IDS 400 The Four General Education Lenses Each time w.docx

IDS 400 The Four General Education Lenses
Each time we approach a question or project, we are informed
by certain perspectives, or “lenses.” At
any given time, we are looking through multiple lenses, but
often, one may be more dominant than the
others. Throughout your academic journey, these lenses
coincide with disciplines or fields of study. Here
at SNHU, we’ve prioritized four of these lenses: the
Humanities, History, the Sciences, and the Social
Sciences. Professionals in these fields all ask questions in order
to gain information, but they may ask
them in different ways that will help them examine different
aspects of a topic. We can think of these as
four different telescopes, and each lens has different
characteristics. Thus, depending on the lens we are
looking through, the cultural artifacts we encounter—the
constructed items that convey the
benchmarks of a particular culture or social group—will tell a
different story.
The Humanities
At the core of the humanities is human creativity, and they
explore the things that humanity creates and
how they offer insight into the way people experienced their
present, interacted with their culture, and
comprehended abstract concepts and big questions about
humanity’s place in the universe. The
humanities broaden perspectives and promote an understanding
of multiple experiences, cultures, and

values through various mediums of creative human expression—
such as literature, fine art, dance,
photography, philosophy and religion, film and television,
music, even the internet and social media—
many of which are taught as separate academic disciplines.
Within the humanities, both the artist’s (or
creator’s) intent and audience reception of a creative artifact are
considered to help understand cultural
values and why they matter. They celebrate cultural diversity
while also highlighting cultural similarity.
View these brief videos for more on the lens of the humanities:
What Are the Humanities and Why Are
They Important? (1:53); IDS-100: Humanities (3:22).
History
Many of us are familiar with history as being a list of dates,
events, and people to memorize, but history
is so much more than simply dates and memorizing facts. Your
primary exposure to history could have
been in grade school required classes or in documentaries about
subjects you find interesting. There is
so much more to history, however. History tells the stories of
our past to help us better understand how
we got to the present. In addition to dates, events, and people,
history encompasses first-hand accounts
of experiences that include artifacts from an era (tools, clothes,
toys, etc.), letters or diaries from people
who lived during a certain time, documents from a time period,
photographs, and, when possible,
interviews with people who lived through the events that
historians study. Together, these historical
remnants help write a story of a particular time, which is then
folded into the stories of history we are
living and making today. View these brief videos for more on
the lens of history: Thinking Like a
Historian (8:47); What Is History For? (4:13); What is

Historical Thinking (7:41).
The Natural and Applied Sciences
The natural and applied sciences study the physical world to
help us better understand ourselves and
our place in nature, and nature’s role in shaping us. The natural
sciences include fields such as biology,
chemistry, and physics, while the applied sciences include
STEM-related fields such as mathematics and
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technology. Together these fields explore the questions and
curiosities humans have been pondering for
ages, and scientists often develop questions and use a scientific
process—the scientific method—to
describe, predict, and observe the natural world. This method of
developing and researching hypotheses
can also be applied to the other lenses as a way to organize the
questions one might ask to gain a
deeper understanding of our world and experiences. View these
brief videos for more on the natural
and applied sciences: The Scientific Method (4:05); IDS-100:
What Is Science? (2:01); IDS-100: Neil

deGrasse Tyson Describes Scientific Thinking (2:52).
The Social Sciences
As people are social beings, social science is the study of
society and the relationships between people.
Subjects included in this lens are psychology, sociology,
anthropology, political science, economics, and
geography. This study of human behavior and interaction can
sometimes overlap with the humanities
lens, which also studies different cultures. Studying society,
culture, and human relationships will lead us
to an understanding of how people live and how to improve our
lives. Social scientists use a variety of
methods to arrive at conclusions within this lens, such as
interviews, participant-observation, and
primary and secondary sources. The social sciences can also
intersect with the other lenses. For
instance, like for the history lens, social scientists may look at
the past to gain an understanding of the
social relationships that took place. How do we interact? How
do we work together? Asking questions
similar to these has given us the opportunity to evaluate causes
and effects related to people in our
society. Consider how the social science lens helps us interact
with the world around us and uses
cultural artifacts to make changes in our lives to promote better
living or promote interactions we
normally would not have with others. View these brief videos
for more on social science: An Animated
Introduction to Social Science (4:35); What Is Social Science?
Part 1 (2:50); What Is Social Science? Part 2
(2:37).
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Divorce: A Parents' Guide for Supporting Children
By John E. Desrochers, PhD, ABPP
New Canaan (CT) Public Schools
Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half of all
first marriages end
in divorce. Two thirds of these situations involve children.
What effect will
divorce have on children in both the short and long term?
Differing advice from
experts in the field as well as “expert advice” in the media adds
to parents’
anxiety about divorce.
The good news is that, in the long term, approximately 80% of
children of
divorced parents become productive, well-adjusted, and
successful adults. As
they get older, their parents’ divorce becomes more and more a
distant memory
of a painful time, and a less active influence in their lives.
The other 20% of these children experience a variety of ongoing
psychological and
social difficulties that significantly interfere with their lives. As
adults these
people are twice as likely to experience mental illness,

substance abuse, and
failed relationships. In children, warning signs of coping
difficulties can include
problems in sleeping or eating, increased anger or sadness,
fears, or regression.
Understanding the risk factors and what to expect at each stage
of a child’s
development will help parents promote their children’s
successful adjustment and
growth as the family goes through the divorce process.
Adjustment to Divorce Is an Ongoing Process
Children take many routes through divorce, depending heavily
on the risks and
protections they encounter along the way. It is difficult to
predict exactly how
divorce will affect a specific child. Parents can best help their
children by
providing as many protections as possible early on in the
divorce process, knowing
that no one can control all those factors and no one can protect
children
completely from all risks.
The most difficult time for children and, indeed, for everyone in
the family, is the
first year after the divorce because there are so many changes
for everyone
involved. By the second year, things typically begin to improve
dramatically as
parents get back on their feet and the family becomes more
stable.
Key Risks and Protections for Children in Divorcing Families

Conflict between parents. Conflict between parents can be a key
part of the
divorce process, especially during the time immediately before
and after the
actual divorce. Witnessing conflict can be particularly
confusing to the children
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because they love both parents and are generally torn in their
loyalties to each of
them.
While it is often difficult, if not impossible, to shield children
from all parental
conflict, it is important to do so. Parents must agree to put their
children first by
keeping them out of parental disagreements and holding such
discussions away
from the children.
It is especially harmful when parents involve the children,
deliberately or by
accident, in their conflicts by doing things such as complaining
to the child about
the other parent or by having the children pass on messages for
the parents.
Turning children into “little adults.” Separation and divorce
lead the single
parents to shoulder increased work and responsibility within the
home. Children of

divorce often have increased responsibility, independence, and
interdependence.
This can be a positive outcome of this situation.
Trouble brews, however, when children are asked to shoulder
more of the
physical or emotional load than they are developmentally ready
to manage. This
can happen when one parent begins to lean on a child, often the
eldest daughter
or son, for emotional support or as a confidant in the absence of
a spouse. While
most children willingly try to meet their parent’s need for
support, they tend to
be psychologically unable to fulfill such an adult role and can
grow up with
lingering feelings of inadequacy and failure.
Parents can help by allowing their children to experience the
joys and fewer
responsibilities of childhood as much as possible. Parents can
also develop and
maintain their connections with other adults to meet their own
needs for
companionship and emotional support.
Parenting style. Parenting style is an important factor in
children’s response to
divorce. Some parents are generally warm and accepting of their
children, but do
not generally set limits or enforce rules or structure in the
family. At times, they
and their children appear to be almost peers or friends. Children
raised in this
way are less likely to develop good self-control and can be
aggressive or
impulsive.
Other parents harshly enforce a variety of rigid rules at home

with less warmth or
respect for the children. Children raised in this way may turn
out to be angry,
defiant, and dishonest in dealing with others.
Still other parents neglect their children for the sake of their
own needs and are
simply not there for their children. Children raised in this way
may develop a
variety of psychological or behavioral problems.
The most protective style of parenting, and the one associated
with the most
well-adjusted children, is one where parents have rules,
structure, and
expectations for appropriate behavior. They are not afraid to
back up these
expectations with fair, consistent discipline. These parents are
clearly the adults
in the family, but they show respect and love for their children.
This style of
raising children is probably the most powerful protection
against the risks
associated with divorce. To the extent that each parent can use
this style of
parenting, the children will fare better.
The role of schools and adults outside the family. Sometimes
children have
connections with schools, teachers, coaches, clergy, counselors,
or other adults
who use the same caring, consistent, and structured approach
that is most
successful for parents. The positive effects of these adults can
be significant
protective factors for children from divorced families.

Divorcing parents are thus
advised to seek out these positive relationships for their
children by contacting
Children
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the staff at school, involving their children in structured
extracurricular activities,
or by seeking support from their religious community.
Change in the family’s standard of living. Most families
experience a significant
drop in income after a divorce. Money once applied to one
household now
supports two, and single mothers frequently earn less than
single fathers. It is
often impossible to stay in the same home, attend the same
school, and have the
same lifestyle that the family enjoyed before the divorce. This
is a common and
often unavoidable risk in divorced families because maintaining
economic stability
is clearly a protective factor for children.
Parents can help ease this problem by having their children stay
in touch with
friends from the previous school and participating in expensive
activities in a more
inexpensive fashion such as renting videos instead of going out
to a current movie.

A child’s own strengths and weaknesses. A good predictor of
adjustment following
divorce is the child’s adjustment before the divorce. Children
who had
experienced behavioral, learning, or mental health problems
before the divorce
often continue to experience these problems after divorce, and
these issues
constitute a risk factor for healthy development. Similarly,
children who before
divorce were resilient, emotionally secure, responsible, and
independent tend to
bring these same qualities forward as protective factors during
the divorce
process.
Young children: Specific risks. Young children frequently do
not fully understand
what is happening when their parents divorce. They may believe
that they caused
the divorce or fantasize about their parents getting back
together. They may have
fears of being abandoned and worry about who will take care of
them. Parents
should reassure children that the divorce was not their fault,
that they still love
them, and that they will continue to take care of them.
Adolescents: Specific risks. Adolescence can be a time of
conflict in all families as
young people work to separate from parents and begin young
adulthood. In
divorced families, these conflicts can often last longer than in
non-divorced
families. Girls in divorced families who mature early physically
may be at
increased risk for early sexual activity. Peers become

exceptionally important
influences in adolescence, and they can act as risks or
protections, depending on
the peer group. Adolescents continue to need structure,
discipline, and respect
from their parents. Mentors, teachers, coaches, and other
involved adults can also
provide protective support.
Impact of Child Custody
As long as the custodial parent is loving, consistent, and
provides structure and
discipline, children can do well in families where either parent
has custody or in
joint custody arrangements. Children are most influenced by the
parent they
spend the most time with, but the non-custodial parent can exert
an important
additional protective influence if he or she remains involved
with the children.
It is generally in the children’s long-term interest to have
continuing and
meaningful contact with both parents after a divorce.
According to research, roughly 60% of parents remarry six
years after the divorce.
With remarriage often comes a better standard of living, better
schools for the
children, and mutual emotional support for the parents.
However, about 60% of
these remarriages end in divorce. Often disagreement about
raising the children is
one of the issues of conflict between the new spouses.
Children

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Stepparenting is very difficult, and parents can enter a
remarriage with unrealistic
expectations about instantly bonding with stepchildren or
quickly developing a
close, smoothly running family. Differences in parenting styles,
expectations for
the children, and working out disciplinary roles can create
stress for the new
couple. Developing a working relationship between the children
and stepparent is
crucial in successful and happy remarriages.
Stepfamilies take time, effort, and patience to develop. It is
usually best,
especially at first, for the parent to continue as the primary
disciplinarian, with
the stepparent in a supporting role. However, parents also have
to be willing to
share parental roles that they once controlled exclusively
themselves.
The stepparent’s main role is to try to develop a relationship
with the
stepchildren. One way to build relationships is to create family
routines, customs,
and traditions within the new family so that children begin to
develop routines
and memories that include the stepparent. Stepparents should
not try to criticize
or replace the non-custodial parent. This usually ends up
hurting the step-parent’s
relationship with the children.

Finally, it is important for the new spouses to nurture their
relationship as a
couple. Be careful not to lose sight of the children, but take
opportunities to go
out alone, find mutual interests, and find meaningful “adult
time” together.
Conclusion
Parenting children through a divorce is a tough challenge.
Reducing risks and
building in protections is the way to help children navigate this
journey safely.
With affectionate, yet firm, consistent parenting, children from
divorced families
can grow up to be successful, happy adults.
Resources
Hannibal, M. E. (2002). Good parenting through your divorce.
New York: Marlowe
& Co. ISBN 1-56924- 555-X.
Covers parents’ most commonly asked questions about raising
children during the
divorce process.
Hetherington, E. M., & Kelly, J. (2002). For better or for worse:
Divorce
reconsidered. New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-04862-4.
Written for parents. This very readable book describes a multi-
year study of many
divorced families and how they adjusted over time. Much of the
information in
this handout was adapted from the information in this book.
Neuman, M. G. (1998). Helping your kids cope with divorce the
Sandcastles way.
New York: Times Books. ISBN 0-8129-2902-0.

Written for parents. Provides a complete guide to helping
children on their
journey through the parent’s divorce, including concrete
information about how
to handle issues and conflicts that come up at every stage of a
child’s
development.
Website
Divorce Headquarters—www.divorcehq.com
Children
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National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West
Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 657-0270 | Toll Free: (866) 331-NASP | Fax: (301)
657-0275 | TTY: (301) 657-4155
Site Map | Copyright | FAQs | Contact Us
Like many websites devoted to divorce, this one places the
emphasis on the legal
issues involved with visitation, child support, taxes, insurance,
and rights. It is a
comprehensive, however, and includes a number of useful links
to other sites
concerning divorce.
John E. Desrochers, PhD, ABPP, is a school psychologist in the
New Canaan (CT)

Public Schools.
© 2004 National Association of School Psychologists, 4340
East West Highway,
Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814—(301) 657-0270. Reprinted
from Helping
Children at Home and School II: Handouts for Families and
Educators (NASP,
2004), available from the NASP Bookstore.
Children
_ho.aspx
Children And Divorce | American Academy of Child &
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Facts for Families
● Facts for Families
● Facts for Families by
Keyword
● Facts for Families in
Numerical Order

Children And Divorce
No. 1; Updated May 2008
One out of every two marriages today ends in divorce and many
divorcing families include
children. Parents who are getting a divorce are frequently
worried about the effect the divorce will
have on their children. During this difficult period, parents may
be preoccupied with their own
problems, but continue to be the most important people in their
children's lives.
While parents may be devastated or relieved by the divorce,
children are invariably frightened and
confused by the threat to their security. Some parents feel so
hurt or overwhelmed by the divorce
that they may turn to the child for comfort or direction. Divorce
can be misinterpreted by children
unless parents tell them what is happening, how they are
involved and not involved, and what will
happen to them.
Children often believe they have caused the conflict between
their parents. Many children
assume the responsibility for bringing their parents back
together, sometimes by sacrificing
themselves. Vulnerability to both physical and mental illnesses
can originate in the traumatic loss
of one or both parents through divorce. With care and attention,
however, a family's strengths can
be mobilized during a divorce, and children can be helped to
deal constructively with the

resolution of parental conflict.
Talking to children about a divorce is difficult. The following
tips can help both the child and
parents with the challenge and stress of these conversations:
● Do not keep it a secret or wait until the last minute.
● Tell your child together with your spouse.
● Keep things simple and straight-forward.
● Tell them the divorce is not their fault.
● Admit that this will be sad and upsetting for everyone.
● Reassure your child that you both still love them and will
always be their parents.
● Do not discuss each other’s faults or problems with the
child.
Parents should be alert to signs of distress in their child or
children. Young children may react to
divorce by becoming more aggressive and uncooperative or by
withdrawing. Older children may
feel deep sadness and loss. Their schoolwork may suffer and
behavior problems are common. As
teenagers and adults, children of divorce can have trouble with
their own relationships and
experience problems with self-esteem.
Children will do best if they know that their mother and father
will still be their parents and remain
involved with them even though the marriage is ending and the
parents won't live together. Long
custody disputes or pressure on a child to "choose" sides can be
particularly harmful for the
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Children And Divorce | American Academy of Child &
youngster and can add to the damage of the divorce. Research
shows that children do best when
parents can cooperate on behalf of the child.
Parents' ongoing commitment to the child's well-being is vital.

If a child shows signs of distress,
the family doctor or pediatrician can refer the parents to a child
and adolescent psychiatrist for
evaluation and treatment. In addition, the child and adolescent
psychiatrist can meet with the
parents to help them learn how to make the strain of the divorce
easier on the entire family.
Psychotherapy for the children of a divorce, and the divorcing
parents, can be helpful.
For additional information see Facts for Families:
#8 Children and Grief
#34 Children’s Sleep Problems
#4 The Depressed Child
#27 Stepfamily Problems
#52 Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation
#00 Definition of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
See also: Your Child (1998 Harper Collins) / Your
Adolescent (1999 Harper Collins)
Click here to order Your Child from Harper Collins
Click here to order Your Adolescent from Harper Collins
###
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Michele Reinhardt
I chose the Science Daily research news article “Chimpanzees
lose their behavioral and cultural diversity” dated March 7,
2019. A group of researchers wanted to know if chimpanzees’
behavioral diversity was affected by humans. In order to test
this hypothesis, the team matched 31 chimp behaviors, like how
they used tools, with the aspects of 144 wild chimp populations
in 15 countries under various degrees of human interference.
To measure the effects, they used different levels of disruption:
population breadth, change in forestation where chimps live,
etc. The results were overwhelmingly positive that chimpanzee
behavior in their natural habitats was greatly affected by
humans. In fact, the more human involvement there was, the
less behavioral diversity by an average of 88 percent (Max
Planck, 2019).
This article is a study of the behavioral diversity of
chimpanzees and contributes to behavioral science,
anthropology, and biology by allowing us to see our impact on

the world around us. It also gives us the opportunity to see
diversity in other animals besides ourselves. If we can find
commonalities with other species, we will learn that much more
about each other. It is not much different from looking at what
impact the internet and social media, and technology in general,
have had on us as a species (Miller et al, 2016).
References
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. (2019,
March 7). Chimpanzees lose their behavioral and cultural
diversity: Human impact reduces the behavioral repertoire of
chimpanzees. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 1, 2019 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190307141021.htm
Miller, D., Costa, E., Haynes, N., McDonald, T., Nicolescu, R.,
Sinanan, J., . . . Wang, X. (2016). Inequality. In How the World
Changed Social Media (pp. 128-141). London: UCL Press.
Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/stable/j.ctt1g69z35.16
Kelly Walaszek
An article I found interesting on Science Daily was an
article titled “Pupil Dilation and Heart Rate, analyzed by AI,
May Help Spot Autism Early”. This article suggests that two
simple quantifiable measures could allow for earlier recognition
and diagnosis of Rett syndrome and other disorders closely
related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As you may know,
autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders often go
unnoticed in the first few years of a child’s life. Those first few
years are the most critical for therapies to be effective. New
research shows spontaneous fluctuations in pupil dilation or
heart rate may allow researchers to identify those children with
Rett syndrome and similar disorders much earlier. A study done
at Boston Children’s Hospital “unveiled a machine-learning
algorithm that can spot abnormalities in pupil dilation that are
predictive of autism spectrum disorder in mouse models”

(Boston Children's Hospital, 2019). It also showed that the
algorithm could detect Rett syndrome in girls. Based on
previous evidence that showed that people with ASD have
altered behavior states and that their brains also have disturbed
cholinergic circuit which affects pupillary dilation and heart
rate. They tested 35 girls with Retts and 40 girls without, the
algorithm pick up the heart rate fluctuations in 80 % of the girls
with Retts in the first and second year of life. Together with
EEG measure of visual processing, a screening tool could be
utilized for infants and toddlers thus enhancing early treatment
options when they matter most.
The science behind this study could forewarn parents and
healthcare providers about impending neurodevelopmental
disturbances. Early recognition could lead to early interventions
during primary stages of development. This algorithm would
allow healthcare professionals to follow their progression of
development and treatments for efficacy. This AI algorithm
would even make it possible to evaluate a newborn baby.
References
Boston Children's Hospital. (2019, July 24). Pupil Dilation and
Heart Rate, Analyzed by AI, May Help Spot Autism Early.
Retrieved from Science Daily:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190724019.htm

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