R. S. is a 21-year-old, single, Caucasian male with a ninth-grade education. He reports that, due to his excessive use of drugs and alcohol, he was not able to attend school regularly. Even when he did go, he says he was so “stoned” that he could not concentrate on his studies. He even went to college for one semester, but he dropped out because he could not concentrate, and his bad memories kicked up when he recognized students and professors to whom he had previously sold drugs. This made him nervous, and he could not continue his studies.

 

He is currently unemployed; when he is employed, it is as an unskilled laborer. He says that because of his recent unemployment problems and only for financial reasons, he is now living with a close family friend.

 

According to R. S., he began using marijuana when he was 10 years old and has continued to use it on a regular basis for the past nine years. He further indicates that, whenever he attempts to abstain from using this illegal substance, he becomes so agitated that he loses control and sometimes becomes violent and promiscuous to relieve his tension. R. S. recalls recently being hospitalized for a fractured right hand, which he suffered as a result of losing control and punching a wall after a girl said she had become pregnant by him. In addition, he reports having been arrested several times for drug abuse, and that he has sporadically abused quaaludes and amphetamines in the past several years. R. S. says he has few friends in the “straight world,” and that this is due to his use of drugs. He would like to have nonabusing friends, but his situation feels normal to him; he believes nonaddicted friends are a thing of the past.

 

Task: Define what kind of an addiction this person has. Give a DSM diagnosis and your reasons for it. Explain one counseling approach and one technique you would use to intervene with this client.

Walk a Mile

 

Watch A Class Divided (1985) and read Intergroup Contact Theory (Pettigrew, 1998).  Consider these sources as you complete the Assignment.

1. Choose any group of which you are not a member.
   • Possible dimensions from which you may select your group include:  race, gender, social class, nationality, sexual identity, (dis)ability, rural versus urban status, religious belief, incarceration/criminal history, occupational status, victim, military status, and so on.
2. Explain why you selected this group.
3. Describe stereotypes, prejudice, and/or discrimination directed toward members of this group.
   • Use concrete examples to illustrate (e.g., advertisements that depict members of the group in a stereotypical manner, statements you have overheard expressing affective reactions to the group, policies that discriminate in favor or/against the group, etc.).  Consider both negative and positive stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
4. Interpret the experiences of members in this group.
   • The goal is to gain a new perspective, so consider spending time immersed in the group.  Perhaps you could interview friends, family, or community members, or attend an event hosted by the group.  Or, you could present yourself as a member of this group to gauge reactions firsthand.  Alternatively, do some online research.
5. Evaluate reactions toward this group in light of concepts covered in the textbook.
   • For example, how might social psychological theory and/or concepts explain the origin of prejudice directed toward the group you are studying?  What are the influences on members of this group?  Utilize scholarly, peer-reviewed sources to support your points to continue developing your academic voice.  (Reminder:  Be sure to synthesize and paraphrase the information you share from these articles/sources.)
6. Conclude with a realistic suggestion for reducing prejudice toward members of this group, based on the contact hypothesis (see Pettigrew, 1998, for elaboration).

The Walk a Mile paper

• Must be 3 to 5 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • A header
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must utilize academic voice.
• Must address the topic with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms the thesis.
• Must use at least three peer-reviewed scholarly sources.  Additional scholarly sources are encouraged.
  • Be sure to integrate your research smoothly rather than simply inserting it.
  • In general, paraphrase material rather than using direct quotes.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined here and here.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style.
• Must be submitted to Grammarly for review and correction prior to submitting.

Submitting to Grammarly:
Grammarly is your personal editor that can act as that second set of eyes and catch those errors before you submit your assignment.  It takes approximately 5 minutes to set up an account and after that, you simply download your written submission and wait for the magic.  This service is open 24/7, for you night owls hoping for a final proofread before submitting your work.  Grammarly will then provide you with a detailed roadmap for improvement.

Grammarly Resource:  
Before you submit your written assignment, review the The Grammarly Guide: How to Set Up & Use Grammarly tutorial, set up a Grammarly account (if you have not already done so), and use Grammarly to review a rough draft of your assignment. Then carefully review all issues identified by Grammarly and revise your work as needed.

To use Grammarly:

• Go to https://app.grammarly.com/ (and log in if needed).
• Click on “Upload” (located under “New”) and upload your paper.
• Grammarly will scan your paper for errors and issues.
• To read about the errors Grammarly found, click on the ▼expand button.
• To accept Grammarly’s suggestion, click on the green wording suggestion (if applicable).
• To ignore Grammarly’s suggestion, click on the “x” or the “ignore” button.
• Finally, once you have made all of your corrections, click on the ↓ downward arrow icon in the left navigation pane and select “Download.”  This will create a Word document with your corrections.  Note: You might have to remove or delete any lingering track changes or comment bubbles before submitting your paper.

 

Need writing help? The Writing Center offers 24/7 live chat and paper review to all students! Just click on the Writing Center tab in the left column of the classroom to access these services.

You can also email the Writing Center directly! writing@ashford.edu .

 

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Learning Services Writing Center

 

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignm