Culture of fear

There is no species on the earth which does not experience fear, for fear is pivotal to survival. All humans and most species of animals fear loud sounds and falling. But humans grow to learn fear: fear of clowns, spiders, heights, water, insects, et cetera. Americans, after the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, learned to fear an entire group of people. Like other fears can be exploited by others, this national fear was exploited by the United States Government. Experts agree that fear is a powerful means of control and has been used as such for centuries; however, the means by which fear is spread and maintained and what aspects of life are controlled are debatable. So the question remains: how does the United States Government…

Creation and Role of Fear in American Culture”, (2/1) PART I: In this lecture session, Dr. Jendian talked about fear and defined how it plays a role within our society. Fear is known to be very powerful and can at times lead to destruction. In the film Hijacking Catastrophe, by Media Education Foundation, they focused on the 9/11 attack and its effect it had on the people. The 9/11 attack was seen as an example of how we should, like George W. Bush stated, “Fear, fear”. It gave the American…

on their unsuspecting victims. One could say that human beings have the capability to become monsters. After all, it is the average individual who creates a culture of fear by perpetuating stigmas like: hate and prejudice. It seems as if fear derives solely from the environment in which the monster dwells, which in essence is everyday life. However, people do not just transform into monsters for the fun of it; their transformation is intentional, and that intention is often suppressed by a…

carry weight in the way in which they shape and guide our culture. The supermarket in Don Delillo’s White Noise is portrayed as a spiritual place where characters, like Jack Gladney and Murray, go to discover their identity and face their deepest fears. This is a critique of the culture of consumerism that measures the worth of an individual on the basis of their commodities and possessions. The…

In, “Saints, Scholars, and Schizophrenics” by Nancy Schephur-Hughes, the typical personality of an Irish person is one of fear and mistrust. They are also, “intensely familistic and tightly endogamous”. Schizophrenia is also very common. They especially do not trust outsiders and are very influenced by their past, holy geography, and their language which they regard as sacred tongue. According to the author, these main type of personality traits arise from the decline in culture of rural Irish…

One might ask how the topic of fear relates to the liberal arts. Fear, although it manifests itself in physical and physiological symptoms, is an omnipresent force effecting the human race. The symptoms it causes and our responses influence our behavior, thoughts, and decisions. All of which are studied by liberal arts disciplines. To better understand the human response to fear, it helps to understand the body’s response. When a stimulus that triggers fear is encountered, impulses are sent…

encounters difficulties with raising children, drug addictions, and personal fears. The satirical postmodern novel, White Noise, by Don Dellilo, uses the Gladney family’s daily interactions to criticize American culture, behavior, and thought. Delillo criticizes American culture by placing children in the role of becoming parental figures. Dellilo makes fun of the American culture stating that children made, ''homemade signs concerning lost dogs and cats are posted on telephone poles all over…

Introduction Monsters are scary but fantastic! Arguably, the world would be boring if we did not have monsters to scare us and inculcate in us the need to have their power and capabilities. While some monsters are a real cause of fear to people in a society, it is apparent that we need them for coping with our daily fears (Jacobsen, 2016). The horror and terror expressed by the monsters such as the zombies show what human beings wish to become. Their influence makes people secretly aspire to be…

She uses a variety of themes in order to understand this fear and how it influences our perception of death. One theme that the book mentions is the idea of a “good death”. One meaning of a good death that is mentioned within the book is a medical anthropological definition in which “there is an awareness, acceptance and preparation and a peaceful dignified dying” (Joseph, 2014, p. 40). This idea of a good death is when the patient comes to a state of understanding in regards to their death.…

the epic through Gilgamesh's journey to find immortality. In order to help discover his humanity, Gilgamesh asked himself a series of questions as well as addressed his fear with death directly through these questions. Some of his questioning can be seen here, "I am going to die!--am I not like Enkidu?! Deep sadness penetrates my core, I fear death, and now roam the wilderness...I saw lions, and I was terrified! I raised my head in prayer to Sin" (Carnahan 32). His demonstration of these…