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Hope: The Scientifically Proven Mental Shield

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In a recent study, it was proved that hope protects our brain from anxiety and expands our understanding.

Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. It has been a stimulator, a motivator, and at times, the only positive force left in us when we are going through our bad times. Just like any other feeling, hope is intangible and unseen, yet it has been ever-present in us. And its presence has finally been identified by science.

In a recent study, Chinese psychologists found out that hope protects our brain from anxiety and expands our understanding of things that are happening as reported by Big Think. Defining hope as an important term in positive psychology, scientists conducted a survey on 231 students and found out that hope trait was related to the brain region that is involved in the reward-related procession, motivation production, and goal-oriented behaviour. “ Overall, this study provides the first evidence for functional brain substrates underlying trait hope and reveals a potential mechanism that trait hope mediates the protective role of spontaneous brain activity against anxiety” the researchers quoted as per the website.

Anxiety has long been the cause of our mental struggles. Anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, hypertension, and so much more, it is anxiety that has aided these diseases. Not necessarily as a disease, but people suffer from anxiety in various situations. In all those times when we were helpless, when we could feel that chill down our spine, when our mind was contemplating scenarios we feared to face, or creating illusions that demoralised us – we hoped. We simply sat there and hoped that things would be fine. We hoped that we would not have to endure the trauma, the stress, the pain, or the anxiety for long. We hoped that someone, somewhere, somehow could save us from all that was happening, or was about to happen.

Turns out, we were “the one” we were looking for, and hope was “the how” that protected our brain. The positive force that we clung on to in anonymity was actually helping us survive our mental battles and shielding us from all the negative forces trying to let us down. Science recognising hope as the protective force justifies all the endurance that we made all this while. This study proves that being hopeful protects our brain from harmful thoughts. It proves that we have a positive force within us that helps us combat all the negativity and gives us the strength to keep going. We should take this research as a benchmark and be ready to face whatever comes our way for all of us know that we have what it takes to wade through deep waters.

 

Feature Image Credits: ThinkingWords

Karan Singhania
[email protected] 

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News

UGC prepares new Psychology syllabi, says current curriculum “not rooted in the national ethos.”

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On 5th October UGC released a letter that suggested the universities to adopt new model Psychology syllabi at B.A/B.Sc, M.A/M.Sc and PhD levels.

The letter sent and addressed to vice-chancellors of all universities said, “It had been noticed that Psychology, as taught in institutions of higher learning was neither keeping pace with the recent developments in the discipline nor fulfilling the societal needs. The prevalent course contents commonly taught in the classroom were not rooted in the national ethos. UGC, therefore, constituted a Committee of Experts to look into different aspects of teaching and research in Psychology besides drawing upon the considerable work that is underway for the purposes of developing vibrant model syllabi for different levels.”

Letter issued by UGC
Letter issued by UGC

Further, it added that the new curriculum made by the Expert Committee took the latest developments in the field of Psychology into consideration and new syllabus has given special relevance to the Indian context of discipline.

The brief letter did not mention who the members of the Expert Committee are which raises many questions. Such as who are the committee members, what were the selection criteria, and on what basis did they conclude that the prevailing course content is unsatisfactory.

While talking to DU Beat, Dr Gayatri Arunkuma, a Psychology professor at Indraprastha College for Women, denied the claims of UGC and asserted that “The current CBCS syllabus has a lot of Indian perspective on psychology in both theory and practical papers. We also refer to several research publications and textbooks focussing on the Indian perspective in Psychology Honors course in DU. So, our curriculum is, in fact, rooted in national ethos as we are teaching a new updated in 2014 syllabus.”

She further added, “UGC being an important institution could perhaps initiate a more democratic exercise on Psychology syllabus revision, where all psychology faculties can email their views n issues.”

The commission has asked affiliated colleges and universities go through the new syllabus, which is available on the official website, and introduce it in the current course. However, as of now, there is no new syllabus published on the UGC website. We tried to contact Mr.P.K. Thakur, Secretary and Financial Assistant of UGC who also wrote the letter on the commission’s behalf, but all our calls to his office remained unattended.

Picture Credits: The University Grants Commission
Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Weighing the Academic Shelf: DU Courses Unbalanced with Gender Disparity?

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Courses like the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) and B.Sc. Home Science are only available to women, while girls’ colleges continue to dominate the available seats in Psychology.

With females venturing in male-dominated spaces and vice versa, our workspaces are slowly but steadily becoming gender-neutral. However, it seems that the University of Delhi (DU) is still perpetuating (and encouraging) gender stereotypes – even in 2017.

As of now, there are only five out of twelve colleges co-educational colleges in DU which offer an undergraduate degree in Psychology. None of the five options available for boys hold high reputation, whereas girls have the option of studying the subject at prestigious institutions such as Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) and Jesus and Mary College (JMC). The limited number of seats and absence of good colleges deter boys from studying Psychology from DU and ultimately, they have to seek admission in expensive private colleges. Anuradha Das Mathur, the Founding Dean of the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, writes in an essay, “The benefits of diversity are as critical in the classroom as they are in the workplace. In areas influenced by psychology, the absence of men brings along even more exaggerated risks.”

While the situation is bad in Psychology, it is even worse (hopeless) in the elementary education programme. The Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed), a four-year integrated professional degree programme which qualifies a student to practice as teachers at the elementary school level, is currently available at eight colleges – none of which are co-ed.

University of Delhi colleges that offer B.El.Ed.

  1.    Aditi Mahavidyalaya
  2.    Gargi College
  3.    Institute of Home Economics
  4.    Jesus & Mary College
  5.    Lady Shri Ram College for Women
  6.    Mata Sundari College
  7.    Miranda House
  8.    Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College

There are very good chances that during school we addressed more teachers as ‘ma’am’ as compared to the seldom-used ‘sir.’ Teaching is one such field where the male-female ratio is almost equal (as of 2011, 45.5% of teachers in schools are women). Teaching is believed to be ideal for women because the short working hours, holidays, and statutory work environment make it convenient for them to manage household responsibilities alongside their job. Also, stereotypical feminine traits like motherly affection and patience are associated with teaching. This is the reason why more and more women take up teaching as a career, but just because a career path is often charted by certain gender norms, this shouldn’t be an excuse for the public-funded educational institutions to limit the access for another gender.

Just like B.El.Ed, there are no DU colleges that offer Home Science to boys. Currently, only two all-girls’ colleges – the Institute of Home Economics and Lady Irwin College – teach B.Sc. (Hons.) Home Science. In popular culture, Home Science as a subject has been described as “cooking or stitching,” a course that teaches you how to be a good housewife. People often overlook that a Home Science student can very well be a nutritionist, dietician, counsellor, or a textile specialist. It’s true that enriched prejudices and clichés are reasons which deter boys from pursuing Home Science, but the lack of seats/colleges shouldn’t be one.

Yatin Arora, a hotel management and catering student of Ansal University says “I had Home Science in class 12th, and I wanted to study it further. However, there were no options available for me in the University of Delhi. The girls who scored less than me in Home Science have secured  seats in Lady Irwin College, while I’m studying in a private college.”

It is indisputable that we need more female engineers and scientists, but we also want more boys in the capacity of therapists and crèche owners. The idea that culinary art, elementary education, and psychology are women-oriented fields is a patriarchal construct. The University of Delhi, as a progressive-feminist space, shouldn’t reinforce these gender stereotypes by segregating some so-called feminine courses from interested male students.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Next Regeneration

 

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

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Daulat Ram College

In Conversation with DU Stanford Summer School Alumni, Shreya Dubey

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Shreya Dubey is a student of Psychology at Daulat Ram College, who got to attend the reputed Stanford Summer School program. Her choice of subject was Affective Science, Neuroscience, and Social Psychology, offered by the Psychology Department of the university. She secured an admirable GPA of 3.9. She talks about her experience at the institute, and of walking in the same places as some of her greatest idols.

Q. What made you choose summer school over an internship? Did you have any notions about studying in the US specifically? In your opinion, what should an Indian student keep in mind before deciding to undertake such a course abroad?

Shreya: Ever since the start of my undergraduate degree at Daulat Ram College, I learnt about the pioneers in the field of psychology and the research carried out by them. I always wanted to know what it’d feel like to be in the same place as these researchers. I believe that internships are important but thorough knowledge of the subject matter is a must before trying it out on the field.

I always felt that the education system in the US is more liberal and research oriented, and it turned out to be true. In addition to better infrastructure and more possibilities, there are also a wide range of subjects to choose from. The curriculum taught is nearly the same but due to abundance of resources, application of this knowledge is better abroad.

I feel that before investing oneself in such a course abroad, one should be passionate about learning. It is a rigorous and well planned course, and creative thinking is encouraged and appreciated. I can say that the learning experience is nothing short of transformative. It changes the person that you are.

Q. How is the education system in USA different from that in India (DU specifically)? Which changes must India begin inculcating immediately?

Shreya: From what I have experienced so far, I think the syllabus is not very different in both countries, especially in psychology. However, the examinations in USA largely involve application of the learnt material. Knowing is not enough, one must understand the concepts and should be able to apply them in real life situations. The availability of better infrastructure allows one to go beyond textbooks. I believe that the same is required in India. Specifically in DU, I feel that free access to WiFi is a basic facility that should be provided. More access to the University research database should be provided, even to undergraduate students. In this era of technology, a more comprehensive web based system will enable us to perform better.

Q. What made you choose Stanford University for your field of study? How would you say your degree compares to similar degrees in other institutes in terms of syllabus/ subject content and future prospects?

Shreya: Oh, it was always a clear-cut choice! The Psychology Department at Stanford is ranked number one in the world and there is no other place I’d rather have been. I chose the courses DU does not offer at the undergraduate level, and it was a wonderful experience. I made friends from all around the world. The degree is an added advantage to my CV as now I have knowledge of some emerging subfields in psychology which are not taught as prominently in India. I now have a global standing in terms of academia and can aim and achieve better things in the future. All that I learnt during the summer was totally worth the investment.

Q. What tasks did you undertake as a member of the marketing team? As the Global Ambassador for Stanford Summer School ’16, how do you plan on best representing the University?

Shreya: Being a part of the Marketing Team was an altogether new experience for an introvert like me. Summer at Stanford is far from mundane – there is so much happening on and off campus that you always find yourself surrounded by things to do. As members of the Marketing Team, we were supposed to cover the various events happening around the campus, ranging from Movie Screenings to Handwriting Analysis Workshops. We also contributed pictures and blog pieces about various weekend trips all around California, be it Napa Valley, San Francisco, or to the Google Headquarters.

My responsibilities as the Stanford Summer Global Ambassador mainly involve promoting this amazing opportunity amongst students of DU. I am currently in touch with Presidents of some colleges and hope to hold small events across the University soon. I believe that it is important that students get to know about these global programs so that they get to experience more than just their own culture and develop a global sense of education.

Q. What was a typical day at campus like? What do students do, when not attending classes? Are extra-curricular activities and sports an active part of the lifestyle of a Stanford student?

Shreya: With a campus spread over 8,000 acres with several libraries, tech lounges, swimming pools, tennis courts, an exclusive shopping mall, football fields, and the memorial church, I think Stanford has something in store for everyone. A typical day at campus involves biking to class, and after class activities vary according to one’s interests. For me, time after class was mainly spent at the library or strolling around the campus. I swam occasionally, and devoted a lot of time to playing basketball.

Activities other than studies are such an integral part that they don’t even use the word- extracurricular. It is pretty much a lifestyle choice and everyone indulges in some thing or the other. Someone plays the cello at the Church, while someone else does Yoga or spends time at the gym – there is just so much to do that you can never get enough.

Q. Being a college student living in one of the most popular destinations in the world, how did you manage your finances apart from the tuition? What did you find yourself spending the most on?

Shreya: Being the foodie that I am, most of my expenses were centered on trying various food items. There are jobs on campus for visiting students. I managed my expenses mainly from participating in research studies happening around the campus. In fact, I think I was able to save around $150.

Q. What was your most profound memory at Stanford University?

Shreya: My most profound memory has to be the day of our Orientation. That day, I looked around myself and realized where I was. I was walking the same corridors as the two most influential people in my life – Dr. Robert Bandura and Dr. Philip Zimbardo. When I reached the site of the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, I could actually feel a connection to the place and felt a lump in my throat as I felt for my subject as I never had before. I know that those weeks at Stanford will keep me motivated to be my best as a person, and as a scholar. If you have a passion for something, be it anything, Stanford is the place to be.

Q. Please describe the application procedure for the 2016 session and share relevant links.

Shreya: The applications for Summer Session 2016 are now open!

1) Courses Offered: The students have a plethora of courses to choose from. Over 175 courses are offered in 35 departments within the schools of Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Engineering.

2) Application Deadlines: You can apply now and save on the application fee. The applications for the early period are now open. Undergraduate and Graduate International students can apply till March in General application period. The Late period admissions extend till April 24, 2016. Online courses are also offered starting this summer quarter.

3) Silicon Valley Innovation Academy: For all the innovative people who want to change the world with their ideas, the SVIA is a golden chance to learn from the best, and have the chance to present ideas to successful entrepreneurs at Stanford Sharks.

More details regarding Summer Session 2016 can be found at http://summer.stanford.edu/

Vani Vivek

[email protected]

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Offbeat

Off Beat:Criminology

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Criminology is a social science that is concerned with the scientific study of crime. A criminologist is a social scientist who specializes in the study and control of crime. Criminologists gather and analyze statistics about crimes and the people who commit them in order to identify patterns of criminal behavior but are not on the front lines fighting crime like police officers.

In India, criminology is a dveloping field. Criminology careers can be divided into three broad categories: Law Enforcement Criminologists, Professors and Academic Researchers, and Correctional Officers and Social Workers. Students who are interested in this field usually study psychology or sociology at the undergraduate level before earning a masters degree in criminology. If one doesn’t end up working directly in criminology, he/she can use the background to work in social services or law enforcement.  NGOs, banks and teaching are good options too.Both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in criminology are offered by various institutes. The basic requirement for getting admission at the undergraduate level is Class 12th with either arts or science and at the postgraduate level is to be graduated with science or arts subjects.

Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (NICFS) in New Delhi, University of Madras(Chennai),Lucknow University, Banaras Hindu University are some of the institutes that offer  courses on criminology.

Analytical skills, good understanding of psychology, sociology, good data collection ability and an empathetic and sensitive attitude towards the needs of the society and a desire to construct a safe society are the essentials skills of this field.

 

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