History of the Chinese War Strategy

History of the Chinese War Strategy INTRODUCTION The PLA has been undergoing the Strategic Transition from preparing for an early, total and nuclear war in 1985 to a local and limited war in the current context. The PLA understanding of the nature of these future local wars has been greatly influenced by the 1991 Gulf War and the experiences of 1996 Taiwan Straits Crisis. PLA planners believe that future local wars will be a medium sized local war which could involve large scale sea crossing and amphibious landing operations, counter offensive operations in the border regions and repelling local foreign invasion. These wars are likely to manifest in wars involving national unification and disputes over maritime and land boundary issues. PREVIEW The WZC concept was first recorded in 1979 when an adhoc operational area command was formed during the Sino- Vietnam war. It is a doctrine developed for future military operations to be conducted in Chinas strategic neighbourhood as a limited war fought under Joint HQ. It entails limited objectives, greater central control with political settlement as the end result and considerable preparation. In order to develop an understanding of the concept, this paper is laid out as under:- (a) Historical and Theoretical Perspectives of Chinese War Strategy. (b) Chinese Views on the Characteristics of Future Wars. (c) Levels of Conflict. (d) Evolution of Chinese Mil Doctrine. (e) War Zone Campaign. (f) Interpretation of Terms at Operational / Campaign level. HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVEÂ  OF CHINESE WAR STRATEGY Transformation of the PLA. After Maos demise in 1976, saw the re-emergence of Deng Xiaoping. Under his political leadership, the military became disengaged from civilian politics and resumed the political quiescence that characterized its pre-Cultural Revolution role. Focus of military modernization was the reform of military organization, doctrine, education and training, and personnel policies to improve combat effectiveness in combined-arms warfare and the transformation of the defense establishment into a system capable of independently maintaining a modern military force. The reforms were implemented in the PLA from 1978-85. In 1985, the Enlarged Central Military Commission (CMC) endorsed Dengs shift in strategic thinking from preparing for an all out war to preparing for a local war. It carried out a review of sit and threats and concluded that there existed NO threat of early war, however a general war which could have a nuclear backdrop (nuclear war) was very much imminent. In 1995, the Enlarged Central Military Commission (CMC) meeting chaired by Jiang Zemiin officially adopted the Two Transformations (liangge zhuanbian) as the policy for army building to guide all aspects of PLA reform. It called for the Chinese army to undergo a metamorphosis from an army preparing to fight local wars under ordinary conditions to an army preparing to fight and win Local Wars Under Modern High -Tech Conditions; and from an army based on quantity to an army based on quality. Key PLA Teachings on Military Strategy. In 1987 Science of Military Strategy was published by Academy of Military Sciences which reflected change in strategic thinking from total war to local war. It was for internal circulation (neibu) to all officers at the divisional level and above. This, however, offered limited approach to strategy and was primarily based on Peoples War Under Modern Conditions (PWUMC) using positional and mobile warfare along with combined arms operations. It relied heavily on Soviet based invasion setting. In 1999, post Gulf War I, Science of Military Strategy was re-published by PLA National Defence University (NDU) and formed the core teaching text for Strategy Course at NDU. The salient highlights were the broader approach to strategy, covering a range of contingencies under modern hi-tech conditions and covered a range of varied objectives, intensity and lethality. This was followed by publication of Study of Campaigns in 2000. In 2001, AMS published open (gong kai) version of Science of Military Strategy in Chinese and, in 2005, the English version of the book was published. Theoretical Perspective. In general terms, Chinas military doctrine can be divided into four levels as under:- (a) Junshi Sixiang (Military Thought). (b) Zhanlue (Military Strategy). (c) Zhanyi (Military Campaigns). (d) Zhanshu (Military Tactics). Military Thought. This forms the foundational principles and concepts of war fighting and military struggle. It gives out the basic views for guiding and planning the overall situation of military struggle. However, specific guidelines or rules for conducting military operations are not specified. The concept of strategic thoughts is closely linked to Maos military thought and some of the relevant concepts include Active Def and Peoples War. Military Strategy Military Strategy, as per the NDU, is defined as planning and guidance for the overall situation of military struggle, including planning, deploying and guiding the construction and use of military force, to reach the effective achievement of a stated political goal. It is described as a trinity comprising of Strategic Goals (zhanlue mudi) Ends, Strategic Guidelines (zhanlue fangzhen) Ways and Strategic Means (zhanlue shouduan) Means. Strategy links Military Thought and Campaigns by providing general guidance for planning and conduct of military operations. The scope of Strategy includes (a) Threat Assessments. (b) Overall Strategic Goals. (c) Strategic Direction. (d) Basic Principles for conducting military struggle. (e) Means, methods and coordination of military struggle. Strategic Goals. Strategic Goals determine the ultimate political objective in any struggle and thus is linked to national interest. Strategic Missions (zhanlue renwu) are the operational tasks required for achieving strategic goals. Strategic missions and strategic goals are the comprehensive reflection of Strategic Circumstances (zhanlue xingshi) including the main features of international strategic situation and National security requirements. The focus of Strategic Goals during wartime includes operational aspects such as maintenance of initiative, destruction of enemy force. In peacetime, it is to safeguard national interests such as using military means to create deterrence for a stable external environment. Strategic Guidelines. Strategic Guidelines consist of general principles and programs for guiding overall situation of a military struggle. It is a closest analogue to operational doctrine, though at strategic level only, as opposed to campaign or tactical level. Past strategic guidelines include Peoples War Under modern Conditions and the current one being Local Wars under Modern High Tech Conditions. Organizational and operational modernization requirements for a force are determined from identification of appropriate strategic guideline. Strategic guidelines stipulate the following: (a) How to complete a strategic mission. (b) How to realize the strategic goal by identifying key points of struggle. (c) Identification of main Strategic directions. (d) Identification of Strategic deployments. Strategic guidelines are generally composed of five components: (a) Identification of Strategic Opponent. It is based on the threat to national interest and the operational threat is based on the specific military nature of threat. Strategic Direction. It primarily identifies the focal point of struggle and the centre of gravity for use of force to decisively shape the struggle. Basic Points of Preparations for Military Struggle. This refers to the type of struggle e.g. nuclear vs conventional. Basic Methods of Military Struggle. This includes Types of Struggle. Combat Operations vs Deterrence. Types of Strategic Operations. Offense or Defence. Main Operational Forms. Mobile Warfare or Positional Warfare. Types of Operations. Blockade or Ambush. (e) Guiding Thoughts and Principles for use of Military Force. This includes the options of Striking first or second (xianfa zhiren, or houfa zhiren) and Fighting a Protracted Warfare or Quick Decisive War. Strategy manifests in General (zong) or Specific Strategic Guidelines (juti zhanlue fangzhen). The WZC doctrine is a strategic guideline for Local War Under Hi-Tech Conditions (LWUHTC). Strategic Means. Strategic Means spells out ways and methods of using military force to achieve an objective what and how to use including military and non-military means. This can be carried out in basically four ways which include: (a) Actual combat operations in general or local war. (b) Deterrence operations which is the primary method to be used during peace time. (c) Warning operations which include strategic early warning, border defence and internal defence. (d) Combat readiness exercises including force build up, strategic troop transfers, adjustments in deployments, military exercises, weapons tests and war preparation tests. Spheres of Military Strategy. There are three identified spheres of military strategy: (a) Wartime Strategy (zhanzheng shiqi de zhanlue). This refers to periods of time when society as a whole deals with war, such as general war e.g. countering an invasion as the only type of general war China might face. (b) Peacetime Strategy (heping shiqi de zhanlue). This refers to periods when nation is not in a general state of war. Peace should not be confused with absence of future conflict, but LOW LIKELIHOOD of general war. It includes: (i) Deterrence operations. (ii) Crisis managment. Local war. (c) Local War Strategy (jubu zhanzheng de zhanlue). This is a special type of problem that occurs during peacetime. It has been defined as war with limited objectives in a part of an area where limited armed force is used. Traditionally Chinese Strategy has laid much emphasis on the initiative. Hence, the strategy advocated is pro-active vis-Ã  -vis reactive. Successive literatures on strategy have also re-emphasized that the operational or campaign level of operations is the most productive and rewarding for achieving political aims. The strategy adopted must be futuristic and support future national aims or roles. It must factor in economy of options and weigh the cost-benefit evaluation of war i.e. whether to go to war and how best to profitably conclude it. The stated doctrine must also conform to Chinas image and position of assertiveness after century of humiliation. In order to ensure no direct threats to China there is a deliberate effort to gradually move towards capability driven from threat-driven which has been a fallout of emerging international / regional situation. CHARACTERISTICS OF FUTURE WARS Characteristics of Future Conflict. Some of the assessed characteristics of future conflicts are as under:- (a) Future conflicts will be restricted in their scale, means and timing of war. (b) Objectives would be often political / diplomatic rather than military in nature. (c) Conflict processes will be under greater centralized control and political settlement will invariably be the end result. (d) Conflict resolutions will have to be carried out amidst complicated international background. (e) Even though wars would be limited in nature, they would require detailed and prolonged preparation. (f) Pre-emptive strikes would be a major form of action. (g) Costs of wars would be high despite their short duration. (f) Globalization and integration would result in spilling of economically deleterious effects of war. (g) Brief conflicts can best be handled by following the maxim killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. (h) Demonstrative operations would be essential for politically sensitive objectives. (j) A decisive result in conflict resolution will not be essential though welcome. (k) There are going to be political, economic and prestige payoffs resulting from conflicts and hence the need to factor in ways of exercising control over each one of them. (l) Cost-benefit evaluation of wars would be a major input in deciding the end-state decisions of conflicts. (m) Internal perception management of the people will be a major factor in consolidating national efforts. LEVELS OF CONFLICT Levels of Conflict. The levels of conflict assessed to occur in near future are as under:- (a) National Level. A national level conflict would involve national mobilization of resources. It will be characterized by centralized control by the CMC. The objectives and decisions in such a case would be strategic in nature (zhan lue xing). (b) Theatre level. A conflict at theatre level would involve the Military Region (MR) / MRs. The battle area under such circumstances would be called War Zone Front and overall control will be exercised by nominated MR / HQ. (c) Campaign Level (corresponds to own operational level zhanyixing). A campaign level operation would involve Combined Arms Gp Armies (CAGA) or gps of CAGAs (corps equivalents / groups of these). The area of conflict is termed as campaign zone (qu). In peacetime, the area of battle maybe under a Military Region or part of it; in wartime, however, it would be referred to as war zone. The outcome of WZC directly affects realization of national strategic objective. Equivalent weightage is given (employed as appropriate to mission) to all four services. EVOLUTION OF PLA DOCTRINE The PLA Doctrine has evolved over the years commencing from its basic aim to defeat the Nationalist forces to ensuring territorial integrity and subsequently as a tool for diplomacy and external relations. It has transformed itself as under:- Peoples War (Pre 1949 till 1960). The Peoples War doctrine, was the result of lessons learned from the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945), and emphasized the preparation of masses of foot soldiers and militia to engage in prolonged guerrilla warfare in Chinas vast interior. This era also marked the looming threat of total, nuclear war and the Chinese capabilities being almost defensive against any strategic nuclear attack. The Chinese strengths basically included space and people and hence basic Strategy involved mobilization of population, trading time for space and final counter-offensive to annihilate the enemy. (b) Peoples War under Modern Conditions (PWUMC). (1960 to 1985) This change in doctrine was a result of the changed perceptions post Sino-Soviet split in 1960. The strategy aimed to develop capability to check aggression forward to gain time for national mobilization and Peoples War. The Chinese strategy during the period was aimed at defeating a Soviet type invasion before it could penetrate deeply into China. It envisaged a forward defense that is near the border, to prevent attack on Chinese cities and industrial facilities, particularly in north and northeast China. Such a defense-in-depth required positional warfare, much closer to the border, in the initial stages of a conflict. This strategy downplayed the peoples war strategy of luring in deep in a protracted war. It also took into account the adaptations in strategy and tactics necessitated by technological advances in weaponry. (c) Limited War (jubu zhanzheng) Under Hi-Tech Conditions (LWUHTC) (Post-1985). This was promulgated after Dengs call for a review of the existing strategy. This came into being due to reduction in the Soviet threat due to Sino- US entente, the demonstration of hi-tech weapon systems employed in the Gulf War I and the post-liberalized growth of Chinese Comprehensive National Power (CNP). The strategy placed reliance on small, effective, hi-tech capable, tri-service integrated troops. It also stressed the need to fight away from borders or exclusive economic zone (EEZ). (d) Limited War under Conditions of Informationization (LWUCI). This f irst found expression in 2004 White Paper. Informationisation was to be treated as a Force Multiplier and it sought to integrate all available platforms or assets. This is also in consonance with development of Chinese infrastructure and capabilities in their efforts to undergo RMA. WZC THE PLAs DOCTRINEÂ  FORÂ  CAMPAIGN IN WARZONES WZC. War Zone Campaign as a doctrine evolved for conducting a limited war under high technological conditions. Future campaigns under the doctrine will be fought by combined arms synergy applied under unified joint command and control HQs. Such a HQ is created in theatre of operations by pooling in resources from Mil Region HQs and offrs from Gen Staff Department. WZC is an intermediate between Combined Arms GA (CAGA) army dominated command and total war where more than one war zones are activated simultaneously. Salient characteristics of the WZC are as under:- (a) The doctrine has been developed by PLA for future wars which are going to be limited wars and conducted in peripheral regions under a joint HQ. (b) It is a joint services campaign and an intermediate between military region and national (CMC) level campaign. (c) WZC is designed for a local / limited campaign but however its outcome determines realization of national objectives. (d) PLA Mil Regions already have AF / Navy on their orbat or under operational control. (e) PLA traditionally has been Mil Region-centric. WZC envisages imposition of another higher HQ to: (i) Coordinate employment of troops of more than one Mil Region. (ii) Act as CMC representatives for employment / control of tactical, strategic and nuclear missiles. As it involves more than one MR, theatre-wide control, coordination and deception is ensured by imposition of this HQ. A recent example is of the Taiwan straits incident when the PLA was engaged in large scale exercises and firing rockets across the Taiwan Strait in 1996 when Gen Kui Fulin from GSD was superimposed on Nanjing MR and Guangzhou MRs and formed the Fujian Front. WZC in the Level of Conflict. WZC is an intermediate between Combined Arms GA (CAGA) army dominated command and total war where more than one war zones are activated simultaneously. In the spectrum of Level of Conflict it is short of a national mobilization but more than CAGA ops. PARTIAL MOB OR TOTAL MOB WZC COMBINED ARMS GP ARMY OPS Salient Features of the Doctrine. The doctrine envisages combined arms and joint service operations. In depth strike. Aim is not to engage enemy at forward positions but in depth through infiltration, forced penetration, air projections and flank intrusions. There is a requirement of professionally and technically qualified person to operate high tech advance equipment. It envisages mastery in outer space. Delegation of command to lower commanders as severe hindrances / loss of command during operations is envisaged. It places great emphasis on C4ISR systems. Interpretation of Terms. Certain important terms used in definition of the doctrine are as under:- (a) Local and Temp Superiority (LATS) Concentration of Force at point of decision. (b) Trans-Regional Sp Ops (TRSO) Flexibility. (c) Gaining Initiative by Striking First (GISF) Initiative, Offensive Action, Pre-emptive Action. (d) Quick Battle, Quick Resolution (QBQR) Simultaneity of ops, Non-Linearity, Tempo (Speed, Momentum). (e) Elite Forces, Sharp Arms (EFSA) Appropriateness, Economy of Effort. Implementation of WZC. The basic aim of WZC is to turn PLA inferiority into superiority by three pronged strategy namely Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA), Gaining Initiative by Striking First (GISF) and Quick Battle, Quick Resolution (QBQR). These are deliberated upon in succeeding paras. Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA) Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA). What justifies EFSA is that limited nature of local war makes it possible to achieve local and temporary superiority through the concentrated use of the EFSA. The use of EFSA can be optimized by their deployment, coordination and command. EFSA Dply Coord Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO) Dply per se Comd Deployment. A relatively new concept in this aspect is the Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO). Its implication at campaign level and at strategic level is as explained below:- (a) At Campaign Level. Deployment of EFSA must be with the aim to achieve comprehensive strike effects, and for this forces must be carefully selected. The principle also advocates Dispersed deployment of optimal forces to deny enemy window of vulnerability and increase survivability of own forces and to achieve concentration of effects by concentrating destructive effects of these arms and forces which is the basic prerequisite for achieving local and temporary superiority. (b) At Strategic Level. It envisages deployment of the best available forces and arms from other Mil Regions to reinforce war zone where local war may occur. Such a trans regional support operation (TRSO) has many advantages:- (i) It enhances political and diplomatic initiatives. (ii) Avoids sustained force deployment but optimizes readiness in the rear. (iii) RRU/RRFs ensure indirect forward presence by utilizing mobility. (iv) It may also prevent escalation as also enable local and temporary superiority in psychological terms. Coord. Coordination of sub campaigns is a must to achieve synergy of effect w/o inter service friction. It is aimed at permitting service commanders to coordinate and control respective services sub campaigns. As EFSA is associated with technology intensive services [RRF, Special Ops Forces (SOF), Navy, AF, Sec Arty] the relationship between services / branches has to be defined by equality and partnership in a joint services campaign. Hence coordination of joint service campaigns is a crucial issue for successful conduct of WZC. Principles of Coordination of Joint Campaigns. (a) Coordination is centered on whichever service that conducts the sub campaign. It calls for a heightened sense of responsibility and initiative by service commanding officers. (b) An important aspect for coordination is the timing and manner of transition from one phase of the campaign to another for example from electronic to air sub campaign, to sea denial and crossing operations, then to amphibious landing and ground operations. The coordination between various services is also very important during transitions to reduce internal chaos and friendly fire casualty. (c) Coordination in stratagem (e.g. outflanking troop movement to divert enemy forces to secondary fronts) is important to determine whether local and temporary superiority will be achieved on the primary front. (d) A common method of coordination is mutual dispatch of service representatives to coordinate air-land, air-sea or sea land operations. (e) Modes of coordination are strike zone based, target based and timing based. (f) Most important coordination mechanism is establishment of joint force command. Principles of Command. A joint command is established with deputy commanding officers from Air force, Navy and Sec Arty. The joint command formulates joint services operational plans and conducts inter service coordination. Some issues related with command are as under (a) Extent and Timing of Centralised Command. Command must be centralised during planning. However during execution, a decentralized command and service autonomy are desirable. (b) Traditional Mil Region command organs are ground force dominated and hence could be a potential for inter service friction during implementation. (c) Under WZC, a joint command is established using the present Mil Region command as nucleus. (d) The joint command may have higher proportion of command and staff officers from services other than the army as necessitated by the requirement.. 32. Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO). (a) This deals with concentration of EFSA at strategic level. (b) It aims at deployment of best forces and arms from other Mil Regions to reinforce the War Zone e.g. Rapid Reaction Forces (RRF), missiles, AF etc. (c) It focuses on development of rapid reaction forces and capabilities in the rear while maintaining a moderate level of forces deployed forward. (d) It contributes to achievement of local and temporary superiority. (e) TRSO stresses on tech based mobility and effectiveness to achieve its aim. (f) Enhances political and diplomatic initiatives by maintaining reduced forces in the fwd areas and de-escalating tensions. Capabilities: RRF. (a) Adaptation and responsiveness are the two key elements of RRF. (b) It is intended for quick reaction to deal with internal security (IS) and local / ltd border conflicts. (c) These forces are maintained at full strength with all terrain and all weather capability including survival training for 48 hours. (d) They have the capability to reach anywhere in any Mil Region within 24 to 48 hours. (e) RRFs of 15 AB Corps can reach anywhere in China within seven days. Gaining Initiative By Striking First (GISF) Gaining Initiative By Striking First (GISF). Increased precision and lethality of high tech weapons causes unprecedented destruction. Under such conditions the side that strikes second may lose momentum and face the prospects of defeat. As also the demarcation between first and second strike will be less relevant and hence by carrying out first strike a local and temporary superiority may be achieved. However, first strike may not lead to temporary initiative if the enemy is well prepared and anticipates the strike. This can be ensured by element of surprise and initiation of the initial battle of the campaign. GISF is hence associated with the beginning of the campaign. Gaining Initiative by Striking First Element of Surprise Initiation and Initial Battle of the Campaign Note: China will not be averse to striking first ? Element of Surprise. There are two key issues while considering Element of Surprise. If adversary is well prepared and anticipates strike, effect is reduced hence the need for element of surprise. There is a requirement of identifying enemy intentions and capabilities and simultaneously concealment of PLA intentions and capability. This can be achieved by concealing the real and demonstrating the false by employing conventional / asymmetric, electronic and civil-military means. (a) Transparency of En Intentions and Capabilities. (i) At the Strat Level. This can be achieved through long term, systematic and institutionalized study and analysis of military target especially with regard to his war fighting doctrine, styles, command, organization and weapon systems. (ii) At the Campaign Preparation Level. This can be achieved by acquiring and affirming intelligence with regard to the enemy by continuously monitor enemy movement, weapons and targets by the use of satellites, surveillance ships, planes, radars, radios and human intelligence. (b) Successful Concealment of PLAs Intentions and Capabilities. Modern technology enables effective surveillance and difficult concealment. Non tech means employed in 1991 Gulf War resulted in successful concealment achieving local and temporary superiority. Also fighting the battle close to Chinas borders would increase success of concealment. Methods of Concealment. Some of the measures which may be employed to confuse the adversary about timing, place, scale, nature and direction of the campaign initiation are:- (a) Create a situation of internal intensity and external relaxation i.e. political and diplomatic means be employed to conceal strategic intentions. (b) Concealing the real (hiding real forces by camouflage). (c) Demonstrate the false (use of dummy planes, ships, tanks, vehicles, artillery pieces and use reserve militia to show false deployment). (d) Blending the real with the false and illusory with the substantial (mixing real and substantial forces with false and illusory ones, meshing forces with civilian facilities). (e) Electronic measures (ECM, deception, ECCM). 37. Initiation and Initial Battle of the Campaign. (a) There is a contradiction between active defence as a central principle of PLA military operations and first strike (GISF in fact becomes a central component of active defence). (b) Window of opportunity for first strike is the period between the failure of political and diplomatic initiatives at the strategic level and completion of enemy deployment between the ens strat choice and his strat probe. (c) The outcome of the first battle would be crucial to determine whether local initiative is seized or not and hence it is necessary to Throw a powerful and superior initial strike force into the initial battle. (d) In order to maintain the advantage created by the initial battle, resolute, active and continuous offensive must be carried out to deny enemy breathing space. Quick Battle Quick Resolution If GISF is the beginning of the campaign, QBQR is the conclusion. QBQR deals with prosecution and conclusion of the campaign. The importance of QBQR arises from the fact that border wars fought for disputed territories will be limited to a confined area and not for total conquest of a country. Hence, there is a need to contain the conflict and achieve final resolution at one stroke. QBQR seeks to avoid prolonging of war as (high tech weapons would also cause extensive damage to own military and civil infrastructure in the event of a prolonged war. As the PLA is deemed inferior in technology, the enemy may regain and counter strike to cause PLA a defeat if war is protracted. QBQR INFO OFFENSIVE OFFENSIVE OPS MOB FIRE POWER AMBUSH SOFT KILL HARD KILL CONTINUOUS DEEP STRIKE VERTICAL STRIKE MOB SURPRISE ATTACK Methods to Achieve QBQR. Mobility and Offensive operations are the two key concepts to achieve QBQR. Mobility. Mobility is a pre-requisite for carrying out continuous and dynamic offensives. Mobile Warfare is dependent on good infrastructure and complex logistics but these leave adequate signature for the enemy to pick up. Whether local information superiority can be achieved will determine whether QBQR can be realized in PLAs favour. Counter reconnaissance is advocated to achieve information superiority (neutralise ens C4I by use of anti svl satl measures, laser and kinetic energy, particle beam wpns and other measures) which also helps in achieving surprise. There is a need to mitigate threats to mobility from air by integrated air defense measures required to defeat over-the-horizon (OTH) beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles and their launch platforms, smart bombs, stealth tactical aircraft and attack helicopters (AH). Modes of Mobilization. Employing various modes of mobilization may enhance deception or reduce exposure and casualty, thus improving the odds of local and temporary initiatives. These include (a) Exterior Line Mobilization. This involves establishment of one or several inter-connected mob

Treyvon Martin and Clarence Thomas Essay -- Political Spectacle, Polit

On February 26, 2012, an apparently innocent teenager was shot as he walked home through his neighborhood late at night. The Trayvon Martin killing and trial has recently been one of the primary topics covered by the media in America. The response to the news coverage of the case has been staggering. Students have organized hoodie marches and created Facebook groups to protest the unjustified murder of the young man. However, is the American public as well informed as it pretends to be? Americans have an unsettling susceptibility to manipulation from the media. In 1991, a similar event occurred in the case of the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, where Supreme Court nominee, Clarence Thomas, had his personal affairs put on display for America. This event ignited unrest in women’s rights and civil rights groups across the country. Americans were surprised to discover that the nation had been blind to these supposed political injustices for years. The Clarence Thomas confir mation hearings cloaked a staggering message to the American people about media’s role in manipulating American sentiment by sensationalizing the news coverage relayed to the American public. The original purpose of the Clarence Thomas hearings were to determine if George Bush’s nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas, was a legitimate nominee for the prestigious role of Supreme Court justice. However, the hearings quickly developed into little more than a â€Å"political spectacle.† A political spectacle â€Å"is public in the sense that it deals with a†¦ scandalous action that carries instant and wide appeal no matter who does it† . The spectacle was tailored so that it would reach and catch the attention of millions of viewers. In order to accomplish th... ...ide, â€Å"Deconstructing the Political Spectacle: Sex, Race, and Subjectivity in Public Response to the Clarence Thomas/ Anita Hill â€Å"Sexual Harassment† Hearings,† American Journal of Political Science 37 (1993): 701. Dianne Rucinski, â€Å"Rush to Judgment? Fast Reaction Polls in the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas Controversy,† The Public Opinion Quarterly 57 (1993): 575. Frances Trix and Andrea Sankar, â€Å"Women's Voices and Experiences of the Hill-Thomas Hearings,† American Anthropologist 100 (1998): 32. Larry Hugick, "On Night before Vote, Support for Thomas Remains Strong," Gallup Poll News Service 56 ( 1991): 2. Murray Edelman, Constructing the Political Spectacle (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988), 99. Thomas P. Kim, â€Å"Clarence Thomas and the Politicization of Candidate Gender in the 1992 Senate Elections,† Legislative Studies Quarterly 23 (1998): 399.

Human Adjustment

If the motives of organisms were all immediately and easily satisfied, there would be no need for adjustment. Various hindrances, however, tend to thwart the direct satisfaction of motives. A dog may not find food available and ready to be eaten every time that the pangs of hunger assail.The human, impelled by such motives as those of mastery or social approval, is frequently unable to reduce his drives immediately. He meets with thwarting in the form of material obstacles, of competition from other similarly motivated individuals, and of hindrances resulting from his own lack of ability. But a strong motive, once aroused, tends to keep the individual in a state of activity. Stimulated by the drive-tension, the individual makes one reaction after another until at length some response is found which will reduce the drive.This exploratory activity which begins when a drive is aroused and ends when the drive is extinguished :s probably the most general pattern of animal and human behavi or. It may be termed the adjustment process. NORMAL AND ABNORMAL MODES OF ADJUSTMENT PROCESS There are three main elements in the process of adjustment. A. Motive. The process of adjustment begins with some inspiration or need present in an individual. B. Thwarting Conditions. If environmental factors do not hinder the fulfillment of needs, adjustment probably comes about and there are no problems.But thwarting circumstances steer forward the process of adjustment. C. Varied responses. In the event of non-fulfillment of needs, an individual reacts in many ways. These responses can be normal as well as abnormal. As a result of these reactions, the individual makes an adjustment with his environment. The process of adjustment begins with inspiration. Inspiration is objective-oriented. As a result, individual performs activities aimed at the objective. Many a time obstructions confront these activities.These obstruction evoke different responses in different individuals, the response m ay vary for trying work harder to giving it up to thinking an alternative plan to meet the objective. Evaluations of an individual's personality adjustment can be done as per the following criteria: a. Balance of Personality. The main criterion of personality adjustment is the formulation of personality. All the mental faculties like intelligence, emotions, desires and determination are fully involved in it and these function in unison.A well-developed personality is flexible, determined and cohesive. The ability to adjust is proportionate to the integration of personality. An individual with well-adjusted personality is balanced and realistic. He is not easily upset by failures an disappointments, and his emotions, needs, thoughts ND other mental activities are also balanced. On the other hand, a maladjusted individual's personality is imbalanced. His life is devoid of peace and he deprives others too of their peace. B. Minimal tension. Another sign of well-adjusted personality is minimal tension.Non-fulfillment of needs gives rise to tension. This tension lasts till needs are fulfilled. In other words,the adjustment of an individual can be gauged from the amount of tension he has. C. Harmony between Needs and Environment. The amount of harmony is directly proportionate to the amount of adjustment. An individual with a well-adjusted personality keep his needs and desires in consonance with the state of his environment and alters his environment according to the demand of his needs. Thus achieving mutual adjustment from both the sides accounts more success.Five groups of adjusting responses may be distinguished on this basis. These groups represent only a convenient arrangement arising from the practical necessity of making some division. They should not be interpreted as fundamentally distinct types of adjustment. 1 . Adjustment by defense. This adjustment mechanisms characterized by excessively aggressive conduct, usually involving group participation often of an undesirable or antisocial character. The defense mechanisms, by reducing the fear tensions and satisfying the original drives, lead to an adjustment of a sort.Since all persons have* deficiencies of varying degrees, defensive behavior is a normal and almost universal human trait. Only when defense mechanisms become exaggerated in character and excessive in scope do they present serious psychological problems. 2. Adjustment by withdrawing. This is considered the defensive adjustments that how a marked failure to participate in social activity, either in the form of passive exclusiveness or of active refusal. These are usually accompanied by substitute satisfactions of an individual and symbolic sort in the form of fantasy.Another way in which many individuals respond to thwarting is by retreating from the situations in which they experience adjusting difficulty. Withdrawing is a normal form of adjustment in a statistical sense, for practically all persons make use of it to some extent. Exclusiveness, like all other forms of defense, is a maladjustment only in reapportion to the degree of its employment, being normal when it does not seriously interfere with an individual's social effectiveness, pathological when he withdraws to such an extent as to affect his perception of reality.The exclusive type of adjustment originates from the same psychological pattern as do the other types. Confronted with the frustration of some strong motive, the individual makes varying responses until some form of behavior is discovered that will reduce his emotional tensions. In many instances the satisfying action is found in exclusiveness and timidity which are voiding responses to the stimuli responsible for the maladjustment. The exclusive behavior is adjusting, for by avoiding the attempt to cope with his environment, the individual eliminates the possibility of failure.The logic of exclusiveness is that, by not trying, failure is avoided. In the early or â€Å"varied r esponse† stage of adjustment to thwarting, it is typical for the reaction of timidity to alternate with the more aggressive types of defense. For an individual to be shy and exclusive at one moment, and to be bold and overbearing in the next, often seems inconsistent, but it has psychological coherence since both forms of response indicate attitudes of inferiority and fears of social criticism.Since shy and withdrawing persons are not as much of a nuisance to those around them as are the more aggressive individuals, their maladjustments often escape notice* This is especially likely to be true of school children, for teachers quickly discover the annoyingly active child who compensates, rationalizes or lies, while the withdrawing youngster is often considered as a model of perfect deportment. For the same reasons, the seriousness and extent of outdrawing forms of adjustment is usually underestimated by teachers and parents. 3. Adjustments involving fear and repression.Although fear is a factor in all maladjustments, it appears with special prominence in phobias, which are irrational specific fears. Repression, another general characteristic of maladjustment, will also be investigated in this section. Strong emotional responses of an undifferentiated character are natively elicited by stimulation to an excessively intense or tissue- injuring nature. Rather early in childhood a number of more specific emotional tatters emerge from the diffused matrix of primitive emotion, this individuation arising from the operation of processes of adjustment and learning.The responses to overwhelming situations such as loud noises and violent loss of support, toward which the child can make no effective adjusting response, become crystallized into the pattern of emotion, disorientation and flight that may be designated as fear. Many situations in the common experiences of older children and adults also call forth a normal fear response. In some instances fear is the resp onse to a danger signal or symbol of impending possible injury.Because he has learned the consequences of various situations, the individual may react to the menace of prospective injury with the same emotional quality as to the injuring situation itself. The greatest number of fear experiences of normal adults probably occur in situations involving a narrow escape from catastrophe, such as occur occasionally when driving an automobile. Fear responses are most readily aroused in adults when an intense stimulation is presented very suddenly, under circumstances that permit the use of no habitual adjustment that would enable the individual to cope with the situation.Repression as adjustment, a viewpoint which supplements the foregoing account in a valuable manner is that which regards repression as a variety of adjustment or species of defense mechanism. The event the memory of which is repressed was a stimulus for a fear of disapproval, hence when the recall occurs it acts as a symbo l or substitute for the original guilt or shame-provoking situation. The fear of social disapproval thwarts one of the strongest of the common motives and therefore calls for adjusting behavior. The individual must adjust to the substitute symbol as he would to the disapproval itself. Adjustment by ailments. The most spectacular forms of adjustment are those which ape physical ailments, including pains, paralyses and cramps. These mechanisms constitute a large part of the field of the psychoneuroses and lie in the borderland between psychology and medicine. 5. Persistent nonadjustable reactions. If all forms of adjustment fail, the individual may show states of exhaustion, anxiety and â€Å"nervousness' which are the result of an unreduced emotional tension In Karen Horned adjustment to basic anxiety, she has categorized three patterns or modes of adjustment: 1 .Moving Towards People In this pattern of adjustment, individual moves towards people in order to satisfy his needs for af fection and approval, for a dominant partner to control one's life and to live one's life within narrow limits. This is a type of person who is complaint type, who says that if I give in, I shall not be hurt. This type of person needs to be liked, wanted, desired, loved, welcomed, approved, appreciated, to be helped, to be protected, to be taken care of and to be guided. This type of person is friendly, most of the time and represses his aggression. 2. Moving Against PeopleIn this adjustment mode, the neurotic need for power for exploitation of others is for prestige and for personal achievements are to be fulfilled, when an individual moves against people. This hostile person thinks that if he has power, no one can hurt him. 3. Moving Away from People In this adjustment mode, the neurotic need for self-sufficiency, perfection, independence and UN-salability are classified. This person is a detached type, who says that if I withdraw, nothing can hurt me. These three adjustment patte rns are basically are incompatible, for example, one cannot move against, towards and way from people at the same time.The normal person has greater flexibility he uses one adjustment mode to another as conditions and situations demand. The neurotic person cannot easily move from one adjustment mode to another, rather he is less flexible and ineffective in moving from one adjustment mode to another. Fraud's ego defense mechanisms and Karen Hornet's adjustment techniques are the same. However, Karen Horned has added few new and usable techniques of adjustment, which are: I-Blind Spots Let us take an example, â€Å"you are extremely intelligent student and you responded to our teacher's question very stupidly, so this experience hurts your ego'.Therefore, you are going to deny it and ignore it because it is not in accordance with your idealized self image of an intelligent person. Now this experience is a disowned one and it will reappear as a blind spot in your personality. You will not accept it and it will reappear as a problem in your personality. This is similar to Sigmund Fraud's repression. 2-Rationalization It is giving good reasons or making good excuses to protect your ego. So rationalization by Freud and Horned are the same. Let us take an example: A student arks very hard for his CSS exam but fails in it.He says, â€Å"l don't want to be a civil servant, all civil servants are corrupt since I am an honest person I do not want to be a civil servant†. The story of the fox and the grapes is another example of rationalization. 3-Excessive Self-Control Excessive self-control is actually rigid self-control at all costs. It is guarding one's self against anxiety by controlling, any expression of emotion. In real life a puritan character has been created who maintains tight emotional control under all circumstances. Example: An individual under extreme grief and depression expresses no emotion.An individual under state of extreme happiness shows no e motion. 4-compartmentalizing It means dividing your life in to various compartments; one set of rules controls one compartment and another set of rules controls another compartment. For example, a teacher does not permit his students to cheat in the class, but the same teacher while playing a game of cards cheats with his colleagues. So there is one set of rules which applies to one compartment and another set of rules which applies to another compartment of his personality. 5 – Sterilization Sterilization is similar to Fraud's projection.In projection, individual blames others for his own shortcoming. For example, a student did not prepare for his exams properly, and after getting a low grade, would say, the teacher was against me or the question paper was out of the course, instead of seeing the fact that the preparation was insufficient. Our team lost the match, because the umpire was against us while the fact is that our penalty corner conversion was poor. 6- Arbitrary Ri ghtness To the person utilizing this adjustment technique, the worst thing a person can be is indecisive or ambiguous.When issues arise that have no clear solution one way or the other, the person arbitrarily chooses one solution, thereby ending debate. An example would be when a mother says â€Å"You're not going out Friday night and that's the end of it† A person using this adjustment will arrive at a position and when doing so all debate ends. The position the person takes becomes the truth and therefore cannot be challenged. The person no longer needs to worry about what is right and wrong or what is certain and uncertain. 7 – Elusiveness This technique is the opposite of arbitrary rightness.The elusive person never makes decision about anything. If one is never committed to anything, one can never be wrong, and if one is never wrong, one can never be criticized. If a person decides to go to college and fails, there is no excuse. If, however, the decision to go to college is delayed, because of lack of money, or any other reason, this technique is called elusiveness, where the person never makes a decision about anything. 8 – Cynicism Cynics are individuals who do not believe in the value of anything rather they try to make every individual realize the meaninglessness of their goals and objectives.Karen Horned believed that Cynics are individuals who derive pleasure by making an individual realize that he is worthless and his goals and aims in life are meaningless. Personality Disorders DEFINITION Personality is one's set of stable, predictable emotional and behavioral traits. Personality disorders involve deeply ingrained, inflexible patterns of relating to others that are maladaptive and cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning. The disorders include marked limitations in problem solving and low stress tolerance.Patients with personality disorders lack insight bout their problems; their symptoms are either e go-synoptic or viewed as immutable. They have a rigid view of themselves and others and around their fixed patterns have little insight. Patients with personality disorders are vulnerable to developing symptoms of Axis I disorders during stress. Personality disorders are Axis II diagnoses. Many people have odd tendencies and quirks; these are not pathological unless they cause significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.DIAGNOSIS AND ADSM-IV CRITERIA 1 . Pattern of behavior/inner experience that deviates from the person's culture and is manifested in two or more of the following ways: _ Cognition Affect Personal relations Impulse control 2. The pattern: Is pervasive and info expiable in a broad range of situations _ Is stable and has an onset no later than adolescence or early adulthood _ -?+ significant distress in functioning _ Is not accounted for by another mental/medical illness or by use of a substance The international prevalence of personality disorders is 6%.Per sonality disorders vary by gender. Many patients with personality disorders will meet the criteria for more than one disorder. They should be classified as having all of the disorders for which they qualify. CLUSTERS Personality disorders are divided into three clusters: Cluster A-?schizoid, psychotically, and paranoid: Patients seem eccentric, peculiar, or withdrawn. _ Familial association with psychotic disorders. Cluster a-?antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic: emotional, dramatic, or inconsistent. Familial association with mood disorders.Cluster C-?avoiding, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive: or fearful. Patients seem Patients seem anxious _ Familial association with anxiety disorders. Personality disorder not otherwise specific deed (NOSE) includes disorders that do not fit onto cluster A, B, or C (including passive-aggressive personality disorder and depressive personality disorder). Personality disorder criteria-? CAPRI Cognition Personal Relations ETIOLOGY _ Biological, genetic, and psychosocial factors during childhood and adolescence contribute to the development of personality disorders. The prevalence of personality disorders in minimization twins is several times higher than in dogmatic twins. TREATMENT _ Personality disorders are generally very dif cult to treat, especially since few patients are aware that they need help. The disorders tend to be chronic and feeling. _ In general, pharmacological treatment has limited usefulness (see individual exceptions below) except in treating coexisting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and the like. _ Psychotherapy and group therapy are usually the most helpful.Cluster A These patients are perceived as eccentric or hermetic by others and can have symptoms that meet criteria for psychosis PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER (PDP) Patients with PDP have a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others and often interpret motives as malevolent. They tend to blame their own problems on others and s eem angry and hostile. They are often characterized as being pathologically jealous, which leads them to think that their sexual partners or spouses are cheating on them. Diagnosis requires a general distrust of others, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. At least four of the following must also be present: 1 . Suspicion (without evidence) that others are exploiting or deceiving him or her. 2. Preoccupation with doubts of loyalty or trustworthiness of acquaintances. 3. Reluctance to confine De in others. 4. Interpretation of benign remarks as threatening or demeaning. 5. Persistence of grudges. 6. Perception of attacks on his or her character that are not apparent to others; quick to counterattack. 7. Recurrence of suspicions regarding FL delimit of spouse or lover.DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with paranoid personality disorder do not have any fixed delusions and are not frankly psychotic , although they may have transient psychosis under stressful situations. _ Social disenfranchisement and social isolation: Without a social support system, persons can react with suspicion to others. The differential in favor of the diagnosis can be dad by the assessment of others in close contact with the person, who identify what they consider as excess suspicion, etc.COURSE AND PROGNOSIS _ Some patients with PDP may eventually be diagnosed with schizophrenia. _ The disorder usually has a chronic course, causing lifelong marital and Job-related problems. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Patients may also benefit from antiquity medications or short course of antispasmodics for transient psychosis. SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER Patients with schizoid personality disorder have a lifelong pattern of social withdrawal. They are often perceived as eccentric and reclusive. They are quiet and unsociable and have a constricted affect. They have no desire for close relationships an d prefer to be alone.Unlike with avoiding personality disorder, patients with schizoid personality disorder prefer to be alone. A pattern of voluntary social withdrawal and restricted range of emotional expression, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety contexts. _ Four or more of the following must also be present: 1 . Neither enjoying nor desiring close relationships (including family) 2. Generally choosing solitary activities 3. Little (if any) interest in sexual activity with another person 4. Taking pleasure in few activities (if any) 5. Few close friends or confidants (if any) 6. Indifference to praise or criticism 7.Emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affect _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have any fixed delusions, although these may exist transiently in some patients. _ Psychotically personality disorder: Patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have the same ec centric behavior or magical thinking seen in patients with psychotically personality disorder. Psychotically patients are more similar to schizophrenic patients in terms of odd perception, thought, and behavior. COURSE Usually chronic course, but not always lifelong.Similar to paranoid personality disorder: Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice; group therapy is often beneficial. _ Low- dose antispasmodics (short course) if transiently psychotic, or antidepressants if combine major depression is diagnosed. PSYCHOTICALLY PERSONALITY DISORDER Patients with psychotically personality disorder have a pervasive pattern of eccentric behavior and peculiar thought patterns. They are often perceived as strange and eccentric. The disorder was developed out of the observation that certain family traits predominate in FL rest-degree relatives with schizophrenia.A pattern of social deaf cists marked by eccentric behavior, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and discomfort with close relations hips, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. _ Five or more of the following must be present: 1 . Ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference) 2. Odd beliefs or magical thinking, inconsistent with cultural norms 3. Unusual perceptual experiences (such as bodily illusions) 4. Suspiciousness 5. Inappropriate or restricted affect . Odd or eccentric appearance or behavior 7. Few close friends or confine daunts 8. Odd thinking or speech (vague, stereotyped, etc) 9.Excessive social anxiety Magical thinking may include: Belief in clairvoyance or telepathy Bizarre fantasies or preoccupations Belief in superstitions Odd behaviors may include involvement in cults or strange religious practices. _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with psychotically personality disorder are not frankly psychotic (though they can become transiently so under stress), nor do they have fixed delusions. _ Schizoid personality crosier: Patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have the same eccentric behavior seen in patients with psychotically personality disorder. Course is chronic or patients may eventually develop schizophrenia. Personality type for a patient with schizophrenia. Performed Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice to help develop social skills training. Short course of low-dose antispasmodics if necessary (for transient psychosis). Antispasmodics may help decrease social anxiety and suspicion in interpersonal relationships. Cluster B Includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders.These patients are often emotional, impulsive, and dramatic Patients diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder show superficial conformity to social norms but are exploitive of others and break rules to meet their own needs. Lack empathy and compassion; lack remorse for their actions. They are impulsive, deceitful, and often violate the law. They are skilled at reading social cu es and appear charming and normal to others who meet them for the FL rest time and do not know their history. Pattern of disregard for others and violation of the rights of others since age 15.Patients must be at least 18 years old for this diagnosis; history of behavior as a child/adolescent must be consistent with conduct disorder _ Three or more of the following should be present: 1. Failure to conform to social norms by committing unlawful acts 2. Deceitfulness/ repeated lying/manipulating others for personal gain 3. Impulsively/failure to plan ahead 4. Irritability and aggressiveness/repeated FL sights or assaults 5. Recklessness and disregard for safety of self or others 6. Irresponsibility/failure to sustain work or honor FL uncial obligations 7. Lack of remorse for actionsDrug abuse: It is necessary to ascertain which came FL rest. Patients who began abusing drugs before their antisocial behavior started may have behavior attributable to the effects of their addiction. Usual ly has a chronic course, but some improvement of symptoms may occur as the patient ages. _ Many patients have multiple somatic complaints, and coexistence of substance abuse and/or major depression is common. _ There is t morbidity from substance abuse, trauma, suicide, or homicide. Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder-?

Social Problems Of Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, And Mental...

The presentations I have viewed throughout the last few weeks in class have given me a whole new understanding of different social problems. The variety of social problems presented introduced me to a couple of social problems I had not given much thought to before. It also surprised me that every person in the class knew at least one person that had been affected by a certain social problem. Through the solutions presented in these presentations, I have gained knowledge of I can personally help eliminate some aspects of different social problems. The three presentations I believed to be the most intriguing were on the social problems of alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness. The first presentation was focused on how†¦show more content†¦The second presentation discussed the issues that are influenced by drug addiction. The presentation by Y.C. was titled: â€Å"Living with an Addiction†. Addiction plays a role in driving under the influence, stress, and ab use. The interviewee in this presentation was named Bernard and Bernard was the interviewers father. Bernard is unemployed and has been actively using drugs for over twenty years. He described drug using to just be something to do in his leisure time. Y.C. described her father’s remorse for not playing a bigger role in her childhood and blamed this lack of effort due to his drug addiction. Y.C. understand now that drug addiction took her father away from her. Since then, Bernard has reached out for help and Y.C. helped Bernard get into a rehab program. This presentation displayed how deeply drug addiction can affect family relationships, but that there are solutions to overcoming drug addiction which I believe is useful to learn in a social problems class. The last presentation focused on how mental illness can affect people especially veterans. This presentation discussed how depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can lead to divorce, homelessness, and suicide. 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