The Return of Song Recommendations

A smooth intro that swiftly builds into the song proper. Upbeat, stressed drums push the piece forward, supplementing the flurry of guitar fuzz. The vocals carry an ethereal whispering quality, quiet yet still audible in the mix. Taken as a whole, "Good Morning" by Coaltar of the Deepers is a catchy song filled with warm atmosphere, and a lot of guitar.

Acoustic guitar and tropical-sounding drums initiate the track. Electric guitar tuned like a sitar chimes in, acting as the unofficial lead instrument, though no one instrument truly dominates. The piece evokes lushness, as setup by the introduction.  Through repetition a serenity is achieved. "The Grasslands of Time" from the game Chrono Cross melds tropical sounds with Western sounds, creating a pleasant piece.

Disability and Art: The Nature of Disability

In works of art there is often a lack of characters with disabilities. When present, such characters tend to be marginalized and portrayed as helpless. In society – especially Western societies – having a disability of any kind is met with stigmatizing attitudes. Many examples in societal institutions prevail. For example, the practice of secluding or restraining misbehaving children in public schools disproportionately impacts students with disabilities. In particular, students with autism or are labeled emotionally disturbed are secluded when they became upset.[1]   I ride an electric scooter and – similar to the experiences of most people who make use of such mobility devices – face many forced detours due to inaccessible stairs and other structures.  Another example is the portrayal of people with schizophrenia as violent and needing isolation. These messages about disability are internalized, resulting in self-stigma. Art reflects society, resulting in stigmatizing messages that sustain an oppressive society.

 Understanding disability as portrayed in art can be paralleled with actual portrayals of disability in society. What is disability, though? Many definitions and models of disability exist in a myriad of variations. Disability is understood as a major impediment – a condition or change of some kind that impacts major life activities. To this end disability is a form of oppression. The bird cage model, put forth by feminist writer Marilyn Frye, is simple enough to thoroughly explain oppression.  When viewed microscopically, one notes that any individual bar in a cage can be bypassed, either above or below. Viewing the cage as a whole, one clearly sees that each bar is systematically placed as to restrict or block movement.[2] That’s the point of a cage.  Frye writes, “It is perfectly obvious that the bird is surrounded by a network of systematically related barriers, no one of which would be the least hindrance to its flight, but which, by their relations to each other, are as confining as the solid walls of a dungeon.“  Individual barriers do not oppress an individual; these barriers, however, interact with each other, ensnaring the person.

Now that oppression can be more easily understood, disability can be more precisely defined. The United Nations defines disability as “[having] long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”[3] This definition emphasizes the social exclusion that accompanies disability. The coalescing of barriers, which leads to oppression, is thus a key element of disability, not just the medical condition itself.  A similar definition of disability comes from the World Health Organization: “ Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.”[4] This definition again emphasizes that though a disability can be viewed medically, it truly becomes a “disability” due to exclusion from societal institutions.

While both definitions mentioned above are adequate, I believe that terminal illness should be included with disability because it also results in entrapment. The mother of one of my close friends passed away this spring, after having been bedridden due to illness for the past few years. Though she was not “disabled” in the traditional sense, she clearly was limited in a manner that impacted her life. One possible definition of disability is a debilitating long-term condition that significantly changes one's life. This definition can be deconstructed further: "a debilitating condition" can be defined as a condition that through its negative effects worsens your quality of life and "significantly changes one's life" can be defined as requiring changes relative to a normal life in response to the condition and cannot be easily fixed, resulting in increased difficulty in managing one's health. A disability can be congenital or occur later in life. It is permanent or otherwise long-term. A disability is also an important part of one's identity, though it itself does not define a person.

Disability can be physical, mental, intellectual or sensory. My experiences mainly deal with physical and mental disabilities, though concepts of stigma and discrimination are still pertinent to all persons with disabilities.

In a social psychology study, experimenters discovered that physical disabilities were “perceived as onset-uncontrollable, and elicited pity, no anger, and judgments to help” while mental disabilities were considered “onset-controllable, and elicited little pity, much anger, and judgments to neglect.”[5] Though both groups are stigmatized, mental disabilities are often viewed as controllable, thus allegedly reflecting the person’s irresponsibility. One prime example is people with depression often being told to simply get over it. Another study discussed the impact of stigma on people with mental disabilities. Stigmatizing attitudes are believed about mental disability and then perpetuated in the media. Three highly prevalent ones include: 1. Persons with severe mental illnesses[6] should be feared and kept out of most communities. 2. Persons with severe mental illnesses are irresponsible, so their life decisions should be made by others. 3. Persons with severe mental illnesses are helpless and need to be cared for.[7] Another attitude that I’ve seen personally is that people with mental disabilities are responsible for taking medication to live a normal life. In particular, people who suffer from depression are expected to seek counseling or take antidepressants. The former option I did not find particularly helpful. I have never taken antidepressants because I want to limit the amount of drugs I must rely on - taking a corticosteroid is enough for me. Furthermore, our understanding of the neuroscience underlying depression is shaky and at least some part of the effect of antidepressants could be the placebo effect. Anti-depressants alone produce a small effect on depression, except in cases of severe depression.[8] Living in a society that widely endorses stigmatizing ideas leads to their internalization, resulting in self-stigma. Thus a person with a mental disability lives with both public stigma and stigma emanating from within, resulting in devaluation of the person.

            Persons with physical disabilities face a separate set of stigmas from mental disabilities. Having a physical disability places an individual beyond that which is considered normal, complicating interactions with able-bodied persons. Growing up I was thought to have conditions such as ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome due to my struggles with interacting with other people. My mom told my doctors that I had difficulty socially due to my having Beckers Muscular Dystrophy but the doctors decided that I likely had another condition. I believe that I had trouble interacting with my peers because of my condition. In my experience growing up with a disability makes it much harder to interact with able-bodied people.  Individuals with physical disabilities “frequently experience various forms of devaluation and discrimination.” A disabled body is assumed to lack individual autonomy and be helpless, passive, and dependent. Furthermore the everyday skills of competencies of persons with physical disabilities are doubted frequently. Internalization of these assumptions impairs social interactions, leading to self-doubt and suffering of self-esteem.[9] Riding a scooter I feel that I am treated differently, which makes me uneasy. All of these stigmas come into play but instead of being angry I feel insecure about my surroundings.

            Though mental and physical disability are medically quite different, both lead to internalization of bigoted attitudes. The sense of self is maimed. This discussion about systems and institutions is quite abstract. At the same time, these views are translated into works of art, resulting in most characters being able-bodied. Stigmatizing attitudes put into art are then able to influence the consumers of the art, creating a cycle of institutional cruelty. Ending oppression of the disabled requires more than simply showing more characters with disabilities. Rather, characters with disabilities need to be portrayed in a strong, positive light – which is not simply the opposite of oppression -  to break the cycle. Nagisa Furukawa, one of my all-time favorite characters, is someone who, despite being physically frail, tenaciously follows her dreams. Similarly, characters with disabilities should run parallel to persons with disabilities: they can rise above the systematic barriers restricting them, reflecting human strength of will.

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[1] “National Data Confirms Cases of Restraint and Seclusion In Public Schools.” 19 Jun 2014. Web. 28 Aug 2014 NPR.

[2] . “Oppression” by Marilyn Frye. 1983.

[3] Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. United Nations. 2006. Web. 28 Aug 2014.

[4] “Disabilities.” World Health Organization. 2014. Web. 28 Aug 2014.

[5] Weiner, B., Perry, R. P., & Magnusson, J. (1988). An attributional analysis of reactions to stigmas. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(5), 738-748. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.55.5.738

[6] Though the term mental illness is used, I prefer the term mental disability because it is less antagonistic.

[7] Corrigan PW, Watson AC. Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry 2002; 1: 16–20

[8] Khan A., Faucett J., Lichtenberg P., Kirsch I., Brown W. A. (2012). A systematic review of comparative efficacy of treatments and controls for depression. PLoS ONE 7:e41778 10.1371/journal.pone.0041778

[9] Taub, Diane E., Elaine M. Blinde, and Kimberly R. Greer. "Stigma Management through Participation in Sport and Physical Activity: Experiences of Male College Students with Physical Disabilities." Human Relations 52.11 (1999): 1469-84.

Yet Another Update

For my planned post on disability, I hope to apply a disability analysis to characters from various anime shows. (I could in the future use a wider pool of characters, but that's all for now because that's where my experience mainly rests.)  I realize that such a post would be quite long, especially if I plan to take my current definition of disability and refining it.

Thus, I am splitting the post into two parts: one part that explores disability in itself and draws from academic sources. The systems analysis of disability posts are pertinent to this first part. In writing this post I hope to impress upon the reader that our societal attitudes are demonstrated in art, a focus on this blog. My Princess Mononoke analysis is relevant to the second part of the post, which focuses on applying a disability analysis to several different shows and characters. I am not quite sure how I will structure that quite yet. 

This "second" part will be further subdivided into posts concerning the characters individually. In no particular order: 1. Nagisa from Clannad: After Story, 2. Shun from From the New World, 3. Mai from Kanon, 4. Akihito from Kyoukai no Kanata, 5. Mirai from Kyoukai no Kanata, 6. Numachi from Hanamonogatari, and 7. Michiru from Le Fruit de Grisaia.

I may be able to write other things but for now this is my priority for Nighttrail.

Lastly, I intend to revive the song recommendations at the request of a friend. I will do two songs every week (that's the plan) but these songs will have longer descriptions than what I have previously done. 

Improving University Level Education

In classrooms, whether at the university level or elementary school, a strict format of lecture during class and homework following class is generally followed. In particular, textbooks alone are used to supplement the lecture material.  Jordan Shapiro, in “Video Games and the Future of the Textbook[1],” offers, ”At best, textbooks are innocuous, offering simple summaries of a very broad subject area. At worst, they oversimplify things, providing less information than an encyclopedia article without enough nuance or context to make it meaningful.” Textbooks, as suggested by this author, can be used to take in general information of a topic. At the same time  Gleaning relevant information from a textbook is difficult because you tend to learn specific details that are irrelevant of the big picture. Furthermore, textbooks generally “have diagrams and explanations that don’t explain the context or provide enough definitions,” says my friend Jana, a fellow engineer at my university, Oregon State University.

The process of translation, where messenger RNA (genetic code) is translated to protein (the workforce of the cell), is tedious to read in textbooks and thus hard to retain. Tracking what the 30S subunit and 50S subunit do for ribosomal[2] translation through arduous walls of text is difficult. A clearly labeled diagram better elucidates the process but remains confusing. This traditional format for education works for some students but fails for many others, especially at the university level. Alternative methods of teaching will be reviewed so that improvements to current university education can be suggested.

Animations do a better job of fitting the pieces together than the typical textbook, supplementing conventional methods.  The translation example would be clarified by animations because one could see the growth of the protein through the process, among other reasons. In a TED talk, Janet Iwasa (“How Animations Can Help Scientists Test A Hypothesis”)[3] discusses how animations can be vital to the progress of the field of molecular biology. Molecular biologists currently use static figures to visualize their molecular hypotheses using simple shapes; such a representation is understandably overly simplified. The important molecules, however, have known shapes. Thus an animation of the cellular and molecular processes could be developed to test a hypothesis. Animations can be in used in this way to convey lots of information easily and accurately. Though this TED talk focuses on biology, other studies would greatly benefit from this approach. Modelling programs such as COMSOL[4] and SolidWorks[5] are similarly helpful in visualizing hypotheses.

Traditional education methods can also be buffered through the use of video games. For example, games  by the company Amplify Education[6] are designed to improve student learning and understanding of the material presented. For example, one such game allows students to experience the process of metabolism from the inside, teaching basic biological literacy. Other prominent examples include using Skyrim[7] to reach Norwegian romantic nationalism[8], Portal 2[9] to teach physics, and Civilization IV[10] to teach history and English. Additionally, The Last Of Us[11] is studied on its own as a high school student would study The Great Gatsby or another highly regarded novel. Through playing games, students actively seek out knowledge and apply it, rather than relying on rote memorization. Additionally, as Paul Darvasi, author of “Literature, Ethics, Physics: It’s All In Video Games At This Norwegian School,”[12] writes, “[Games] are valid texts that can be studied in and of themselves, but it is important to see video games as elastic tools whose potential uses exceed their intended purpose.” Video games can be studied on their own as they do with The Last Of us or they can be used to teach metabolism using Amplify’s digital curriculum and Norwegian romanticism using Skyrim. Through the implementation of video games in curriculums, students are able to take the information they learn in class and process and apply it. Seemingly random but still important details can be integrated into the bigger picture through this approach.

An important step is to stress what is already available. As an engineer who is also well-versed in the sciences, my experience is limited. For school and research I have made use of programs such as SolidWorks – freely available for engineers at OSU – for modelling and design. While mechanical engineers (along with the rest of their department) extensively use SolidWorks, COMSOL is hardly used. Though they are not interactive, the use of videos helps relay big-picture information. Some of my classes made use of videos but for the most part they had little presence. Lastly, there is Concept Warehouse[13] being developed at my university to improve engineering education. Using this program instructors assign students quantitative or qualitative questions regarding course topics. Students are then asked to provide an explanation. This software has been used a few times in some of my classes, though its use is increasing. Lastly, textbooks, as stated earlier, are rarely adequate for their purposes.

Now that the current situation is better understood, improvements can be suggested. The suggestions below are listed separately but can be combined.

Videos should be used to enhance retention of the main concepts. For example, the process of translation, which is follow when presented in a text format, is best understood through a video of the  main events. Seeing the molecules in motion makes more sense to most students. Otherwise only narrowly-important details are enforced. In particular, organic chemistry in my experience is taught in a manner that encourages memorization over understanding. While memorization to some degree is required, organic chemistry professors should show animations of the mechanisms underlying at least some of the major chemical reactions. This would allow for better understanding.

One thing lacking in most engineering classes is the development of models, both mathematical and software-based. Beginning classes lack the tools to construct mathematical models. As classes become more complex, more modelling should occur as part of the class structure. In my biomedical engineering principles class we had to model membraneless dialysis. With such an open-ended problem I had to create appropriate and justifiable assumptions to arrive at a sufficient mathematical model. My knowledge of the material grew, for there were myriad possible approaches. More engineering classes should encourage constructing your own models. For practicality’s sake such exercises need not be entirely open-ended. Modelling can also be done in COMSOL or another similar program in lieu of an explicit mathematical model. This approach is especially good for problems that are harder to model mathematically or solve analytically. For example, I am using COMSOL to analyze stresses on surrounding tissue due to the presence of a medical device in vivo[14]. This task would be arduous to mathematically model due to time-dependence of the forces or to measure in vivo. We also had to do modelling with COMSOL in my fluid mechanics class. In this case the problem was simple and easy to solve analytically: laminar flow of water through a pipe. The program outputted a graphical solution that matched the analytical solution, making the math less arcane. The task was thus instructive. The implementation of more open-ended problems is desirable because few substantial real-world problems have a single solution. Failing that, more engineering classes should require the use of software to improve understanding. Furthermore, having to create one’s own model encourages critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and creative problem-solving, all of which are vital to an engineer.

In today’s digital age textbooks should take a more compact form, trimmed of unnecessary detail. A set standard for all textbooks cannot be determined because each field is different. Instead, textbooks need to organize explanations around the big picture, with important details providing support. Currently the main concepts are interspersed among and drowned out by minor pieces of information. Figures should emphasize the big picture and work with the text, not simply repeat the text. At the same time, the text should explain the figure in detail. Examples, which tend to be the most critical textbook element especially for quantitative elements, tend to be poorly explained and feature large logical jumps. Each major step should be laid out clearly, from problem statement to solution. In particular, rearrangement of equations, simplifying assumptions, and math tricks should be clearly shown.

Though my suggestions are quite broad, I feel that changing university education in this way would make it more pertinent and more accessible. There are alternatives beyond what I suggested that would help university education but I wrote this piece to participate in discussion rather than come up with a final solution. Most universities cannot implement video games, so possible changes to K-12 education do not directly translate. Computer programs and videos, however, can be used to buffer the traditional approach to education by more strongly involving students. As a result, the atypical but no less creative and talented scientists and engineers will also be able to apply their education in their careers and help the world.

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[1] “Video Games and the Future of the Textbook” by Shapiro, Jordan. Mind Shift. KQED Inc. 15 Aug 2014. 18 Aug 2014.

[2] Ribosomes are an important molecular player in the process of translation.

[3] “How Animations Can Help Scientists Test A Hypothesis” by Iwasa, Janet. Mar 2014. TED. 18 Aug 2014.

[4] Engineering software used to model a variety of phenomena, including heat transfer, structural mechanics, and more.

[5] A modeling software used to design mechanical parts and assemblies.

[6] Amplify Learning, a branch of Amplify Education, is responsible for the corresponding digital curriculum for K-12 students.

[7] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a free-roaming RPG game.

[8] A 19^th century independence movement that set out to document uniquely Norwegian cultural elements and natural settings to affirm their national identity.

[9] A sci-fi game that requires the player to complete puzzles using lasers, optics, and other means to progress.

[10] A historical simulation game

[11] A post-apocalyptic survival game

[12] “Literature, Ethics, Physics: It’s All In Video Games At This Norwegian School” by Darvasi, Paul. Mind Shift. KQED Inc. 21 July 2014. 18 Aug 2014.

[13] Educational software.

[14] Inside the body

Some new ideas for the blog

I wrote an analysis of Princess Mononoke with respect to disability and I intend to extend that analysis to other shows. This analysis will take a while because I hope to look at various shows, including the ef series, Kanon, Clannad/After Story, Kyoukai no Kanata, Buddy Complex, and others.

I also hope to write a post regarding ways to supplement traditional university learning with alternative methods. This article about implementing video games in a Norwegian high school 
and this other article involving supplementing the textbook in elementary, middle, and high school both are starting points. Another TED talk about gaming for understanding is also pertinent.  Lastly, this TED talk on using animation to test hypotheses seems pertinent to considering improving science education.

This third idea for a blog post is the most iffy and will require a lot of extra work but I was also thinking about writing about the benefits of playing video games. TED talks about the brain on video games and gaming can make a better work will also be instructive for me as I consider this topic.A video on the social implications of merging neuroscience and video game development is also potentially relevant.

If you wanted to see my original idea for tackling this subject (though it is more of a refutation of video games inherently causing violence) go here.

Another related post I made about video games regarding the article/TED talk "Demise of Guys" by Dr. Zimbardo.