I personally enjoy comparing and contrasting different cultures which death is significantly influenced by. The dead seems to be the most respected people in any culture, probably due to its magical and unknown nature, but it also holds a variety of beliefs and practices. I've seen both the traditional American way as well as the Japanese way, and they both mainly focus on paying respect to the dead. I believe this practice is directly connected to how people are afraid of being forgotten rather than experiencing death and by periodically paying respect to the dead, you let them know that they are not forgotten. A ritual that can keep someone alive forever in a sense.
My first funeral was when I was eight, but I would say my first experience with death was a bit later. The funeral was for a family friend who I was not very fond of resulting in me walking around confused of what to feel. I remember this was the first time I have ever seen someone literally breakdown in tears. This made me feel guilty, not because of the loss but because I did not feel the same way. My first real experience with death was last year at a wake after my friends dad had passed away. This time I understood the situation but was startled by how sudden death can be. I realized that people (young people especially) focus on living so much that they feel like death will never come too fast.
Overall my experiences made me question the negativity that surrounds death.
Monday
HW 45
Sarah,
Thank you for finding time in your busy schedule to comment on my post. I agree that culture is a very significant factor, as I proved in my project. I believe culture is the grey spot of what we see often in other countries. We tend to compare to what we see as the dominant social practice and find "flaws" in other systems, when they are not necessarily flaws but culture influenced practices. It is one thing you cannot label as right or wrong, since it is in fact a lifestyle. I also would have liked to look into the male dominant aspect of culture instead of broadening it to just culture. I find male dominance to be a very popular amongst various countries, and by selecting countries that still abide by these customs today, I could have compared better pieces of evidence.
Thank you for finding time in your busy schedule to comment on my post. I agree that culture is a very significant factor, as I proved in my project. I believe culture is the grey spot of what we see often in other countries. We tend to compare to what we see as the dominant social practice and find "flaws" in other systems, when they are not necessarily flaws but culture influenced practices. It is one thing you cannot label as right or wrong, since it is in fact a lifestyle. I also would have liked to look into the male dominant aspect of culture instead of broadening it to just culture. I find male dominance to be a very popular amongst various countries, and by selecting countries that still abide by these customs today, I could have compared better pieces of evidence.
Tuesday
HW 44
Felipe
Based off your paper, I can see that you are strongly supporting natural births. Unlike hospitals, doulas promote the mental stability and confidence which provides the birth mother with a calming atmosphere. I especially felt that your criticism concerning the false statistical evidence on home birth mortality rates evidently demonstrated the biased opinion of health officials.
I decided to read your assignment since I was originally planning on covering this topic. Though it was not the same essential question, I was interested in how significant of a role doulas are in giving birth, as well as the distinction between doulas and midwives.
If possible, I would like to see a more well organized description on the process that doulas follow, rather than the promotion of natural birth. I also found some terms such as breech baby that could have been clarified for further knowledge on the topic.
Overall I found the topic to be significant for coming generations who can benefit from being educated of alternative birth methods.
As you say, "Doulas are the real deal"
Johnny
Your project focused on the alternative choices of adoption and abortion. Mainly, sharing your ideas on the topic without bias.
I found the statistical evidence you provided to be interesting. Knowing that abortion was not as accepted back in the 70's it would make perfect sense that women would have to choose adoption.
I decided to read your project since I only covered the topic of abortion, I wanted to gain more knowledge on the alternative option.
In order to better your project, I believe you could have created a more solid argument instead of comparing and contrasting your personal ideas. Looking forward to seeing a revised version in the near future!
Based off your paper, I can see that you are strongly supporting natural births. Unlike hospitals, doulas promote the mental stability and confidence which provides the birth mother with a calming atmosphere. I especially felt that your criticism concerning the false statistical evidence on home birth mortality rates evidently demonstrated the biased opinion of health officials.
I decided to read your assignment since I was originally planning on covering this topic. Though it was not the same essential question, I was interested in how significant of a role doulas are in giving birth, as well as the distinction between doulas and midwives.
If possible, I would like to see a more well organized description on the process that doulas follow, rather than the promotion of natural birth. I also found some terms such as breech baby that could have been clarified for further knowledge on the topic.
Overall I found the topic to be significant for coming generations who can benefit from being educated of alternative birth methods.
As you say, "Doulas are the real deal"
Johnny
Your project focused on the alternative choices of adoption and abortion. Mainly, sharing your ideas on the topic without bias.
I found the statistical evidence you provided to be interesting. Knowing that abortion was not as accepted back in the 70's it would make perfect sense that women would have to choose adoption.
I decided to read your project since I only covered the topic of abortion, I wanted to gain more knowledge on the alternative option.
In order to better your project, I believe you could have created a more solid argument instead of comparing and contrasting your personal ideas. Looking forward to seeing a revised version in the near future!
HW 42
As controversial of a topic abortion is, it has gradually become more accepted all around the world. Though it was only legally justified in the United States since the Supreme Court case Roe vs Wade in 1973, it has been knowingly done since the third millennium BCE as described in an ancient Egyptian medical text. Due to limited surgical capabilities, it was not often practiced, but many pharmaceutical methods were very common. These ancient pharmaceutical methods often had a high fatality risk for the birth mother, but most females did not have a significant role in ancient societies resulting in the death being justified. I believe the growth of female significance in society caused the health of females to become more of a concern, which then sparked the topic of abortion. This proves that cultural aspects factor into the development of a country’s view on topics such as abortion, where as a country with a less dominant female presence will not find it to be a significant matter.
A South Asian country that demonstrates the possible connection between male dominance and abortion restrictions is Thailand. Due to male dominance and a historical absence in female roles, women of Thailand were not allowed to obtain official education until merely seventy years ago resulting in their productivity in gender equality to fall slightly behind modern standards. “As history tells us, the majority of Thai women have only had access to formal education for the past seventy years. Furthermore, it has been only in the past fifteen to twenty years that women’s political organizing has emerged as a significant phenomenon” (Costa pg.1). The abortion laws in Thailand are very strict, where legally it is still not allowed unless the situation threatens the physical and mental health of the woman. Grounds such as demand is not accepted as a valid reason to undergo an abortion. Due to strict limitations, illegal abortions have been an ongoing issue. “Although maternal mortality in Thailand has been considerably reduced over the past two decades, wide disparities remain between urban and rural areas with regard to maternal and child health care. Because the increasing number of illegal abortions are performed under unsanitary conditions by unqualified practitioners, hospitalization for complications from illegal abortion has been rising in many hospitals in Thailand” (Costa pg. 4). This provides us with a bond between Thai culture and its modern abortion laws. The culture demonstrates a significant bias opposing female empowerment, thus causing the choice of abortion to be less available and ultimately resulting in a higher demand for unsafe and illegal abortion alternatives.India with its enormous population of 1.2 billion people and rich culture is another country that exploits unsafe abortions just like Thailand. Only different thing is that females have always had power and rights just as much as men. Though based off these two pieces of evidence the argument “culture impacts the country’s view on abortion” seems to be disproved, India is a special case where women are given rights but are still oppressed by the dominant male. Recent problems such as the Triple Talaqed illustrates an astonishing prejudice in male power. “Triple Talaq is a form of divorce that is practiced only amongst Muslim and only the husband can say to this wife, instantly divorcing her and many times leaving her destitute. In many cases, if the woman has been Triple Talaqed outside her home, she is unable to go back to her home and retrieve her belongings, essentially leaving her destitute if she has no family to help her” (Fontaine, pg.1). This practice in no way shape or form demonstrates any form of equality. I believe this proves cultural norms of male dominance is much more potent than the legal rights documented in India. This leaves minimal room for woman to feel empowered which may be why the legality of abortion is not yet known nationwide.
Abortion in India has been legal for almost forty years, yet eighty five percent of the population in Rajasthan (largest state of India) do not know that abortion is legal. “Sometimes women opt for unsafe abortions just because they don’t know abortion is actually legal. Eight-five percent of men and women surveyed in Rajastan didn’t know abortion was legal, and the results in Madhya Pradesh were similar”. The alternatives that woman in India are forced to turn to often risk their health and are unreliable. The few who are aware of the legal status of abortion do turn for professional assistance but are denied due to their situation. Also health clinics are known to refuse women who do not bring the husband with them to confirm the choice of abortion. “Clinics will also turn women away if they don’t have the consent of their husband or other family members - even though this isn’t required by law”. The instability of the law in India concerning abortion and family demonstrates complete male dominance influenced by culture. India is a perfect example of culture based female inferiority causing society to ignore the significance of abortion.
Only two countries have been used to demonstrate the cultural impact on abortion regulations, yet they both illustrate a great deal of connections. When a country is strongly influenced by culture, it is often hard to balance out with modern law. Especially when the topic is gender affiliated, many cultural aspects factor into how significantly it is viewed.
Works Cited
Costa, LeeRay. "Exploring the History of Women's Education and Activism in Thailand." University of Hawaii System. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.hawaii.edu/cseas/pubs/explore/v1n2-art4.html>.
Head, Tom. "When Did Abortion Begin - Ancient History of Abortion." Civil Liberties at About.com - Your Guide to Civil Liberties News and Issues. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/abortion/f/When-Did-Abortion-Begin.htm>.
Hernandez, Karen Leslie. Talaq, Talaq, Talaq. 29 May 2006. Web.
"High Number of Unsafe Abortions in Asia | Lovematters." Lovematters | Love Matters Is Produced by Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Influenced by a Dutch View of Sexuality and Sexual Health. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.lovematters.info/high-number-unsafe-abortions-asia>.
Makinwa-Adebusoye, Paulina. "Nigerian Health Professionals' Perceptions About Abortion Practice." Guttmacher Institute: Home Page. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2315597.html>.
"Roe v. Wade." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade>.
Sunday
HW 41
Topic: Abortion methods/rates Worldwide
“Summary of Abortion Laws Around the World.” Pregnant Pause. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.pregnantpause.org/lex/world02.jsp>.
This site provides a list of almost every country alongside their most recent abortion laws under various circumstances. Though it does not address any vital points, I find it to be self explanatory. There are many things a country’s leniency towards abortion can show about their culture. This article does not go into depth with details, but segregates the countries with more complex laws from the ones that strictly tolerate or do not tolerate abortion. This helps readers interested to easily further their study.
“ABORTION: Religious and Ethical Aspects.” ReligiousTolerance.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/abortion2.ht
This site provides insight into religious and ethical aspects of the righteousness of abortion. Though it does not compare a wide variety of religions, it does offer information on Christian, Jewish, and Mormon beliefs. It also speaks of the violent crimes committed by anti-abortion activists on clinics that sparked after the supreme court ruling of Roe vs. Wade in the early 1970’s.
“Britain Is the Abortion Capital of Europe: Terminations for Teenagers Leap by a Third | Mail Online.” Home | Mail Online. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227059/Britain-abortion-capital-Europe-Terminations-teenagers-leap-third.html>.
This article posted on November 19th of 2009 focuses on the rise of abortion rates in the UK which has seemingly reached the top in Europe, right in front of France. It also zooms in their scope to find statistics based off age, where 48,150 out of 219,336 of the reported abortions in 2007 were girls under the age of 20. Whether or not this information is positive or negative depends on the reader.
Cariboni, Diana. “HEALTH-ASIA: Legal Abortion Does Not Necessarily Mean Safe Abortions.”IPS Inter Press Service. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=25304>.
This article focuses on six Asian countries (India, Indonesia, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines) and the safety of the women who decide to get abortion. Though abortion is legal to an extent in all 6 countries, legal abortions are not necessarily safe abortions. Various methods of abortion are used in these countries, and many of them are cheaper alternatives resulting in possibly fatal results.
“Types of Abortion Procedures : American Pregnancy Association.” Promoting Pregnancy Wellness : American Pregnancy Association. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.americanpregnancy.org/unplannedpregnancy/abortionprocedures.html>.
This article provides information on abortion procedures condoned in the US, organized by each trimester. The first trimester abortions generally has the mother take a pill, while the second and third do not have any other options besides surgical procedures. It does not go into detail about any of the options, but does give a list down of several “safe” abortion methods.
“BBC NEWS | Health | Unsafe Abortions ‘kill Thousands’” BBC News - Home. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3618612.stm>.
This article from 2004 states that unsafe abortions are causing about 200 women to die everyday, mainly in countries in Asia and Africa, but cases are reported all over the world as well. In Asia, 50% of all pregnancy related deaths are results of unsafe abortions and 10 million women undergo unsafe abortions every year. Key figures that may be promoting this is seen to be political and religious.
For a topic like abortion methods, information is restricted to the internet, therefore I would like to work on a written project comparing and contrasting methods used worldwide and their cultural significance. Many of the sources above had information regarding Asian countries facing conflicts concerning abortion safety, and even one directly related religion and culture to this problem. Though abortion is a very large topic in the US, the severity of the problem is much lighter compared to other underprivileged countries in the East. By gaining knowledge and hopefully a greater perspective from their culture, it may give me a conclusion to why it has been an undergoing problem and how they view it from their standards.
Tuesday
HW 40
Hey- thanks for writing Guide to Childbirth. Your main idea of letting the readers acknowledge the true nature of birth helped me view the topic from an alternate perspective. Instead of assuming the procedure practiced in hospitals is the safer alternative, I now understand that natural birth forms a stronger bond between the birth mother and the experience.
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
Well, in the last third of the book you focused on a variety of more technical aspects concerning the process of birth. Such as the positioning of birth and new drugs and techniques that are often used during or post birth and the extent of how much they really help you or hurt you. which added another angle to the first 2/3rds of the book. But let me be more specific:
You had a whole chapter focused on the positioning of the birth parent and even a brief history of what practices were common back in the day. "Women in traditional societies all over the world almost always choose upright positions in labor. This worldwide consensus suggests that women don't choose to lie down to labor and give birth unless forces within their culture pressure them into doing so" (pg 228). This especially stood out to me because it totally contradicted my assumption of how birth was "normally" practiced. In America the stereotypical position of the mother in labor is laying down which is much more ineffective due to the lack of gravitational support. Yet why an advanced country like America practices a more difficult technique puts me in a daze. The pictures below the text also provided great visuals of past practices. This connects to the part in the book where you explain the significance of how the mind and body work together throughout the pregnancy, birth techniques focus on the connection between the body and earth.
Within the same chapter you also mention "letting your monkey do it". Though somewhat amusing to hear, I felt this section of the chapter really compared nature to humans. "Letting the primate in you do the work of labor is a short way of saying not to let your over-busy mind interfere with the ancient wisdom of your body" (pg 243). Though the book is suppose to be a guide for mothers giving birth, you promote natural birth mainly through the various birth stories in the first third of the book. More than anything, this section made me really see the difference between natural and man made. It answered the big question of why we have so much difficulty performing a natural procedure.
Last but not least, you reference the awareness of maternal deaths in the United States. "Judging by the conversations I have had with many physician friends, US doctors are generally unaware of the stagnant US maternal death rate. The lack of federal mandate for statewide mortality review keeps attention from being focused on this problem". (pg 278). Not only did you bring up a very significant aspect of birth, but you also had a reason why this is an ongoing problem. In order to fix something, knowledge about the cause is very vital. The answer to this problem may possibly be birthing facilities similar to The Farm. By taking the responsibility of labor from the hospitals and giving it to trained mid wives may alter our birthing practices forever.
"But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"
I found the book to be very well rounded as it covered a wide range of things that factor into birth. If there was one thing I would recommend to better the book, I would say the organization of birth stories. Having them in chronological order might of been interesting since the change in the process overtime seems like an interesting topic. Though it may not necessarily benefit some readers, I sure would of found it to be interesting.
." The author replies, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
Well, in the last third of the book you focused on a variety of more technical aspects concerning the process of birth. Such as the positioning of birth and new drugs and techniques that are often used during or post birth and the extent of how much they really help you or hurt you. which added another angle to the first 2/3rds of the book. But let me be more specific:
You had a whole chapter focused on the positioning of the birth parent and even a brief history of what practices were common back in the day. "Women in traditional societies all over the world almost always choose upright positions in labor. This worldwide consensus suggests that women don't choose to lie down to labor and give birth unless forces within their culture pressure them into doing so" (pg 228). This especially stood out to me because it totally contradicted my assumption of how birth was "normally" practiced. In America the stereotypical position of the mother in labor is laying down which is much more ineffective due to the lack of gravitational support. Yet why an advanced country like America practices a more difficult technique puts me in a daze. The pictures below the text also provided great visuals of past practices. This connects to the part in the book where you explain the significance of how the mind and body work together throughout the pregnancy, birth techniques focus on the connection between the body and earth.
Within the same chapter you also mention "letting your monkey do it". Though somewhat amusing to hear, I felt this section of the chapter really compared nature to humans. "Letting the primate in you do the work of labor is a short way of saying not to let your over-busy mind interfere with the ancient wisdom of your body" (pg 243). Though the book is suppose to be a guide for mothers giving birth, you promote natural birth mainly through the various birth stories in the first third of the book. More than anything, this section made me really see the difference between natural and man made. It answered the big question of why we have so much difficulty performing a natural procedure.
Last but not least, you reference the awareness of maternal deaths in the United States. "Judging by the conversations I have had with many physician friends, US doctors are generally unaware of the stagnant US maternal death rate. The lack of federal mandate for statewide mortality review keeps attention from being focused on this problem". (pg 278). Not only did you bring up a very significant aspect of birth, but you also had a reason why this is an ongoing problem. In order to fix something, knowledge about the cause is very vital. The answer to this problem may possibly be birthing facilities similar to The Farm. By taking the responsibility of labor from the hospitals and giving it to trained mid wives may alter our birthing practices forever.
"But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"
I found the book to be very well rounded as it covered a wide range of things that factor into birth. If there was one thing I would recommend to better the book, I would say the organization of birth stories. Having them in chronological order might of been interesting since the change in the process overtime seems like an interesting topic. Though it may not necessarily benefit some readers, I sure would of found it to be interesting.
." The author replies, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"
Monday
HW 39
Gaskin, Ina May. Ina May's Guide To Childbirth. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print.
One brief factor I thought was interesting in the book was the comparison of real life birth and birth shown in the media. High risk births are more striking to the audiences opposed to a gradual realistic birth. By showing only the pain and hard labor, the media makes us focus more on certain aspects instead of the process as a whole. I believe this was never covered in the film, though clips from movies were used, the two were never compared.
I also found the depth of how deep they explain the Sphincter Law was quite different since there was a whole chapter written on it. Though concepts similar to it are mentioned in the film, it is not broken down to benefit the audiences understanding of the material. I believe it should be viewed with more significance since many of the core errors in modern day births seem to have a direct connection to the Sphincter Laws.
The majority of the second hundred pages of the book covers the technical aspects of giving birth. It is full of very vital information that can assist a mother through the birthing process. It is almost like a tips and tricks handbook to understanding and experiencing the true natural beauty of giving birth. I believe the main insight this portion of the book is trying to convey is letting women know that by really understanding it, there is not much to worry about. As a whole, I find the insight the book tries to communicate is very positive and useful for people undergoing a pregnancy. Due to mass bias towards birth is shown through pain and agony in the media it has brainwashed us from viewing it from an alternative perspective, a realistic book with a positive tone can be used to calm anxiety and mental instability.
1.Sphincter Law pg 167-182
2. Sexual Intercourse while birth is not harmful pg 215
3. Unprofessional doctors pg 157
4. Media's influence on birth pg 164
5. Moderating drug use during labor pg 165
One brief factor I thought was interesting in the book was the comparison of real life birth and birth shown in the media. High risk births are more striking to the audiences opposed to a gradual realistic birth. By showing only the pain and hard labor, the media makes us focus more on certain aspects instead of the process as a whole. I believe this was never covered in the film, though clips from movies were used, the two were never compared.
I also found the depth of how deep they explain the Sphincter Law was quite different since there was a whole chapter written on it. Though concepts similar to it are mentioned in the film, it is not broken down to benefit the audiences understanding of the material. I believe it should be viewed with more significance since many of the core errors in modern day births seem to have a direct connection to the Sphincter Laws.
The majority of the second hundred pages of the book covers the technical aspects of giving birth. It is full of very vital information that can assist a mother through the birthing process. It is almost like a tips and tricks handbook to understanding and experiencing the true natural beauty of giving birth. I believe the main insight this portion of the book is trying to convey is letting women know that by really understanding it, there is not much to worry about. As a whole, I find the insight the book tries to communicate is very positive and useful for people undergoing a pregnancy. Due to mass bias towards birth is shown through pain and agony in the media it has brainwashed us from viewing it from an alternative perspective, a realistic book with a positive tone can be used to calm anxiety and mental instability.
1.Sphincter Law pg 167-182
2. Sexual Intercourse while birth is not harmful pg 215
3. Unprofessional doctors pg 157
4. Media's influence on birth pg 164
5. Moderating drug use during labor pg 165
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