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Write a summary regarding study called "Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies" was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner.
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The study called "Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies" was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner. The authors employ dramatistic analysis to explore the rhetorical elements of therapies for eating disorders experienced by women. They found out that the therapies have seemingly similar main terms that tend to affect the patients differently due to their multiple meanings and interpretations.
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essay regarding study called "Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies" was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner. Exapnd on the summary above.
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#“Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment” by Leda Cooks and David Descutner Report (Assessment)
The study called “Different Paths from Powerlessness to Empowerment: A Dramatistic Analysis of Two Eating Disorder Therapies” was written by Leda Cooks and David Descutner. The authors employ dramatistic analysis to explore the rhetorical elements of therapies for eating disorders experienced by women.
The researchers found out that the therapies have seemingly similar main terms that tend to affect the patients differently due to their multiple meanings and interpretations.
The authors of the article notice that the number of female patients reporting eating disorders has increased in the modern age of information when the knowledge about typical bulimic or anorexic behaviours has become more popular.
Besides, the widening influence of the American beauty standards on women of other cultures causes the growth of rates of eating disorders abroad. In the article it is also noted that low efficiency of pharmacological and behavioural treatments encouraged the professionals and patients to use narrative and visual therapy more often.
The authors view the struggle with eating disorders in the contemporary world as the struggle with the myths shaping the identities of modern white middle to upper class women, as they tend to be affected by the disorders most often. The search of place in the society makes women see their own bodies as the causes of their inadequacy.
The female patients suffering from eating disorders tend to act out using food as a tool. Their eating problems have emotional sources coming from such feelings as despair or anger. Narrative therapy helps women re-evaluate their choices and lives from a new perspective and re-shape their identities.
Spiritual recovery (SR) employs the belief in Higher Power and unburdening the troubles to it. SR works through abstinence from the addictive ingredients such as wheat and sugar. Feminist therapy explains that eating disorders appear when women feel lost in the patriarchal society.
It encourages women to find their identities re-uniting with their selves, and perceiving the world as gender-free. The researchers employ cluster analysis as a method to find terms most frequently used by the therapies. The goal is to determine how the therapies function rhetorically using discourses “power”, “body”, and “identity”.
The findings show that SR uses the discourses filling them with religious meanings and works through the separation of earth-bound self from the spiritual self of the patients. All of the discourses are used as symbols of Higher Power.
The patients are encouraged to give up the material aspects of the selves in order to understand their true spiritual power and find selfless equipment for living.
At the same time, feminist therapy works the other way around and encourages women to re-gain control over their selves taken away from them by the patriarchal society and culture. The new living equipment is developed through raising awareness and pride in women.
The texts authors use for the study are the literature and pamphlets of various groups focused on treating eating disorders employing narrative methods. The significance of the literature is provided by the fact that the authors research a variety of literature disseminated by different groups, many of which are rather popular.
The groups apply similar methods and discourses. The authors cover many groups specialised on narrative therapies such as spiritual recovery therapy or feminist therapy. They process the popular literature written specifically for these therapies and groups and monitor the use of concepts and discourses in it.
Clearly, since the researched literature is popular among the patients, it has to be able to make impacts and attract more help-seekers. This way, the authors of the article focus on the research of the two therapies that currently are known to be helpful and efficient, which makes this literature significant and appropriate for the study.
Both therapies work through self-hypnosis or self-suggestion. Yet, they use rather different approaches. Spiritual recovery therapy for eating disorders employs the methods that prove to be effective with alcoholics.
The therapy encourages the patients to give up their selves, let the Higher Power in, and view disorder as “evil” and order as “good”.
Feminist therapy works through the empowerment of women and the suggestion for them to take rational control and become aware of the destructive impacts of the society and its pressure that makes women ruin their health and bodies trying to fit in.
Both therapies use symbolic concepts and images to lead the patients’ minds out of the addiction. The research adds to the scholarly dialogues regarding ability to program human minds using specific word combinations and concepts filled with goal-oriented meanings.
The study makes it clear that one needs to determine the inclination of a mind to follow certain principles in order to build a successful program to direct this mind towards certain behaviours. This can be viewed as an intelligent training of human minds based on people’s natural desire for rationaisation and explanation.
Breaking down the mechanisms of disorders using a set of specific concepts the therapies provide the patients with symbolic tools to cope with them.