Psychological Effects of Combat

Psychological Effects of Combat PSYCHOLOGY OF A FIGHTING MAN INTRODUCTION Movies make the business of fighting and war effortless and uncomplicated. They make us believe that soldiers are some sort of killing machines. The reasons for killing may be many; because they are told, if they don’t kill they will die, the enemy is a threat to enduring peace and so on. The movies make us believe that a soldier fires to hit and kill each other. While this holds some truth, a deeper study is needed to understand the psychology behind the actions of these fighting men. Talking about the psychology of a fighting man is like virgins talking about sex. Days can be spent discussing it and the mechanics involved can be fully understood. However, you cannot be absolutely sure that the man who understood the mechanics behind the psychology will behave as expected, when he is faced with a combat situation. That is because when bullets and shells start zipping past, the emotions and Adrenaline start running high and that will affect how a fighting man sees things in the battlefield. During warlike situations, every soldier sees things different from another soldier. AIM The aim of this paper is to understand the psychology of a fighting man, the factors affecting his desire to kill on the battlefield and how it affects his mind and behavior. The paper also intends to cover the psychiatric effects of combat on a soldier and offer possible solutions. THE BEHAVIOURAL PATTERN Behaviour During Combat When it comes to combat situations, behavior of the animal species can be classified into four stages, Posture, Fight, Flight or Submit. Also, animals do not generally kill others of their species, except with very few exceptions. In this regard, human beings are like animals in our behavior, especially in a combat situation. When animals fight, they do not directly get to a physical fight. The start posturing to intimidate the enemy. Humans are not much different. Rifles, artillery guns and tanks provide perfect tools for posturing. They are dangerous, they are loud. Shells and bullets zooming past overhead can be terrifying any man on earth. The shooter gets a feeling of power and the act provides a primal release to him. Posturing also form part of combat tactics. It is said that in Vietnam War, only one out of 52000 shots fired scored a hit[1]. Were the Americans that bad at shooting? No, in fact they were very superior in posturing. However, when the time came to aim at the VietCong, the Yankee preferred to posture, rather than to kill. This does not mean the whole aim is not to kill, but to scare the enemy by posturing. There will be a few whose sole aim is to increase the use of body bags by the other side, whatever maybe their motivation. They are like that one percent of fighter pilots who accounted for forty percent of planes shot down in World War II. In war, a soldier’s behavior is also affected by the fact that whether he has to kill anyone. A person is more willing to face risks if he does not have to kill anyone. Best example in this regards are the medical corps people. Now, let us understand what happens when the enemy decides to run away. The best way to explain it is by drawing a corollary again with the animal world. What happens when you try to run away from a dog? It will run behind you, catch you and bite you. This may even result in your death. In the same way, to run away from an enemy who is on an adrenaline rush is like signing your death warrant. This is the reason behind retreating forces suffering higher number of causalities. The Decision to Kill This is the hardest decision every fighting man has to take on the battlefield. This decision is influenced by many factors. Every soldier who is shooting may not be trying to kill his opponent. He might fire on order. But it is difficult to ascertain whether he is trying to kill. Case in point being 1:52000 rounds ratio which I talked about in the Vietnam War. A majority of people will hesitate before killing another human being, unlike what is portrayed in the movies. They will do it only when they are pushed to the corner and this affects them psychologically in a big way. The Distance. A major factor which affects the decision whether to kill is the distance between a soldier and his enemy. The distance can be broadly classified into two physical distance and emotional distance. Emotional Distance. Emotional distance has nothing to do with the physical distance between a soldier and his enemy. He can kill his opponent at closer ranges provided he is able to achieve some sort of emotional distance from the enemy. Moral Distance. Moral distance considers that the enemy is wrong in his morals and ethics. Social Distance. A fighting man uses social distance to kill an opponent he considers socially inferior to him. Mechanical distance. Mechanical distance comes into play when the enemy is not seen by one’s own eyes. He is seen though a mechanical medium. It could be a screen, a display or a scope. Therefore the trauma of seeing the target as a real human is avoided. The presence of an officer does wonders to a soldier’s willingness to kill an enemy. Other factors which contribute are the want of revenge, hatred or mortal fear. However, studies show that the most important factor which propels a soldier to shoot and kill his enemy is the feeling that if he doesn’t kill, he will let down his comrades. THE EFFECTS ON THE FIGHTING MAN Psychiatric Casualties It has been proven that the longer a soldier is exposed to combat situations, the more are the chances that he will become a psychiatric casualty. Now, what is a psychiatric casualty? He can be defined as any militarily ineffective soldier in whom the predominant factors producing ineffectiveness are of psychological as opposed to physical or neuropsychiatric origin. How long does it take for an average soldier to become a psychiatric casualty? Roy Swank and Walter Marchand, both US Army doctors conducted a study[2] during world war II and came out with a result that 98% of all surviving soldiers will become psychatirc casualties after sixty days of continuous combat. The remaining 2% were already identified with having aggressive psychopath tendencies. So to put it in lighter vein, a combat unit goes completely crazy at the end of sixty days. Manifestations of Psychiatric Casualties The effects of being a psychiatric casualty can be of varied forms. It may also affect different individuals at different degrees. This in no way means that the mental stability of an individual is lost and he is no more capable of fighting. In most cases a window of proper rest away from the frontline will help in alleviating combat stress. Fatigue. The first and foremost manifestation of combat stress from a prolonged battle is Fatigue. It is nothing but the soldier being tired and is in no mood to do anything. Confusional State. If the fatigue is not checked in time, a psychiatric casualty can reach Confusional State. In simple terms, a person is ‘lost’. Ganser Syndrome. If a soldier does not slip into Confusional state, he may be affected by something called Ganser syndrome[3]. In this, he starts avoiding fear by substituting it with humour. Conversion Hysteria. A severe form of Confusional state is called Conversion Hysteria. It can happen while the combat is own or it may surface years later. A psychiatric casualty suffering from Conversion Hysteria looses touch with reality. He cannot distinguish potential dangers. He becomes insensitive to his own security. He may just wander into minefields or enemy fire. Anxiety Disorders Continuous state of anxiety during combat creates havoc in a soldier’s sleep. He feels that he is always tired irrespective of the amount of rest or sleep he gets. He starts getting nightmares and can also be obsessed with death. He doubts his ability and starts suspecting that he is coward and may fail his colleagues. The symptoms of increased anxiety states are breathlessness, blurred vision, tremors, temporary paralysis and fainting. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is another effect which can be caused by anxiety. A soldiers blood pressure may increase radically even years after his combat experience causing profuse sweating and nervousness. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). Anxiety can also cause OCD. The behavioural pattern of soldiers with OCD are similar to that of those suffering from Conversion Hysteria. The major difference is that he is aware of his surroundings and actions. Character Disorders. Anxiety can also cause Character Disorders in a soldier. A soldier becomes obsessed with particular actions or objects. This may result in him being paranoid about his personal safety. SOLUTIONS What are the possible solutions to these issues? First and foremost will be proper training and indoctrination. It definitely needs to be sufficient to ensure that it if not prevents, at least delays the onset of combat stress. The next step should be to identify potential psychiatric casualties as early as possible. Presence of trained counselors and psychiatrists are also essential to ensure that these potential cases do not develop into full blown psychiatric casualties. Units need to be rotated at the front on a regular basis. A ‘crazy’ unit at the end of sixty days of combat duty is not only detrimental to themselves, they are dangerous to the nation too. The final solution remains that of damage control. A psychiatric casualty should be addressed clinically. There should be counsellers at the rear to take care of potential cases. CONCLUSION The aim was not to question the capability or motivation of soldiers. It was to bring to light that every armed force today is treading on thin ice as far as the well being of the soldiers is concerned. Psychiatric casualties may take out a good part of a force, maybe more than what will fall prey to enemy bullets. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention the psychology of a fighting man, to realise what drives him, what holds him back and what other than mortal wound will take him out of the equation in a battlefield. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Grossman, Dave â€Å"On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society†. New York; Backbay Books, 1996. 2. Bray, Charles W. â€Å"Psychology and Military Proficiency†. New Jersey; Princeton University Press, 1969. 3. Watson, Peter â€Å"War on the Mind†. London; Hutchinson and Company (Publishers) Ltd, 1978. [1] Collins, Randall â€Å"Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory† Princeton University Press, 2008, pp. 58 [2] Swank, Roy L., and Marchand, Walter E. Combat Neuroses: Development of Combat Exhaustion, Archives of . Neurology and Psychiatry, American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, USA. vol. 55, 1946, pp. 236-247. [3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20703401 accessed on 02 Aug 13

Nelson Mandela Essay -- Nelson Mandela Essays

Activist, lawyer, father, prisoner, survivor, president, the face of equality. Nelson Mandela has an inspiring story of fighting Apartheid forces and surviving a long prison sentence all in the name of freedom and equal rights. Through Nelson Mandela’s constant fight for freedom of the African people from white apartheid forces, he was dominated by the corrupt government. After uprising numerous riots against apartheid forces, Mandela was sent to jail for twenty-seven years revealing the cruelty that humans can possess. With the strong will power and complete support of the African people, Mandela survived his prison sentence and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa exposing the strength in human nature by showing that humans can persevere through tough times. Mandela left a profound impact on the African people by saving them from corrupt Apartheid rule and bringing a democratic government. Thus teaching the world that in an event where a body of people is suppressed, they will inevitably rebel by any means necessary to gain their freedom. Nelson Mandela’s life can be seen as a double climax: where he survived events directly related to the Apartheid’s cruel/unjust actions along with enduring medical ailments later on in his life. In a four year span, from 1960 to 1964, Mandela had to find strength and will power to persevere through a rollercoaster of events. Mandela’s affiliation in the African National Congress allowed him to organize supporters and protest against the inequality of whites and blacks in Africa, and bring attention to the abuse blacks have been forced to endure for far too long. The constant back and forth commotion between the apartheid and the freedom protestors caused a snowba... ...t a Middle East country? Would similar things/punishments occur? Works Cited de Zayas, Alfred. "Nelson Mandela." Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. Humanitarians and Reformers. New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1999. Print. Keller, Bill. Tree Shaker: The Story of Nelson Mandela. Boston: Kingfisher, 2008. Print. Mandela, Nelson, and Nelson Mandela. Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography. Boston: Little, Brown, 1996. Print. McKenna, Amy. The 100 Most Influential World Leaders of All Time. New York, NY: Britannica Educational Pub. in Association with Rosen Educational Services, 2010. Print. "Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

Family and marriage ten theories Essay

1. Family Ecology- The ecological context of the family affects family life and children’s outcomes. It explores how the family is influenced by the environment.This theory studies how family lives and decisions. It basically brings forth the idea that every choice that you make affects your family, your lifestyle, the surrounding events as well as historical events. Key Concepts Natural physical-biological environment- This concept deals with climate and climate change, soil, plants and animals. Social- Cultural environment- This concepts deals with human made things as well as cultural artifacts. Theorist/ Individual- This concept was discovered/ or created by ecologist Strength and Weaknesses- Some strengths of this theory is that What You Think- I think that this theory is totally correct. I feel like every choice I make does affect my family. It affects their lifestyle as well as how they view things, as well as how they form their opinions. These decisions that I am making now, affects how we live and will affect how they decide they will live when they get older. These decisions are things like, where we live, how we live, work ethics, as well as the food we eat. 2. The Family Life Course Development Framework – Families experience predictable change over time. This basically brings forth the idea that families go thru unpredictable changes, which add and subtract from their family composition. This means birth, death and the leaving home of a family member. Key Concepts Family Life Course- Events that add and subtract from a family’s composition Developmental Tasks- tasks that have to be completed before you can transition to the next stage. On Time Transitions- Events that occur when they are supposed to, as opposed to being too early, or too late. Role Sequencing- The order in which major transitions take place. Theorist/ Individual- Life Course Therapist, and Ueker and Stokes Strength and Weaknesses Some of the strengths of this theory is that it analyzes the family as a unit. What You Think- This theory basically states that family life begins with marriage. This is crazy and untrue. I say this because nowadays family life begins when you have a kid as opposed to when you get married. 3. The Structure- Functional Perspective- The family performs essential functions for society. This deals with the way families fulfill basic societal needs, such as raising children responsibly, providing economical support, and emotional security. Key Concepts Social Institution- Family Structure Family Functions Functional Alternatives Theorist/ Individual- Social Scientist Strength and Weaknesses- Some of the strengths is that it analyzes the way families raise their kids, as well as how the family meets the needs of its members. The weaknesses of this theory is that it analyzes the family as a whole, as opposed to analyzes each person individually and how they deal with each other. What You Think- I think that each perspective is uniquely different and this perspective analyzes how families fulfill its members needs. The needs that they analyze, are basically what makes a family functional. These needs are things that each members needs to feel like they play a part in the unit. 4. The Interaction- Constructionist Perspective By means of interaction, humans construct socio-cultural meanings. The internal dynamics of a group of interacting individuals construct the family. Key Concepts Interaction Symbol Meaning Role Making Social Construction of Reality Destruction Postmodernism Theorist/ Individual Strength and Weaknesses- The strengths of this theory is that it looks at the family as a whole to see what is being done collectively to create the closeness. One of the weaknesses is that it does not look at the obvious, it should analyze the person that keeps the family together. Each member is following the lead of one person, who’s main goal is to keep the family together. What You Think- I think this theory basically analyzes family practices and what things, like rituals, bring them together, or create a apparent closeness. These are things that can be used to identify, or analyze another persons behavior, when they don’t come from a family like structure. 5. Exchange Theory- The resources that individuals bring to a relationship or family affect the formation,continuation, nature and power dynamics of a relationship. Social exchanges are compiled to create networks and social capital. This meaning that when people are engaged in social exchanges they limit their costs and maximize their rewards. Key Concepts Resources Rewards and Cost Family Power Social Networks Social Support Theorist/ Individual- Social Therapist Strength and Weaknesses- The strengths of this theory is that it analyzes relationships and people’s economic perspective on forming the relationships. The weaknesses are that the perspective analyzes the people’s economic perspective on forming relationships but it doesn’t analyze thoroughly what type of person they are, and how they attract friends, and form relationships. What You Think- I think this is a great theory. It basically means that when you are forming relationships with people you are analyzing what you can get from the relationship, as opposed to what you are giving in return, or what you have to bring to the table. It basically states the person with less committment to the relationship has more power.  This is because the person with less committments not the person competing for the relationship,as if they don’t care either way, whereas the other person actually cares and wants the relationship to bloom. 6. Family Systems Theory- The family as a whole is more than the sum of its parts. This meaning that the family, becomes whole, although it is comprised of interrelated parts. Key Concepts System- a combination of elements or components that are integrated and organized as a whole. Equilibrium- balance Boundaries- ideas about who is in the family and who is out  Family Therapy- Theorist/ Individual- Psychotherapist Strength and Weaknesses- Some of the strengths are that the theory is that it bases its theory off of research of the family and how it is comprised of different parts. One weakness is that it does not analyze the different personalities within the family as well as the family interactions to determine what keeps them balanced. What You Think- I think that the Family Systems theory is a theory that basically researches the family and it looks at a system as a combination of elements. This is good because it looks at how the family actually interacts together. 7. Conflict and Feminist Theory- Gender is central to the analysis of the family; male dominance in society and in the family is oppresive of women. It is the opposite of structure functional theory. The theory argues that human physiology, genetics, and hormones predisposed individuals to certain behaviors. Key Concepts Male dominance Power Inequality- Theorist/ Individual- theoretical scientist/ social scientist Strength and Weaknesses- Some strengths of these two theories are that they basically analyze what causes certain people to be treated unfair and unequally. It basically tries to ask and answer the question as to what makes males more dominant than females. One of the weaknesses is that it can not effectively  answer this problem, nor solve it because it still exists. What You Think- Conflict Theory analyzes unequal Power. Feminist Theory analyzes gender issues. 8. The Biosocial Perspective- Evolution of the human species has put in place certain biological endowments that shape and limit family life choices. Key Concepts Evolutionary heritage Genes Hormones Brain Processes Inclusive Fitness Theorist/ Individual- Behaviorist Strength and Weaknesses- One of the strengths is that it analyzes the fact that a persons environment helps shape them. One of the weaknesses is that their research found that they could not the factors considered were dependent upon each other, as opposed to just one. What You Think- I think that this theory basically analyzes how a person sees the world and how their behaviors are affected by their environment and family life. 9.Attachment Theory- Early Childhood experience with caregivers shape psychological attachment styles. This brings forth the idea that during infancy and childhood a young person develops a style of attaching to people. Key Concepts Secure Insecure Anxious Attachment Styles Theorist/ Individual- Behaviorist Strength and Weaknesses- some of the strengths are that it analyzes why kids act the way they do and how they get attached to people. The weaknesses are that it does not leave the door open to explain if they are conditions that worsen the child’s ability to attach to a person, or What You Think- I think that the theory is dead on and it explains why a child acts a certain way towards people they don’t know, meeting new people, and why they don’t want to be seperated from their care giver.

Woodrow Wilson and The Treaty of Versailles - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 713 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Treaty of Versailles Essay Did you like this example? The Treaty of Versailles was the US President Woodrow Wilson’s delivered speech in January 1918. In that speech, he put out his vision for the postwar world. The thing that helped evolved Wilson’s plan for the comprehensive overhaul of international relations was â€Å"The Fourteen Points†. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Woodrow Wilson and The Treaty of Versailles" essay for you Create order Wilson asked for a swift end to the war. Wilson’s Fourteen Points were hugely influential in shaping the outline of the postwar world and in spreading the language of peace and democracy around the world. With negotiating the Treaty of Versailles, the Paris Peace Conference established the â€Å"League of Nations†. The League of Nations is an international peacekeeping organization tasked with resolving international disputes without resorting to military force. Terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles established a plan for the postwar world. One of the most debatable terms of the treaty was the War Guilt clause. The other nations directly blamed Germany for the outbreak of bloodshed. The treaty forced Germany to disarm, to make territorial compromises, and to pay reparations to the Allied powers in the large amount of $5 billion. Meanwhile, US President Woodrow Wilson was opposed to such harsh terms, he was outflanked by the French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. France was the only Allied power to share a border with Germany, so they to suffered the bulk of the devastation and casualties from the German war machine. The French wanted to weaken Germany to the greatest extent possible. Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles. President Wilson was heavily involved in negotiating the treaty, which reflected his vision for the postwar world isolationists. The US Congress proved a huge stumbling block to ratification. The Republicans but also some Democrat s, where against the treaty, especially Article X. Article X was a committed member-states of the League of Nations to go to war on each other’s behalf in the event of a groundless act of aggression. The Irreconcilables saw this as a violation of US sovereignty and some believed that it would commit the United States to an alliance system that could eventually lead to another war in the future. Because of the opposition from the Irreconcilables, the Treaty of Versailles was never eliminated by Congress, so therefore the United States never became a member of the League of Nations. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was a German dictator. In August 1914, during the outbreak of World War I, Hitler was living in Munich and voluntarily joined in the Bavarian Army. According to a 1924 report by the Bavarian authorities, allowing Hitler to serve was almost certainly a huge mistake, since he was an Austrian citizen, he should have been returned to Austria. Hitler served as a dispatch runner on the Western Front in France and Belgium, spending almost half his time at the â€Å"regimental headquarters† in Fournes-en-Weppes. While behind the front lines he was present at the First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras. The Battle of Passchendaele was also one of the very many battles he was in. Adolf was wounded at the Somme. He was given a medal for bravery. Also receiving the Iron Cross, Second Class, in 1914. He was awarded these things because of a recommendation from Lieutenant Hugo Gutmann. First Class on 4 August 1918, a decoration rarely awarded to one of Hitlers Gefreiter† rank. He received the Black Wound Badge on 18 May 1918. Hitler became a dictator in 1934, and in 1939 is when he invaded Poland. Thus creating World War II in Europe. The war had put Germany against Italy, Japan, and the â€Å"Axis Powers†. The aftermath. So after all of the back and forth with the League of Nations, Germany ended up paying for all of the bloodsheds that they had caused in the begging. Russia had suffered just like Germany did in the end, they had to pay a price also. But that price wasn’t money, no it was that they had lost their economy. The US had an awful outcome as while. Many people became disillusioned with the values and ideals of American political democracy and consumer culture. The generation that came of age during the First World War and the â€Å"Roaring 1920s†. Or better known as the â€Å"Lost Generation.† And that same lost generation is what had started the Industrial Revolution.