Angel Friesen
Bio
I use my expertise in sociology, psychology, and business to create daily articles with various social sciences/political themes. My hope is to educate and entertain in the search of understanding the human condition.
Stories (9/0)
Coffee Thoughts - Introduction to Heteronormativity
You may or may not have heard the term “heteronormativity” - as a sociology student I heard it quite consistently ever since I walked through the doors of my university. The one caveat? I did not fully understand what it meant. It involved a lot of head nodding. I could understand the basics of it - that heterosexual (straight man and/or straight woman) were the assumed and expected coupling. Which is a piece of it! However, heteronormativity itself is indicative of an entire process.
By Angel Friesen 2 years ago in Journal
Coffee Thoughts - Trolls and Post-Colonialism
One of the most underestimated educational opportunities, in my opinion, for children and adults alike is kid’s movies. I’m uncertain if it is the fact that movies are now evolving to hold concepts of acceptance (along with other themes), or if it’s just the fact that I am now watching children's movies as an educated adult; either way, I feel that modern films are amazing ways to explain complicated topics. Though there are layers for children, they may also offer a solid pivot to help clarify political topics that adults need to understand and discuss more. For example, Trolls World Tour (or as I call it - Trolls 2) is an apt representation of post-colonialism.
By Angel Friesen 2 years ago in Journal
Coffee Thoughts - Addiction Vs. Dependency
***Warning - this article contains content regarding drug use and addiction*** In a heated Reddit debate there was a discussion of what option would be best for a Redditor: methadone or heroin. I can’t recall the precise reason why he was hoping to understand the difference, I believe it was for pain management under doctoral supervision, but it is Reddit, so I cannot say for certain. I joined said discussion by saying that methadone is often used for addicts, but the side effects can be so harsh that many find it difficult as a stepping stone. Additionally, upon doing a test on heroin, a psychiatrist found that when you took the risk or uncertainty about the next fix - heroin addicts were more likely to return to functioning life and manage the issues that caused the addiction in the first place (if you want to read more about this test and the drug war in general please read “The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment” by Paula Mallea). The debate that ensued was that there was a difference between “addiction” and “dependence” - you wouldn’t call someone with ADHD who takes their medication an addict, would you?
By Angel Friesen 2 years ago in Psyche
Coffee Thoughts - the Challenge
Self-improvement is a currently trending topic, which is good, because a lot of us are depressed as f***. One of the key aspects that seems to be associated within the self-improvement movement is rooted within challenges. We can easily compare these “challenges” to goals, however, “goals” never sounds as intimidating or exciting as a “challenge”. Imagine if you were to be invited on a quest (yes - we are all fantasy characters now, just roll with it). Would you be more apt to join someone who asked, “hey, I have a couple of goals to complete so that we can overthrow the villain, would you like to join?” Or, would you be more likely to join someone who asked, “I am on a treacherous quest, you may join me, if you can handle the challenge.”
By Angel Friesen 2 years ago in Journal
How to Fail on Your First Hike
In Alberta there are said to be numerous cults: the people who never left their hometown, the horse-girls, ravers, pyramid schemers, and hikers. I constantly drowned in a sense of not belonging, constantly feeling like an outsider no matter what environment I was in. Logically, I decided the best way to find my place in the world would be to join one of these ‘cults’. I couldn't find enough interest in drugs or beads to be a raver. And I couldn’t afford horses. And even though I had the muffin top of a new mother, I didn’t have the persistence to be a pyramid schemer. To me, it became an obvious choice, join the hiking cult! Within a couple of days I called my friend, and we were on a journey of epic fails and public embarrassment!
By Angel Friesen 3 years ago in Wander
