The Science of Addiction and Obsession - Journal Project

Introduction

The major project for this course is based on each student keeping a daily journal for 6 weeks and then writing a Reflection paper based on those entries.

The purpose of this project is to help the student pull together his/her own experiences and observations about issues relating to addiction and obsession and the way in which these issues are manifested in society, in the student's personal life, in the business world and in the culture in which the student was raised. The Journal is the foundation of this project.

Keeping a Daily Journal

Beginning on Week 6, each student will keep a daily written journal. Each student will note things that s/he hears or experiences that has a connection tothis topic. These might be things the student encounters in his/her daily life, something that is read in a newspaper, magazine or book, seen or heard on the news or noticed in a movie, tv show or even in a song.

The student will not be handing in the journal, so the student's notes will be kept confidential. It is not necessary to write an essay in the journal. Entries can be in the form of sentences, short notes or even bullet points. However, students should keep in mind that they should write enough details so that they can clearly remember or reconstruct what they saw/heard when they sit down to write their reflection paper.

Make sure to date each entry.

Here are some questions you should be asking yourself as you work on your journal:

1. What is my personal understanding of these issues? Do I need to learn more to understand them better?

2. As I look over my experiences, are there any themes that emerge? ( For example: Do I judge people with substance abuse issues or emotional issues?)

3. Do I tend to notice things that happen to me, but not to others?

4. When I see something that is clearly related to these issues, how do I deal with the situation?Do I speak up or do I avoid getting involved?

5. Do I have any behaviors that are evidence of addiction/obsessive behavior? If so, what am I doing to help myself?

6. Do I negatively judge people who have obsessive behavior or addictions?

7. Is there a religious component to my thinking - i.e. do I rely on what I was taught in religious school or in a house of worship to judge certain actions, or have I moved beyond or away from those teachings to develop my own understanding of the world?

8. How does my culture affect my understanding of these issues?

Where to look for material for your journal.

Material for your journal is all around you. However, if you are looking for some help, here are some suggestions:

1. Choose a topic we're discussing in class and talk to three friends/relatives/people at work about it. Journal about your discussions. (You can do this several times if you wish using different topics and different people.

2. Review the headlines of the NY Times every day and read an article that deals with addiction or obsession. Write about the article and what you think the issues are and how those issues make you feel.

3. Keep an eye out for issues about addiction and obsessive behavior in popular media - tv, radio, music, films.

4. Follow social media and write about issues relating to addiction and obsession that you come across.

5. Become more aware of things that are going on around you - in your home and family, religious group to which you belong or other religious groups, work, walking around your neighborhood, in school, things you see on the news.

6. Listen to the music you like. Is there any content that you might label as dealing with addiction or obsession?

Understanding your journal entries in a deeper way.

At least one time prior to the submission of the reflection paper, students will have the opportunity to share their journal entries with another student of their own choice. This exercise will help students get a broader perspective about their understanding of addiction and obsession in the "real world."

The Reflection Paper

What is a reflection paper?

A reflection paper is an essay in which the writer thinks about and discusses some sort of experience. The word "I" is an essential component of what you write.

What is the focus of this particular reflection paper?

You are being asked to think about and discuss your personal thoughts, feelings, ideas and questions about the project that was assigned.

This is not a paper about a subject - i.e. "addiction/obsession." It is a paper about you - what you think and feel in relation to the project of keeping a daily journal for approximately two months during which you will expand your appreciation of the way in which ethics is part of the world around you.

You must write about addiction and/or obsession and how writing the journal expanded your understanding of ethics in your own life, in society, in religion, in the business world and in the culture in which you live. You don't have to hit all of these subjects and you may include others not listed here. However, you should make sure that your journal entries are varied and derived from a wide scope of different sources so that your entries cover a number of different ideas and concepts.

Format of paper

Set up the paper according to the following guidelines:

1. Word document which will be uploaded to the discussion bd forum.

2. Approximately 4 pages - not less than 3, not more than 5.

3. Double spaced, 1" margins all around.

4. Times New Roman 12 point type - NOTHING ELSE

5. Your Name and Title of the Course, Section of Classand Summer Semester, 2016 at the top of the page.

Content of Paper

The student will address the following in essay form:

1. Describe your experience of journaling every day. Have you ever done this before? What challenges did you experience?

2. Was discussing your journal entries with a partner helpful? What did you learn from discussing your journal entries with your partner? Please be specific.

3. Describe three things that you included in your journal that you feel affected you the most with respect to the topic of this course and how it plays out in the world. Explain why each of these things was important or meaningful to you and what you learned from each of these things.

4. What was the single most important thing that you learned about addiction/obsession by doing this project? Describe in detail.

5. How was your understanding of addiction/obsession changed by doing this project? Describe in detail.

6. How did doing this project enhance or change what you learned in class and through your reading and other activities related to this course?

7. Did doing this project change your life or change your view of the world and your place in the world? Please describe and be specific.

8. What did you like the most about this assignment? What did you like least?

9. Please include anything else you would like to say about this project and your experience with it.

10. How would you assess your work on this project? How could you have done better?

Grades will be awarded on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Accuracy in following instructions for the project.

2. General Content and development of the essay.

3. Level of critical thinking/reflection about the topic.

4. Clarity of presentation of the material.

5. Grammar, spelling, appropriate word choices,

6. Demonstrated interest in/enthusiasm for topic