Journals should be double-spaced, size 12 type, using Microsoft Word. Your journal submission should be no longer than 3 pages - if you can do it in less, that's fine. Before submission review and correct all written errors so that papers will meet an academic standard of writing.
Students' papers submitted with numerous written errors may have their papers returned to them having received no credit. (Students may wish to use grammarly a possible free correction web tool.) Should students so desire, journals may also be written and saved to your hard drive before the due date for future submission.
Each report will consist of one observation per journal assignment of an occurrence that demonstrates the inter-relatedness of factors involving health (mental, emotional, physical), empowerment, and spirituality. The journal is supposed to be a reporting of an incident that either you have observed involving others or something from your own life (friends, family, neighbors, etc.) that was a meaningful event. It can also be from a memory.
The purpose of the assignment is explained and is meant to raise your consciousness of the mind-body-spirit connection (e.g. when someone has something that happens that is happy, how does their body feel, and how do they illustrate an expression of spirit/emotional quality?).
The first journal is always the hardest and may take the longest. But, usually, after students get the gist of it, it goes faster and easier to identify the dynamics of an event in the next three journals. Your written report should follow the outline given below. It is suggested that students print this outline up, so that they may check their work before submitting it. I will also be using the same outline for grading purposes.
(**Note: Students may find that the first couple of Journals will go slowly. But, generally students have found that as they progress along, this assignment goes easier and faster as they adjust their viewpoint.)
Outline
The Incident:
1. what happened, including quoted statements that were made by the people involved(quoted material).
2. Describe the individual psycho-emotional behaviors that occurred.
verbal (language usage, tone of voice, etc.)
non-verbal(e.g. facial expressions, body movement, pace of conversation, emotional quality: sad, happy, etc.)
3. Physiological factors of stress observed that were impacting the participants (e.g. illness, disability, and possible consequences of physiological aging).
4. Describe your impressions of each participant's underlying intention (e.g. sometimes evidenced through tone of voice), self-esteem, coping strengths, coping mechanisms, emotional stress, specific areas of conflict.
5.Desscribe and discuss any noticeable issues regarding socioeconomic factors, differences in social class, age factors, gender factors, racial/ethnic factors, community factors that may have played a part in the incident.
6. Describe and discuss signs of possible spiritual/cultural factors that played a part in the event.
a. Demonstrated values (e.g., view of right and wrong)
b. Demonstrated beliefs (e.g. sources of meaningfulness, faith, motivational factors of empowerment)
c. Expectations of self and others (e.g. significant persons, family, friends, and social experiences regarding life roles in the community
7. Your evaluation and conclusions of your observations of the incident:
a. What if anything, did you learn from your experience of this incident?
b. In what ways might you apply what you have learned?
to your personal life?
to your professional life?
to your own attitudes regarding health and empowerment?