All about Raymond Teodo a.k.a. was_bedeutet_jemanden

Academic Writings

Hunt for the Triggerstone: The Search for "True" Perpetual EnergyFor the same subject where I submitted my online debate contribution, we were asked to critically analyze a science fiction text, drawing on the topics we had covered from the course. The following is my book review and critical analysis of Ged Maybury's "The Triggerstone"

HUNT FOR THE TRIGGERSTONE: THE SEARCH FOR “TRUE” PERPETUAL ENERGY

INTRODUCTION

It is an established "fact" that all forms of life require energy in order to keep active (Britannica Learning Library, 2003, pp. 12 and Nicholson, 2000, pp.37). Without energy, we wouldn't be able to turn the lights on at night, keep our cars running, cook/freeze our food , and do the basic tasks we set out to do each day (Nicholson, 2000, pp.37). It is also a fact that many of the energy sources we use rely on an external source to keep them running (Dostrovski, 1988, pp. 3 and Bly & Gunn, 2005, pp. 311). Many human-made technologies used as external sources for creating energy have already negatively impacted on our environment, and environmentalists are urging governments to spend money on creating safer, less pollutant energy sources (Nicholson, 2000, pp. 37 – 38). However, wouldn't it be nice if we could one day discover a “true” perpetual energy source, which does not require an external source of energy to keep it running and is safe for the environment? Such a quest has been on the minds of human beings for centuries.

Science Fiction writer Ged Maybury explores the idea of finding perpetual energy in his book, The Triggerstone, a novel aimed at young teenagers, published in 1993. He also addresses the power struggle between the “natural” realm of pre-modern science and the “unnatural” world of modern science and technology, and how post-colonialists are affected by this. He does this in an attempt to make the reader compare past and contemporary paradigms of science and technology, and question whether current scientific knowledge claims can be considered “valid” on our search for perpetual energy.

THE PLOT

The narrative is set on a small island called D'urville, which is located on the very top part of the south island of New Zealand (Google Maps, 2008). A man by the name of Professor Thomas Alderman leads a small group of people away from London to this tiny island during the late 1800's, where they establish a township called Halcyon, a name which means “prosperous” or “golden” (The Free Dictionary, 2008 and Maybury, 1993, pp. 71). Professor Alderman and his followers strongly believe in Professor Alderman's theories of creating perpetual energy, and they aim test his theories on the Halcyon site. Using a pipe organ, along with the earth's rotation and the alignment of the moon, Alderman creates a machine that produces notes which would harmonize with the magnetic energy of the earth, thus tapping into the earth's energy supply and providing the precious source of perpetual energy to the citizens of Halcyon. However, dissension begins to thrive among his followers, driving Alderman to conduct the experiment earlier than he had originally planned. As a result, the magnetic energy of the earth becomes severely tampered with, and Alderman is sucked into another dimension. The remaining settlers, unable to find Alderman, eventually abandon the township and settle in the outer neighboring villages (Maybury, 1993, pp. 39 – 40, 70 – 73, 125 – 127, 175 – 176).

100 years later, 12 year old Jinnie Wright can sense “earthquakes” that nobody else can feel. She tries her best to keep this frightening realization to herself until one evening, in the fields outside her house, an old Maori woman named Ruby approaches her and gives her a jade pendant, and explains how she has been chosen to remove the “thorn” that has been plaguing Papatuanuku (mother earth):

.... You have been crying, kotiro, and you want to know why the earth shakes........

..... Papatuanuku writhes in her pain. We feel her agony, and it is getting worse. The thorn is digging deep......

.... She has chosen you, child. Your ancestors brought the thorn here. She chooses you to remove it......

.... I have done what I can, but I do not understand the science of your people. Neither do your scientists, I think, for they never leave her alone. I cannot pull out the thorn, so she has called you....

(Maybury, 1993, pp. 17 – 18)

With the help of Marama, (a good Maori friend of Jinnie's), Damien Money, (the school geek), and Ariel Bennett (Jinnie's next-door neighbor), Jinnie attempts to find out what the “thorn” is and figure out exactly what she needs to do to remove it from Papatuanuku. But with outside forces trying to prevent her from carrying out the task - an ancestor of Thomas Alderman who tries to replicate what his great-uncle was unable to achieve, the two sleazy American scientists who try and steal Alderman's ideas for their own greedy purposes, and Damien's betrayal to Jinnie by acting as a “double agent” between her and the two scientists- it is a race against time to save the planet before it is too late.

THE SEARCH FOR PERPETUAL ENERGY NOT A NEW CONCEPT

As previously mentioned, mankind's search for perpetual energy has existed for centuries. Such evidence of this search can be found in the works of the early alchemists who, in their attempts to transmute base metals such as lead into gold, were also trying to create the magical elixir that would sustain life and provide immortality to mankind (Martin, 2001, pp. 21 – 22, 37 – 38). The Philosopher's Stone, the stone that western alchemists were trying to produce that would turn base metals into gold, “was merely the test employed to check whether the Stone was genuine, and its real purpose was to bestow spiritual wealth and prolong life” (Martin, 2001, pp. 21) During the Middle Ages, it was often compared with the Holy Grail and even Christ himself (Martin, 2001, pp 37). Wolfram von Eschenbach, a famous German poet from the Middle Ages, commented in his poem Parzival, that:

“(the Grail) is a stone of the purest kind... called lapsit exillas... There never was a human so ill that if he one day sees the stone, he cannot die within the week that follows... and though he should see the stone for two hundred years it (his appearance) will never change, save that perhaps his hair might turn grey.”

(Martin, 2001, pp. 38)

Unlike the western alchemists, eastern alchemists were conducting experiments to produce a potion that would sustain life, rather than create a stone for that purpose (Johnson, 2004, pp.43, 64 – 65). However, this essay will be focused solely on western alchemy, because the Triggerstone, the machine that Professor Alderman had invented for the purpose of creating perpetual energy, is a representation of the Philosopher's Stone that western alchemists were trying to create.

MUSIC, NATURAL MAGIC, AND THEIR HEALING PROPERTIES

The theory that Professor Alderman was trying to prove with his invention is based on another earlier, recognized, “valid” knowledge claim. In 17th century England, the study of music and natural magic e.g. Astrology and Thaumaturgy were accepted as “real” sciences, and they were taught as such (Gouk, 1999, pp. 91). Although magic, of course, was never taught publicly for fear of the church, it was however taught in private (Gouk, 1999, pp.80 - 90). This was contrary to the study of music, which was first classified under the study of mathematics, before it eventually became a category of its own (Gouk, 1999, pp. 91).

During this time period, the philosopher Robert Fludd wrote a text entitled Utriusque cosmi... historia, otherwise known as History of the Macrocosm and Microcosm (1617 -1621). This work outlined Fludd's version of music theory, how music “(served) both as an organizing principle of the universe and as a manifestation of cosmic harmony” (Gouk, 1999, pp 95). It also showed through its illustrations “the various secret harmonies found throughout God's creation” (Gouk, 1999, pp. 95).

Italian Music Theorist, Vincenzo Galilei, father of the famous philosopher Galileo (Goldberg Magazine, 2003), had theories that were similar to Fludd's. According to Suzannah Clark and Alexander Rehding in their book Music Theory and Natural Order from the Renaissance to the Early Twentieth Century, Galilei proposed that:

Music (tuned) the cosmos according to Pythagorean ratios, and (scaled) the human soul to the same proportions. This enabled the inaudible sounds of the heavens to vibrate within the earthly soul, and conversely, for the audible tones of human music to reflect the celestial spheres, so that heaven and earth could be harmonised within the unity of a well-tuned scale. This scale came to be pictured as a monochord that connected the stars to the earth like a long piece of string that vibrated the structure of the universe. As the invisible and inaudible harmony of the spheres, music imposed a unity over creation, linking everything along the entire chain of being. When music moves, the earth moves with it......

..... As the cosmic monochord, (music) animated the universe and tuned its very being. To disenchant music is therefore to untune the entire world. This is why tuning has apocalyptic overtones. The slightest change in global temperament can cause a collapse of the cosmic order.

(Clark and Rehding, 2001, pp. 21)

Alderman, in his attempt to create perpetual energy using his invention, tried to create a mechanical, synthetic version of what Galilei had described, something which already “existed” in the natural, pre-modern realm. He used Astrology to predict the exact time he should activate the Triggerstone and produce this never-ending energy source. However, because it was a human-made technology that was used to extract perpetual energy, it interfered with the already existing harmonies found in the natural world, causing chaos and disenchantment to occur. It required “natural” science and technology to be able to repair the damage that had been done. Jinnie, our hero, does this by singing to the jade pendant given to her by Ruby. The harmonies produced by this natural form of “tuning” restored the universe to its original form and healed the wounds that Papatuanuku was suffering from (Maybury, 1993, pp.138 – 143, 178 – 181).

HOW DOES THIS FIT IN WITH THE CURRENT PARADIGM OF SCIENCE AND TEHNOLOGY?

At this point, the reader would question whether or not these two earlier theories fit in with today's standard view of science and technology. According to Mark Erickson, whenever a scientific revolution occurs and a new paradigm of science and technology is introduced, much of the “old” science will be disposed of, as it has proven itself “incompatible” with the new paradigm (Erickson, 2005, pp. 106). This has been the case with the studies of alchemy, music and natural magic. As scientists made further discoveries of “true” scientific principles and created new “valid” knowledge claims, these earlier theories no longer had place in the revised paradigm of science and technology.

According to the current paradigm, the first law of Thermodynamics dictates that energy “cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transformed from one form to another” (Hokikian, 2002, pp.XV). In other words, one cannot create something from nothing (Hokikian, 2002, pp. XV). Even the sun, which was once considered a “true” perpetual energy source, receives its energy from the “burning... of the non-renewable hydrogen present in (its) core” (Dostrovsky, 1988, pp. 3). In short, according to the current standard account, no found energy source can be considered “strictly perpetual” (Dostrovsky, 1988, pp.3). This eliminates the Alchemists' theories about the Philosopher's Stone and Alderman's theory of perpetual energy.

Erickson further explains in his book Science, Culture and Society, how the current paradigm is more based on rational, factual, tangible theories, rather than irrational, superstitious, intangible ones; it is based on facts rather than on metaphysical, faith-promoting “stories” (Erickson, 2005, pp. 55 – 56) Therefore, the 17th century theories of music and natural magic being the operative agents controlling the universe, and the much earlier theories of alchemy, no longer fit in with the current paradigm, as it deems these theories to be “non-factual” and “irrelevant”.

However, it is interesting to look at the scientific knowledge claims of Philosopher Karl Popper, who in his book entitled The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1935), claimed that scientists conduct experiments with the determination to prove that a theory is false, rather than try to verify it (Erickson, 2005, pp. 57). Erickson further states that “just because scientists have collected many observations that confirm a theory doesn't mean the theory is correct, just that evidence to the contrary has not yet been found” (Erickson, 2005, pp. 57). Could it be possible that scientists might one day “prove” the first law of Thermodynamics to be false, thus re-introducing the possibility of discovering “true” perpetual energy? This will remain a mystery, until that day eventually arrives.

THE NOVEL'S VIEWPOINT ON HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS AFFECTED OUR ENVIRONMENT

Another element to Ged Maybury's novel is that it takes a technologically deterministic viewpoint. It claims that society, in its attempts to continually advance and progress, is being overrun by technology, and the impacts this has on our environment are quite negative. While it has been "proven" that it is how technology is used, rather than the technology itself that determines whether it is “good” or “bad”, and that all forms of technology “(have) an equal capacity for the enhancement or degradation of life” (Murphy & Potts, 2003, pp. 22), the novel hints that humans tend more to create technologies for the purpose of the latter, thus labeling technology as something to be feared.

Examples of this “fear” of new technologies destroying our planet can be seen in the science fiction novels and films of the 1950's, where the greatest uncertainty and fear was found in the production of a newly discovered technology – the atomic bomb (Booker, 2001, pp. 65 – 104). Science Fiction texts such as Mordecai Roshwald's Level 7 (Booker, 2001, pp. 79) and films such as Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (Booker, 2001, pp. 93 – 94, 101 – 104), all depicted the general publics' fears of the devastating affects this new technology would have on our environment. These fears became realized "facts", such as when people learned about the destruction of Hiroshima (Booker, 2001, pp. 65 – 66) and the crippling health of the Marshall Islanders after their exposure to nuclear waste (Crease,

2003, pp. 110 – 116).

The early 1990's saw a revival in raising environmental awareness, and how humans should commit to repairing the damage that the use of past technologies has caused. This was reflected in the literature and media of the time, such as in the film Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest (1992), where the “evils” of modern technology were represented in the villain, Hexxus, “the very spirit of destruction” (F.A.I. Films, 1992) and the “Leveller”, the human-made machine that Hexxus takes possession of in his quest to destroy Fern Gully. Coincidently, the reader would also notice that The Triggerstone was published in 1993, one year after Fern Gully was released.

It could be argued that Professor Alderman's intentions were good, in that what he was attempting to do would have (in theory) benefited humankind. However, it could also be argued that his intentions were those of greed, as his desire for inventing the Triggerstone could be seen as a quick solution to fulfilling the need for a basic necessity, without giving thought to the effects that his experiment might have on the environment.

THE “AFTERMATH”: WHAT POST-COLONIALISTS ARE DOING TO REVERSE THE CURRENT SITUATION OF THE PLANET

Thankfully, governments are finally listening to environmentalists' concerns and are looking into funding alternative energy sources, such as solar power, wind power, hydro-electric power, tidal and wave power (Nicholson, 2000, pp. 38 – 41). Although these alternatives cannot be considered “true” perpetual energy sources, they do however reduce the amount of damage and pollution caused to the environment. As more post-colonialists take active responsibility in preserving the planet, we will have better chance of repairing the damage caused by irresponsible usage of modern technologies.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, I believe the central message of Ged Maybury's book to be that the pre-modern views of the world have been replaced by the new paradigm of modern science. This new paradigm brings with it new technologies, which are seen as a threat to the natural world. As a result, post-modern communities are trying to repair the damage that has been left behind using other technologies, and they must deal with the huge loss of knowledge which would not have been lost, had the earlier paradigms of science and technology had not been ignored. Had this not have happened, we might have been able to discover that precious, never-ending source of perpetual energy that the alchemists and philosophers of old had been searching for.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bly, R. and Gunn, J. (2005) The Science in Science Fiction: 83 SF Predictions that Became Scientific Reality, BenBella Books Inc

The text from Bly and Gunn addressed the idea of perpetual motion machines, and how Robert Fludd had tried to create such a machine that would grind grain. The book explains that the experiment did not work, because “there is no such thing in the universe as free energy. Friction created by the wheel and pump turn some of the kinetic energy into heat and noise. What is left over is not enough to both grind the grain and keep the wheel going indefinitely” (Bly & Gunn, 2005, pp. 311). To me, this emphasized what Dostrovski had written, that the energy sources we use rely on an external source to keep it running (Dostrovski, 1988, pp.3), hence why I cited this text alongside Dostrovski's in my introduction.

Booker, M. K. (2001) Monsters, Mushroom Clouds, and the Cold War: American Science Fiction and the Roots of Postmodernism, 1946 – 1964, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, London

I was trying to find a text that would somehow link my ideas between the Crease reading from week 8 and my essay. Through this book, I was able to link my ideas together. The examples given in Booker's text was what I needed to be able to link Crease's text with my essay, to support my argument that Maybury's novel reflects the technologically deterministic viewpoint of how poor usage of technologies is having a negative affect on our environment.

Britannica Learning Library (2003) Science and Nature, Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc, U.S.A.

This children's book was written for the purpose of helping children see science in our environment. The section written on energy and its many different manifestations impressed me, and gave me the inspiration to know how I could begin my essay, hence why it is the first text to be cited.

Clark, S. and Rehding, A. (2001) Music Theory and Natural Order from the Renaissance to the Early Twentieth Century, Cambridge University, viewed online, 8 September 2008, http://books.google.com/booksid=wSYm0cUW6PMC&pg=PA32&dq=Penelope+Gouk&lr=&ei=_8DYSKi4FpzitAP8hcXeDg&sig=ACfU3U1mDD2m1dn9A_npFnhdVf3KorFQFw#PPA17,M1

I was trying to search for more articles by Penelope Gouk online and stumbled across this text by mistake. I was excited to read the authors' commentaries on Galilei's theories of music and how it is the cosmic monochord linking the earth with the universe. Up until this point, I never knew that Alderman's theories were based on real scientific knowledge claims that had actually existed in the 17th Century! I was always under the impression that Ged Maybury had made this theory up for the purpose of his novel. I decided that this text was vital for my essay, because I could see Galilei's theories being reflected in Alderman's theories of perpetual energy and the machine he invented.

Crease, R.P. (2003), Science and Other Cultures: Issues in Philosophies of Science and Technology, New York & London, Routledge

One of the three texts from the required course reading I decided to use. I wanted to use it in order to support my argument that Maybury's novel claims that humans mainly create technologies for the purpose of destroying life, rather than preserving it. I wanted to prove how the book takes on this technologically deterministic viewpoint, and wanted enough historical evidence to show why Maybury would want to take on such a viewpoint in his novel.

Dostrovsky, I. (1988) Energy and the Missing Resource: A View from the Laboratory, Cambridge University Press

In trying to compare past paradigms with today's standard view, I came across this text. I felt that the author's critical opinions on the possibility of a perpetual energy source, and his claims of how the sun itself cannot be considered a “true” perpetual energy source, were important, and therefore needed to be included in my essay, to illustrate what the current paradigm of science and technology is.

Erickson, M. (2005) Science, Culture and Society: Understanding Science in the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge, UK and Malden, MA, USA: Polity Press

The second out of the three texts from the required course reading I decided to use. This was one of the “easier” texts to include in my essay, for it clearly explained what our current view of science and technology is, and how scientific revolutions and new paradigms are being created each time a scientific revolution occurs (Erickson, 2005, pp. 106). Through this text, I was able to compare the current standard view with the two 17th Century theories I had previously mentioned in my essay.

Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest (1992), DVD recording, F.A.I. & 20th Century Fox, U.S.A.

To address all the criteria for this essay, I had to find at least one other text to compare my Science Fiction text with, and after having read Maybury's novel through, this film was the first “other” text that came to my mind. Both texts carried the same central message of environmental awareness and both texts carried the notion of technology being something to be feared of, as it has become a threat to our environment. The movie was actually based on an Australian novel about a tropical rainforest in New South Wales of the same name, and I originally wanted to find this book, as I had read it once before as a child, and the book had a lot more insights that the film simply could not cover in its 73 minute time span. However, I was unable to find the book, and so decided to use the film instead for my essay.

The Free Dictionary (2008) Definition of Halcyon, viewed 8 September 2008, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/halcyon

I knew that there was some sort of symbolic meaning behind the word “Halcyon”, the name Alderman and his cult followers gave to the township they established, but before I read up to the page that explained its meaning, impatience got the better of me, and decided to try and look for the definition online. Later, I came to the page where Eve Caldicott (the museum curator on D'urville Island), explains to Jinnie the symbolic meaning behind Halcyon (Maybury, 1993, pp.71). I decided not to let the online dictionary definition go to waste, and so combined the two and cited it in my essay.

Goldberg Magazine (2003) Vincenzo Galilei, viewed 17 October 2008, http://www.goldbergweb.com/en/history/composers/10952.php

The Clark and Rehding text prompted me to find out more about Vincenzo Galilei, and so I did some online research and found this brief biography on him. Somehow, I felt it important to note in my essay how he was the father of Galileo, as the biography mentions how Galilei had been a big influence in his son's life (Goldberg Magazine, 2003).

Google Maps (2008) D'urville, New Zealand, viewed 2 September 2008, http://maps.google.com.au/mapsf=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=D'Urville,+New+Zealand&sll-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=55.824026,89.296875&ie=UTF8&ll=40.84706,173.891602&spn=24.086179,44.648438&z=5

I wanted to see for myself exactly where the setting of the book was located, and was able to find D'urville using Google Maps. The photographs of the scenery there, which are included on this website, gave me a better idea of the novel's setting. Mabury had chosen a beautiful part of New Zealand to base his story, which is important to note, as the novel's main message is how technologies are destroying beautiful “utopian” communities and creating “dystopian” ones through their irresponsible usage by humans.

Gouk, P. (1999) Music, science and natural magic in seventeenth-century England, New Haven (Conn) Yale University Press, viewed online, 8 September 2008, https://www.library.uq.edu.au/resServ.php

I was kindly introduced to this text by the lecturer, which I found quite useful. The history of music, science and natural magic and how these subjects were viewed during that time period were very useful in pointing out how these subjects were once viewed as “real” sciences, and how society's views regarding them changed over time. This text led me to look for other works by the same author, and as a result came across the Clark and Rehding text, which proved itself to be crucial for my essay.

Hokikian, J. (2002) The Science of Disorder: Understanding the Complexity, Uncertainty, and Pollution in our World, Los Feliz Publishing

This text explained more about the laws of Thermodynamics. The author makes an interesting claim in his introduction, how everything that is going wrong in today's world can be explained by Thermodynamics. I felt this text to be important in trying to explain what the current standard view of science is in comparison with earlier views.

Johnson, O. S. (2004) A Study of Chinese Alchemy, Martino Publishing, Mansfield Centre, CT

This book explained the differences between eastern and western alchemy. While the two practices were slightly different, the goal of finding the magical elixir of everlasting life was the same for both kinds of practices. It would have been nice to have been able to include more ideas from this text. However, because of the word count I was restricted under, I could only briefly mention the types of experiments eastern alchemists were attempting to perform.

Martin, S. (2001) Alchemy and the Alchemists, Pocket Essentials, Harpenden, Herts, U.K.

This text explained the concepts of western alchemy very well, and what the true reason behind practicing alchemy was: to “bestow spiritual wealth and prolong life” (Martin, 2001, pp. 21),

rather than try to “get rich quick”. I found this to be important, because it would be implied that if one day a “true” perpetual energy source would be found, we would be able to find the source can sustain and prolong life.

Maybury, G. (1993) The Triggerstone, Ashton Scholastic Pty Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand

The novel that my essay was based on. I had always enjoyed reading this book as a child, and found it interesting to re-read it and gain new insights from it by reading it in the context of the topics covered in the HUMN1004 course.

Murphy, A. and Potts, J. (2003) Culture and Technology, Houndmills, Hampshire & New York: Palgrave Macmillan

The third text from the required readings I chose to cite. It explained the concept of technological determinism very well, and helped me form my opinion of Maybury's novel being a technologically deterministic text.

Nicholson, J. (2000) The State of the Planet, Everbest Printing Co. China

This book was written for the intention of helping children learn about how people can reduce pollution in the environment. The author explains how there are safer, more environmentally friendly ways of providing energy for humans without having to use use nuclear energy or fossil fuels.

HUMN1004: Online Debate - SHOULD ADHD BE CONSIDEDRED A MAJOR MEDICAL PROBLEM? The following is my contribution to the online debate we did in our class on Techno-Science, Power and Cultre. I was a member of the negative team, and I argued that ADHD should NOT be considered a major medical problem. I was the 1st second speaker in the debate. Names of the members participating in the debate have been deleted for privacy reasons... ADHD: Major Medical Problem?...
I have been intrigued with the information that the Affirmative team has given us so far regarding ADHD - what it is, what causes it, what treatments are available and how it affects those who suffer from it. ________ has presented us with a clear understanding as to what ADHD is and _______ gives us a very detailed account of how ADHD should be considered an actual medical condition. All of these valid arguments ________ and _____ give us in order to help us understand that ADHD should be viewed as a major medical problem. However, I would like to re-iterate what _______ has stated in her opening lines, that we as the negative team don’t deny the fact that ADHD is a medical problem. Rather, we question whether or not ADHD should be considered a major medical problem (Fitz-Henry, 2008). To say that ADHD is an imaginary condition has never been on our agenda. It is the seriousness of the condition in comparison with other well-known major medical problems and the number of valid diagnosed cases that we question. My aim today is to show through gathered statistics from researchers on ADHD, how it is impossible for ADHD to be considered a major medical problem.
Research has shown that the average number of children around the world diagnosed with ADHD is approximately 5% (Sparrow, 2003). To some this would seem like a large amount when looking upon the exact number of individuals (_______ gives us the staggering figure of 4.4 million children being treated for the disorder) (Baker, 2008), but in comparison to the number of people in the rest of the world (6.6 billion as of last year) who have not been diagnosed with the condition, it is not that high a number to cause such great alarm (Population Reference Bureau, website). Research described below further indicates that this statistic of 5% is also inaccurate, and that the real percentage of persons suffering from ADHD could actually in fact be less than 5%, thus further proving the argument that ADHD is not a major medical problem. I shall now present these statistics and allow you to consider them carefully and draw your own conclusions.
I would first of all like to point out how broad and inconsistent the symptoms of ADHD children are. Researchers from the Learning and Attentional Disorders Society of Western Australia provide the following list of symptoms of children diagnosed with ADHD. ________ has touched briefly on some of those symptoms in her opening remarks. (Baker, C. 2008) I would like to review those symptoms mentioned, as well as the other symptoms the Learning and Attentional Disorders Society provide for us. While reading this list very carefully, ask yourself: What ordinary child do you know who has NOT been diagnosed with ADHD does NOT display one or more of these so-called “symptoms?”
* Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities. * Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities* Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly* Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behaviour or failure to understand instructions)* Often has difficulty organising tasks or activities* Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)* Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)* Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli* Is often forgetful in daily activities* Often fidgets with hands or squirms in seat* Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected* Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)* Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly* Is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor"* Often talks excessively* Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed* Often has difficulty awaiting turn often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or games)(LEARNING ATTENTIONAL DISORDERS SOCIETY, 2007)
Once again, if you look at this list very carefully: what ordinary child do you know who has NOT been diagnosed with ADHD does NOT display one or more of these “symptoms?” Looking at the list carefully myself, I should have been diagnosed with ADHD when I was younger, having shown most of those symptoms myself as a child!
Jaques Duff, a Behavioural Neurotherapist, explained that the symptoms of ADHD in children are as broad as from being inattentive and non-correspondent to loud and hyperactive (Duff, 2005). With such a wide range of symptoms that seem to contradict each other, it would be very difficult to pinpoint just who genuinely does have ADHD and who does not, and one would have to question whether any type of 'undesirable' behaviour found in the eyes of a child's parents could be perceived as a symptom of ADHD. Admittedly, tests are undertaken to ascertain whether or not a child has ADHD to determine whether the child displays an abnormal frequency of these behaviours in comparison with other children (Duff, 2005, Giler, 2007), but these tests are also quite vague and the results can either indicate that:
a) the child does in fact have ADHDb) the child might have another kind of learning disorder with similar symptoms orc) the child is a product of poor parental discipline (Giler, 2007)
One rather disturbing fact I had found in my research is that not all doctors take the time to conduct these tests properly, if at all. Some of them (on rare occasions), do not even see the child for examination; they prescribe the diagnosis over the phone without first asking for the child to come in to take the tests (Prosser, 2006). Some of them prescribe medications to the child before any testing is undertaken to determine whether the child really does suffer from ADHD or not. One example of this occurring is an interview between ADHD specialist Dr. Lawrence Diller and a 12-year old boy by the name of Billy:
Billy had been on medication for some time, but still clearly remembered being diagnosed. He had been seeing a Dr Wilson and, almost without thinking, Billy told me, “He swears a lot”. “Why is that, do you think?” (Dr Diller) asked?“He's trying to identify with me”, Billy replied candidly. He's the best doctor, I reckon.”“Well what did he do..... how did he test for ADHD?”Billy's response surprised me, but I've since come to be less surprised – I've heard many stories like it. “He gave me dexamphetamine and said “Take this”. So I took it, and I could concentrate, and it was fine, so I thought it was a good idea”.To clarify that Billy hadn't just forgotten,I asked: He didn't try other sorts of stuff?“No.” Billy responded with a tone that suggested it was an odd question to ask.(Prosser, 2006)
With the number of doctors using these kind of practices to diagnose children with ADHD, how are we to believe that 5% of all children around the world are definitely suffering from the condition? This brings me to my second point of argument, that our statistic of 5% cannot be accurate because of the number of misdiagnosed cases of ADHD.
John Sparrow, a child psychologist, pointed out that there has been an “overdiagnosis” of the condition, stating that many children will naturally go through hyperactive phases, and how children who have become anxious because of events in their lives that have traumatized them have also been misdiagnosed with this disorder (Sparrow, 2003).
A case study in Melbourne has shown how a number of children who have been diagnosed with ADHD in fact did not have ADHD at all, rather, they had a depressive disorder called dysthymic disorder. Through studies and tests, the researchers in charge of the study had identified some 20% of children who were currently treated for ADHD, who in fact did not have ADHD at all, rather, they suffered from the depressive disorder. Doctor Alasdair Vance, a child psychiatrist who was one of the researchers working on this project, advised that when a child displays defiant behaviour to seriously listen to the child's problems to figure out whether or not the problem could be showing signs of a depressive disorder, rather than immediately assuming ADHD is the cause for the behaviour. He also points out how the misdiagnosis of ADHD can seriously impair those who should be treated for other behavioural disorders, because they are getting the wrong kind of medical treatment, and they do not benefit from getting this treatment (Simpson, 2003).
Doctor Haber of the Cook Children's Physician Network in Texas has stated that the symptoms found in ADHD can also be found in more than thirty other medical problems and disorders, including vision and hearing impairment, allergies, neurological problems and autism (Haber, 2003). With so many other medical and behavioural problems displaying similar symptoms to that of ADHD, the chances of misdiagnosing a person with ADHD are pretty high, thus further making our statistic of 5% even more inaccurate.
This brings me to my third point of argument. With the misdiagnosis of ADHD in children brings the misuse of prescribed medications that are only supposed to be taken by ADHD children. Adam Balwin, Researcher on ADHD in America notes that:
“overuse of medication is now becoming a problem. Both parents and doctors are becoming increasingly quick to blame behavioral and social problems on ADHD and are quick to utilize medication to fix the situation. The problem with this, warn some doctors, is that by being so quick to prescribe drugs to correct a condition, is that a person might be overlooking other possible causes for such a problem”(Balwin, 1997)
The case study conducted in Melbourne and the account of Dr. Diller's interview with Billy are evidence that Balwin's claims are correct. And if it is possible that children suffering from dysthymic disorder are being misdiagnosed with ADHD, what other possible behavioural disorders could there be that children have and should be diagnosed with, but have been misdiagnosed with ADHD and (innocent and trusting as young children usually are) are compelled to take medications that they do not need and should not be taking?
To conclude my remarks, I summarise the following pieces of evidence I have gathered in discovering how ADHD is not a major medical problem:
• As I have originally stated, research has shown that it is 5% of the world's population that is diagnosed with ADHD.
• I have shown how, of the 5% of people diagnosed, many of the symptoms are so vague and inconsistent that even those not diagnosed with ADHD have displayed similar “symptoms” in one form or another.
• I have shown how, amongst those 5% of people diagnosed, many of those have proven later on to have had another type of behavioural disorder and therefore been misdiagnosed and have undergone extended periods of time being treated for the wrong type of behavioural disorder.
• I have shown how there some parents and doctors who would rather take the easy way to solve a behavioural problem by diagnosing children with ADHD, without undertaking further investigation as to what the real problem might be and therefore adding these children to the rather inaccurate 5% statistic.
These points of argument, as well as the other points of argument which will be raised by my colleagues further in this debate, are just some of a few that dispel the argument that ADHD is a major medical problem in today's society.
BibliographyBaker, C. 2008, 'ADHD is a Major Medical Problem', HUMN1004 online debate, pages 2 and 5, viewed 20 August 2008, http://blackboard.elearning.uq.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_77367_1&frame=topBaldwin, A. 1997, 'ADHD in America: Growing Problem or Convenient Excuse?', viewed 11 August 2008, http://eserver.org/courses/spring97/76100o/contributions/baldwin/
Duff, J. 2005, 'Disruptive Behaviour Disorders and conduct disorder', viewed 11 August 2008, http://www.adhd.com.au/conduct.htmlFitz-Henry, P 2008 'ADHD is NOT a major Medical Problem', HUMN1004 online debate, page 1,viewed 22 August 2008, http://blackboard.elearning.uq.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_77367_1&frame=topGiler, J. 2007, 'What is Attention Deficit Disorder and How is it Diagnosed?' , 11 August 2008, http://www.ld-add.com/Whatis.htmHaber, J., M.D. 2003, 'ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis', Taylor Trade Publishing, New York, pages 37 – 80Learning Attentional Disorders Society, 2007, 'Symptoms of ADHD', viewed 12 August 2008, http://www.ladswa.com.au/page.php?id=116POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU, 2008, 'World Population Data Sheet', viewed 21 August 2008,http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2007/2007WorldPopulationDataSheet.aspx

Prosser, B. 2006 'ADHD: Who's Failing Who?' Finch Publishing, Sydney, pages 24 – 44

Simpson, N. 2003, 'Melbourne Researchers find ADHD misdiagnosis common', viewed 12 August 2008, http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2003/s916559.htm
Sparrow, J. 2003, 'Overdiagnosis is a Major Problem with ADHD', viewed 11 August 2008, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030424/ai_n11386912

I was awarded 17.25 marks out of a possible 20. My argument was persuasive, however, the original text I submitted online had some referencing errors, which I have corrected here in this blog.SOSC1002 Assessment:: Short reflectve Essay. Raymond Teodo (s41880876)

SOSC1002

SHORT REFLECTIVE ESSAY: MY UNDERSTANDING OF ETHNICITY

Introduction

Ethnicity: A word that appears to be quite often used in the wrong context. We see in the media and in our daily conversations that ethnicity often refers to people who do not “look” Australian e.g. A man from Italian descent, even though he may be born here, could be classed by some as being “ethnic” because of his physical appearance (Abizadeh, 2002).

I also once believed that this is what the word “Ethnicity” meant, that the term solely ascribed to one's physical appearance as well as their background, until I enrolled into the SOSC1002 course and discovered that Ethnicity has little to do with one's physical appearance, rather, it is the process of how we interact with those who come from different cultural backgrounds.

This essay will depict how my eyes were opened, how I came to understand and learn more about what ethnicity is and the impacts Ethnic Diversity has had in Australia.

Personal perceptions and behaviour

In order to understand where my former view of ethnic diversity began and how my view has changed, it would be important to relate a bit about my background and how I was raised. I grew up in suburb called Inala. Inala (from my perception of growing up there) is a highly multicultural suburb, with people coming from a mixture of different backgrounds (Indigenous, British, Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan, Latino and South African, to name only a few). I am an Australian born citizen, but my ethnic background is Italian (from my father's side) and English, Irish, Scottish and German (from my mother's side). With this mixture of different backgrounds, I contributed to what made Inala such a multicultural unit. I was taught by my parents to never forget my “roots”, to respect other people's cultural backgrounds and to never condone racism.

At school, our teachers tried to emphasize how important it was for us to respect other beliefs and cultural backgrounds. The terms “race”, “ethnicity”, “cultural diversity” and so on, were all thrown at us without giving us a clear definition of what these terms actually meant. Up until studying this course, I genuinely believed all these words to mean one and the same thing, without separating them and seeing each aspect of ethnic diversity in their individual components:

Race – During the lectures and tutorials for this course, a clearer definition of “Race” has been presented to me. I learned how the term came as a result from early Europeans trying to classify people from other nations. I learned that Race should not be seen as a biological concept, because we all belong to the same human family (California Newsreel, 2003), rather, the term should be more accurately used to describe persons who share the same beliefs, folklore, culture and social practices (Abizadeh, 2002) Ethnicity – Ethnicity is the process of how the different races interact with each other. Like Race, the term should also not be considered a biological concept. I learned this not only from the course material studied, but also from reading an article entitled “Ethnicity, Race, and a Possible Humanity” by Arash Abizadeh. In the beginning of his article, he describes to us his physical appearance and how through his travels to different countries, other people have mistaken him to be of Indian, Spanish, Turkish, Israeli and Brazilian descent, even though he is a Canadian, born of Iranian parents! (Abizadeh 2002). Ethnicity is thus far more the process of sharing traditions, beliefs and culture with other people and allowing other people to do the same. As Arash also comments, Ethnicity can only exist when there is interaction between races (Abizadeh, 2002) Diversity – Whenever I think of the term “Diversity” by itself, I think of the word “diverse”, meaning “something different”. Cultural diversity, from what I've understood and from my own personal research, is the term used to describe HOW the process of ethnicity is carried out, the process of HOW these cultural barriers are shared and practiced (UNESCO 2005). In other words, it is the way in which people express these cultural differences with other people.

My current understanding of the history of policy-making with regard to ethnic 'Others' in Australia

My current understanding of the history of policy making in this country not only comes from studying this course, but also from the AUST1001 course, which I am also doing. Throughout this semester so far, I have had the opportunity both classes to study the different views of Multiculturalism and Ethnicity in Australia. The research Assignment for my AUST1001 course especially helped me to learn more about Australia's political history regarding Multiculturalism and Ethnic diversity. A brief history of Australia's Multicultural Policies and how they have changed is given to us by Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (Healey, 2005).

The summary begins in 1901 with the “White Australia” Policy. This policy required the exclusion of non-Europeans entering the country (Healey, J. 2005 and Kramer, L. 2003. From the mid-1960s to 1973, the Government decided to remove this policy and introduce their new “Assimilation” Policy, which opened the doors for some non-European migrants to enter the country, however, the condition upon entering was to gradually give up their cultural practices and “assimilate” with the Australian population (Healey, 2005).

From 1973 up until the present day, Multicultural Policies have been introduced and revised to include acceptance of immigrants from all backgrounds and allow those from cultural backgrounds to practice their traditions and customs, so long as their those traditions and customs do not violate Australian Law (Healey, 2005).

The impacts of ethnicity on the diversity of Australia's identity and culture

The Hon. Philip Ruddock, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in 1996, commented that “Immigration has been fundamental to the building of modern Australia and is very much part of the fabric of the nation” (Kramer, 2003). It cannot be ignored that the impacts of immigration and ethnic diversity in Australia have greatly shaped what Australia has become today. Most of the changes introduced have been good, however, from what I have researched, there seems to be the question of whether ethnic diversity in Australia has made a positive impact on Australia's identity or not. This was reflected in one of the required readings for this course, in Zuleyka Zevallos' article, It's Like We're their culture, where Zevallos interviewed several women from Latin and Turkish cultural backgrounds. The general consensus amongst the women was that it was very difficult to identify what was unique in Australian culture, that much of their own culture seemed to influence what Australia has become today.

In one way, I can honestly agree with these women. When I was a missionary living overseas in Switzerland, I had the opportunity to work with a few American companions. Whenever they were asked about what it was that made American culture so unique, they were easily able to relate to me the differences that set America apart from other nations. When it was my turn to be asked what was so unique about Australian culture, I had no answer for them. Apart from being able to relate to them what little I did know about Indigenous culture, the only things I had experienced growing up were seeing the traditional practices of other nationalities in my home town, so trying to identify something that was traditionally “Australian” was a challenge for me.

Like the women in Zevallo's article, I too could only see the traditions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the only thing in this country that was truly unique from other nations (Zevallos, 2005), mainly because it had lasted for so many years. However, I have also learned from this course how naïve my perceptions of what “true” traditions and culture were, that the two don't have to orginate from hundreds of years back in order for them to be considered “valid”. If I ever had the chance to turn back time and re-think my answer for my American companions, I would have also related to them all the things I overlooked from our “Anglo-Australian” culture, which also sets us apart from other nations (Zevallos, Z. 2005).

Is Australia truly a non-racist country?

Reviewing what has been happening with government policy concerning ethnic “others” in Australia, one would assume that we are slowly becoming a non-racist country. If we are to believe that all Australians' attitudes reflect the government's“commitment to the right of all Australians to enjoy equal rights and be treated with equal respect regardless of race, colour, creed or origin” (Healey 2005), then this statement would be true. However, it is impossible for the government to speak in behalf of ALL Australians regarding this matter. The attitudes of the One Nation movement organised by Pauline Hanson (Barwick, 2007) and those of the people who instigated the Cronulla riots of December 2005 (Poynting, S. 2006), are clear evidence that not all Australians share the same views as those belonging to the Government. In short, it is my opinion that no matter where you go in the world, you will ALWAYS find someone who is racist, that NO country can truly say that it is an entirely racist-free nation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have gained a much better understanding of the operations of Ethnic Diversity in this country through studying the SOSC1002 course. Through this and the AUST1001 course, I learned more about the politics surrounding these operations and what the Government aims to achieve in the future. I know the term is only half-way through, and I know that there is still a LOT that I must learn concerning this very important topic. I look forward to the rest of this semester!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abizadeh, A. 2002, Ethnicity, Race, and a Possible Humanity, (online) viewed 27 August 2008, http://profs-polisci.mcgill.ca/abizadeh/ethnicity.pdf pp. 23 – 34, 25, 28 and 32Barwick, J. and J. 2007, Who did What When? Multicultural Australia, Heinemann Library, Port Melbourne, pp.24 – 25 CALIFORNIA NEWSREEL 2003, Race: The Power of an Illusion: Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Race, viewed 28 August 2008, http://www.newsreel.org/guides/race/10things.htm Healey, J. 2005, Issues in Society: Multicultralism in Australia, The Spinney Press, Thirroul, New South Wales, pp. 5 – 6 Kramer, L. 2003, The Multicultural Experiment, Macleay Press, Sydney, pp. 3 – 8, 25 – 54, 71 – 78Poynting, S. 2006, What Caused the Cronulla Riot? (online) viewed 9 August 2008, http://rac.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/cgi/reprint/48/1/85 pp. 85 – 92

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANISATION (UNESCO) 2005, Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, (online) viewed 27 August 2008, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001429/142919e.pdf pp.1 – 19

Zevallos, Z. 2005, “It's like we're their culture”: second-generation migrant women discuss Australian culture, (online) Taken from People and Place vol. 2 (2005), viewed 19 August 2008, <http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=200508728;res=APAFT> ISSN: 1039-4788. pp. 41 – 49 (I received a possible 19 out of 25 marks for this assignment. The main thing that lowered my marks was the "flow" of the essay)