For this assignment, I interviewed my aunt and my best friend's mother instead of my parents as a change of scenery from the norm.
The first interview was with my aunt, S. We discussed the aspects of death and the variables that come with how one thinks of the departed. What caught my attention is that there are a lot of different ways one can think about those who have died. For example, if someone has been murdered or tortured, or committed suicide, then there is anger mixed in with her sadness for the way they died. If the person accepted their death and was truly ready to die, she claimed that it was easier for her to accept their death and work through the sadness than if the death was sudden or unexpected and the person wasn't ready. Another thing is that if someone she loves dies, other things around her could make the death easier to cope with. For example, I was born just after the death of her father. She said that my presence at the memorial service brought bits of joy and helped her to enjoy the life of her father. She also said it was easier to accept if she knew it was coming or if the person who died had already accepted it. One thing in particular that I liked was "[In the saddest of deaths, God] can twist it around and bring something good from it." I thought that was nice because it brings hope from a great loss. As a child, she was taught that it was a part of life and her parents focused heavily on souls moving on to the afterlife whereas she is more concerned with living than what happens afterwords.
The second person I interviewed was my best friend's mom, R. When asked how she felt about those who died, her answer was simple: "I miss them." I thought it was interesting how a small sentence could convey so much. She told me that she wanted her body to be cremated but she was also considering donating her body to science. She is also has organ donor on her license. As a child, she wasn't really open to death. Her only experience was with her grandpa and her father never really wanted to talk about it (it was his father). Her mother, who took care of her grandfather, was a little better at talking about it. When her own father died, she was there when it happened and described it as a wonderful experience. Not because of his death but because she got to be there when it happened and feel like she could be there for him. She said that death is just a part of life that we should accept and thought too many people in our society were afraid of death. I thought that last part was interesting because it can be argued but also heavily supported in many ways. Her father was cremated and her mother divided up the ashes with her had her brother. She said she wanted to disperse them somewhere that was meaningful to her dad but still hasn't found the right spot.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Homework #46: Initial thoughts on the care of the dead
My only experience with the care of the dead is when we went to my grandmother's funeral last summer. The service was in a church but the body was not there since it was cremated. I don't know if that's what she wanted or if it's simply what my father chose for her. After the service, the immediate family went to the graveyard and watched the urn get buried in our family's plot in Fayette, MO. Her husband was cremated after he died around 17 years ago so they brought up his ashes to be buried next to my grandmother's. My mom once told me that she wanted to be an organ donor and then cremated when she died. I was too young to really understand the full context of what she was saying, but it struck me as strange that a person would want their body to be cut up and have their organs ripped out and then be burned to ash. However, I think her beliefs in afterlife differ from mine so maybe she has a reason for it.
In my family. people are kept alive after they've died. In my grandparents' case, my mother is constantly talking about them and stories about their lives. So even though I only met one of them, I feel as though I really know who the others were if I were to have a chance to meet them somehow. If the person is not a personal part of my family, it usually takes me a wile to realize that that person is no longer in existence and won't ever speak or smell or laugh or cry again. I don't really think about their bodies, but more of what they did or didn't do with the time they had. Whenever my family hears about someone who has died, we mourn for a little while and then begin to discuss all the great things that they did or all of the great stories that people will always remember about them. I think this keeps them alive in our family for a very long time.
In my family. people are kept alive after they've died. In my grandparents' case, my mother is constantly talking about them and stories about their lives. So even though I only met one of them, I feel as though I really know who the others were if I were to have a chance to meet them somehow. If the person is not a personal part of my family, it usually takes me a wile to realize that that person is no longer in existence and won't ever speak or smell or laugh or cry again. I don't really think about their bodies, but more of what they did or didn't do with the time they had. Whenever my family hears about someone who has died, we mourn for a little while and then begin to discuss all the great things that they did or all of the great stories that people will always remember about them. I think this keeps them alive in our family for a very long time.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Homework #44: Replies to comments
Renee:
I completely agree. The usual go-to scenario for expressing pain is birth and yet the prisons still make it ten times worse by holding them down or neglecting them. I would hope that the people working there have some sort of humanity that makes them want to help the women, but I haven't seen anything like that in what research I've done.
Arden and Natalie:
Thank you for your comments, I included personal strokes because I wanted it to really hit home that it wasn't just random statistics, but that peope have actually spoken up about this and told their own stories. When I first read them, I was apalled and knew that those were what was going to make this project most emotional.
I completely agree. The usual go-to scenario for expressing pain is birth and yet the prisons still make it ten times worse by holding them down or neglecting them. I would hope that the people working there have some sort of humanity that makes them want to help the women, but I haven't seen anything like that in what research I've done.
Arden and Natalie:
Thank you for your comments, I included personal strokes because I wanted it to really hit home that it wasn't just random statistics, but that peope have actually spoken up about this and told their own stories. When I first read them, I was apalled and knew that those were what was going to make this project most emotional.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Homework #43: Comments on others' blogs
Sharif,
I thought the way you compared the two different hospitals and interviewed college students was really interesting. It seemed to me that only one of the students knew what she was talking about but the rest were pretty uneducated. I really liked the part where the one kid said "what's a cesarean?" because it showed just how much some people know about the topic.
I wanted to read your blog after your elevator speech because it seemed to me that I had a connection to it. College students are not very far in age from us so it was intersting to see that we knew more than they did about birth in general.
I liked your video, but the audio could have been better. (and the baby was really cute).
Devin,
Your project on the timing of when to cut the umbilical cord was very specific and fascinating. The benefits of waiting just one minute are quite incredible and it's a wonder why doctors don't do it more often. I think the topic you chose was interesting because it's not something people think about very often. Most of the time, especially on TV, the umbilical cord is cut right away and that's that. I'd never thought about whether that was the right thing until I read your blog. Good job!
Liz,
Your topic on same-sex adoption was one that I hadn't seen in anyone else's projects. Your interviews with two different points of view allowed some light to be shed on how people think. While it was a pretty small amount of interviewees, I think people can still get a sense of why because of your clarifications or inner monologue throughout the essay. I alos enjoyed the way you started off the piece. It sounded really cool and grabbed my attention quickly.
________________________________________________________
Comments to me:
Renee (mentor):
childbirth can be one of the most difficult experiences any woman goes through - even in the most supportive of circumstances...
IF society has any intention of prison affecting rehabilitation - wouldn't it be in the woman's best interest to make that experience, at the very least - humane?
Ben H:
Your choice to focus on the mistreatment of pregnant women in prison was a very interesting and unique one.
This topic is important to observe primarily because of how many people do not even think about it, as you stated in your project. Although it is hard for me to personally relate to it, your project was still important to me because my eyes were opened to a completely different area of pregnancy and birth that I had never even thought about myself.
I really liked the way you were able to include multiple real-world situations for a topic that was so specific and rarely spoken of. If you had been able to find more statistics, that would have made your point even more convincing. Good job!
Arden H:
I agree that giving birth is not a easy process for a women. Pregnant women in jail are not given close to what is required for a safe and successful birth.
The stories you chose to incorporate are gruesome and almost hard to believe. Consider it cliche but people are people. it is inhumane to treat a person, in prison or not with such incivility. the stories you shared both throughout your paper and in your elevator speech were a good addition to further proving your point. it grasped the persons (me) attention, because it seemed so unreal.
I appreciate your research about such an unpublicized and overlooked topic.
Natalie:
In this piece you describe the lack of care pregnant women in jails receive due to neglect.
I liked the way you incorporated women's personal stories into your writing in order to create a much more vivid image.
This topic is extremely important, mainly due to the fact that so little light is shed upon it. People do not really think to consider the pregnant women in jail. While there is a reason for them being there (usually), it is no reason to treat their child badly. Many times in pregnancy fetus and mother are see as one entity, however in this case I believe it is best to view them as two separate beings.
Perhaps next time you could propose how you think this should be changed.
I thought the way you compared the two different hospitals and interviewed college students was really interesting. It seemed to me that only one of the students knew what she was talking about but the rest were pretty uneducated. I really liked the part where the one kid said "what's a cesarean?" because it showed just how much some people know about the topic.
I wanted to read your blog after your elevator speech because it seemed to me that I had a connection to it. College students are not very far in age from us so it was intersting to see that we knew more than they did about birth in general.
I liked your video, but the audio could have been better. (and the baby was really cute).
Devin,
Your project on the timing of when to cut the umbilical cord was very specific and fascinating. The benefits of waiting just one minute are quite incredible and it's a wonder why doctors don't do it more often. I think the topic you chose was interesting because it's not something people think about very often. Most of the time, especially on TV, the umbilical cord is cut right away and that's that. I'd never thought about whether that was the right thing until I read your blog. Good job!
Liz,
Your topic on same-sex adoption was one that I hadn't seen in anyone else's projects. Your interviews with two different points of view allowed some light to be shed on how people think. While it was a pretty small amount of interviewees, I think people can still get a sense of why because of your clarifications or inner monologue throughout the essay. I alos enjoyed the way you started off the piece. It sounded really cool and grabbed my attention quickly.
________________________________________________________
Comments to me:
Renee (mentor):
childbirth can be one of the most difficult experiences any woman goes through - even in the most supportive of circumstances...
IF society has any intention of prison affecting rehabilitation - wouldn't it be in the woman's best interest to make that experience, at the very least - humane?
Ben H:
Your choice to focus on the mistreatment of pregnant women in prison was a very interesting and unique one.
This topic is important to observe primarily because of how many people do not even think about it, as you stated in your project. Although it is hard for me to personally relate to it, your project was still important to me because my eyes were opened to a completely different area of pregnancy and birth that I had never even thought about myself.
I really liked the way you were able to include multiple real-world situations for a topic that was so specific and rarely spoken of. If you had been able to find more statistics, that would have made your point even more convincing. Good job!
Arden H:
I agree that giving birth is not a easy process for a women. Pregnant women in jail are not given close to what is required for a safe and successful birth.
The stories you chose to incorporate are gruesome and almost hard to believe. Consider it cliche but people are people. it is inhumane to treat a person, in prison or not with such incivility. the stories you shared both throughout your paper and in your elevator speech were a good addition to further proving your point. it grasped the persons (me) attention, because it seemed so unreal.
I appreciate your research about such an unpublicized and overlooked topic.
Natalie:
In this piece you describe the lack of care pregnant women in jails receive due to neglect.
I liked the way you incorporated women's personal stories into your writing in order to create a much more vivid image.
This topic is extremely important, mainly due to the fact that so little light is shed upon it. People do not really think to consider the pregnant women in jail. While there is a reason for them being there (usually), it is no reason to treat their child badly. Many times in pregnancy fetus and mother are see as one entity, however in this case I believe it is best to view them as two separate beings.
Perhaps next time you could propose how you think this should be changed.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Homework #42: Research Project
There has been much recent debate over the entirety of the birthing process - such as whether to use midwives or doctors, hospitals or home births. All of these decisions arise when a woman finds out she’s pregnant. Usually by the due date, there is a clear picture of what she wants and how it’s going to happen. Now we all know that things never go exactly according to plan, but at least there is a choice that can be made. But what if there wasn’t a choice? What if instead of weighing pros and cons of different options, you were in a place where you were left alone in a cell or brought to a hospital in chains, mid-labor? For pregnant women in the U.S. penitentiary system, this is the case.
In jails and prisons for women all over the country, there is always a certain amount of harassment or abuse. One would think that stopped with pregnant women, but in several prisons, the guards and overseers neglect to give pregnant prisoners regular check-ups, any prenatal care, or even a healthy diet. The most some women get is an extra bag of Fritos. Even when it’s time for the birth, women have to beg to be sent to the hospital. In Dubuque County Jail in Iowa, 19-year-old Terra K. had to scream and pound on the door just to ask for a nurse. When no one came, she ended up giving birth alone in her cell. Even when someone finally does pay attention, it may be too late. In general, health care in prisons is not stellar. It’s usually only in emergencies that guards will consider taking a prisoner to the hospital. In the Collier County Jail in Florida, Joan S. was near her due date and leaking amniotic fluid, so she asked for medical attention several times. After two weeks of this, she finally got an ultrasound and was informed that all of the amniotic fluid was gone and her baby’s skull had collapsed. Then she still wasn’t taken to the hospital for some time, which put her at risk for amniotic shock from the dead fetus inside her. Although these stories are extreme, such things happen all the time. Prisons don’t care for pregnant prisoners the way they should.
Aside from the time of incarceration, when it comes to actually having the baby, things don’t get much better. Although most of the time women are taken to a hospital, they are usually shackled during transport and again during labor. The cuffs are around the woman’s ankles severely limit her ability to move around. Generally, doctors tell women to move around during labor because it helps the labor progress and can sometimes ease the pain. The use of restraints causes a lot more pain that also lasts longer, and they are actually unnecessary since there are guards at the hospital while the prisoner is there. According to a New York Times article, Shawanna N. was in labor for 12 hours before she was brought to the hospital and was not given anything but Tylenol all day. According to her lawyer, she was shackled all through labor and only for the birth at the very end was she released. Amnesty USA says, “Shackling during labor may cause complications during delivery such as hemorrhage or decreased fetal heart rate. If a cesarean section is needed, a delay of even 5 minutes may result in permanent brain damage to the baby.” So basically, shackling prisoners during labor is not a good idea. However, the act is common in prisons throughout the country.
In conclusion, while the birthing process for women can be stressful, it’s nothing compared to how incarcerated women are treated. They are neglected and underfed and then shackled during labor. We often debate over whether hospitals or home births are safer, but not many people are aware of what imprisoned women go through during their births.
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/08/02/pregnant-behind-bars-the-prison-doula-project
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/ws-98/Shackled-Births.html
http://www.womenandprison.org/motherhood/view/pregnant_in_prison_and_denied_care/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02shackles.html
http://www.amnestyusa.org/women/womeninprison.html
In jails and prisons for women all over the country, there is always a certain amount of harassment or abuse. One would think that stopped with pregnant women, but in several prisons, the guards and overseers neglect to give pregnant prisoners regular check-ups, any prenatal care, or even a healthy diet. The most some women get is an extra bag of Fritos. Even when it’s time for the birth, women have to beg to be sent to the hospital. In Dubuque County Jail in Iowa, 19-year-old Terra K. had to scream and pound on the door just to ask for a nurse. When no one came, she ended up giving birth alone in her cell. Even when someone finally does pay attention, it may be too late. In general, health care in prisons is not stellar. It’s usually only in emergencies that guards will consider taking a prisoner to the hospital. In the Collier County Jail in Florida, Joan S. was near her due date and leaking amniotic fluid, so she asked for medical attention several times. After two weeks of this, she finally got an ultrasound and was informed that all of the amniotic fluid was gone and her baby’s skull had collapsed. Then she still wasn’t taken to the hospital for some time, which put her at risk for amniotic shock from the dead fetus inside her. Although these stories are extreme, such things happen all the time. Prisons don’t care for pregnant prisoners the way they should.
Aside from the time of incarceration, when it comes to actually having the baby, things don’t get much better. Although most of the time women are taken to a hospital, they are usually shackled during transport and again during labor. The cuffs are around the woman’s ankles severely limit her ability to move around. Generally, doctors tell women to move around during labor because it helps the labor progress and can sometimes ease the pain. The use of restraints causes a lot more pain that also lasts longer, and they are actually unnecessary since there are guards at the hospital while the prisoner is there. According to a New York Times article, Shawanna N. was in labor for 12 hours before she was brought to the hospital and was not given anything but Tylenol all day. According to her lawyer, she was shackled all through labor and only for the birth at the very end was she released. Amnesty USA says, “Shackling during labor may cause complications during delivery such as hemorrhage or decreased fetal heart rate. If a cesarean section is needed, a delay of even 5 minutes may result in permanent brain damage to the baby.” So basically, shackling prisoners during labor is not a good idea. However, the act is common in prisons throughout the country.
In conclusion, while the birthing process for women can be stressful, it’s nothing compared to how incarcerated women are treated. They are neglected and underfed and then shackled during labor. We often debate over whether hospitals or home births are safer, but not many people are aware of what imprisoned women go through during their births.
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2007/08/02/pregnant-behind-bars-the-prison-doula-project
http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/ws-98/Shackled-Births.html
http://www.womenandprison.org/motherhood/view/pregnant_in_prison_and_denied_care/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02shackles.html
http://www.amnestyusa.org/women/womeninprison.html
Friday, April 1, 2011
HW #41: Independent Research
http://www.obgyn.net/women/women.asp?page=/women/articles/obgyn_dah
- It’s hard to become a doctor in general in the beginning. It takes stellar grades while keeping up a social life in order to be able to connect with future patients. On this page, it seems like any tiny mistake is a death sentence. This site seems to exaggerate the cut-throat world of doctors. However, it does identify how much work it takes to become an OB/GYN.
http://www.edudecisions.com/articles/nursing/jobs/obgyn-nurse.php
-This is the job description of an Ob/Gyn and it includes salary, education, and career guide. This site is a more factual site regarding Ob/Gyns. On this particular site, it states that Ob/Gyns aren’t always realted to births. In fact, a lot of them center mainly around the reproductive system of a woman which can include cancers, birth control, and even infertility. They do help women through their pregnancies and births as well, but those aren’t the only things they specialize in.
Minkin, Mary. Evolving Wellness. Intervew by Evita Ochel. 5 Jan 2009. Print. 1 Apr 2011.
-This was an interview with a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University. I found this interview to be really interesting because it really shows that what we’re discussing in class really isn’t so “black and white.” For example, when discussing her top 10 list of ways to stay healthy noted by the interviewer as “holistic and balanced where the body, spirit, and mind are concerned,” Dr. Minkin replied that indeed these were better ways of staying healthy than medicine.
http://education-portal.com/become_an_obgyn.html
-This site lists a step by step way to becoming an Ob/Gyn. It tells you what education to go through, how to pass the MCAT, Med school, residency at a hospital, and finally, getting a licence. I chose this as one of my sites because it supports the first link in saying that it takes a lot of time and effort to become a doctor.
- It’s hard to become a doctor in general in the beginning. It takes stellar grades while keeping up a social life in order to be able to connect with future patients. On this page, it seems like any tiny mistake is a death sentence. This site seems to exaggerate the cut-throat world of doctors. However, it does identify how much work it takes to become an OB/GYN.
http://www.edudecisions.com/articles/nursing/jobs/obgyn-nurse.php
-This is the job description of an Ob/Gyn and it includes salary, education, and career guide. This site is a more factual site regarding Ob/Gyns. On this particular site, it states that Ob/Gyns aren’t always realted to births. In fact, a lot of them center mainly around the reproductive system of a woman which can include cancers, birth control, and even infertility. They do help women through their pregnancies and births as well, but those aren’t the only things they specialize in.
Minkin, Mary. Evolving Wellness. Intervew by Evita Ochel. 5 Jan 2009. Print. 1 Apr 2011.
-This was an interview with a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University. I found this interview to be really interesting because it really shows that what we’re discussing in class really isn’t so “black and white.” For example, when discussing her top 10 list of ways to stay healthy noted by the interviewer as “holistic and balanced where the body, spirit, and mind are concerned,” Dr. Minkin replied that indeed these were better ways of staying healthy than medicine.
http://education-portal.com/become_an_obgyn.html
-This site lists a step by step way to becoming an Ob/Gyn. It tells you what education to go through, how to pass the MCAT, Med school, residency at a hospital, and finally, getting a licence. I chose this as one of my sites because it supports the first link in saying that it takes a lot of time and effort to become a doctor.
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