Wednesday, December 18. 2013

Today's schedule is B-AG-A-D-C

B Block Social Studies 10 - Today we'll continue the work I assigned yesterday on the Indian Act and the Numbered Treaties on the Canadian Prairies (questions 1, 2, and 3 from page 180 of the Horizons text). After a bit, we'll begin looking at the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 and the implications of the railway and the results for Macdonald, Riel and the Metis. We'll examine the "Metis Bill of Rights" along with the skirmishes noth of Saskatoon (Duck Lake, Fish Creek and Batoche). Lastly we'll look at the trial of Louis Riel and I'll have you work on questions 2, 4, and 5 on page 189 as well as the Apply It question 1 from the "Developing Historical Perspective" skill builder on pages 192-3 of the Horizons text.
For more on the Northwest Rebellion and Louis Riel look at:
About the Northwest Rebellion of 1885
The Metis in Alberta NW Rebellion 1885
Royal Canadian Regiment NW Rebellion 1885
Mount Allison University Louis Riel & Northwest Rebellion
HistoriCa! minute on Louis Riel
The Heritage Centre: Louis Riel
A Block Criminology 12 - So since we had a really good talk yesterday we didn't get to the causes for sexual assault. Today I'll have you answer:

1. Identify and explain the causes for sexual assault

You'll need to look at evolutionary and biological factors (remember Sigmund Freud's Thantos and Eros or instinctual drives that allowed species to be successful)? Look at modern male socialization (boys are taught to be aggressive, forceful, tough, and dominating...think about how boys play when they're young) and then at hypermasculinity (where some men have callous sexual attitudes and believe that violence is "manly"). Lastly consider both violent experiences (remember that those boys who were exposed to violence in the household are more likely to commit violent acts when they grow older) and sexual motivation (social, cultural, and psychological forces...think about the messages hidden in Axe body spray commercials).
For more info check out the following sites:
Teen Handbook on Sexual Assault (Sarnia Sexual Assault Survivor's Centre)
The Devastation of Sexual Assault (Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime)
Prevent Sexual Violence: Love Shouldn't Hurt Youth Zone
Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Centres

I'd like to share the CBC DocZone Documentary "Sext Up Kids" with you. The documentary exposes how growing up in a hyper-sexualized culture hurts our kids and sends the wrong messages that could potentially lead to sexual assaults. From the CBC site:

From tiny tots strutting bikini-clad bodies in beauty pageants to companies marketing itty-bitty thongs and padded bras to 9-year olds, images of ever-younger sexualized girls have become commonplace. Add to that: ever-younger boys with 24-7 access to hard-core internet porn. It saturates their lives - from skate parks to the school bus – by the time they’re eighteen, 80 percent of boys are watching porn online.

So we'll watch the documentary and use information from it to help with our blog entry from this past Monday.

D Block Law 12 - Today we have the library booked to continue working on our case study project. Tomorrow we will be back in the library and when we return from Christmas break we'll look at Intentional Torts and then shift our focus into family law.

C Block Crime, Media and Society 12 - Today we continue the Casey Anthony trial coverage from 2011 in the USA. Yesterday we watched two-thirds of "the State vs Casey Anthony" and today we'll finish the video. After, we'll talk about the facts and particulars of the case and I'll ask you to answer the following:

1. What are your immediate reactions to the Dateline video we just watched and why do you think that the Cindy Anthony (grandmother) Casey Anthony (mother), and Caylee Anthony (murdered daughter) debacle generated so much media coverage in the USA?

After this we'll talk about the German psychology/sociology term Schadenfreude. This term deals with a big concept - that as humans, we have a private rush of glee when someone else struggles (we take delight in another person's pain and misfortune). Schadenfreude registers in the brain as a pleasurable experience, a satisfaction comparable to that of eating a good meal.Schadenfreude is a common and normal part of life but can become dangerous if we lose empathy,fall into demonizing others, or lapse into “us vs. them” thinking. There is a human fascination with murder as entertainment and news media companies have turned the story of the death of a toddler into a primetime circus...a story that we can safely watch and perhaps feel a little guilty pleasure in the fact that we're better than Casey Anthony. Her pain and suffering on television brings us delight and makes us feel good in that we are not the monster that the media has portrayed her out to be...sigh.

HLN's Nancy Grace covered the Casey Anthony trial heavily in 2011. Here's an example of the daily coverage she and HLN broadcast


Here's what the HBO television series The Newsroom had to say about Nancy Grace's coverage of the Casey Anthony case


And after the verdict here's what she had to say - which further shaped the public's opinion of Casey Anthony even after she was found not guilty by a jury of her peers


Now, here's what the media had to say about the media covering the Casey Anthony trial


Whew...so in the end here's my two questions for you to answer:

1. Who would you want deciding your guilt or innocence? A jury of your peers or CNN and Nancy Grace? Regardless of your opinion of Casey Anthony is it possible for her to escape the negative label of "Tot Mom" and will she ever be able to avoid the horrible mother image presented by CNN and Nancy Grace?
2. How does the concept of Schadenfreude apply to the Casey Anthony trial? How would low self-esteem make someone more likely to seek out schadenfreude-filled crime media?