immoral behavior leading to increased insecurity in the society, resulting in grief for moral deterioration. Therefore, the increased use of expulsion and suspension for academic misconduct could affect the child's well-being, leading to maladaptive practices and increased immorality, hence grief.

Another societal issue is the increased rate of suicide in the United States. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 46000 persons committed suicide in 2020 (Ehlman, 2022). Suicide was ranked among the leading causes of death among individuals between 10 and 64. The main risks associated with suicide include family stressors, Post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health issues, and economic decline (Ehlman, 2022). However, the psychoanalysis theory could be used to determine the causes linked to the high rate of suicides. The theory states that unconscious forces drive one's behavior. For instance, to understand the dynamics in the number of people committing suicide, it is critical to focus on analyzing their childhood experiences, past relationships, lifestyle, and social interactions (Jenkins, 2017). Losing children and adults to suicide could trigger grief in society as it could illustrate a lack of social cohesion and physical and mental well-being. Therefore, the societal issue of the increasing rate of suicides in the US could be viewed through the lens of the psychoanalysis theory to understand how it affects the emotional well-being of the society leading to grief.

However, the societal issues analyzed align with my view of the world. For instance, the issue of shifting from physical punishments to a more structured system of punishing students is critical in instilling discipline. However, the problem arises when there are cases of racial, ethical, and social class discrimination subjecting students to unreasonable forms of punishments affecting their physical, psychological, and mental health (Warnick & Scribner, 2020). In addition, the increased rate of suicide in the US is alarming, and therapists could focus on addressing the clients' past experiences, relations, and PTSD, on understanding the root causes of the increased suicidal cases. Finally, people must act in kindness and fairness to enhance each other's well-being and create a peaceful society by avoiding unrealistic forms of discipline and showing compassion to those suffering to curb the surging suicidal rates. For instance, the scripture encourages humans to be forgiving and compassionate to one another to please God (Ephesians 4:32) (Thomas, 2007). It is ethically right to avoid potential harm to others to enhance coexistence. Therefore, I concur that the issue of rising cases of suicides in the US and the aspect of moving away from discipline/ punishment, directly and indirectly, contribute to grief. Hence, people should practice being compassionate to one another.

However, the controversial issues of moving away from punishment/ discipline and the increased suicidal rates in the US could be analyzed through the lens of behavioral and psychoanalysis theories to illustrate how they could result in grief. The increased expulsion and suspension for academic misconduct could affect the child's well-being, leading to maladaptive practices and increased immorality, hence grief in society. Also, the societal issue of the increasing rate of suicides in the US could be viewed through the lens of the psychoanalysis theory to understand how it affects the emotional well-being of the society leading to grief. However, I concur that the issue of rising cases of suicides in the US and the aspect of moving away from discipline/ punishment, directly and indirectly, contribute to grief. Hence, people should practice being compassionate to one another.

References

Ehlman, D. C. (2022). Changes in suicide rates—United States, 2019 and 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7108a5.htm

Jenkins, W. J. (2017). An Analysis of Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams. Macat Library.

Pierce, W. D., & Cheney, C. D. (2017). Behavior analysis and learning: A biobehavioral approach. Routledge.

Thomas, N. (2007). The Bible (New Kings James Version). The Sermon on the Mount.

Warnick, B. R., & Scribner, C. F. (2020). Discipline, punishment, and the moral community of schools. Theory and Research in Education, 18(1), 98-116. doi.org/10.1177%2F1477878520904943