Commitment to Academic Honesty and Course Expectations Guide
School
Centennial College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
COMM 3
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 11, 2024
Pages
6
Uploaded by ConstableOtterMaster5892
Pre-Drafting Assignment OneSTATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC HONESTYI understand that I am responsible for adhering to Centennial College’s Academic Honesty Policy. I have reviewed Centennial College’s Academic Honesty Policy (posted on Centennial College’s website and our course site) for more information. If I have any further questions about academic honesty, I will consult with my instructor or a librarian at Centennial College.TYPE YOUR NAME AS YOUR SIGNATURE: ABDULLATEEF OLURIMISIDATE: 09/13/2024STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND CLASS CONFIDENTIALITYI understand that I am responsible for meeting the course expectations, behaving in a manner that supports Centennial’s commitment to respect and inclusion, and adhering to Centennial College’s Code of Student Conduct. I have reviewed the relevant information so that I understand what appropriate behaviour looks and feels like . If I have any further questions about the course expectations, I will contact my instructor.Moreover, I understand that I may not share or reproduce writings or other works by any member of the class without their express (direct) written permission. This includes essay drafts,presentations, Discussion Board posts, and anything else created by my peers. The only exception is if I am citing a classmate's ideas or words in my own coursework, in which case I will acknowledge and document the source with the appropriate citation method.TYPE YOUR NAME AS YOUR SIGNATURE: ABDULLATEEF OLURIMISI
DATE: 09/13/2024The following reverse outline, breakdown, and summary are required parts of the assignment. Only the summary is graded (on summary conventions and writing). The reverse outline and breakdown are ungraded process pieces, but are required for the assignment to be accepted at full evaluation. Reverse OutlineParagraph-by-paragraph: author’s central points in your own wordsPara 1-2: Many students want to take Bruce Hood’s Science of Happiness class, it is interactive and fun, no exams are required, and the use of technological devices is prohibited.Para 3: Outside the classroom, podcasts and hours of YouTube videos are provided to true happiness seekers, and they are also given certificates to affirm their happiness credentials.Para 4-5: Mankind has constantly been striving to achieve happiness, and several fieldslike philosophy, science, economics, and business provide different avenues to conceptualize and enhance it, often linking it to productivity.Para 6: In North America, the multibillion-dollar happiness industry would thus support the belief that even though happiness is difficult to attain and sustain, through science, with hard work, like taking a happiness course and doing the ensuing "homework", people will be able to live a more joyful life deliberately.Para 7: Dr. Hood, initially doubtful of positive psychology, condemned its methods and overemphasis on self-care, believing that true happiness comes from serving others.Para 8: Dr. Hood’s students became hard to teach because they were stressed and grade-obsessed, while his former student Laurie Santos’s “Psychology and Good Life” course at Yale University became popular, attracting millions online.Para 9: Dr. Hood reached out to Dr. Santos, then launched his “Science of Happiness” course in 2018 and became convinced that happiness should be taught alongside other academic subjects.Para 10: Dr. Hood brings in psychological research to complement the self-help lessonsin teaching students how brain biases, hedonic adaptation, and social dynamics all
impact their happiness and show ways to cultivate gratitude, bounce back from adversity, and connect with others.Para 11-13: The happiness classes have been gaining a lot of momentum since mental health issues started rising all over the world, and Canada ranked 15th in the 2024 World Happiness Report despite growing stress and anxiety levels, particularly among teens.Para 14-16: Matteo Zappone grew up surrounded by privilege but did not find his happiness until a college class taught him happiness takes practice, a concept backed by experts such as Dr. Hood.Para 17: According to the Happiness Pie theory, 50% of happiness is determined by genetics, 10% by life circumstances, and 40% by intentional behavior-meaning the latteris where we can actively work on improving our level of happiness.Para 18: The Happiness Pie theory has also come under criticism for the narrowness ofits base in research, as well as for a simplistic demarcation of factors. Even lead author Sonja Lyubomirsky admitted in 2019 that the model may already be outdated.Para 19: The 10% in life circumstances within the Happiness Pie theory does not account for many cases wherein systemic issues such as racism, poverty, and trauma have taken place that positive thinking or gratitude practices cannot resolve.Para 20: Although happiness does have a 50% genetic component, resilience and the need for interventions also depend on various degrees of inherited optimism, as demonstrated by Dr. Hood's increased happiness with deliberate practice, including gratitude.Para 21: The normal pattern of happiness across life is usually U-shaped: higher in the 20s, lower when the burdens of life take over in the 40s, and generally improving again in the 50s and afterward.Para 22: Although the generally held belief that is sometimes called the "end of history illusion" is that people will not change in the future, the message from positive psychology is that people can reframe and change at any age, showing that some components of happiness are controllable.Para 23-24: Elizabeth Dunn and Dunigan Folk presented an evaluation of empirical data for interventions aimed at improving happiness. The authors narrowed their focus to non-clinical participants, positive mood, large samples, and preregistered methods.Para 25-26: Dr. Dunn and Mr. Folk concluded that the long-term effects of popular happiness interventions, such as keeping gratitude journals and practicing mindfulness,
cannot be determined, though short-term increases may be achieved through nature walks and social interactions with strangers.Para 27-28: Adding novelty to regular activities and practice of easy actions like smiling may yield fleeting boosts in happiness, even though sustained joy might remain elusive.Para 29-31: Mr. Folk even suggests that daily small boosts can be effective in bringing about happiness, and Dr. Hood's course shows that the students who kept on practicingits lessons stayed in a good mood longer, just like how one needs to keep on with the physical exercises.Para 32: Dr. Hood says that while the 10 to 15 percent increase in happiness was a modest gain, it counts nonetheless-it would be the equivalent of wishing for a 10 or 15 percent improvement in income or health.Para 33-34: The course that changed Mr. Zappone's life was entitled "sustainable happiness" and was created by Catherine O'Brien of Dawson College; it showed that individual happiness needed to be linked to the well-being of humankind and the planet as a whole.Para 35-36: Dr. O'Brien's course covers traditional practices to attain happiness, but he places a greater emphasis on recognizing and valuing the larger consequences of actions and relationships to the world.Para 37-38: Proof that the course is effective especially for the long-term is scarce, though Mr. Zappone said that it helped him appreciate how happiness was actually a daily experience given manifestation in various forms, such as the experience of joy, appreciation, and even awe.Para 39: Mr. Zappone spent time being outdoors for his class project, developing a relationship with the land, which he says transformed his despair about climate change into a hopeful, solemn happiness that then motivated him to this practice in order to stir social action.Para 40-42: What amazes Mr. Zappone is that he gets to talk about happiness, which, within every culture and to each person, means something different. He said one shouldthink of the practices of happiness as an available smorgasbord to pick and choose from, with reflection and enjoyment along the way.Argument Break Down
Issue/ Question Effectiveness and Validity of Happiness Courses and Interventions in Improving Well-being.Thesis While there has been a rise in happiness courses and interventions in the recent past, some with benefits, the long-term effectiveness of such classes in creating happiness is still doubted, and the pursuit of happiness may require one to make continuous effort and shifts in perspective.Key Reasons/ Evidence1.Popularity and Implementation of Happiness Courses:Happiness courses are popular, engage in practical techniques, and show increased happiness, for example, Bruce Hood's Science of Happiness course.2.Criticisms and Short Comings of the Models for Happiness:The "Happiness Pie" theory has been criticised, first because of the oversimplification of the interaction among genes, environment, and also personal choice, and second because some of the big life circumstances, such as poverty or trauma, are not accounted for by this theory.3.Research Challenges and Lack of Evidence:The methodological challenges and long-term evidence for interventions aimed at happiness, such as gratitude journals and mindfulness, are still pending. Nature walks and social interactions do support temporary increases in happiness. 4.The dynamic and subjective nature of happiness:Happiness comes in many flavors and is not a fixed endpoint. Personal experiences shared put forth that happiness means practices done on a daily basis and re-framing one's approach to life.5.Happiness Practices in the Greater Scheme of Things:Approaches such as "sustainable happiness" by Dr. O'Brien take a more holistic view with a greater perspective of consequence on the world and a collective sense of well-being, though evidence is rare regarding its long-term impact.
6.Level Best Efforts and Shifting Perspective:The quest for happiness is always a process and needs to be practiced in order to achieve and maintain. Minimal efforts may be worth it, though, and in the dynamic and ever-changing process of pursuit of happiness,.Summary“Can happiness be taught? Academics who hope to answer that have found reasons to smile: Researchers, emboldened by new insights in psychology, hope to discover the habits that bring us joy, and spread them to others” posted on Aug 3, 2024, is an article written by Anderssen Erin and published to The Globe and Mail, which discusses the effectiveness and validity of happiness courses and interventions in improving well-being. While there has been a rise in happiness courses and interventions in the recent past, some with benefits, the long-term effectiveness of such classes in creating happiness is still doubted, and the pursuit of happiness may require one to make continuous effort and shifts in perspective.Dr. Bruce Hood’s Science of Happiness course at the University of Bristol stands out forits focus on practical work over exams and its unique approach, which includes spontaneous student performances and candy exchanges. Despite its popularity, such courses face criticism, particularly the "Happiness Pie" theory that divides happiness into 50% inherited, 10% due to life circumstances, and 40% from personal actions. Critics argue this oversimplifies complex issues like poverty and trauma.Research on happiness, including studies on gratitude journals and mindfulness, often suffers from methodological flaws and lacks long-term evidence. However, short-term happiness boosts are achievable through activities like nature walks and social interactions.Dr. Hood, initially skeptical, now believes that teaching happiness alongside other core subjects is crucial. His course integrates positive psychology research with practical techniques, emphasizing that sustained happiness requires ongoing effort.Ultimately, happiness practices should be seen as a buffet: experiment with different methods, discard what doesn’t work, and repeat what does, while savoring moments of joy.