What Are the Main Perspectives in the Study of Psychology Essay Example for Free

What Are the Main Perspectives in the Study of Psychology Essay What research methods are used to study these perspectives? Every topic in psychology can be looked at in a number of different ways and various different approaches can be adopted for each topic. These approaches are known as perspectives (i. e. view) that involve certain assumptions (i. e. beliefs) about human behaviour: the way they function, which aspects of them are worthy of study and what research methods are appropriate for undertaking this study. There may be several different theories within an approach but they all share the above common assumptions. Different perspectives have different research methods. The â€Å"Gloria Tapes† of 1975 are a good example of how different perspectives are used to address the same problems in a client’s life, as they are looking at her problems from different viewpoints (http://www. metafilter. com, accessed February 2012). For the purpose of this essay, we will be looking at the five main psychological perspectives. These include the psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioural, biological and humanistic perspectives. A wide range of research methods are used in psychology. In its simplest terms, Martin Shuttleworth (2008) defines research as â€Å"In the broadest sense of the word, the definition of research includes any gathering of data, information and facts for the advancement of knowledge† Types of research methods include laboratory and field experiments, case studies, correlations, interviews, observations and questionnaires. These research methods fall into two basic categories: quantitive and qualitive. Qualitative research gathers research that is not in numerical form and is useful for studies at the individual level (i. e. client centred therapy). Quantitive research gathers data in numerical form, which can be put into categories, in order or measured in units of measurement. This type of data can be used to construct graphs and tables of raw data. Experiments typically yield quantitative data (McLeod, S. A. 2007). This essay will now go on to explain the main perspectives in more detail and what different research methods are used for each perspective. The essay will end in a conclusion based on what has been discussed. Sigmund Freud was undoubtedly the main founder of psychodynamics. In 1900 he published his paper â€Å"interpretation of dreams† (Gross, R. 2001 page 15). This marked the beginning of psychoanalytical thought. Other psychiatrists who also helped strongly with the psychodynamic movement include Carl Jung, Alfred Adler and Melanie Klein. Freud’s psychoanalysis is the original psychodynamic theory and is based on the belief that events in our childhood can have a significant impact on our behaviour as adults. He believed that people had little free will to make choices in life (opposite to humanism) and instead, our behaviour is determined by the unconscious mind and childhood experiences. Freud explained the human mind like an iceberg, with only a small amount of it being visible (Gross, R. 001 page 15). Most of our thoughts and ideas are not accessible at that moment (pre – conscious) or are totally inaccessible (unconscious). He used techniques such as free association, dream analysis and transference to unlock the subconscious. Most of our subconscious has been made up through repression, whereby threatening, traumatic or unpleasant experiences are â€Å"forgotten† and â€Å"locked away†. This is a major form of â€Å"ego defence†. Repression is closely related to resistance, interpretation of which is another key technique in psychoanalysis. Freud believed that personality is made up of three components: the id, ego and superego. The id and superego (unconscious) are in constant conflict with the ego (conscious), which tries to resolve this discord. If this conflict is not resolved, we use defence mechanisms to reduce our anxiety. Psychoanalysis attempts to help patients resolve their inner conflicts. The id also contains two instincts, eros (life and sex instinct) and thanatos (dream instinct). Thanatos has weaker energies than eros and is therefore channelled away from ourselves and into aggression towards others. One aspect of psychoanalysis is Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, which shows how early experiences affect adult personality. The most important stage is the phallic stage and during this stage boys experience the â€Å"Oedipus† complex and girls experience the â€Å"Electra complex† (Gross, R. 2001 page 15). These complexes result in children identifying with the same sex parent who enables them to learn sex appropriate behaviour and a moral code of conduct for their future life. However like lots of Freud’s work, it has been criticized for over emphasizing the importance of sexuality and under emphasizes the role and influence of social relationships. The types of research methods that are used to study the psychodynamic approach include case studies (i. . Anna O, Little Hans), experiments, hypnosis, slips of the tongue (paraplexes), projective tests (TAT, Rorschach) and dream analysis. Psychodynamic research methods are mostly unscientific and lack empirical support, in terms of analysing human behaviour. For this approach, we are more likely to see qualitative data collection (case studies) which are subjective and also unfalsifiable. The humanist approach believes this approach is too deterministic, leaving little room for personal agency although a great strength of psychodynamics is that it highlights the importance of the subconscious mind and defence mechanisms. Freud too criticizes other perspectives, especially behaviourism, as it doesn’t take into account the unconscious minds influence on behaviour (McLeod, S. A. 2007). Behavioural psychology is concerned with how outside environmental factors (stimuli) affect observable behaviour (response). It focuses on learned behaviour and how these behaviours are learned and reinforced. The underlying assumption is that psychology should be seen as scientific. Around this time Watson, who was the founder of behaviourism, became increasingly critical of introspection and was also starting to experiment on non – human animals. He believed the psychodynamic perspective was difficult to verify and was very subjective, the polar opposite of behaviourism which can be accurately measured. With his famous manifesto of 1913, Watson redefined psychology and launched the behavioural school of psychology (Gross, R. 2001 page 13). He believed people are born with a â€Å"blank slate† and that peoples (and animals) behaviour are controlled and taught from their specific environment, rather than internally (i. e. Freud, Jung). Freud completely rejects tabula rasa and believed people are born with â€Å"instincts†. Behaviourism is purely a â€Å"nurture approach† and how we are nurtured, determines behaviour. The two main processes whereby people (and animals) learn from their environment are namely classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning by association. The Russian psychologist, Pavlov (1897) accidentally stumbled upon this condition after originally studying digestion in dogs (McLeod, S. A. 2007). He noticed the dogs salivating whenever he came into the room, even when he wasn’t bringing them food between experiments. He believed dogs didn’t learn to salivate when they saw food. This was â€Å"hardwired† in them as an unconditioned reflex. So why were they salivating when they saw him enter the room? He came to the conclusion the dogs learnt over time to â€Å"associate† him with food. From this knowledge he conducted experiments where he successfully conditioned dogs to salivate to the sound of just a bell through the repeated association of the sound of a bell and food. This proved his theory. Operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of behaviour. B. F.  Skinner investigated this theory with controlled experiments and showed how rats learnt and changed their behaviour from punishment, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement with his â€Å"Skinner Box† experiments (McLeod, S. A. 2007). This and other human experiments explained some behaviour by a person’s (or animals) motive, therefore proving behaviour occurs for a reason. One other behavioural theory that should be mentioned is social learning theory. Albert Bandura (1977 page 38) states behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning (bobo doll experiment). He believed we learn indirectly, observing behaviours of others then imitating them. For a person to imitate another, the behaviour must be seen as rewarding in some way (reinforced) otherwise this wouldn’t happen. Memory is also involved in some way, and then the behaviour is carried out. Behaviourism is very scientific, using quantitative data. Its laboratory experiments and research with non-human animals is always supported by empirical data, obtained through careful, controlled observation and measurement. These measurements and data are also very accurate. There are limitations to this perspective, with regard to it being too deterministic and its experiments having low ecological value for some. Humanists also believe you cannot compare animals to humans. Behaviourism began to loosen its grip during the 1950’s and during the 1960’s, cognitive psychology started to take hold. Cognitive psychology is introspective and focuses on mental processes such as memory, thinking, problem solving, language and decision making. It has been greatly influenced by psychologists such as Piaget, Bandura and Tolman (1948). It’s a very scientific perspective, and revolves around the notion that if we want to know what makes people tick and behave in certain manners, then we need to know what processes are actually going on in their minds. Unlike behaviorism, which focuses only on observable behaviors, cognitive psychology is concerned with internal mental states. It explains behavior in terms of how the mind operates, often comparing it to a computer (Gross, R. 2001 page 21). Such internal processes include perception, memory, language and maladaptive thinking. These processes are viewed as mechanistic. Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information. It comes from the Latin word â€Å"perceptio† which means receiving, collecting and action of taking possession with the mind or senses. â€Å"Memory is the means by which we draw on our past experiences in order to use this information in the present† (Sternberg, 1999). Memory is essential to all our lives. Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. Schemas are memory knowledge packages and can be defined as â€Å"a set of linked mental representations of the world, which we use both to understand and to respond to situations† Piaget, J. (1936). Born in 1896 Piaget was the first psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget called the schema the basic building block of intelligent behaviour – a way of organising knowledge. All of us use schemas in our everyday life as well as stereotyping, which are â€Å"mental short cuts†. Stereotypes are often communicated through words i. e. hairman. Another area of cognitive behaviour is social cognition which is concerned with how people think about each other and different social groups i. e. class, minorities. It is suggested people have psychological problems due to maladaptive thinking and irrational thoughts. C. B. T. challenges these thoughts and behaviours to treat such disorders i. e. Depression or Anxiety. Research methods for cognitive behaviour are mostly in the form of laboratory experiments. Case studies though are sometimes used in situations where individuals are brain damaged. It’s extremely scientific using mainly quantitive data. Skinner criticizes the cognitive approach, as he believes that only external stimulus response behaviour should be studied, as this can be scientifically measured (McLeod, S. A. 2007). One of its strengths though is that this perspective has many empirical studies to support its theories. It’s easily measured which is why it’s included in the medical model and is currently used widely in the NHS. The cognitive approach though, does not always recognize physical factors in determining behaviour. The biological perspective studies such factors. The biological perspective is a way of looking at psychological topics, by studying the physical basis for animal and human behaviour. It is one of the major perspectives in psychology, and involves such things as studying the immune system, nervous system and genetics. This field of psychology is often referred to as biopsychology or physiological psychology. This perspective has grown significantly over the past few decades, especially with advances in our ability to explore and understand the human brain and nervous system. Eysenck (1980) believes peoples personality behaviour can be explained in terms of the kind of nervous system a person inherits and has also produced evidence ( Eysenck 1967) relating to biological differences between introverts and extroverts, believing behaviour can be governed by physiology and genetics (inheritance), (Gross, R. 2001 page 616). MRI scans and PET scans also allow researchers to look at the brain in different ways and can explain behaviours in neurological terms. This can sometimes explain abnormal behaviour in people. Biological psychologists believe that schizophrenia is affected by levels of dopamine (a neurotransmitter), and a brain scan can show up these levels. Autism can also be treated by psychoactive drugs and low carbohydrate diets too (Gross, R. 2001 page 582). Those findings have also helped psychiatry and helped to relieve symptoms of mental illness through drugs. One limitation of this perspective is that Freudians would say the biological approach only treats the surface symptoms and not the underlying causes of the actual problem. This approach is very scientific, using laboratory and natural experiments for physiological studies. Brain function studies include invasive (Autopsy) and non- invasive (CAT scans) methods. Brain damaged individuals are also investigated through case studies. The biological approach has a strong counter argument against the nurture approach (behavioural) but humanists would argue against this perspective as being too deterministic. Two of the most influential theorists in humanistic psychology are Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs Model). Carl Ransom Rogers was born in 1902 in Oak Park Illinois and is the founder of â€Å"person centred† or non-directive therapy. It’s a form of talk psychotherapy and the goal of P. C. T is to develop a sense of self wherein the client can realize, how their attitudes, feelings and behaviour are being negatively affected and make an effort to find their true potential (Rogers, R C 1961 page 18). Clients are aided by the therapist to find their own solutions to their problems through self-awareness, finally leading to self-actualisation. In Rogers’s words â€Å"the organism has one basic tendency and striving – to actualise, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism (Rogers, R C 1961, 487). He believes we can help ourselves through our own free will and personal agency, to self-actualise to become a fully functioning person once again. Humanistic psychologists empower their clients rather than have â€Å"power† or â€Å"authority over them like psychoanalysts or behaviourists do. They look at human behaviour not only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. It’s based on the six core conditions needed for change. As humanists focus on the whole person (holism), they regard scientific measures (i. e. biological) inappropriate for studying behaviour, although their belief in free will is in opposition to the deterministic laws of science. The research uses qualitative data, using methods such as case studies and informal interviews. Qualitative data also gives genuine insight and more holistic information into behaviour. As we can conclude from the discussions on the various perspectives, each one focuses on their own unique conception of why humans behave as they do. Freud’s â€Å"tension reducing person†, Skinners â€Å"environmentally controlled person† and Rogers â€Å"growth motivated person† are all quite different from each other. This diversity of approaches and research methods reflect the complexity of this subject matter. However we’ve also noted some important similarities between different approaches, such as the deterministic nature of Freud’s and Skinners theories and the scientific nature of the behaviourist and biological approaches, which have no consideration for human free will. Each perspective has its own unique strengths and limitations and can even contradict each other’s theories. A scientific approach such as cognitive psychology tends to ignore the subjective (i. e. personal) experiences that people have. The humanistic approach accounts for this but largely at the expense of being non-scientific in its methods and ability to provide evidence. Each perspective though, has something of value to contribute to our understanding of ourselves and human behaviour. Without all these perspectives; our learning and understanding of human behaviour would indeed be more limited and therefore each perspective has its own unique place in psychology.

The Prioress Tale :: essays research papers

The Prioress’ Tale Prologue Prioress, now it is your time, Speak up loud, be not a mime. â€Å"Fine then, I’ll tell you a tale from my mother, ‘Twill be unique, unlike any other. My story will teach you change isn’t good, Understand it you will, make you better it should.† The Tale Across the town and down the street People stopped to sample his delicious treat Sweet, thick and full of custardy goodness There was a man, not Elliot Ness Who fulfilled the Bronx’s pudding needs. A fat man, he was, pudding was his seed To plant on the earth to grow. The lunch rush on Monday was quite slow, But Pudding Man knew not what to do. So he shut down his shop and put on his shoe And walked right home and started to nap, He fell asleep quick, unlike dripping maple sap. All of a sudden something made him scream, Was it a seizure, no it was just a dream. The dream inspired him to rethink his life Should he shut down his shop or kill himself with a knife? No, Pudding Man thought to himself, Just remodel the shop and add some new shelves. Change his image and his shops image too, Add new flavors of pudding, none tasting like poo. The next day Pudding Man began his plan, New recipes, new store front, new sign that read â€Å"Pudding Man.† Even with the new image, no business came. In fact his new image was incredibly lame. Then Pudding Man began to think, Appeal to new customers, along the lines of a mink. â€Å"I’ll cater to animals of all different kind, I’ll make new recipes that I think up in the mind.† Scour the world is what Pudding Man did, Looking for new ingredients, like Beruitan Malkafid, Venezuelan Tapioca and Chinese Vanilla Bean, Would make his pudding quite peachy keen. And for decoration add a bone or catnip His pudding was so good, his dog licked his lip. Pudding Man thought to himself, â€Å"I don’t know what I should, Oh well, I’ll make it up, just knock on wood.† He opened for business at a quarter to eight, He arrived early, not to be late. The first customer strolled in at 7:46, Hoping for goo business, he prayed not for a jinx. The customer brought in his pet porcupine. â€Å"My pet ‘pine likes pudding, and yours looks quite fine.† The man told our jovial Pudding Man. So, He ordered a bowl of Mongolian Poe. â€Å"What is exactly Poe, my good fellow?† Pudding Man didn’t know but he acted quite mellow. â€Å"Ummmmm†¦it tastes likes a mixture of apples and grapes.† But what Pudding Man didn’t know, is that Poe was the snot of apes.

My Country †Dorothea Mackellar Analysis Essay

My Country is an iconic nationalistic poem about Australia written by Dorothea Mackellar in 1908. Dorothea Mackellar was born in Sydney in 1885. Her education was comprised of private home tutoring until she attended University of Sydney. She travelled broadly with her parents and also become fluent in Spanish, French, German and Italian. She highly educated and lived an adventurous life. Though raised in a professional urban family, Mackellar’s poetry is usually considered as typical bush poetry, inspired by her experience on her brothers’ farms near Gunnedah, North-West of New South Wales. Dorothea began writing at a young age and astonished her family when magazines paid to buy the rights to publish her prose pieces of literature. On September 1908 a poem, ‘Core of My Heart’, appeared in the London Spectator. It also reappeared several times in Australia before being renamed as ‘My Country’ in her first book, ‘The Closed Door and Other Verses’. During World War I ‘My Country’ became one of the best-known Australian poems which successfully appealed to the sense of loyalty nurtured by the war and post-war patriotism. This was all because of its frequent inclusion in anthologies. The Mackellar family owned several properties in the Gunnedah area in New South Wales, and it is this country that inspired her writing career. An Anthology is a collection of priceless pieces of literature. An anthology will include all types of literature; fiction, poetry and drama to journals, letters, essays and speeches. An anthology records the enhancement of one of the great literatures in all its energy and variety. Hence, ‘My Country’ deserves a place in such as collection because there is a strong contrast between the Australia she saw from the current one. ‘My Country’ is a rhyming poem which consists of fourteen stanzas. The descriptive language is evocative/ expressive of various Australian landscapes and will attract readers of all ages. The poem has been brought to life as a magnificently exemplified picture book. Mackellar introduces the idea of Australia’s uniqueness firstly in the first two stanzas, with a juxtaposition of Australia’s wild landscape compared to England’s local landscape. England’s scenery is described as ‘grey-blue distance, brown streams and soft, dim skies’; While Australia’s landscape is portrayed as ‘a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains’. This description of the two countries suggests that the Dorothea’s persona believes that Australia’s remoteness makes it beautiful and incomparable to England’s landscape. This informs the reader that she prefers the sunburned land of Australia with its savannahs and mountains and ever-changing weather. It is not a calm land; it is a challenging one, harsh in times of drought, unpredictable in rainy season. Flood and fire are part of the landscape and can be overwhelming. Yet for all the wildness, all its fi erceness, it can be a generous land and a magnificent one, and those who call it home have an innate connection to the land. From ‘I love a sunburnt country’, which presents the following stanzas on Australia, Mackellar begins inducing the idea of Australia not just being a dead piece of land but equivalent and featuring similar characteristics of a person. This idea is deliberated through personification by denoting to the land as she or her. For e.g. the poem reads, ‘I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, and’ -‘for flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold’. By utilising this technique, Mackellar is able to express the deepness of her relationship and passion for her land truly is. There is a steady rhythm in the poem, which exemplifies some sort of flow of life, for example, ‘floating rains’, or it’s running in your veins’, which present this method deliberately. The reader can imagine how vivid, detailed and erratic the country is due to the thorough detail that Mackellar uses to describe it. This enables the reader to identify and relate to it in some way. For example, ‘my homing thoughts will fly’, informs the reader that she is thinking of her home, and also ‘opal hearted country’. Mackellar uses simple vocabulary that everybody can understand and appreciate, but often some the verses and words have other meanings. For example, she repeatedly says; ‘core of my heart, my country’. Mackellar uses romantic words in her poem, ‘I love her jewel like sea’, and the reader can visualise the image she produces in their head. These images include, ‘a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges’ and ‘my heart, my country’. Words like these appeal to the reader’s emotions and have a strong effect. Consequently, she also writes about negative points in life ‘when sick at heart, around us, we see the cattle die’ and especially on this continent ‘of droughts and flooding rains’. Nature disasters like ‘flood and fire’ are in contrast to ‘the hot gold hush of moon’ .The poet describes the contrast with the conflicting words ‘her beauty and her terror’. In addition, she also illustrates images through the expressive colours; Descriptions such as ‘Sapphire misted mountains’ and ‘opal hearted country’, display a special exclusivity that only her love of country reflects. She presents emotion with verses such as, ‘my country’ and ‘my Heart’, which signify her love and nationalism towards Australia. Many of the previous Australian anthologies consist of vivid, descriptive lively pieces of literature which highlight certain moments or events. ‘My Country’ has been included in many Australian anthologies which were published after the First World War. It’s important to publish this poem into this current era’s anthology as well because, it will educate future generations about Australia’s landscapes, physical aesthetics and how it was received by the people during that time. Dorothea Mackellar’s poem deserves a place in the current era’s anthology because; the verses of the poem carry deep meaning. Mackellar has also lived in the Australian country side for a while and she has included every moment of her experiences and love she had in her heart, for her country. To conclude, ‘My Country’ has been the greatest iconic, patriotic poem about Australia. Since it was written by an Australian with English ancestry, it includes a comparison of Australia and Great Britain. Her poem has won many awards and has been received well by readers across the nation. Also, it lets the reader open his/her heart and establish a strong connection with Australia. Therefore, it surely deserves a place in the upcoming anthology about Australia.

The Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered - 988 Words

The Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered There are copious amounts of people who believe that the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. Others think the drinking age needs to remain the same. A few of those also conclude the legal age of adulthood should be raised to 21. The belief is if the adolescent brain has not matured enough to support alcohol use by age 21, it cannot make the responsible decisions required at 18 years of age. Voters should make the decision to keep the legal drinking age at 21, because lowering the age could lead to several psychological,physiological and sociological issues. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be medically irresponsible. Drinking under the age of 21 has been linked to several physical issues among young people (Fact Sheets - Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age). The underage consumption of alcohol can impede the development of the frontal lobes of a young adult’s brain. These lobes are responsible for the regula tion of emotions, organizing, and planning. Any damage sustained to this area of the brain can cause problems that last a lifetime, and can even lead to depression and suicide (Drinking Age ProCon.org). Although these are very serious dilemmas, there are those who would argue that if the brain were mature enough to make the important decisions, such as voting, fighting and dying for the country, and serving in a jury, it is mature enough to make the decision and handle drinking.Show MoreRelatedThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered973 Words   |  4 Pages The Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol Should Not Be Lowered To 18 In the United States. Every state has the right to set its own legal drinking age. However, according to George Will in an article he wrote in the Washington Post about the legal drinking age, â€Å"drinking age paradox† â€Å"lowering the drinking age will cost the state ten percent of its federal highway funds and cause a significant uproar from contractors and construction unions.† It is therefore in the best interest of every citizenRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1732 Words   |  7 PagesThe definition of the word adult is: â€Å"a person who has attained the age of maturity as specified by law†(Dictionary.com). If this is so, then why is it that in the United States 18 year olds are legally considered adults in our society, but they can’t legally buy or consume alcohol? Yet at this age they are able to vote in an election, get married, serve on a jury, live on their own, purchase cigarettes, adopt a child, and defend our country. These are not easy tasks for one to take on, yet our governmentRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States of America, the National Government requires the states to enforce a legal drinking age of twenty-one. Where as the world average drinking age is eighteen, and in some Countries it is even lower where it is possible to get a beer at sixteen years of age. Taking that into consideration, there is a great deal of controversy in the United States on what the legal age should be to purchase and consume an alcoholic beverage. The largest issue being that you are considered to be anRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1170 Words   |  5 PagesFor a majority of the 20th century, the United States drinking age has been a big issue. After prohibition had concluded in 1933, twenty- one was the new legal drinking age. Meanwhile, during the Vietnam War, eighteen became the new legal drinking age. Finally in 1984, Congress pa ssed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (MLDA). Since then, twenty-one years old has been the legal age to drink in the United States. There are several ways alcohol has been a reason for death such as, alcohol poisoningRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1553 Words   |  7 Pagesold male who lives in Oregon. To celebrate his 18th birthday, he decided to go out with some friends and have a few drinks. He knows that the legal drinking age is 21, but he thinks what is the harm? I am 18 and in other countries, you are allowed to drink before you turn 21. Later that night as John gets in the car with his friends after a few hours of drinking, everything seems to be going well as they are driving down the freeway on their way over to his friend Dan’s house that is just a few milesRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered1117 Words   |  5 Pagesto the legal age of alcohol consumption have been going on for many years. While some feel that 21 should remain as the legal minimum consumption age, others disagree. By examining different aspects of alcohol consumption such as social motives and health related concerns one is more able to fully grasp the role that alcohol plays in our society. Through research and analyzation one can come to the conclusion that a lowered legal drinking age is not the answer. The legal drinking age should not beRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States, the legal drinking age is twenty-one. In all fifty states, however, there are exceptions for underaged drinking at home, under adult supervision, or for medical purposes (â€Å"Drinking Age†). Overall, the legal opportunities for any person under twenty-one to legally drink alcohol are very scarce. There are many different points, made by people from both sides of the issue about whether or not to lower the drinking age to eighteen, or leave it where it currently stands at twenty-oneRe ad MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1481 Words   |  6 Pagesthe century, underage drinking happens every day in the United States and for some this might seem unacceptable but for most this is all because an unfair law put up by the government. The legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18 because, among other things; 18 is the age of adulthood in America and adults should have the right to make their own decisions, also traffic accidents and fatalities are most common among newly-legal drinkers regardless of their drinking age; and, this law has notRead MoreLegal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered2099 Words   |  9 Pages friends, and the feeling of being invincible. Although there are a legal alcohol drinking and purchasing age in various countries, it is easily accessible to those who are underage. Alcohol is a monitored and controlled substance that can be purchased legally, yet there are many concerns that surround the substance. There are pros, cons, and d ifferent patterns regarding alcohol and the legal alcohol drinking and purchasing age. As a result of alcohol use, there have been many fatalities and injuriesRead MoreShould the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered?2541 Words   |  11 Pagesabysmal failure. It hasnt reduced or eliminated drinking. It has simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings,(Debate) said John McCardell of â€Å"Choose Responsibility†. Choose Responsibility is a non-profit organization that is for lowering the drinking age to 18. Young adults can vote, fight and die for their country overseas, and purchase tobacco at age 18, but why cannot they have a beer? Drinking among the youth in the United States has escalated