HW 58 - Prom Interviews

For these interviews I decided to interview 3 people. The first person I decided to interview was a 15 year old girl who is in 10th grade, a younger sister of a friend. I asked her questions such as; when you think about Prom what comes to mind? & What are your thoughts on prom. She stated that when she thinks about prom she thinks about fancy dresses and Limos. This was answer I was planning on receiving. After asking her; What are your thoughts on Prom? She quickly replied how excited she was for it. She already had a potential date even though her Prom was 2 years away. She was already looking at dresses which would be the best for her Prom. She was planning in 2 years advance. 

The second Interview I conducted was one of my male friend who was 19 years old who attended his Prom last year. I asked him questions such as; How was your Prom, & if you could would you change anything about it? He replied that his prom was just “Alright” His Prom did not live up to the hype that he expected. He later answered the following question and stated that he would change most of it. The most interesting answer to me was; “If i had to change anything it would be to not be so excited about Prom”

The final Interview I conducted was with my mother who is 38 years old. I asked her similar questions to the questions I asked in the first two interviews. He main theory about prom was that it was a mandatory event. It was a passage into a adult hood. She also stated that it was something that she would never forget. Her prom was more of the 80’s movie type like “teen wolf” minus the wolf. Her date picked her up from her apartment and had to get approval from father as well as sharing slow dances with her prom.

The great thing about these three interviews were that they were not all the same and everyone actually had different theories and experiences. This helped me come to the conclusion that Prom is not the same for everyone. Also that Prom is a unexpected event. No matter how long and how much you prepare for Prom, prom is something that  will never be predictable.

HW 57 - Initial Thoughts on Prom

  Everyone has a rites of passage and the one for most teenagers is; prom. Sooner then you can believe is the day young teens begin thinking about prom. What is Prom? Prom is a a highly anticipated, formal event were you can be the star for the night and anything is possible. This event sounds great, why wouldn't people be thinking about this event for years and remember for years to come.

Even though prom only takes place for a couple of hours, the preparation for this event takes more then you can imagine. Prom is a day that everyone wants to be a perfecta and a day that no one wants to forget. This is a good reasoning why preparation is so significant. The night includes flashy clothes, flashy cars/limos, tons of pictures. yes prom is a highly prepared event, its a event where unexpected things happen.

Prom night is the night you never want to forget but the truth is there is a percentage  of people who wish they could forget it or even remember it. Prom night consist of after party which more then likely includes alcohol and drugs. It’s as if a celebrity syndrome kicks in, teenagers want to spend an immense amount of money and some of this money is spent on alcohol and drugs. The amount of alcohol and drugs that are consumed are usually more then the customary. No parents, no rules, means no holding back.

Questions:

Where did the idea of prom come from and was this type of success anticipated or came as a surprise?

Will the ritual and idea of Prom ever die down or even be erased?

Why do people prepare for the unexpected? How do you prepare for the unexpected?

How did society manipulate teenagers that Prom night will be magical, similar to what we call a fairytale?

Extra Credit Opportunities - COTD

Visiting the cemetery was something I always dreaded doing. I didn't want to see, nor feel the presence of death. Throughout this unit my mind and thoughts have been altered in a way. At the end of this unit I have gained knowledge which has put my mind at ease about the idea of death. What better way to test this then go visit not one cemetery but two.

The first cemetery I went to visit was St Michael's cemetery which was in Astoria Queens. This cemetery was public but also was a huge cemetery. The mood when i got there was the typical cemetery mood. It was rainy and quiet. While walking around and reading people’s tombstones In a way I felt as if I was being disrespectful. I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of all the people that where buried under my feet and the idea of walking on their graves. Even though i had this idea in the back of my mind I felt that their loved ones buried them here to be remembered. I came to this conclusion because of the messages on their tombstones and the flowers, pictures, and decorations around so many of the tombstones.

The next and final cemetery I decided to visit was in downtown manhattan by Brooklyn bridge; Trinity cemetery. Trinity was more of a small cemetery which didn't have more then 150 people buried compared to the thousands buried at St Michael's. The mood here was nothing like St Michael's. One because it was in the middle of a busy community which was drowned out by noises such as car horns and loud chatter. The factor that stood out the most to me were the mood’s of the other people who were visiting the cemetery. People were more at ease, joking, and even small children running and playing around.

After visiting these two cemeteries  I was able to notice that not every cemetery is alike. Not every cemetery is like the one's you see in movies. Cemeteries don’t have to be a place of mourning and grief but can be a place of happiness, acceptance, and remembrance. 

Extra Credit Opportunities - COTD

Harold and Maude was a movie I thought I would never watch. The movie was placed in the 1970’s with a rural setting. The movie isn’t so appealing at first but after the movie is finished you will have better understanding on how valuable life is. The three main character's in this film are; Harold, His mother, and in my opinion the most significant character Maude.

Throughout the Film Harold is not what you call a typical young man. Harold is more focused on death and planning fake suicide attempts. He seems to be very interested in death but in a way doesn’t take as serious as others do. His mother seems not to care much about his fake suicide attempts but wants him to be social so she decides to set up dates for her child. Not only does she try to set up dates for he child but sends him to psychiatrist to try to help which doesn’t seem like its working. The only person who seems to make a difference is a woman who he meets named Maude.

The two main characters Maude and Harold run across each other at a couple of funerals. The two create a very significant relationship because of the interest they share. The two start off as friends, basically Harold’s only friend. This relationship eventually builds into a loving relationship. Maude seems as if she is the only one who really understands Harold and the only one to really talk some sense into him.

This film is based on and surrounded by the idea of death. Harold seems to be very fascinated with it and Maude seems very knowledgable about it. eventually teaching Harold that death is something you cant avoid and something that happens to everyone. Maude’s personality is what not only caught my attention but also Harold’s. Maude’s relationship with Harold plays a big role on his life. Harold transformed from a antisocial and semi ignorant individual to a knowledgable individual who can accept not only life but also death.

HW 56 - Culminating Project Comments

Matt,
Your elevator speech was one of the view I enjoyed and defiantly lead me to reading your Blog. Throughout this whole Unit the question that was tattooed in my mind was; What is death? I enjoyed reading your post because it lead me to more questions and answered some I already had. The evidence you had was great such as the near death experience the woman experienced. Your post lacked a few things but overall was a great post similar to your elevator speech. Keep up the good work.

http://matthewbisweird.blogspot.com/

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.

http://maxnormalisweird.blogspot.com/

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Max said; 

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.

Mentor said;

Christina/Mentor

Javon I will like to say generally your post was good. There are things you can build on such as elaborating on the question some. What I mean by that is to create more thorough and in depth questions. By doing so you would have gotten more thorough answers. Even though there were things you could enhance I enjoyed reading your post. Your explanations and reasoning in your analytical paragraphs were good overall and gave me a clear understanding of what your ideas were. Good Job.

Protege Said; 

Brandon/protege

Jay I liked the way you talked about the interview with your grandmother and mother. I found it interesting that our grandmother did not have death plans because of her age. I thought it was good that your mother had plans.

HW 55 - Culminating Project - Care of the Dead

Death is a part of life that I believe we all have to understand and accept even though most people aren't able to do so. The idea of death is usually avoided by most people but death itself can’t be avoided by anyone. Due to this fact, death plans are extremely important. For this cumulating project I decided to interview my mother(38 years old) and my Grandmother(64 years old) about their death plans. 

Interview W/ Mother:

When you think about death what comes to mind?

Heart break and the end of life

Have you ever put much thought into death plans & if so what are your death plans?

Yes, everything is set already. I feel like I had to because I am not the healthiest person in the world and you never know when it will be your time. I have to make sure you kids are ok without me. I will to have a funeral but I refuse to be buried, I want to be cremated.

Do you want to be buried or cremated and why?

I want to be cremated because I don't want my children to have to travel to a cemetery, which is such a depressing place. I want to be with my loved ones even when I'm gone.

What are your main reasons for your death plans?

Life can be taken away from you at any moment and when you have a family that depends on you of it becomes even more important.

Are death plans something you try to avoid or something you want plan to take advantage of?

Defiantly take advantage of, the pain and mourning is enough to handle I don't want my family to go through anymore struggle

Do you plan on following the dominant social practices of funerals, wakes, etc.. Or do you have other things planned?

I am going to do everything traditionally besides burial.

Interview W/Grandmother:

When you think about death what comes to mind?

Sadness, When ever I catch my self thinking about it I try not to.

Have you ever put much thought into death plans & if so what are your death plans?

No I haven't really thought about it alot. I don’t want people to show pity, Im going to die and thats it.

What are your main reasons for your death plans?

I don’t really have any plans. I don’t like to think about dying.

Are death plans something you try to avoid or something you want plan to take advantage of?

I have been avoiding it, like I said before I don't like to think about dying, but I think it’s time to start planning.

Do you plan on following the dominant social practices of funerals, wakes, etc.. Or do you have other things planned?

Funerals, burials, and wakes are the only way’s to do it. I think every other way is wrong, this is the way we have been doing this for hundreds of years, why change now?

After conducting the these two interviews I was able to come along more questions and ideas about the care of the dead as well as death itself. The first interview that included my 38 year mother did not come to a surprise to me. It did not because of the fact that she has been open about her death plans and her thoughts about death. Due to this I feel like I am more at ease with the idea of death even though I believe there is a big time gap between now and the death of my mother. Even though this interview didn't come as a surprise that does not mean it wasn't interesting and insightful. Through this interview I was able to notice something that I have been looking past this whole time. Even when it comes to the death of my mother, the main and first priority is her family. She stated that she didn't want her “family to struggle”. Death plans are not only significant to the person that is dying but equally important to the people who are affected by this death.

When it comes to my Grandmother, death is something I believe is going to come long sooner then we know it. After this interview I was in a way confused but also shocked. My 64 year old grandmother who isn't the one of the healthiest 64 year old woman in the world is hardly thinking about death. The one who is closest to her expiration date is the one who is not planning and the one who pushes the idea away.  The most interesting statement from this interview had to be ; “I don’t want people to show pity, Im going to die and thats it.” This stood out to me because this was an idea that I found very interesting. Most people feel inclined to show pity and feel sorry for someone who is dead even if they have no relation with the person. I believe this is one of the dominant social practices we have today. These interviews were a great help to my understanding of death itself and the care of the dead. I came to the conclusion that; even though some people do accept and have an understanding of death, when it comes to the majority no matter how clear the idea of death is people tend to still avoid and shun it.

HW 53 - Independent Research A

        For my independent research I decided to interview a gravedigger that I met while visiting a cemetery. The interview was short and brief but was able to broaden my ideas and give me a better understanding of the care of the dead.

During this interview I was able to incorporate about six different questions. Even though I asked these many questions, two questions and answers stood out to me. The first question and answer was ; How do you feel knowing you are surrounded my dead people? He responded “I was shakey about it at first but everyone dies one day, so whats the problem with being surrounded by dead people? This response stuck out to me because doesn't follow the dominant social practices. Most people try to reject and deny the fact that everyone dies at one point. This Interview helped me see that not all people try to reject death and think its a horrible thing.

The other question and answer that stuck out to me was; How would you feel about digging a grave for a loved one, such as your parents? He quickly responded “It would be terrible and I don't think I would be able to do it, who wants to bury their parents?” This answer was very interesting because of it’s connection with the first question and answer. It was strange to hear him say he wont be able to do it after he just said “ Everyone dies one day” This statement made me believe he could accept death, but obviously he cant. because of his reaction to the death of his parents. This lead me to the conclusion that death is never as significant as it would be if it was one of your loved ones that died. Accepting and understanding death is more difficult then anyone would believe.

HW 52 - Third Third of the COTD Book

  The life of funeral company employe is more complicated then the normal eye can see. Funeral companies main goal is to gain revenue, to do so they do whatever to please their customers. Afterlife is a significant component of the funeral business because of the fact that most customers believe that there is more to death then someone rotting in the ground. The customers beliefs are not always the same and are not always what we feel are correct but we do what makes them happy and helps our business prosper.

“but the truth is, the non-Jews are more fascinated by this tan the jews. Maybe people are searching for something.”(181)

“This isn't my life.For me its a project.I can walk away.Not so for the families who are stuck with their grief, or even the family undertakers who are stuck with one another.”(205)

“I talked to people who jump walls just so they can see their family”(243)

Curtains by Tom Jokinen was a great read and I wouldn’t mind reading another book written by him. Throughout the book he explained the life of someone who was involved in the funeral business. It was interesting to read about all the different stories he had and it helped me understand “death” more. Afterlife is big part of “death” because of the fact that our society looks to the afterlife for comfort. We believe that there is a better place afterlife. Curtains was similar to one of the books I read in the sick and illness unit; My brother by Jamaica Kincaid, I enjoyed reading both of these books because it was more of a personal experience then facts and important history statistics which made the book a interesting read. After reading this book It helped me understand that as long as people continue to die, the funeral business will continue living on. 

HW 51 - Second Third of COTD Book

               Second part of the book; Curtains even more interesting then the first section of the book. Throughout this 2/3 of Tom Jokinen gives us insights on the life of a person in the funeral industry. Jokinen rigorously describes situations he encountered during different funeral processes. He touched on burial as well as cremation but more thorough about the cremation process. Tom’s experiences were helpful enough to give us insight on how the funeral business functioned. Jokinen helped readers realize, Funeral homes aren’t all the same but one thing they all have income is; revenue is the main goal.

“Since I thought I would have to pick the woman up by her ankles and shake her upside down until the nickels fell out of her tracksuit pockets and her dentures skittered across the floor.” (105)

“But it seemed to me he was doing what the script told him to do; put people at ease by lightening the mood. That was his role. (119)

“I think i would like to be cremated and scattered somewhere nice.” (163)

       I sincerely enjoyed reading this section of the book. I did because of the way the stories were told. I felt like he was being completely honest about every situation. It was interesting that he decided to use humor, I feel he did this to take away from the fact that he has to deal with death and grief on a daily basis. I believe that I would handle these situations the same way because death and grief are things that are almost impossible to ignore. If Jokinen continues to write this way he will continue to draw readers in and keep readers focused and interested in a very controversial topic.

HW 49 - Comments on Best of Your Break HW

Comments on Jasper’s Post:

Jasper I enjoyed reading your post because the questions you decided to ask where questions I was curious about. The different interviews were significant to the post because you were able to get more then one opinion and point of view. The thing that stood out the most to me was how you compared your personal beliefs to the people being interviewed beliefs. Keep up the good work.

Comments on Amanda’s post

Great blogpost Amanda, thanks for making the text bold, defiantly made the post stand out. I enjoyed reading your blogpost. I liked the way you talked about a personal experience with death even though it was a gold fish. This helped show that even something as small as a goldfish can be a big deal when it comes to death. Keep up the good work.

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 Amanda said; Hey Javon,

Firstly I thought it was wise to interview someone from another religious background that way you can obtain an an alternative understanding (based on religion) of the care of the dead. Your second interviewee expressed a more positive side to death in my opinion; i thought he was saying you wont have control when your dead. make sure you take care of your business around your death while your alive so it can easily benefit those around you after your gone. I enjoyed how you threaded your responses to the answers throughout your post.

Jasper said; 

I liked your post because it brought up a lot of aspects about death that I haven't even thought about since starting the unit. Such as the part where you say that people get more respect and “a lot of people who act like they care”.. This made me think about why does death change how everyone thinks about you? I also never thought: is the care of the dead even significant? Does it even matter what you do with the person once they're dead? It made me think a lot.. Good post.

HW 50 - First Third of Care-of-the-Dead Book Post

Tom Jokinen author of Curtains is taking on the life an undertaker after living a typical American life. This life was strange and mind blowing but eventually he knew he had to get use to it just like everyone else. He explores the way’s of funerals as well as cremation. There is more to the inside life of an undertaker then one believes there is. Jokinen explains that death and care of dead has become more of an business then anything else.

“We in the funeral service cover the gap. People pay us to keep to ourselves what goes on in there.”(5)

“Fine, I say. But your still putting the body, the emblamed body, into a steel casket, with a rubber gasket in a cathodic bar to keep away rust, and then the works go into a vault. hat are we exatly protecting.”(40)

“I look into the open grave, at the dirt on the lid and the sheaf and dried weat, and I think of what Neil said; The funeral home work very much like the family farm”(73)

When first reading the book; Curtains I was interested in what the life an undertaker would be like and was surprised to hear the real life an undertaker. I was able to visualize the shocking life an undertaker. I enjoyed reading the first section of the book because of the way it was written. It was advantage that the book was written in a way were i felt like I was being told a personal story not just a bunch of facts and historical dates were thrown at me. Even though it was only the first section of the book some of my questions on the care of dead have already been answered, such as; How are bodies treated before we get to see them laying in a casket before a funeral? I am anxious to read the next two sections of the book to further my understanding on the care of the dead.

HW 48 - Family Perspectives on the Care of the Dead

Death is something I am still very confused and curious about, due to this I decided to interview two older members of my family. During both interviews I asked questions such as; Do you have plans for when you die?, How do you feel about death?, etc... The lost of the person who is being interviewed grandmother had a big impact on her. She felt as if it was not her time to go, because of this she was sad but ultimately frustrated and upset. The dominant social practices for the care of the dead are usually funerals and burials. During my first Interview I found it interesting that that the person I decided to interview said; “funerals are overrated and people shouldn’t mourn as much as they do” She agreed that there should be funerals but they should not be take up so much of the mourning process. This lead me to another interesting question; Why do most people tend to mourn for a large period of time if majority of those people try there hardest to not think about death as well as avoid it? 

The second interview included my Father and I who is 38 years old. I asked him similar questions to the questions that were included in the first interview. In this interview my father believed that funerals were very significant because mourning is a huge part of the care of the dead. Mourning is significant because mourning helps one get passed the pain that the experienced because of the death. The most fascinating part of this interview was when i asked him; Do you have plans for when you die? He answered; “everything is already planned” this was very interesting to me because at an early age such as 38 years old someone can already have plans on dying. This lead me to the conclusion that people avoid and prolong death as much as they can but everyone knows their expiration date will come sooner then they know it.

HW 47 - Peer Perspectives on the Care of the Dead

Death has always been something I’ve been curious but also confused about. To get a better understanding of death and how society views it I choose to interview a few of my peers. The first person I decided to interview was a close friend who is also 17 but has a completely different religious background. One of the questions I decided to ask him was; “What are your first thoughts when hear the word; death?” He responded; “Funerals and a lot of people who act like they care” I asked him can he elaborate on “a lot of people who act like they care” He said ; “People cry and whine about the death of someone who they hardly or didn't show any affection or love to them when they were alive.” This was very interesting to me because it connects to one of the questions i posted in homework #46; Why do people get more respect and recognition when they are dead? This was also interesting to me because from personal experience, I have witnessed the same thing. Due to his response to my question I will defiantly want to do more research on why people get more respect and recognition when they are dead. I also asked him; “How significant is the care of the body after life?” Due to his beliefs he answered “I don't think it is as important as people think it is because no one will ever know what “the afterlife” is so why put so much effort into burials and funerals.”

The next person I decided to interview was an individual at my internship. He was only a few years older then me but had similar beliefs. I asked him; Which method would you prefer for your body when you pass away? He stated that; “I will like to be cremated because I want to always be with my loved ones I don’t want them going out there way to the cemetery to go talk to a tombstone.” This was fascinating to me because most people want to be buried but he was so confident about what he wanted to do. This lead me to the question; “How significant do you think a “will” is?” He told me; It is extremely important because you no longer have control when you are dead. I am not only living for my self but for my potential family.” He is referring to the his girlfriend and the baby he is about to have with her in a couple of months. I found this response very interesting because it shows how important one person is to other people’s lives. 

My final interview included another friend of mine who also had similar beliefs on the care of the dead. I asked her; “How do you feel about death and how do you feel about the way people are treated after they die” She answered; “ I don't want to die, who does? When it’s my time to go its my time to go.” This was an answer I was planning on getting from someone who also follows the same religion. Throughout my years I’ve noticed that most Catholic and Christian people put there lives in the hands of God and feel that God has a plan for everyone. The following question I asked her was; “How do you feel and act at funerals” She quickly responded; I hate them because I always cry even if I don't know the person well.” I was confused about the last part of her answer so I asked her; why do you always cry? I got a very interesting response; It feels like the right thing to do, everyone is suppose to be sad and mourning.” This was extremely interesting to me because it shows the standards society sets on the care of people after they die. 

After I ended the interview I could not stop thinking about the answer she gave me. I was confused about how people fake their feelings just because they feel “it’s the right thing to do” I found it very interesting that the first person I interviewed didn’t care much about funerals and after life because those are aspects majority of our society feel’s is very significant. From all three of these interviews I learned about how important people’s lives are to others and they also helped me gather and create new critical questions for the unit.

Hw#46: Care of the dead

Death is one thing that majority of us try to avoid but death is one of the few things that is promised. We all try to define and give our opinions on what death is but the true is no one will ever be able to clearly and accurately define the process. This is why I find death so fascinating. There is a substantial amount of questions about death but majority of those questions people can’t answer accurately.

Society teaches people to honor and acknowledge people more when they are dead. I was taught to never talk bad about a dead person and show respect for the dead. The passing of my great-grandmother was like someone sticking a dagger through my family’s heart. The matriarch of our family is now gone, what were we going to do without her? The day of her funeral there were such a massive amount of people there I was overwhelmed. This lead me to the question; why is it that people are respected and acknowledged more when they are dead?

After life is a significant part of our culture and is a significant part of every religion. Different religions have different ways of honoring someone after they are no longer alive. Some ways to honor or show respect to the dead are to have funerals and bury the dead body. Even though religions might have different views of what they should do with the body after the person is dead each religion believes that this body is sacred and holy. Why do people believe that the afterlife is extremely sacred if no one can clearly explain or express what the afterlife really is since they personally didn’t experience it nor know anyone who experienced it?

Hw# 44: Comments

Chris: I enjoyed reading your post. The main point of your post was the difference between home births and hospital births. I valued the part of your post when you asked the question; How was it when you had hospital birth? I valued this because the clear and the amount of depth that was used to answer it. This gave a clear understanding on why woman choose home births. This project matters to me because both hospital births and home births are important to the baby’s health. Which choice is actually the best choice?

I overall thought your post was good but there is a way you might be able to make it better. If you get different point of views besides one point of view you and your readers would have more evidence behind your theory.

Luz: The main point of your post was that baby’s are more significant to our lives then we think they are. They help people understand that the important thing in life is not be selfish and babies help show us that. I valued the pictures you posted, I did because it helped readers get a better understand of what you were talking about. They did because it would help the readers get a personal connection to the post. This project matters to me because people fail to see how important babies are. This post would help remind people why they are extremely significant.

Your post was good but I believe it could have been even better. To make it better would maybe to get other people’s point of view about your topic. By doing this readers get better understand your topic.

Rigel: Rigel your post was great and I enjoyed reading it. It was unique that you talked about the effects of single woman who have to raise their children alone. I thought the section you stated that men lack responsibility today. This is a topic I think you should touch up on in the future. This project is extremely important to me. It is because single mothers do not get as much recognition as they deserve. The baby process with two loving parents is hard enough, I could only imagine the amount of work single mother’s have.

Once again, Rigel I enjoyed reading your post but i think you can touch up on some things. Maybe in the future you would like to have more point of views from single mothers. By doing this people would see why single mothers are not recognized as much as they should be.

Hw# 42 Pregnancy Project

Abortions have been more then usual in our country for 30+ years now due to the Roe Vs Wade case in 1973. According to abortionno.org; 52% of woman obtaining abortion in the U.S are under 25. This statistics influenced me to Interview a Woman who acquired an abortion, specifically a woman who is 25 or younger. The Female being interviewed requested to remain anonymous but she didn't mind me posting the questions and answers from the interview. Here they are;

Question #1:

How old where you when you acquired an abortion?

Answer: 17 years old

Question #2: What was your first reaction and first feelings when you first found out you were pregnant? 

Answer: I was afraid & nervous but also happy. I wanted to keep the baby but that did not last long. I could picture my father’s face and from there on i was upset because the only possiblity was to have an abortion.

Question 3: Did you have support from others or did you decide to take this situation on alone, if so, why?

Answer: My sister & the father of the baby were supportive but my parents did not know. The father wanted me to keep the baby but i had to make the mature and best decision.

Question 4: Was abortion the first alternative and/or the only alternative you thought about?

Answer: I thought about having it at first but that quickly turned into me getting an abortion. I couldn't imagine going through the pregnancy process then having to give my baby up for adoption. Also I was to young and immature to keep it.

Question #5: What was your opinion on abortion before you acquired one?

Answer: I was never against abortion, I feel that every woman should have a choice. This was weird because it goes against my religion of being Catholic.

Question #6: Why did you choose to get an abortion?

Answer: It was going to affect not only my life but the people around me, also the child. It would have been a disgrace if I had a child at 17.

Question #7 What were the after affects of the abortion, physically and emotionally?

Answer: The abortion was very painful, I felt like I had heavy cramps for a couple of days. I felt an emptiness because I felt a disconnect from my self. I began to question my self & I never forgave my self. I will never have another abortion again.

This interview went similar to how I predicted it was going to go. The female being interviewed followed the social norms that it was disgraceful to have a child at such a young age. Also that she had the abortion because she felt immature and unprepared to have a child. It was interesting to hear that she “never forgave herself”. It made me come to the conclusion that people believe they are doing the right thing until after that “thing” is done and nothing can be changed. She felt that she made a mistake and learned from the experience. Before this interview I believed that mother’s usually only worry about what was best for them. Such as the things this statistic shows;  “Thirty-eight percent indicated that having a baby

would interfere with their education, and the same proportion

said it would interfere with their employment. In

a related vein, 34% said they could not afford a child because

they were students or were planning to study” ( guttmacher.org ) After this interview I discovered something I did not think much about before. Becoming a mother means they wont be able to live their lives putting themselves before everyone, now there was a smaller individual who was number one in their life. Being that this was the case; what ever was going to affect the mother/woman was also going to have a significant impact on the child. The females are looking out for their best interest but as a mother they are also looking out for their baby’s interest. The baby is completely dependent on the mother so what ever affects her also effects the child. It can affect the environment the child is raised in, the education the child receives, finical problems the child will have, etc.. The next time someone thinks about abortion just keep in mind that the woman isn't being selfish. The woman is being mature enough to understand that if she has this child every issue she has will therefore by her child's issue as well.

"Abortion Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help." Pregnant Teen Help - Teen Pregnancy Statistics, Prevention, and Facts. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/options/abortion-statistics/>.

"Guttmacher Institute: Publications." Guttmacher Institute: Journals 3711005. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/>.

HW# 41: Research(NYC Abortion)

Statistical evidence of the amount of woman who have abortions in NYC categorized but age: http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vital_statistics/2008/table22.htm

Private and safe abortion clinic:  http://www.NYAbortion.com/home/index.shtml

Parental involvement teenage abortions: http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_PIMA.pdf

State facts(NY) of abortion and how the people have been affected by abortion: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sfaa/new_york.html

Non surgical abortion(Pill): http://www.abortion-nyc.com/abortionclinic/nonsurgicalabortion.htm

Prices and how to get “abortion pill” in NYC: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp

Most woman see pregnancy as a happy and a life changing experience but there are some woman who see pregnancy as a burden. For the woman who see pregnancy as a burden usually turn to the option of abortion. Abortion is an alternative to having a baby. Some people see abortion as murder because you are killing a child even though it has never witnessed the world, this is why abortion is very significant in our society.

The information I researched could be huge help to a project pertaining to the birth unit we are in. I am personally against abortions in most cases. Since I am, the research about the statistics of woman who get abortion and why they do can help me better understand why abortions are so ordinary. Also how other people feel about abortions, especially teenage parents who usually have a substantial say in their child's pregnancy. Learning about the pros and cons of abortions and the different ways to have abortions. Ultimately by doing this research I can be more knowledgeable then the average person when it comes to abortion.

Hw# 40 Part 3

You find yourself at a cocktail party with the author of the book you just finished reading. I quickly approached Tina Cassidy and asked for her autograph. To demonstrate that I really read it, I said, "Hey - thanks for writing Birth. Your main idea that throughout history the birthing process has been changed and transformed and how different aspects affect the birthing process was very helpful. I learned that hospital births are not always the most affective birth choice. Also the different individuals who had a significant part in the history of birth. This made me rethink the birthing process and made me feel that“change isn't always better” I feel strongly about this because of the affects on mothers from the transformation of midwives to doctors.

The author was surprised to be having a conversation with a seventeen year old without a child and who rephrased the main idea. She thought hardly anyone read the book. Cassidy said, "Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?" I smoothly answered, "Well, in the last third of the book you focused on the father’s duty in the birth process and the affect on the mother after she was able to give birth which further developed my knowledge on birth.  But let me be specify. I’ll show you why with these 2 pieces of evidence. Just to show you how much I enjoyed the book i’ll throw in the page numbers." And then you listed the top 3 ideas/pieces of evidence/insights/questions from that final third of the book.

1.Father’s role on pregnancy was significant but they also did not feel as much of a bond that the mother experienced through the birthing process. (209#)

2. Significance of afterbirth, specifically the placenta (#218)

3. How the mother is personally affected after birth, distinctly the bonding process.(#232)

Tina wasn’t to sure and confident about her book. She’s been wondering what she could have done to make it better since they day she published it. She ask’d me; "But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?" The best advice i could give you is to defiantly include, “a more passionate and emotionally vibe to the book. By doing this more people can have a bond with the text, especially woman who have experienced what you are trying to express.But I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about advantages of midwives and home births & how the mother and family is affected during and after birthing process. In fact, I'm likely to have a different input on hospital births after as a result of your book differently as a result of your book." The author replies, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"

Hw #39: Insights from book Part 2

Birth by Tina Cassidy is able to touch up upon the affects of a cesarean section. Cassidy is able to provide us with history of the surgical procedure. “The business of being born” does not display much about the affects and history of this frequent procedure.

Throughout the second 100 pages of the book “Birth” by Tina Cassidy she is able to describe the surgical method of a C- Section and the tools obstetrician and doctors use to perform the surgery of giving birth. Cassidy also explains the different ways females give birth and how the process has been altered over time. Cassidy is able to give statistics, history, and cesarean section stories to further explain this process. I believe that by further explaining this process the reader is able to notice the transformation of the operation throughout history. This information is very significant to our society because we will have the knowledge of the pro’s and con’s but most importantly the risk’s of a cesarean section.

5 interesting aspects:

1) Poor countries still use symphyseotomy today where more then a third of mothers and half of the amount of infants who are involved die.(106)

-“Birth rates in developed countries began to drop because of religious beliefs.”(119)

-C sections are more common for wealthy women because they want to keep figure but more frequently because they want to “plan” there birth date.(127)

-Instead of woman giving birth naturally, throughout history there have been more forceps used to deliver these babies.(168)

-All through history woman constantly would give birth in water and these births happened to be one of the safer ways to perform a pregnancy.(183)

Tina Casdiy’s claim was that C-sections happen to be more of a risk then vaginal birth. C-sections were now becoming more common not because woman had medical conditions but because woman wanted to plan their birth dates and skip the “hard work”. According to Wendy leonard; author of “C sections more common, less healthy for babies” Cassidy’s argument was valid and defensible. “While cesarean sections may be more convenient, as far as scheduling the birth of a baby and avoiding the last few uncomfortable weeks of a pregnancy, Branch said babies delivered before 39 weeks — the ideal gestational period — are also "more likely to have medical complications."(http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705364691/C-sections-more-common-less-healthy-for-baby.html)

This helps show that woman are taking away the natural process of their pregnancy. They are doing it for reason such as “convenience” for them but what can lie ahead of them could be an unhealthy baby.

#38 Insights

How the book is organized: 

“Birth” by Tina Cassidy is organized through small chapters. These chapters contain historical evidence and stories that significantly connect to the chapter’s main idea.

The major question the book is trying to answer is; Why are midwives neglected from the modern birthing process while the doctors are praised, even though midwives are statistically safer?

I believe that society see’s pregnancy as an illness and doctors are the only people who can cure this “illness”. Midwives were more popular in the 1800s and society feels they have to evolve from this process.

Interesting aspects

1)Midwives are more experienced then obstetrician

2)More mother’s die from obstetrician then midwives

3)At first woman felt they where “Guinea pigs” when obstetrician delivered babies

4)Hospitals and obstetrician don’t give much freedom to the mother’s of the babies they deliver compared to midwives

5)Home births were the most sufficient births 

Throughout the first 100 pages of the book Cassidy uses statistics and historical events to support her claims. This supporting evidence is truly beneficial because it gives one insight on the history of the topic. It explains the pro’s and con’s on the ideas and gives one enough intuition to understand her theories. The highest quality part of the statistical and historical events is that she plants them in stories. By planting them in stories it makes the book interesting and pleasure to read.

HW #37 Comments

Comments I made: 

Jasper: I believe you did a good job with this post for multiple reasons. The most significant reason why you did a good job with this post is because of your explanations of how people take on the process of pregnancy. You explained how your mother did things such as "read books" and "changed her diet". In the future to make your post stronger you should figure out other people's perspectives of birth. Not only figure out how the mother was affected by the birth but how the people around her (family, friends) where effected by the situation.

Amanda: The best part about your post was the three different outlooks you had examined on birth. It was also good how you the you made the people being interviewed elaborate on their answers; giving insight to their ideas. The most significant part of your post in my opinion was ; ""Its important to be prepared, to an extent but it is more important to trust the process [of giving birth], because its natural." This connects to the dominate cultures view on birth. This quote help shows that most people believe having children is what we are all suppose to do and is a standard majority of people follow.

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Comments I received:

Jasper: I thought this was really good I like how you listed out the key ideas in each interview and then went deeper into them after. My favorite part was: "In this interview the mother was concerned about the father's point of view about the pregnancy. I will like to do further research on how significant the mother believes the father's opinion is on the pregnancy. Also how important the father believes his opinion is on the pregnancy." This was interesting to me because it made me think about how both the mother and the fathers opinions on the pregnancy are important. The mother could want to keep the baby and the father doesn't want to (vise versa) but how will it affect the child and how will they feel about it? So it is interesting to think about who's decision is more important.

Christina/Mentor: Mentor/Mother: I enjoyed reading your post about the birth stories you collected, they were very interesting and also seemed very genuine. The most significant part of your post was in interview 3. Your awareness of the mother's concern for the father's outlook on pregnancy is very important. The Father's point of view is vital not only to the pregnancy but most importantly to the child.

Brandon/Protege: Cousin: I think the best part of your work was the question you asked at the end. I think it is because i find it interesting also how disease effects birth. Next time to make it better you maybe can ask more than one question since there were three different interviews.