The first person that i interviewed was a 14 year old in my neighborhood about what he expects prom to be like. Throughout most of the interview it seemed that his main concern was who he brought. It was such a big factor because in his eyes who he brought affected how other people look at him. When i asked him if he knew what color suit/tuxedo he would wear he said, "Black tux with a black tie". This to me showed that he had a pretty good understanding of how he expected prom to be. Even though he will not be going to prom for 3 more years he is already thinking about it since it was in his mind "a pretty big part of the High school experience".
The second person that i interviewed was my older brother about his experience at prom. Since he did not go with someone from the school to prom he said that it was in some ways awkward. It wasn't like he had a bad time or anything but he did feel like he was responsible for her and responsible for making sure she had a good time. He said, " It would be much different if i had brought someone from school, she would know people and i wouldn't have to worry about introducing her to people". He told me that his favorite part of the prom was actually the limo. He said that he "felt important" since he was in a limo which people look at and usually imagine someone famous is inside.
The last person that i interviewed was my dad. My dad did not go to his high school prom for one main reason. He did not feel the need to be with the people at his school more then he had to. He told me that, "When the school does not create a good environment to make friends in its pretty hard to make yourself want to be friends with those people." Although he said he did have some friends at the school who he would have liked to spent time with in his eyes it wasn't really, "worth the time and money". He also told me that prom has always been an expensive event even when he was a teenager.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
HW 57 - Initial Thoughts on Prom
Prom in my mind is basically an event that is set up for the students (mainly seniors in high school) to give them one last big event before they go off to college. When the students show up they are all dressed up in the nicest pieces of clothing they can find to give them the idea that they are like celebrities. The whole entrance and picture taking aspect of the prom makes them feel important and like a celebrity would with everyone watching their moves. As the prom drags on the thought of the after party comes into play and the whole excitement about the actual prom tends to fade away into somewhat of a distant memory. The after party is pretty much the highlight of the night in the way that they are independent and have all this money to spend on what they want that night.
My thought about the whole idea of prom is that in a way it is just another reason to try and bring a grades community together. The thought of that one last thing to remember makes the students want to make it as special as possible. But prom is also a very expensive night. A ticket at our school costs around $140 and on top of that your going to want to have extra money for whatever you want to do on prom night. Then if you want a limo that could be about another hundred dollars. By the end of the night you have spent a couple hundred dollars for what is supposed to be one of the most memorable nights of your life, but what happens if it isn't? If your whole night turns out bad then you just wasted a lot of money to have a bad night.
Questions:
1.) Why do the students feel the need to impress others with what they wear to prom?
2.) How is prom looked at in the perspective of those who have never gone to a prom?
3.) Why does it matter so much to a person when it comes to picking a prom date?
My thought about the whole idea of prom is that in a way it is just another reason to try and bring a grades community together. The thought of that one last thing to remember makes the students want to make it as special as possible. But prom is also a very expensive night. A ticket at our school costs around $140 and on top of that your going to want to have extra money for whatever you want to do on prom night. Then if you want a limo that could be about another hundred dollars. By the end of the night you have spent a couple hundred dollars for what is supposed to be one of the most memorable nights of your life, but what happens if it isn't? If your whole night turns out bad then you just wasted a lot of money to have a bad night.
Questions:
1.) Why do the students feel the need to impress others with what they wear to prom?
2.) How is prom looked at in the perspective of those who have never gone to a prom?
3.) Why does it matter so much to a person when it comes to picking a prom date?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
HW 56 - Culminating Project Comments
Javon,
It was very interesting to me that even at such a young age your mom already has her plans for what happens to her when she dies already figured out. Unlike my mom who hasn't even thought about it i think that it was smart of her to plan out her arrangements so early just incase.
Rossi,
I think that it was very interesting that you decided to interview the women that you did. Do you think that having someone to help you with forming your questions helped you shape your post? and also how do you think her being so comfortable in the interview helped you remember key information?
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From Javon,
Max First of all I enjoyed not only reading your post but watching it. Your decision of not only writing but also recording the experience defiantly was a plus. During the interview with your Mother I noticed that she said ; "anything that might be helpful to another person" This lead em to the conclusion that death might be dreadful and horrible for one person but might be benefiting another person in a different way. She also mentioned that basically she wants her death plans to benefit her children. The video interviews were great. What you can improve on in the future is the depth of your analytical paragraph. By doing this people will be more drawn in and it will help describe the experience better.
From Rossi,
Max, I liked the way you went about the assignment. Making videos of the interviews made it a lot easier and more enjoyable to view rather than paragraphs of description. I liked how your father said, “it’s kind of like going home” which makes me think about places that are significant to me. He also mentioned music which made we wonder why he cared so much about things happening that he desired because he will not be the person to experience them, like the music. I wonder how he feels about the afterlife and the mind/spirit vs body contrast. Aside from this I am disappointed that your paragraph was not as elaborate or carefully written as I expected. It seemed carelessly written and I think that while the assignment was a good idea, especially with the videos, it could have been much better if your paragraph was more personal and detailed. Another paragraph could have even been added. Overall a solid and enjoyable post.
It was very interesting to me that even at such a young age your mom already has her plans for what happens to her when she dies already figured out. Unlike my mom who hasn't even thought about it i think that it was smart of her to plan out her arrangements so early just incase.
Rossi,
I think that it was very interesting that you decided to interview the women that you did. Do you think that having someone to help you with forming your questions helped you shape your post? and also how do you think her being so comfortable in the interview helped you remember key information?
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From Javon,
Max First of all I enjoyed not only reading your post but watching it. Your decision of not only writing but also recording the experience defiantly was a plus. During the interview with your Mother I noticed that she said ; "anything that might be helpful to another person" This lead em to the conclusion that death might be dreadful and horrible for one person but might be benefiting another person in a different way. She also mentioned that basically she wants her death plans to benefit her children. The video interviews were great. What you can improve on in the future is the depth of your analytical paragraph. By doing this people will be more drawn in and it will help describe the experience better.
From Rossi,
Max, I liked the way you went about the assignment. Making videos of the interviews made it a lot easier and more enjoyable to view rather than paragraphs of description. I liked how your father said, “it’s kind of like going home” which makes me think about places that are significant to me. He also mentioned music which made we wonder why he cared so much about things happening that he desired because he will not be the person to experience them, like the music. I wonder how he feels about the afterlife and the mind/spirit vs body contrast. Aside from this I am disappointed that your paragraph was not as elaborate or carefully written as I expected. It seemed carelessly written and I think that while the assignment was a good idea, especially with the videos, it could have been much better if your paragraph was more personal and detailed. Another paragraph could have even been added. Overall a solid and enjoyable post.
Monday, May 16, 2011
HW 55 - Culminating Project - Care of the Dead
The interview with my parents about what they wanted to happen with their remains after they had passed on was somewhat surprising. I have known for a while now about what my dad wants to do when he passed away so that was not the surprise. I was very surprised to hear that my mom did not have any plans on what she wanted to have happen when she died. I had actually never asked her about this because it is such a sensitive topic for me because I can not imagine life without my mother (and my father). When my mom said she wanted me and my brother to chose what happened to her when she died it actually made me wonder what i wanted to happen. I would like to find away to make sure i have her as close as possible without it being to emotional for me to handle.
COTD5
season 4 episode 7:
In this episode the director just tries to get everyone accustomed to what is going on in the show. He made me see exactly what the characters have to do with death and the situations that they face with death.
The way that the director shows us how the characters deal with death is that some of the main characters work at a funeral home. One of the characters had a near death experience which really affected how he dealt with death because everything that reminded him of his experience sent him into a state of panic.
season 4 episode 8:
This episode focused more on some of the cases that they had in terms of peoples funeral arrangements. The director really wanted us to see how people wanted their death to be taken care of when they passed away.
The most important part of this episode for me was when a man drives up to the funeral home and sits there and closes his eyes, then the scene cuts. One of the workers at the home comes to the funeral home and sees the man in the car, dead. Later while talking to his family they had told him that this had been his plan all along.
Season 4 episode 9:
In this episode they had a man who loved comic books that had died and requested to be buried with his most famous comic. When he died his "friends" tried to sneak into the funeral home and steal the comic book because it was worth over $4,000.
Although the workers at the home did not personally know this person it did affect one of them greatly. When the funeral was going on he started to cry because it occurred to him that although he was a "nerd" it was still a sad thing to see for him.
These three episodes really got into the dominant social practices of care of the dead in the way that they showed their side of the situation. When someone came to them to do a funeral they did not act like it was just some person who they did not know they made the situation personal in a way. They tried to give these people their last wishes and make it as amazing as possible. In the case of the friends trying to steal the comic book they fulfilled the mans last wish by letting him be buried with his most prized possession and not letting it be stolen.
Also in episode 9 the mother of the family went down to mexico for a vacation. She went on a horse ride and the horse that she was riding got sick and had to be put down. This hurt her terribly inside and made her feel awful. For someone who has witnessed so much death and so many tragedies the death of a horse affected her so much that she cut her vacation short and went home. It is very interesting that how something so little like this can trigger some emotions that haven't been let out all this time.
In this episode the director just tries to get everyone accustomed to what is going on in the show. He made me see exactly what the characters have to do with death and the situations that they face with death.
The way that the director shows us how the characters deal with death is that some of the main characters work at a funeral home. One of the characters had a near death experience which really affected how he dealt with death because everything that reminded him of his experience sent him into a state of panic.
season 4 episode 8:
This episode focused more on some of the cases that they had in terms of peoples funeral arrangements. The director really wanted us to see how people wanted their death to be taken care of when they passed away.
The most important part of this episode for me was when a man drives up to the funeral home and sits there and closes his eyes, then the scene cuts. One of the workers at the home comes to the funeral home and sees the man in the car, dead. Later while talking to his family they had told him that this had been his plan all along.
Season 4 episode 9:
In this episode they had a man who loved comic books that had died and requested to be buried with his most famous comic. When he died his "friends" tried to sneak into the funeral home and steal the comic book because it was worth over $4,000.
Although the workers at the home did not personally know this person it did affect one of them greatly. When the funeral was going on he started to cry because it occurred to him that although he was a "nerd" it was still a sad thing to see for him.
These three episodes really got into the dominant social practices of care of the dead in the way that they showed their side of the situation. When someone came to them to do a funeral they did not act like it was just some person who they did not know they made the situation personal in a way. They tried to give these people their last wishes and make it as amazing as possible. In the case of the friends trying to steal the comic book they fulfilled the mans last wish by letting him be buried with his most prized possession and not letting it be stolen.
Also in episode 9 the mother of the family went down to mexico for a vacation. She went on a horse ride and the horse that she was riding got sick and had to be put down. This hurt her terribly inside and made her feel awful. For someone who has witnessed so much death and so many tragedies the death of a horse affected her so much that she cut her vacation short and went home. It is very interesting that how something so little like this can trigger some emotions that haven't been let out all this time.
COTD1
The first cemetery that i attended was the Woodlawn cemetery in the bronx. When i got there i was amazed to see all of the trouble that people went through to make sure that they were buried in the nicest way possible. Aside from all of the grave stones that were there in the cemetery their were also a lot of mausoleum's for some of the more richer people. Some of the mausoleum's that were there were much nicer then what some people are living in today. One of them which i believe was for the vanderbilt's was literally a castle. All of this trouble for someone who has died, i think its a bit ridiculous that someone who is dead felt the need that they needed to be buried in a castle. Some of the more famous people that were buried there were names like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis (jazz legends) and as i stated before the vanderbilt's.
The second cemetery that I went to was on 21st and 6 avenue and it was called the spanish and portuguse synaogog shearith for israel. This one was much different from the woodlawn cemetery in a lot of ways. First of this one was about 50 times smaller then woodlawn and was not as well kept as woodlawn was. Although i was not allowed inside of the cemetery i did stand outside for a half an hour and observed as much about it as i could. Unlike woodlawn these gravestones were not kept very nice, they were chipped away and it seemed as if the writing on them was fading. Some of them were falling over and were not clean what so ever. I think that they wanted to give it the original feel of a graveyard without changing anything up even if it would do good to the grave sites.
In conclusion my visit to these cemetery's was actually very interesting and thought provoking. I had the image that a cemetery was a depressing place where it was just a bunch of repetitive gravestones. But when i got to woodlawn it completely changed my views on this situation. There were such amazing statues that made me think so much about how people wanted to be treated after they die. It made me think a lot about if i want something like this to happen to me when i die or if i would want something else to happen.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
COTD2
The first character that I am going to talk about is the most important character in my opinion, Harold. Harold is a very strange boy who is not at all like any of the other teenagers his age. He does not like to hang out with friends or play sports, Harold spends his time going to funerals of people who he has no idea who they were. From the start of the movie aside from going to funerals Harold would fake suicide attempts to scare his mother (or at least try to). He became very into the idea of suicide and I think that had a big role as to why he is always attending funerals. The daily funeral seemed like a very common thing for Harold to do, just as common as going to get groceries. He was even so obsessed with funerals that he drove around a herse. Even when his mother got rid of his herse and bought him a brand new jaguar he designed it into a herse some how. All of these scenes from the movie show the significance of death and funerals in this characters life.
The second character I want to talk about is Maude. All though she was not the most important character she played just as an important role as harold did in the movie. like harold maude like attending funerals of those she did not know. She was a very rebellious women and was not really what people would picture an almost 80 year old women to be like. She attended these funerals and found harold who she immediately liked considering they were pretty much into the same exact things. She eventually fell in love with harold (as he did with her) and harold had planned to marry her. Maude would say through out the movie that once she turned 80 it was the end of the road. Harold never really caught on to that but on her 80th birthday she told Harold that she had just taken medication which would kill her within a matter of hours. This reasons show how this character had significance with these topics.
The third character I am going to talk about is Harold's uncle. Harold's uncle was in the army and had many experiences with death. Through out most of the movie he was trying to convince Harold to join the army considering everything that was going on with harold in terms of death and his obsession with funerals and suicide. What he does is that he tries to convince harold to join the army but Harold puts on a whole act to try and make his uncle think that he is to crazy to join the army (with the help of Maude of course). The uncle tells him stories of his experiences with war and most of all death and all of the people that he had killed in the war.
In conclussion the significance of Maude and Harold's relationship is that Maude tried to show harold how to live. Without Maude in his life Harold did not know how to live a normal life. Maude showed him that even a person like her who has seen so much death in her life (the holocaust tattoo on her arm) can still enjoy life to the fullest as he should be doing.
The second character I want to talk about is Maude. All though she was not the most important character she played just as an important role as harold did in the movie. like harold maude like attending funerals of those she did not know. She was a very rebellious women and was not really what people would picture an almost 80 year old women to be like. She attended these funerals and found harold who she immediately liked considering they were pretty much into the same exact things. She eventually fell in love with harold (as he did with her) and harold had planned to marry her. Maude would say through out the movie that once she turned 80 it was the end of the road. Harold never really caught on to that but on her 80th birthday she told Harold that she had just taken medication which would kill her within a matter of hours. This reasons show how this character had significance with these topics.
The third character I am going to talk about is Harold's uncle. Harold's uncle was in the army and had many experiences with death. Through out most of the movie he was trying to convince Harold to join the army considering everything that was going on with harold in terms of death and his obsession with funerals and suicide. What he does is that he tries to convince harold to join the army but Harold puts on a whole act to try and make his uncle think that he is to crazy to join the army (with the help of Maude of course). The uncle tells him stories of his experiences with war and most of all death and all of the people that he had killed in the war.
In conclussion the significance of Maude and Harold's relationship is that Maude tried to show harold how to live. Without Maude in his life Harold did not know how to live a normal life. Maude showed him that even a person like her who has seen so much death in her life (the holocaust tattoo on her arm) can still enjoy life to the fullest as he should be doing.
Monday, May 9, 2011
HW 53 - Independent Research A
1.)The aspect about care of the dead i would like to focus on for this research is about burial ceremonies and how for different people they are different. The burial is the main part of care of the dead for me because when i think about taking care of someone who has died i think about a funeral and a proper burial ceremony for that individual. Different religions have different views on what a proper burial ceremony should be.
The first article that i found was on the death and burial process of Osama bin Ladin. Bin Ladin was buried at sea which apparently was the traditional way of an islamic burial. I am confused as to why even though he committed such horrible crimes against america we still had the respect to give him a proper burial. In my opinion if you were to do such horrible things then your burial ceremony should not be a respected one by any means. The article talks about how the burial in some ways was even looked at as offensive to muslims and they believed he should have been given a normal land burial.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03burial.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=burial%20&st=cse
The second article that i found was about the death of three children whose mother drove them into the water and killed them all. The most interesting thing to me about this article was that the mother was buried next to her three children. In a situation like that i am not sure as to why they would bury the women that killed her children next to them. Although she is still their mother she obviously did not care about her children so why would people care if she was buried next to them? If she was asked to be buried next to her children when she died and then this happened if i was her husband or anyone of her family members i would not honor her wishes because of this horrible act of indecency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03burial.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=burial%20&st=cse
2.) The person that i interviewed was an ambulance worker at the nursing home in my neighborhood the village nursing home. I interviewed her about what it was like to have to deal with taking dying people to the hospital and sometimes having to see them die. Although she does not deal with the burial process or not even usually the death process she says that all the stuff that she sees is just as bad as seeing them dead. She has to deal with seeing old men and women suffer each and everyday and the thought that there is only so much she can do kills her. Something very interesting to me that she said was that when she's driving someone to the hospital from the nursing home she feels like she's giving them the last ride of their lives and thats the last thing they will remember before they die, scary she says but unfortunately true.
The first article that i found was on the death and burial process of Osama bin Ladin. Bin Ladin was buried at sea which apparently was the traditional way of an islamic burial. I am confused as to why even though he committed such horrible crimes against america we still had the respect to give him a proper burial. In my opinion if you were to do such horrible things then your burial ceremony should not be a respected one by any means. The article talks about how the burial in some ways was even looked at as offensive to muslims and they believed he should have been given a normal land burial.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03burial.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=burial%20&st=cse
The second article that i found was about the death of three children whose mother drove them into the water and killed them all. The most interesting thing to me about this article was that the mother was buried next to her three children. In a situation like that i am not sure as to why they would bury the women that killed her children next to them. Although she is still their mother she obviously did not care about her children so why would people care if she was buried next to them? If she was asked to be buried next to her children when she died and then this happened if i was her husband or anyone of her family members i would not honor her wishes because of this horrible act of indecency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03burial.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=burial%20&st=cse
2.) The person that i interviewed was an ambulance worker at the nursing home in my neighborhood the village nursing home. I interviewed her about what it was like to have to deal with taking dying people to the hospital and sometimes having to see them die. Although she does not deal with the burial process or not even usually the death process she says that all the stuff that she sees is just as bad as seeing them dead. She has to deal with seeing old men and women suffer each and everyday and the thought that there is only so much she can do kills her. Something very interesting to me that she said was that when she's driving someone to the hospital from the nursing home she feels like she's giving them the last ride of their lives and thats the last thing they will remember before they die, scary she says but unfortunately true.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
HW 51 - Second Third of COTD Book
PRECIS:
The second half of the book focuses on funerals in a home rather then an arranged place. There are many specific laws about having a funeral in a home. These laws talk about you having all of the necessary documentation of that persons death. If you do not have this information such as the death certificate and i'm assuming proof of your relationship to the person you are not allowed to let this happen. The reason is that a case like that could be mistaken for murder and or hiding a dead body in your home. The home funeral is also a lot less expensive since you aren't renting out a space to hold the funeral or purchasing all of the perks that the space offers for a funeral.
Quotes:
"The end is certainly sad, but my feeling was also that Mary was freed at last from the body that had been weighing her down and causing her pain for so long"(Page 118).
"Unload that sucker (coffin) and get out because you're not welcome"(Page 132)
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The middle part of the book for me was actually where it started to get interesting. More facts about funerals and their costs started to come into play and the stories that were told became very insightful and emotional to read. When you hear about someone dying who was originally not happy with who they were as a person it is sad in many different ways. It's sad in the way that they couldn't be comfortable with who they were and it's sad in the way that no one should ever be so disturbed with who they were that dying for them was some what reliving and others around them even knew that about them.
Monday, May 2, 2011
HW 49 - Comments on Best of Your Break HW
Larche,
Your interviewees ideas on cremation vs. burials interested me alot. I liked how that person believed that cremation was "wrong". Since that is an opinion i am not going to argue against their beliefs but it did make me think about my own ideas on the issue. Very good post overall.
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Max,
Your interviews showed how death can impact people's lives by losing someone close to them. You also touched on how after someone dies they are still remembered by those closest to them. That even though they are gone, they still live on in the memories of others.
(from larche)
Rossi,
It is very interesting to me that your "acquaintance" felt like death was not something that should be discussed. Did you know this before you interviewed him? If not how did this in the end help you shape your blog post if it did at all. Overall a very thought provoking post.
Jay,
That was very interesting to learn about your moms experience growing up in ireland. Did her experiences with death over there affect you in anyway when you heard about it? I find it very interesting that she wanted to be cremated for the reason of not wanting to go in the ground. Great post.
Your interviewees ideas on cremation vs. burials interested me alot. I liked how that person believed that cremation was "wrong". Since that is an opinion i am not going to argue against their beliefs but it did make me think about my own ideas on the issue. Very good post overall.
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Max,
Your interviews showed how death can impact people's lives by losing someone close to them. You also touched on how after someone dies they are still remembered by those closest to them. That even though they are gone, they still live on in the memories of others.
(from larche)
Rossi,
It is very interesting to me that your "acquaintance" felt like death was not something that should be discussed. Did you know this before you interviewed him? If not how did this in the end help you shape your blog post if it did at all. Overall a very thought provoking post.
Jay,
That was very interesting to learn about your moms experience growing up in ireland. Did her experiences with death over there affect you in anyway when you heard about it? I find it very interesting that she wanted to be cremated for the reason of not wanting to go in the ground. Great post.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
HW 48 - Family Perspectives on the Care of the Dead(comment on this)
The topic of death has always been something i am not so familiar with. I have only dealt with the death of about three people who have been very close to me. The two deaths that had the biggest impacts on me were the deaths of my friend Jake Mcdonough and my fathers best friend Sherman Darby. The first interview i conducted was with my friend jakes best friend who would like to remain anonymous. The second interview that I conducted was with my father about the death of his best friend. The questions that i tried to ask them were questions like, how did that persons death impact your life? Where there any things that you didn't know about that person but you later found out after their death? Do you still think about that person and how much?
When i interviewed the anonymous person about jakes death he seemed a bit uncomfortable about it at first but as the interview went on he seemed to ease into the situation a little more. When i asked him if he thought about jake on a daily basis he replied, "of course i do. Jake was my best friend, i saw him every single day. It is very hard to go from seeing someone every day to never seeing them again. When i do think about him though i try not to think about his death so much as i think about all the great moments that happened in his life." This to me showed that it was very hard for him to deal with the death of such a great friend. When i asked him about the impact it had on his life he said, "It impacted me way more then i expected. When I found out about his death i kind of just.. shut down. He died around the time i was taking final exams and i was so upset that i couldn't even get myself to study for the most important test of my school year. Jake was the greatest friend i could have and without him i just wasn't myself.
The interview with my Father was similar but much more emotional since Sherman was my godfather and like a second father to me. When i asked my dad if he still thought about Sherman he replied, "It's hard not to think about the person who you roomed with for almost 10 years. It's hard not to think about someone who was arguably the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Sherman would put me before himself no matter what the situation was. I loved Sherman and i always will as long as i'm still breathing." After this you could see the utter sadness in my fathers face and how emotional of a topic this was for him to speak on. I then asked him if he felt uncomfortable talking about his death. He said, "It's not that i feel uncomfortable, i feel irritated. There are people out there committing crimes and doing horrible things and they live to be very old. Sherman did nothing to harm anyone as long as he was alive and couldn't even make it past his late 60's. It just isn't fair." After this i stopped the interview because i noticed that it was very hard for him to talk about. Death is a very hard topic to talk about especially when it comes to the people closest to you.
When i interviewed the anonymous person about jakes death he seemed a bit uncomfortable about it at first but as the interview went on he seemed to ease into the situation a little more. When i asked him if he thought about jake on a daily basis he replied, "of course i do. Jake was my best friend, i saw him every single day. It is very hard to go from seeing someone every day to never seeing them again. When i do think about him though i try not to think about his death so much as i think about all the great moments that happened in his life." This to me showed that it was very hard for him to deal with the death of such a great friend. When i asked him about the impact it had on his life he said, "It impacted me way more then i expected. When I found out about his death i kind of just.. shut down. He died around the time i was taking final exams and i was so upset that i couldn't even get myself to study for the most important test of my school year. Jake was the greatest friend i could have and without him i just wasn't myself.
The interview with my Father was similar but much more emotional since Sherman was my godfather and like a second father to me. When i asked my dad if he still thought about Sherman he replied, "It's hard not to think about the person who you roomed with for almost 10 years. It's hard not to think about someone who was arguably the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Sherman would put me before himself no matter what the situation was. I loved Sherman and i always will as long as i'm still breathing." After this you could see the utter sadness in my fathers face and how emotional of a topic this was for him to speak on. I then asked him if he felt uncomfortable talking about his death. He said, "It's not that i feel uncomfortable, i feel irritated. There are people out there committing crimes and doing horrible things and they live to be very old. Sherman did nothing to harm anyone as long as he was alive and couldn't even make it past his late 60's. It just isn't fair." After this i stopped the interview because i noticed that it was very hard for him to talk about. Death is a very hard topic to talk about especially when it comes to the people closest to you.
Monday, April 18, 2011
HW 46 - Initial Thoughts on the Care of the Dead
I do not really know a lot about death because I did not know many people who have passed away. The only experience I have personally with death was the death of my aunt a few years ago. When this happened I was scared and felt terrible about the incident but i was not exactly sad. This was because I was not very close to that aunt because i never really got to see her all that much. She died from cancer and it was a pretty quick process, or at least it seemed like it to me. The reason that I think I did feel somewhat bad is because my parents were sad about it. I was raised to be emotional when people died and pay respect but it was weird that i didn't seem to know how to show my emotions of that in this case.
The way that my parents really talked to me about how I should treat the dead has always just been about respect. It is very frowned upon in society to treat the dead with disrespect even if you and the person had not gotten along while they were alive. My parents told me to never say, "i wish they were dead" because that is one of the worst things to tell someone. To hate someone to the point where you want them to be dead is very extreme. When death does happen it is always very sad and takes a while to process. A year ago from april 14th my friend Jake McDonough was killed by a car while riding his bike in brooklyn, he was only 18. When you lose someone at such a young age especially someone i would see on a regular basis it is a very hard thing to deal with no matter how close you were with that person.
The way that my parents really talked to me about how I should treat the dead has always just been about respect. It is very frowned upon in society to treat the dead with disrespect even if you and the person had not gotten along while they were alive. My parents told me to never say, "i wish they were dead" because that is one of the worst things to tell someone. To hate someone to the point where you want them to be dead is very extreme. When death does happen it is always very sad and takes a while to process. A year ago from april 14th my friend Jake McDonough was killed by a car while riding his bike in brooklyn, he was only 18. When you lose someone at such a young age especially someone i would see on a regular basis it is a very hard thing to deal with no matter how close you were with that person.
Friday, April 15, 2011
HW 45 - Reply to Other Peoples' Comments
Harry,
i also belived that the pay rate was a very big part of why they choose the profession. The chart that i found really helped me form that whole paragraph.
i also belived that the pay rate was a very big part of why they choose the profession. The chart that i found really helped me form that whole paragraph.
Monday, April 11, 2011
HW 44 - Comments on Other People's Projects
Rossi,
I thought it was very interesting how you decided to do a project where you actually talked to a nurse in a hospital about the real aspects of birth. Your most interesting lines where when you talked about how the third persons childhood desire was to become a doctor/nurse. All in all this was a very good post and i am sorry i did not get to hear your speech.
Jay,
I really enjoyed reading your interview. I especially liked how the women you interviewed was not seen as the traditional standards of someone in her line of work. Your most insightful line was, t's terrible. I think it's just a convience to doctors and patients (mothers). If you dont want to have a baby on a Saturday, you just have a C-Section. That was interesting because it showed her true opinion on the matter.
Alex,
In your post i noticed that your main focus was to show people all of the bad things that happen in a hospital. Pretty much trying to get people to"see the light" in a way. Your post was very well thought out and i would like to talk to you more about it so i can know more about your opinions on this matter.
I thought it was very interesting how you decided to do a project where you actually talked to a nurse in a hospital about the real aspects of birth. Your most interesting lines where when you talked about how the third persons childhood desire was to become a doctor/nurse. All in all this was a very good post and i am sorry i did not get to hear your speech.
Jay,
I really enjoyed reading your interview. I especially liked how the women you interviewed was not seen as the traditional standards of someone in her line of work. Your most insightful line was, t's terrible. I think it's just a convience to doctors and patients (mothers). If you dont want to have a baby on a Saturday, you just have a C-Section. That was interesting because it showed her true opinion on the matter.
Alex,
In your post i noticed that your main focus was to show people all of the bad things that happen in a hospital. Pretty much trying to get people to"see the light" in a way. Your post was very well thought out and i would like to talk to you more about it so i can know more about your opinions on this matter.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
HW 42 - Pregnancy & birth culminating project
The aspect that i decided on was the process of becoming an OB/GYN and why people chose this profession.
I feel like the reason people decide to become an OB/GYN is because they are passionate about the process of birth. But it is not the only reason that people want to do this. There are many other aspects as to why people want to be OB/GYN's and that is what I will be discussing in this paper. I will be discussing the requirements of an OB/GYN, what an OB/GYN actually is, the salary of an OB/GYN and what impact that has on them choosing this job, and wether it is more common for a man or a women to become and OB/GYN.
Requirements : The main requirements of a OB/GYN are in easier terms just to deliver the baby. But really what their jobs are besides delivering the child is to make sure nothing goes wrong with the birth. If something happens to go wrong with the birth they will have to take full responsibility since it was there job to do everything possible to prevent this. "OB is short for obstetrics or for an obstetrician, a physician who delivers babies. GYN is short for gynecology or for a gynecologist, a physician who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs"
(http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4609). This is showing that the name OB/GYN is exactly what its abbreviations stand for.
I feel like the reason people decide to become an OB/GYN is because they are passionate about the process of birth. But it is not the only reason that people want to do this. There are many other aspects as to why people want to be OB/GYN's and that is what I will be discussing in this paper. I will be discussing the requirements of an OB/GYN, what an OB/GYN actually is, the salary of an OB/GYN and what impact that has on them choosing this job, and wether it is more common for a man or a women to become and OB/GYN.
Requirements : The main requirements of a OB/GYN are in easier terms just to deliver the baby. But really what their jobs are besides delivering the child is to make sure nothing goes wrong with the birth. If something happens to go wrong with the birth they will have to take full responsibility since it was there job to do everything possible to prevent this. "OB is short for obstetrics or for an obstetrician, a physician who delivers babies. GYN is short for gynecology or for a gynecologist, a physician who specializes in treating diseases of the female reproductive organs"
(http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4609). This is showing that the name OB/GYN is exactly what its abbreviations stand for.
pay: The pay scale in my mind is a very big factor as to the decision to become an OB/GYM. Like i have said before if the pay was not as high as it is very few people would make the decision to chose this profession.
(http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Obstetrician_%2F_Gynecologist_(OB%2FGYN)/Salary).
This chart shows that there is a very large amount of money in the OB/GYN profession. There in my mind is no reason why if someone had all the requirements for this job they would not take it.
(http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Obstetrician_%2F_Gynecologist_(OB%2FGYN)/Salary).
This chart shows that there is a very large amount of money in the OB/GYN profession. There in my mind is no reason why if someone had all the requirements for this job they would not take it.
Men/women OB/GYN: I feel that there is some sort of an advantage when you are a women OB/GYN vs. a male OB/GYN. As a women the whole experience is more interesting since it can one day happen to them. When it does there experience as an OB/GYN it will prepare them more for what is to come. "As women in a women's health profession, female ob-gyns may be benefiting from an 'insider's perspective' in how to address the health challenges in their own lives," says ACOG President Elect Vivian M. Dickerson, MD. "This puts them in a unique position to help American women have healthier lifestyles," she adds, speaking at today's ACOG news conference, "Woman to Woman: Female Ob-Gyns Reveal Their Trade Secrets.(http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr12-09-03-2.cfm).
Sunday, April 3, 2011
HW 41 - Independent Research
The aspect that i decided on was the process of becoming an OB/GYN and why people chose this profession.
A.)
http://degreedirectory.org/articles/OBGYN_How_to_Become_an_OBGYN_in_5_Steps.html
This link is showing me that the process of becoming an OB/GYN can apparently be accomplished in 5 steps. Although they do make it sound easy i don't believe that it is. Since it is essentially the same as becoming a doctor you really need to be as motivated and determined as possible. You must go through a lot of schooling and other intensive training to accomplish this goal. In becoming OB/GYN i feel that it may be better if you are a women since you are focusing completely on the anatomy of a female so it may interest you more to find out these things about your own body.
http://www.obgyn.net/women/women.asp?page=/women/articles/obgyn_dah
This page literally sums up all the requirements to be an OB/GYN. They talk about how in college it is very important to have high grades in your field of study. Most of the pre med students trying to be an OB/GYN have the GPA of around a 3.5-3.7. So not only must you be committed with the profession but you must be committed to achieve the goal to get to that profession. Once you are done with your 4 years at a normal college you must then move on to medical school. Medical school is pretty much your final test to see if you are really ready to become an OB/GYN. Some people will find out then that it may not be right for them and not go through with their plans/life goals.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4609
This definition of an OB/GYN pretty much brakes down what it really stands for. The OB part stands for Obstetrician. An obstetrician is just literally someone who delivers babies. The GYN part is just the learning of a women's body. An OB/GYN is the key to a birth, without them i feel that the whole birth process would be different. If they were not there to supervise the birth and make sure everything is going according to plan then the process of birth would have a lot more flaws then it does now.
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Obstetrician_%2F_Gynecologist_(OB%2FGYN)/Salary
As a doctor an OB/GYN gets paid a very high salary. I don't believe that people join this professions just for the soul reason that they enjoy doing it. I am sure that when they do like what they are doing but when the figured out how much they would be getting paid it really pushed them more towards this profession.
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr12-09-03-2.cfm
Many women OB/GYN's tend to benefit for the everyday work that they do. The information that they find out is beneficial to all females so they figure that if other women can use this information they might as well use it to reflect upon their own work.
B.)
The way that all the information that i gathered above can be used for a cumulating project is i can use all this information and double check it with an actual OB/GYN. I can interview them to compare all this information and see if they agree or disagree with all of these statistics. Then after this interview i can compare my thoughts of all this before the interview and after and write a comparative essay about my two opinions.
http://www.obgyn.net/women/women.asp?page=/women/articles/obgyn_dah
This page literally sums up all the requirements to be an OB/GYN. They talk about how in college it is very important to have high grades in your field of study. Most of the pre med students trying to be an OB/GYN have the GPA of around a 3.5-3.7. So not only must you be committed with the profession but you must be committed to achieve the goal to get to that profession. Once you are done with your 4 years at a normal college you must then move on to medical school. Medical school is pretty much your final test to see if you are really ready to become an OB/GYN. Some people will find out then that it may not be right for them and not go through with their plans/life goals.
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4609
This definition of an OB/GYN pretty much brakes down what it really stands for. The OB part stands for Obstetrician. An obstetrician is just literally someone who delivers babies. The GYN part is just the learning of a women's body. An OB/GYN is the key to a birth, without them i feel that the whole birth process would be different. If they were not there to supervise the birth and make sure everything is going according to plan then the process of birth would have a lot more flaws then it does now.
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Obstetrician_%2F_Gynecologist_(OB%2FGYN)/Salary
As a doctor an OB/GYN gets paid a very high salary. I don't believe that people join this professions just for the soul reason that they enjoy doing it. I am sure that when they do like what they are doing but when the figured out how much they would be getting paid it really pushed them more towards this profession.
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr12-09-03-2.cfm
Many women OB/GYN's tend to benefit for the everyday work that they do. The information that they find out is beneficial to all females so they figure that if other women can use this information they might as well use it to reflect upon their own work.
B.)
The way that all the information that i gathered above can be used for a cumulating project is i can use all this information and double check it with an actual OB/GYN. I can interview them to compare all this information and see if they agree or disagree with all of these statistics. Then after this interview i can compare my thoughts of all this before the interview and after and write a comparative essay about my two opinions.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
HW 40 - Insights from Book - Part 3
Hey- thanks for writing BIRTH. Your thesis about how birth can never really be natural persuaded me to believe that the thought of natural birth is nothing but a fairy tale.
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
Well, in the last third of your book you focused on, the role that a father plays in the whole process of giving birth. Which added another angle on to the first 2/3 of the book. But let me be more specific:
First off you talked to us about how the women felt about a man being in the room and the different reactions different women had to men being in the room at the time. "It was the 1940's and Dr. Robert A. Bradley, who was still training in obstetrics, was studying what happened when husbands were allowed in the labor room for periods of time."(p.198) This quote is showing me that even in the mid 1900's they were still asking the same question about what men did during the birth process and how it really affected the women.
Then you talk about how in some places it is normal for a man to be involved in the birth process. "There were, however, a few places where men were central to births. On Yap, a spit of an island in the south pacific between Guam, and new guinea, the father was the normal birth attendant."(p.201) To me this shows that it really just depends on where the birth is taking place. Because depending on the culture it may be different each time. Obviously in this culture it is very natural for the father to be present but in the united states for a while the men were not supposed to be present during the birth process.
Lastly you talked about how it may not always be good to have the father present. "Odent, who now lives in england and runs his primal Health Research Centre in London, had interviewed couples years after their babies had been born to research how the birthing event shaped their lives together. He found that having the father there isn't always the best.(p. 213) This shows that not in all cases is it good for the father to be there. In my opinion I don't really see how it could affect the baby if the baby has not yet been born. But could it be that it is the mother being stressed and in some way passing that stress on to the baby.
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
Well, in the last third of your book you focused on, the role that a father plays in the whole process of giving birth. Which added another angle on to the first 2/3 of the book. But let me be more specific:
First off you talked to us about how the women felt about a man being in the room and the different reactions different women had to men being in the room at the time. "It was the 1940's and Dr. Robert A. Bradley, who was still training in obstetrics, was studying what happened when husbands were allowed in the labor room for periods of time."(p.198) This quote is showing me that even in the mid 1900's they were still asking the same question about what men did during the birth process and how it really affected the women.
Then you talk about how in some places it is normal for a man to be involved in the birth process. "There were, however, a few places where men were central to births. On Yap, a spit of an island in the south pacific between Guam, and new guinea, the father was the normal birth attendant."(p.201) To me this shows that it really just depends on where the birth is taking place. Because depending on the culture it may be different each time. Obviously in this culture it is very natural for the father to be present but in the united states for a while the men were not supposed to be present during the birth process.
Lastly you talked about how it may not always be good to have the father present. "Odent, who now lives in england and runs his primal Health Research Centre in London, had interviewed couples years after their babies had been born to research how the birthing event shaped their lives together. He found that having the father there isn't always the best.(p. 213) This shows that not in all cases is it good for the father to be there. In my opinion I don't really see how it could affect the baby if the baby has not yet been born. But could it be that it is the mother being stressed and in some way passing that stress on to the baby.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
HW 39 - Insights from Book - Part 2
Topics the book has taught me about "the business of being born":
-Birth can be a scary process that not everyone is ready for.
-Birth for some people is the most amazing thing that will ever happen in their lives.
-The process of birth is hardly ever natural.
-Midwifes are just as good as doctors at delivering babies.
The major insight that the book wants to point out in the second 100 pages is that the birth process is not what people think it is. I agree with her because i feel like people have this fairy tale image in their head about how wonderful and easy birth is. If people actually took the time to do some research and actually watch the video of a birth i think that their opinion on birth and their approach to it would completely change. Like we discussed in class not many people actually look at videos of the birth process because they are afraid that something could potentially go wrong with their own birth process. They don't want tot see the truth behind these situations.
5 interesting aspects of birth
-The actually birthing process and what people go through just to have a baby.
-The impact a baby has on peoples lives.
-Some people have a C section all so that they can produce a child
-People use these dangerous medicines that can potentially have harmful affects on their child.
Independently research one crucial factual claim by the author in the second hundred pages and assess the validity of the author's use of that evidence.
"Doctors get sued for caesareans they don't perform or don't perform quickly enough"
http://closermagazine.com/new/index.php?section=display&feature=Featured
-Birth can be a scary process that not everyone is ready for.
-Birth for some people is the most amazing thing that will ever happen in their lives.
-The process of birth is hardly ever natural.
-Midwifes are just as good as doctors at delivering babies.
The major insight that the book wants to point out in the second 100 pages is that the birth process is not what people think it is. I agree with her because i feel like people have this fairy tale image in their head about how wonderful and easy birth is. If people actually took the time to do some research and actually watch the video of a birth i think that their opinion on birth and their approach to it would completely change. Like we discussed in class not many people actually look at videos of the birth process because they are afraid that something could potentially go wrong with their own birth process. They don't want tot see the truth behind these situations.
5 interesting aspects of birth
-The actually birthing process and what people go through just to have a baby.
-The impact a baby has on peoples lives.
-Some people have a C section all so that they can produce a child
-People use these dangerous medicines that can potentially have harmful affects on their child.
Independently research one crucial factual claim by the author in the second hundred pages and assess the validity of the author's use of that evidence.
"Doctors get sued for caesareans they don't perform or don't perform quickly enough"
http://closermagazine.com/new/index.php?section=display&feature=Featured
Monday, March 14, 2011
HW 38 - Insights from pregnancy & birth book - part 1
The way that this book is organized is actually different from the other books i have read. It is different in the way that the authors style of writing is very precise and she wants to really make the reader think about her opinion. I think that the main question that the book tries to answer is there actually a natural way to have birth? I would respond to this question by saying that i don't think that there is a natural way of having birth because in most cases something extra has to be done to the birth process to make it work. For example if you ask to have drugs during the birth(legal drugs) then that makes the birth process un natural. The major insight that the book tries to focus on is that again the talk about having a natural birth is pretty unrealistic. I agree with the author because she said something interesting, she said that birth is literally a twisted process, because sometimes the baby will have to be twisted to come out the right way. That right there is something that makes the birth process un natural because something has to be done to make the process right.
Aspects:
1.) No birth is actually natural there is always something extra that happens.
2.) It is stupid that at one point men weren't allowed in the room during birth.
3.) Midwives are still a very important part of birth
4.) Birth is a weird and twisted process
5.) Birth is sacred
Aspects:
1.) No birth is actually natural there is always something extra that happens.
2.) It is stupid that at one point men weren't allowed in the room during birth.
3.) Midwives are still a very important part of birth
4.) Birth is a weird and twisted process
5.) Birth is sacred
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
HW 37 Birth Stories Comments
Jay,
I really thought that you post was very thought provoking. As opposed to in my post when i gave the names of my people i interviewed your people wanted to be kept private. And i undertand why their story's are very personal and really show how they feel about this topic. I felt like your most insightful line was, "The mother I interviewed said birth was very traumatic, scary, and exhilarating. "
Larche,
Your style of writing was very fluent and it really showed me that you got a good understanding of what you were writing about. I really thought that your interviewees responses were great and it kept me very interested through out your post. I think your most insightful lines were, "For this interviewee, she described her all three of her births as "easy". She spoke of working right up until the day before giving birth to one of her children."
Rossi,
Your post was very interesting to me. I really felt like you understood the struggles that your interviewees were going through and like you actually wanted to interview them. I think your most insightful lines were, "It made me gain weight, obviously, and I became depressed. I have always been someone that cares a lot about my appearance and with this weight and appearance I had very low self esteem, even though I knew it was baby weight."
I really thought that you post was very thought provoking. As opposed to in my post when i gave the names of my people i interviewed your people wanted to be kept private. And i undertand why their story's are very personal and really show how they feel about this topic. I felt like your most insightful line was, "The mother I interviewed said birth was very traumatic, scary, and exhilarating. "
Larche,
Your style of writing was very fluent and it really showed me that you got a good understanding of what you were writing about. I really thought that your interviewees responses were great and it kept me very interested through out your post. I think your most insightful lines were, "For this interviewee, she described her all three of her births as "easy". She spoke of working right up until the day before giving birth to one of her children."
Rossi,
Your post was very interesting to me. I really felt like you understood the struggles that your interviewees were going through and like you actually wanted to interview them. I think your most insightful lines were, "It made me gain weight, obviously, and I became depressed. I have always been someone that cares a lot about my appearance and with this weight and appearance I had very low self esteem, even though I knew it was baby weight."
Sunday, February 27, 2011
HW 36 - Pregnancy & Birth Stories
The first person that I interviewed was my mother. I asked her to tell me the story of my own birth which I have heard many times. Some of the really interesting things about my won birth that my mother told me was that she was only in labor with me for 3 hours. Usually a women is in labor for about 8 hours and mine was a significant difference of 5 hours. I was also told that I was a week early. I was supposed to be born october 31 1994, but i was born october 24th 1994. Since I was the second child my mother said that it was not as painful as when my brother was born since she had already experienced birth once before.
What is more scary to a mother, the birth while it is happening or the days leading up to the birth?
I interviewed my mother again but about my brothers birth. When I asked about who's was more painful she told me that it wasn't even a question that my brothers was much more painful. Since he was the first child she had never experienced birth before my brother. She described it as much more uncomfortable then painful. She also told me that just knowing she was doing all this to have a child made it worth it. She disregarded all other distractions and the whole time was just thinking about having a family who she would love and would love her.
Why do parents cherish the moment of birth so much rather then the process?
The last person that i interviewed was my aunt. She told me that her first experience with birth was when she had my older cousin. She told me that it was actually a scarey experience for her. It was scary for her because there was a problem with the birth process that she preferred i did not talk about but she did say i could say it was a life or death situation. In these type of situations i think that sometimes it might not be worth if if you go through that whole process and in the process your most prized thing in life dies. It is not worth going through all the painful memories.
When a child's life is in danger during birth who should have the say on what to do in the situation?
What is more scary to a mother, the birth while it is happening or the days leading up to the birth?
I interviewed my mother again but about my brothers birth. When I asked about who's was more painful she told me that it wasn't even a question that my brothers was much more painful. Since he was the first child she had never experienced birth before my brother. She described it as much more uncomfortable then painful. She also told me that just knowing she was doing all this to have a child made it worth it. She disregarded all other distractions and the whole time was just thinking about having a family who she would love and would love her.
Why do parents cherish the moment of birth so much rather then the process?
The last person that i interviewed was my aunt. She told me that her first experience with birth was when she had my older cousin. She told me that it was actually a scarey experience for her. It was scary for her because there was a problem with the birth process that she preferred i did not talk about but she did say i could say it was a life or death situation. In these type of situations i think that sometimes it might not be worth if if you go through that whole process and in the process your most prized thing in life dies. It is not worth going through all the painful memories.
When a child's life is in danger during birth who should have the say on what to do in the situation?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
HW 34 - Some Initial Thoughts On Birth
Some things that i would like to know about birth is the whole process in particular. I want to know whether a child who is born in their own home will be different then a child who was born in a hospital. If that is so then why does this happen? It could be because the environment is more comfortable in a way although the baby may not know it, it could have a big impact on their life. In my opinion since the baby is so young then I don't think that it has much of an impact to them. But the way that the parent chooses to shape their child's attitude has a huge impact on them because the child learns its attitude from their parents. If your parents are rude and disrespectful then they will show their son to have an attitude just like that.
I also wanted to elaborate on the thought that chris talked about on his post. He wanted to know if a child who was born into a rich family was more celebrated rather then a child who was born into a poor family. I do think that it is more celebrated for a rich family because they can afford it. When a poor family has a child they think of it as more money that they have to waste. A rich family doesn't worry about the expenses because they feel that in their situation money isn't a problem so it gives them more of an opportunity to cherish their child. But this may not be true with all family's because some might want a kid so much that all the work they do to keep their child happy is worth it just as long as their child is having a good life.
I also wanted to elaborate on the thought that chris talked about on his post. He wanted to know if a child who was born into a rich family was more celebrated rather then a child who was born into a poor family. I do think that it is more celebrated for a rich family because they can afford it. When a poor family has a child they think of it as more money that they have to waste. A rich family doesn't worry about the expenses because they feel that in their situation money isn't a problem so it gives them more of an opportunity to cherish their child. But this may not be true with all family's because some might want a kid so much that all the work they do to keep their child happy is worth it just as long as their child is having a good life.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
HW 32 - Thoughts following illness & dying unit
The most nightmarish practices around illness and dying in my opinion are probably dying alone. The scariest thing in my opinion is dying alone because dying itself is very scary thing. But when your all alone and have no one to comfort you that makes it even worse. Just imagine literally being the most scared you have been ever and not having anyone around you to assure you that things will be okay and that they are there for you. I don't even think that I would want to go through that process without someone. I don't think I could go through it without someone. My father told me that when his father was dying he was there with him for his remaining days and to his father that meant the world to him. Being there during someones last moments could be the best thing you have done for this person and you wouldn't even know it, just to have you there could be the great ending to the final chapter of someones life.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
HW 31 - Comments 3
Harry,
I think that your topic was very interesting. I was thinking about chosing this topic since it is such a controversial issue in this country as you stated in the post. I feel like you really got a good grasp of this topic. I think your best line was, "When interviewing my family friend about the care he received in the hospitals in California, he too recalled that the treatment he finally received was "lucky" as well"
Evan,
I really think that this was a good idea for a project. I thought that your questions were very well thought out and deep. The way that the person you interviewed responded to your questions seemed to be with as much truth and as much clarity as possible. I felt like your best question was, "What do you do if you think a patient is making the wrong choose by giving up?"
Alex,
I thought that your topic had a really big impact on you. It seemed like this experience was very hard on you and changed how you thought about this issue. It really made me think more about this issue as well. I think that your most insightful line was, "to see something I can connect with better then anything else, which is another human, dying like that makes my stomach turn."
Chris,
I know the feeling of having a friend whos parent is like a parent to you. But i do not know the feeling of almost losing that person. I cant even imagine how your friend must feel about this situation. Since it was hard for you for him it must have been 10 times worse. I feel like your best line was, " I learn that illness and dying is apart of our daily lives and we are going to have to deal with it sooner or later."
I think that your topic was very interesting. I was thinking about chosing this topic since it is such a controversial issue in this country as you stated in the post. I feel like you really got a good grasp of this topic. I think your best line was, "When interviewing my family friend about the care he received in the hospitals in California, he too recalled that the treatment he finally received was "lucky" as well"
Evan,
I really think that this was a good idea for a project. I thought that your questions were very well thought out and deep. The way that the person you interviewed responded to your questions seemed to be with as much truth and as much clarity as possible. I felt like your best question was, "What do you do if you think a patient is making the wrong choose by giving up?"
Alex,
I thought that your topic had a really big impact on you. It seemed like this experience was very hard on you and changed how you thought about this issue. It really made me think more about this issue as well. I think that your most insightful line was, "to see something I can connect with better then anything else, which is another human, dying like that makes my stomach turn."
Chris,
I know the feeling of having a friend whos parent is like a parent to you. But i do not know the feeling of almost losing that person. I cant even imagine how your friend must feel about this situation. Since it was hard for you for him it must have been 10 times worse. I feel like your best line was, " I learn that illness and dying is apart of our daily lives and we are going to have to deal with it sooner or later."
Monday, January 17, 2011
HW 30 - Illness & Dying - Culminating Experiential Project
The aspect around illness and dying that I decided to explore what the average life expectancy for people with AIDS in the united states was. I wanted to explore this because I have someone close to me who has been living with this disease for about 14 years now. I wanted to compare his experience with living with aids and how long he has been living with it to how long the average american is living with AIDS. When I had the interview with this person they told me that they have been living with this disease and not letting it change how they lived their life.
Some information that I gathered was the actually life expectancy for an american living with AIDS. As much as I did not want to use this source(considering it was fox news) I did not see any reason for them to lie about this issue. The article tells us about the average life time of a person with aids. It was actually very surprising when i found out the life expectancy. The article states, " An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care over those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates."
The way that I explored this issue was through an interview with a family member with this disease. He has been living with the disease for 14 years. So according to this information he only has 10 years left(go forbid). When i told him about this pole he seemed not to surprised. He said that when he was diagnosed he was told he would'nt even live for that long. He actually made a joke that he was "glad to know he had more time". Although when he heard how much the health care was he was not surprised. He said that he of all people knew how expensive it was to get all the medical needs that he had to acquire.
Some information that I gathered was the actually life expectancy for an american living with AIDS. As much as I did not want to use this source(considering it was fox news) I did not see any reason for them to lie about this issue. The article tells us about the average life time of a person with aids. It was actually very surprising when i found out the life expectancy. The article states, " An American diagnosed with the AIDS virus can expect to live for about 24 years on average, and the cost of health care over those two-plus decades is more than $600,000, new research indicates."
What I learned about this was not only do people go about this disease differently but people with this disease live for different amounts of time. Depending on how bad it is will affect how long you have to live. I also learned that for a disease that kills you quickly it does give you a good amount of time to live, although 24 years is not a lot of time, it is if that is all you have and your making the best out of it.
What this shows about dominant social practices in our society is that different people go about different diseases in certain ways. Also that depending on how long you actually have completely affects your mindset on life. The reason this matters is because when your dying you usually want to die in peace. When you get a exact knowledge of how long you have to live, it affects the way that you can spend that time. If you realize you have a longer time then you have more time to do what you want when you want with who you want. All that this is showing is that in a way, knowing these things completely affects your level of happiness.
Monday, January 10, 2011
HW 29 - Reading and noting basic materials
Facing Terminal Illness:
People who have the terminal illness go about it much differently then their loved one who is watching them suffer from that illness. The person who has the disease will either want to live the rest of their remaining days care free or they will be worrying about dying and live their last few days alive with stress. The person who is watching their loved one go through this usually is stressing the situation. In my opinion the best way to live your remaining days is in pure happiness, do what you want when you want and don't people tell you your not allowed to do it. Although I am saying this now I will never know how I really feel about living my last days until that time actually comes around, when it does my opinion on this issue could completely change. In the book tuesdays with morrie by Mitch Albom, Morrie choses to live his remaining days in happiness and without negative thoughts. On page 37 Morrie says, "I know, Mitch. You mustn't be afraid of my dying. I've had a good life, and we all know it's going to happen".
Paying for medical care:
Paying for medical care has always been a huge problem for people living in the united states. It has always been hard for people to get health care here but in other countries they don't worry about getting the medical care that they need. In the movie sicko one man had to choose which finger he wanted to get put back on after he lost 2 because he couldn't afford both. In some other countries if you lost a finger they put it back on without any questions. The health care companies actually makes more more money if they deny people health care. Some past presidents haven't been to happy with the medical programs either since it's costing them money. President Richard Nixon stated, " I'm not to keen on these damn medical programs".(from the movie sicko).
Being sick:
Being sick is something that has always been dreaded by humans but it is dreaded more depending on how sick you are. When I interviewed my family member about his illness it didn't to be as horrible to them as I thought it would be. I guess that when your the one living with the illness it is easier to get used to. My own experience with being sick is that I just want it to be over with as soon as possible. Except for when I get sick on a school day, thats fine with me and i'm sure the same could be said for a lot of other kids. Even then though it isn't any fun because although I get to miss a day of school when everyone is out of school and hanging out I cant do that since I stayed home sick.
People who have the terminal illness go about it much differently then their loved one who is watching them suffer from that illness. The person who has the disease will either want to live the rest of their remaining days care free or they will be worrying about dying and live their last few days alive with stress. The person who is watching their loved one go through this usually is stressing the situation. In my opinion the best way to live your remaining days is in pure happiness, do what you want when you want and don't people tell you your not allowed to do it. Although I am saying this now I will never know how I really feel about living my last days until that time actually comes around, when it does my opinion on this issue could completely change. In the book tuesdays with morrie by Mitch Albom, Morrie choses to live his remaining days in happiness and without negative thoughts. On page 37 Morrie says, "I know, Mitch. You mustn't be afraid of my dying. I've had a good life, and we all know it's going to happen".
Paying for medical care:
Paying for medical care has always been a huge problem for people living in the united states. It has always been hard for people to get health care here but in other countries they don't worry about getting the medical care that they need. In the movie sicko one man had to choose which finger he wanted to get put back on after he lost 2 because he couldn't afford both. In some other countries if you lost a finger they put it back on without any questions. The health care companies actually makes more more money if they deny people health care. Some past presidents haven't been to happy with the medical programs either since it's costing them money. President Richard Nixon stated, " I'm not to keen on these damn medical programs".(from the movie sicko).
Being sick:
Being sick is something that has always been dreaded by humans but it is dreaded more depending on how sick you are. When I interviewed my family member about his illness it didn't to be as horrible to them as I thought it would be. I guess that when your the one living with the illness it is easier to get used to. My own experience with being sick is that I just want it to be over with as soon as possible. Except for when I get sick on a school day, thats fine with me and i'm sure the same could be said for a lot of other kids. Even then though it isn't any fun because although I get to miss a day of school when everyone is out of school and hanging out I cant do that since I stayed home sick.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
HW 28 - Comments 2
For Evan,
I am sorry to hear that you have two people who are close to you living with the same illness. One of your best lines in my opinion was the line where you said, "This problem she faces to day came from a lack of human knowledge on food during her life and resulted in her eating fatty food that clogged her arteries and is causing her to die". The reason i liked this line was because it shows that you had a good knowledge of this situation. Something you can work on is expanding a bit more on your thoughts. Overall good job though.
For Harry,
I was very interested through out your whole blog post and felt that you had a good understand of your family members situation. I feel like your most beautiful line was, "To recover from the situation, he embraced the fact that recovering from this stroke was a long term process, although he honestly admits that he first pushed it away". I liked this the most because it really shows that he was understanding with his situation and came to terms with the fact that he did have a stroke and had to deal with their situation. Great post overall.
-Max
I chose to use harry since my fellow group member did not do a post.
I am sorry to hear that you have two people who are close to you living with the same illness. One of your best lines in my opinion was the line where you said, "This problem she faces to day came from a lack of human knowledge on food during her life and resulted in her eating fatty food that clogged her arteries and is causing her to die". The reason i liked this line was because it shows that you had a good knowledge of this situation. Something you can work on is expanding a bit more on your thoughts. Overall good job though.
For Harry,
I was very interested through out your whole blog post and felt that you had a good understand of your family members situation. I feel like your most beautiful line was, "To recover from the situation, he embraced the fact that recovering from this stroke was a long term process, although he honestly admits that he first pushed it away". I liked this the most because it really shows that he was understanding with his situation and came to terms with the fact that he did have a stroke and had to deal with their situation. Great post overall.
-Max
I chose to use harry since my fellow group member did not do a post.
Monday, January 3, 2011
HW 27 - Visiting an unwell person
I chose to talk to my cousin who is living with the HIV virus known as AIDS. Although I didn't to my cousin in person I talked to him over the phone and have seen him recently so I had a good idea of his physical state. My cousin has been living with aids for about 14 years now and he seems to be doing well with dealing with his disease. His approach to dealing with his disease might be the most amazing display of confidence I have ever seen. He doesn't let it bring him down in any of the activities that he does and he doesn't want people to feel bad for him because of his disease. When talking to him on the phone about this I actually felt more uncomfortable about talking about it then he did.
My cousin takes great care of himself and he is actually in better shape then most adults that don't have this disease that I know. He works out in the gym almost everyday and he is very carful about taking his medication daily. When I asked him if he was afraid of the outcome of his disease he said in his kind voice, "I'm not worried about it until it's actually happening, and you shouldn't be either". It is amazing to me that he could have such a good attitude to such a horrible situation. He was telling me that the support of his family and friends really helps him cope with his situation. He has always done what he wanted and doesn't let others hold him back. When I told him that if I were in his position I would be dealing with it in the way that I would be scared and not be as motivated. This surprised him and he told me that while in these situation you have to make the best out of it or else your waisting valuable time in your life. In my opinion truer words have never been spoken.
While talking to my cousin it reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie. This reminded me of that book because they are both living with horrible diseases but in both situations they are looking at their disease with the most positive attitude possible. They try to live life in happiness and try to live it care free. Both Morrie and my cousin try to give the best advice possible and try to get people to understand their situation. They both don't want people to feel bad for them but they want people to understand their situation and be supportive. Not feel bad and have pity on them.
My cousin takes great care of himself and he is actually in better shape then most adults that don't have this disease that I know. He works out in the gym almost everyday and he is very carful about taking his medication daily. When I asked him if he was afraid of the outcome of his disease he said in his kind voice, "I'm not worried about it until it's actually happening, and you shouldn't be either". It is amazing to me that he could have such a good attitude to such a horrible situation. He was telling me that the support of his family and friends really helps him cope with his situation. He has always done what he wanted and doesn't let others hold him back. When I told him that if I were in his position I would be dealing with it in the way that I would be scared and not be as motivated. This surprised him and he told me that while in these situation you have to make the best out of it or else your waisting valuable time in your life. In my opinion truer words have never been spoken.
While talking to my cousin it reminded me of the book Tuesdays with Morrie. This reminded me of that book because they are both living with horrible diseases but in both situations they are looking at their disease with the most positive attitude possible. They try to live life in happiness and try to live it care free. Both Morrie and my cousin try to give the best advice possible and try to get people to understand their situation. They both don't want people to feel bad for them but they want people to understand their situation and be supportive. Not feel bad and have pity on them.
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