Précis:
The total funeral cost for Jenny Jennings was $12, 376. This included the price of the casket, coffin, coffin protector or “the vault”, preacher service, preservation service or embalming, an hearse, entertainment in the form of musicians, and some minor costs such as the dress the girl in the casket would wear. Funeral directors do not tell their customer that embalming is not mandated by law, it is just an extra practice that just increases the cost of the funeral. Embalming requires a lot of expensive chemicals that are always bought in excess and the surplus is discarded into the sewers. The chemicals are highly toxic and they litter the sewers and make them an even more dangerous place than it already is. Burials that follow this routine cost an average of $10,000 and it is the most popular method of taking care of the dead in the United States. The next most popular technique is cremation. When a body is cremated, it is exposed to very high temperatures and is reduced to grain sized particles which are referred to as ashes. An average cost of a cremation is $1,800 and even lower if you decide to use a basic casket instead of a fancy one. Also, there are fewer pollutants released into the environment when one is cremated in a cardboard casket instead of a steel one.
Quotes:
- “Like most of his clients, the Johnsons don’t think to question Fielding's request to embalm, even though the GPL states that embalming isn’t required by law.” (Harris, 8)
- “What’s best really depends on personal preference and how one feels about the value of protecting a loved one, Fielding offers. ‘I’ll leave you now and let you peruse as much as you like. If you have any questions I’ll be just outside the door.’” (Harris, 13)
- “For almost a hundred years Americans have been handing their dead over to the care of an industry that has turned the funeral into a too standard, expensive, resource-intensive, and, to many families, sterile act.” (Harris, 47)
Analysis:
Before reading the book, I read the Preface so I would be more prepared for what I would find in the book. I was shocked to see how many different methods and techniques there were when it comes to taking care of the dead. After reading the first three chapters, it became clear to me what this course is about. Andy, you’re showing us silly extravagant methods that Americans practice on a daily basis and telling us why it is that we are completely blind to the other alternative methods, which are arguably better, are out there. Even though you say that you want us to chose for ourselves which method is better, I think more than 90% of the students would just follow what is said in the book; a greener funeral. I am not saying that this is bad; I am definitely among the 90% of those students. It is just finny to see how easily our opinions can change even though the dominant discourse in the United States is still the more expensive and industrial way of doing things. I like how in Grave Matters, Mark Harris lays out the facts in a logical format. He starts the book by talking about the most extravagant and non-eco friendly method and moves on to a method that is a bit more green than the previous. I look forward to reading about more eco-friendly and more economic methods of taking care of the dead because the prices are only like to increase because more and more people will try to be greener and greener is usually more expensive.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
HW 48 - Family Perspectives on the Care of the Dead
As I wrote on my initial thoughts post, death is a topic that is almost never discussed in my family, only when someone that we knew died or if someone famous had passed away. And whenever the topic of death was brought up, it was only talked about for an insignificant amount of time so needless to say, when I sat down to interview my mother, it was a bit awkward. My uncle, my second interviewee, however, has always been an open person with everything so his interview was drastically better than my mom’s interview. The good thing about choosing my mom and my uncle in particular for this interview was that my mom is a highly religious person while my uncle is an atheist so I got to hear from people of two different perspectives. Another reason why I my choice of interviewees was outstanding was because they both have the same cultural background but one, my uncle, was more influenced by American culture than the other.
I started my interview by asking both my mom and uncle the same question I asked my peers, “What are your initial thoughts on death?” My mom‘s answer was just what I had expected it to be; “It is just another stage in life. Our souls are just visiting this world, and we all must depart one day. What we do here however, is a test. And all that will happen to us after death, will be just the results of our test.” When asked what methods of taking care of the dead she is aware of, she answered with the cremation and burials. Everyone in my family, so far, has been buried since that is the common practice of Muslim people. I avoided asking her questions about funerals she had attended because I knew that the last one she attended was my grandmother’s or my mom’s mom. And I was pretty sure I knew how she felt during that funeral so I didn’t bother asking about it. When asked: “What should be done with the dead bodies when there’s a massive death toll?” She answered in a surprising way, “People should look at resolving the crisis instead of looking at moral beliefs and religious beliefs. If you do not have time or the man-power to figure out what everyone that died believed in, you don’t have to do it. Mass burials or even mass cremations should be executed.”
My uncles interview was a little weird because like I said before, we don’t talk about death as a dinner topic hence it gets a tad uncomfortable whenever it is brought up because it brings back sad memories. I only asked him two questions, the first one was: “What are your thoughts on dying and taking care of the dead?” and he gave me a 5 minute long speech. When I heard what he thought about death, I was literally astonished and a little hurt. He said that he did not believe in the whole grieving process and that he never has or never will shed a tear for a loved one. He doesn’t believe in saying goodbye because he just looks at the person’s death as something that’s just another part of life. His outlook on life has always been to live to the fullest and he has the same approach for death. He was recollecting his last experience with the death and that was of his colleague and friend. She had an untimely death by a car accident and my uncle did not attend the funeral. My uncle was one of his friend’s closest friends and him and the rest of the deceased’s closest friends all gathered up and went to the park and had a picnic because that is what their friend loved to do. My uncle said that if his friend had known that they were all sitting around her casket or urn wearing black and just being all sad, the friend would have been extremely upset and disappointed at them all. The friend had always influenced my uncle’s decisions and she continued to do it even in death. He says he would like to be remembered the same way he chose to remember his friend. My uncle’s favorite pass-time was to play Call of Duty with some friends and he told me that when he dies, I better not be sitting at a funeral crying, that I should be at home celebrating his life by playing Call of Duty. The second question was what would you like to be done to your remains and he answered with a completely straight and non quavering voice that he would like his body to be buried because he is a strong believer in the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.
There were many similarities and differences in my mom’s interview and my uncle’s interview. They both want to be buried but for different reasons and they both think that death is just another stage of life so we should stop fearing it. When people say I do not fear death, I am always a bit skeptical. Most common persons in the United States would when asked whether they feared death, they would just say; “no because it is just another part of life”. I think the people who say that are not afraid of death, they think that death is just another stage of life so we should stop fearing it. When people say I do not fear death, I am always a bit skeptical. Most common persons in the United States would when asked whether they feared death, they would just say; “no because it is just another part of life”. I think the people who say that are not afraid of death itself but just nonchalant about the idea of it. If someone truly thought about permanently ceasing to exist, then they would be pretty scared unless they believed in the afterlife then they should be scared because of all their wrong deeds in this tempting world.
My mom’s thoughts were the same as almost every religious person that is both Christian and/or Muslim in the United States. (The two religions really aren’t that different, if only they would just settle down and discuss, the world would be a much better place…) Although I liked her subjective thought on being afraid of death, I thought that was quite interesting since what I remember from Islam class in Syria, we are to fear death because after death, we will be punished for our sins and every man or woman alive has sinned. My uncle’s answers caught me off guard, I expected him to say things like that he would like to be cremated and have his friends around him when he died and to have his remains in a place where his friends and family would be able to visit them which I believe is the dominant social practice in the United States.
I started my interview by asking both my mom and uncle the same question I asked my peers, “What are your initial thoughts on death?” My mom‘s answer was just what I had expected it to be; “It is just another stage in life. Our souls are just visiting this world, and we all must depart one day. What we do here however, is a test. And all that will happen to us after death, will be just the results of our test.” When asked what methods of taking care of the dead she is aware of, she answered with the cremation and burials. Everyone in my family, so far, has been buried since that is the common practice of Muslim people. I avoided asking her questions about funerals she had attended because I knew that the last one she attended was my grandmother’s or my mom’s mom. And I was pretty sure I knew how she felt during that funeral so I didn’t bother asking about it. When asked: “What should be done with the dead bodies when there’s a massive death toll?” She answered in a surprising way, “People should look at resolving the crisis instead of looking at moral beliefs and religious beliefs. If you do not have time or the man-power to figure out what everyone that died believed in, you don’t have to do it. Mass burials or even mass cremations should be executed.”
My uncles interview was a little weird because like I said before, we don’t talk about death as a dinner topic hence it gets a tad uncomfortable whenever it is brought up because it brings back sad memories. I only asked him two questions, the first one was: “What are your thoughts on dying and taking care of the dead?” and he gave me a 5 minute long speech. When I heard what he thought about death, I was literally astonished and a little hurt. He said that he did not believe in the whole grieving process and that he never has or never will shed a tear for a loved one. He doesn’t believe in saying goodbye because he just looks at the person’s death as something that’s just another part of life. His outlook on life has always been to live to the fullest and he has the same approach for death. He was recollecting his last experience with the death and that was of his colleague and friend. She had an untimely death by a car accident and my uncle did not attend the funeral. My uncle was one of his friend’s closest friends and him and the rest of the deceased’s closest friends all gathered up and went to the park and had a picnic because that is what their friend loved to do. My uncle said that if his friend had known that they were all sitting around her casket or urn wearing black and just being all sad, the friend would have been extremely upset and disappointed at them all. The friend had always influenced my uncle’s decisions and she continued to do it even in death. He says he would like to be remembered the same way he chose to remember his friend. My uncle’s favorite pass-time was to play Call of Duty with some friends and he told me that when he dies, I better not be sitting at a funeral crying, that I should be at home celebrating his life by playing Call of Duty. The second question was what would you like to be done to your remains and he answered with a completely straight and non quavering voice that he would like his body to be buried because he is a strong believer in the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.
There were many similarities and differences in my mom’s interview and my uncle’s interview. They both want to be buried but for different reasons and they both think that death is just another stage of life so we should stop fearing it. When people say I do not fear death, I am always a bit skeptical. Most common persons in the United States would when asked whether they feared death, they would just say; “no because it is just another part of life”. I think the people who say that are not afraid of death, they think that death is just another stage of life so we should stop fearing it. When people say I do not fear death, I am always a bit skeptical. Most common persons in the United States would when asked whether they feared death, they would just say; “no because it is just another part of life”. I think the people who say that are not afraid of death itself but just nonchalant about the idea of it. If someone truly thought about permanently ceasing to exist, then they would be pretty scared unless they believed in the afterlife then they should be scared because of all their wrong deeds in this tempting world.
My mom’s thoughts were the same as almost every religious person that is both Christian and/or Muslim in the United States. (The two religions really aren’t that different, if only they would just settle down and discuss, the world would be a much better place…) Although I liked her subjective thought on being afraid of death, I thought that was quite interesting since what I remember from Islam class in Syria, we are to fear death because after death, we will be punished for our sins and every man or woman alive has sinned. My uncle’s answers caught me off guard, I expected him to say things like that he would like to be cremated and have his friends around him when he died and to have his remains in a place where his friends and family would be able to visit them which I believe is the dominant social practice in the United States.
Friday, April 22, 2011
HW 47 - Peer Perspectives on the Care of the Dead
Interviews
Henry Guss' Interview:
Davendra Bhagwandin's Interview:
Michael Perez's Interview:
Henry Guss' Interview:
Davendra Bhagwandin's Interview:
Michael Perez's Interview:
It was not surprising to see that my peers had similar thoughts to each other when asked about death and taking care of the dead. They all said it was a gloomy affair that not only affected the deceased’s family but almost everyone around them. Michael mentioned that death is a strange thing because it is a very depressing situation but it can unite people in ways most happy situations cannot. Michael and Henry were against the practice of an open casket because seeing a dead body is enough to scar you for life and seeing the dead body of a loved one would be even more traumatizing. In one of the funerals Davendra attended, he got to touch the body of his deceased relative and he recalled that experience as eerie because of the body’s cool temperature and sleeping posture. When asked how they would be laid to rest, two of them, Davendra and Michael, preferred cremation and Henry jokingly said he would like to get stuffed and haunt his descendants for generations, but I think if asked to answer seriously, he would have picked cremation as well. Davendra and Michael said they preferred it because that is what they have been accustomed to in their lives and standard burial does not particularly grab their interest.
Henry’s perspective as an atheist brought up some interesting points pertaining to what will happen after death. He said the Universe will cease to exist after he dies, not because he is an extremely self-centered person but because he thinks the Universe exists according to his imagination and when he dies, his mind will no longer be there to imagine, and hence neither will be the Universe. Davendra’s family’s funeral rituals were very religiously influenced. He comes from a Hindu family where it is tradition to burn the remains of the deceased and since there are laws in the US which only allow cremations and burials, his family had to travel to Guyana so they could burn his grandfather’s body in a more traditional way which is to burn it on pyre.
When Davendra said that it was a sad affair that affected the deceased and the people around them, I found it a little funny that the deceased was the least affected by the whole ordeal. This led me to think that death is the ultimate method of relaxation because you cannot be bothered with anything. I asked Henry what he thinks should be done with the masses of dead bodies that “litter” Japan’s now highly irradiated areas, his response was that they shouldn’t try to bring the bodies to safer areas if it means it’ll result in harm of other humans. Even though Henry did not particularly say this, but his response made me think of the dead body as an impure thing. Which is what Hindu culture considers dead bodies as as well, Hindus try and limit as much physical contact with the deceased as possible because the when a person dies, they no longer belong on this world and are thought of as anomalies. This made me question the rudimentary thinking of some cultures viewing death as something that should be respected while others consider death as to be a form of evil.
Monday, April 18, 2011
HW 46- Initial Thoughts on the Care of the Dead
When I think of the Care of the Dead, some of the bubbles that pop into my head are; funerals, wakes, Egyptian mummies, hospice, Milads, graveyards, and the ever so egregious question as to why we should respect the dead.
Funerals. I think every common and extraordinary person thinks of funerals when they are asked about the Care of the Dead. Why is that? Maybe it’s because funerals and funeral rites are as old as the human culture itself, predating modern Homo sapiens, to at least 300,000 years ago.(1) Funeral rites vary from culture to culture. The first funeral I attended was my grandfather’s which was when I was around 6-7 years old. I do not remember much but I do remember that my grandfather’s body was placed in an open casket and I also remember seeing his body, from my balcony, being taken to the graveyard after all the funeral rites had been performed. That was the first time I had seen a dead body and he didn’t look any different from what he looks like when he slept. Milad is an Arabic term and the closest translation I can come up with is “wake”. The difference is that Milads are ceremonies for death anniversaries instead of just a ceremony for the deceased before he or she is buried. In a traditional Milad, food is distributed to the poor so they pray for the deceased that come judgment day, the deceased is provided a safe and easy passage to Heaven. There isn’t a lot of mourning in Milads, at least not that I recall any (the last Milad I attended was when I was 10), it’s a ceremony to remember the deceased as a community rather than an individual and if prayers are affective, then the prayers of a whole community will probably do a lot more good than the prayers of a few individuals.
I was never too fond of funerals. Not because of the common reasons kids or teens might give such as; scared of dead bodies or because they don’t care but because I believe that they are pointless. By pointless I don’t mean that no one should attend funerals, no, only the deceased’s closest kin should attend and maybe a Priest or Imam or whoever is authorized in performing the sacred rites of their religion. Guests at a funeral seem pointless because I doubt the deceased’s family feels any better just because the nth person just told them for the nth time that they are sorry. I know I wouldn’t feel any better. So if I ruled the world, I would make it so all funerals are private ceremonies. No need to make the rest of your community depressed because of something that is a natural part of life. Maybe that is a bit too harsh but, my blog so my thoughts. Another dominant social practice that I do not agree with is the whole ordeal with people yelling at other people who speak ill of the dead. When asked why we cannot speak ill of the dead, the common answer is, we should respect the dead because it is rude to do otherwise. To those people I always say, so you’re saying we should speak ill of them when they are alive so they can hear us and feel bad?
Like almost everything else, many rituals are performed differently in other cultures. Since I was blessed with parents who were not only capable of traveling around the world, but it was their job to do so. Having traveled around the world, I got to witness many different cultures and their traditions. I even got the privilege to take part in many of their rituals. Even though Milad is a very Islamic ritual, it is not practiced in many Muslim dominated countries such as Syria. In Syria, the dead "cared for" in a very Christian way. Except for the hearse, it is the norm to carry the coffin on the shoulders of the deceased's next of kin (males only). the coffin is the lowered into the grave (dug by a machine) by a machine. Mourners mourn, and preachers preach. The End.
In India, and this is mostly just in India since other countries have banned this practice because it is considered unsanitary, the dead are usually burnt (this is strictly a Hindu practice). This is slightly different from cremation in some ways but the end result is the same. The dead are usually placed in a platform that is around 4ft high made of wooden logs. The logs are drenched in oil and "holy water". The eldest son, or the father, or the husband or any male family member usually sets the platform on fire with a long wooden torch. The "holy water" is supposed to help the deceased's soul's journey to the next life easier. The ashes of the dead are treated in two different ways, the traditional way is to scatter them in the "holy" river Ganges but Indians who are more modern sometimes place the ashes in vases as urns. I don't consider my self extremely educated because here are A LOT of things out there that I do not know about but I also don't want to be stuck in the category of the common people. To do this, I must broaden my knowledge on other rituals and customs of more cultures. Old and forgotten along with new and bizarre, that is what I want to achieve by the end of this unit.
Some of the questions I would want answered in this unit are:
- What are some of the ancient funeral rituals, other than Egyptian, that are no longer
practiced?
Like almost everything else, many rituals are performed differently in other cultures. Since I was blessed with parents who were not only capable of traveling around the world, but it was their job to do so. Having traveled around the world, I got to witness many different cultures and their traditions. I even got the privilege to take part in many of their rituals. Even though Milad is a very Islamic ritual, it is not practiced in many Muslim dominated countries such as Syria. In Syria, the dead "cared for" in a very Christian way. Except for the hearse, it is the norm to carry the coffin on the shoulders of the deceased's next of kin (males only). the coffin is the lowered into the grave (dug by a machine) by a machine. Mourners mourn, and preachers preach. The End.
In India, and this is mostly just in India since other countries have banned this practice because it is considered unsanitary, the dead are usually burnt (this is strictly a Hindu practice). This is slightly different from cremation in some ways but the end result is the same. The dead are usually placed in a platform that is around 4ft high made of wooden logs. The logs are drenched in oil and "holy water". The eldest son, or the father, or the husband or any male family member usually sets the platform on fire with a long wooden torch. The "holy water" is supposed to help the deceased's soul's journey to the next life easier. The ashes of the dead are treated in two different ways, the traditional way is to scatter them in the "holy" river Ganges but Indians who are more modern sometimes place the ashes in vases as urns. I don't consider my self extremely educated because here are A LOT of things out there that I do not know about but I also don't want to be stuck in the category of the common people. To do this, I must broaden my knowledge on other rituals and customs of more cultures. Old and forgotten along with new and bizarre, that is what I want to achieve by the end of this unit.
Some of the questions I would want answered in this unit are:
- What are some of the ancient funeral rituals, other than Egyptian, that are no longer
practiced?
- What is the best thing to say to someone who has recently lost a loved one?
- Why is death both stigmatized and respected?
- Why is death both stigmatized and respected?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
HW 45 - Reply to Other Peoples' Comments
Reply to Devin's Comment:
Thank you for your comment Devin. I agree when you said I should have asked them what kind of jobs they are assigned. I guess that slipped my mind during the interview since before going there i was hoping to interview the mothers not the workers. Thank you for complementing my use of descriptive writing in describing the PATH center. I was reading some of the "good model"s' blogs and I noticed that many of you guys describe everything in detail so I tried implementing that in my own writing. If the 100% success rate is in fact accurate then yes, it is wonderful, but then again, that was said by a worker there so I'm not sure if he really is willing to speak negatively about his job.
Reply to Dev's (Protege) Comment:
Thank you for your comment. Those mothers are in a very delicate situation in their lives. I don't think anyone growing up imagine living in a homeless shelter when they are older so PATH does a very good job in protecting their dignity so they don't break down and fall into depression which for them will probably be very easy to do. I also like the fact that you enjoyed my project and I hope you will consider switching to Andy's class next semester.
Reply to Mentor's Comment:
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you when you said that I would have gotten a better and more accurate perspective of PATH if I had personally interviewed one or two of the mothers but because of the agreement PATH signed with the mothers when they provided them with shelter, I could not do this. If I was given another opportunity at doing this project, I would definitely go back to PATH and request a special interview and I bet if I tell them that it is for a school project that will promote PATH, they will surely be able to help me out.
Thank you for your comment Devin. I agree when you said I should have asked them what kind of jobs they are assigned. I guess that slipped my mind during the interview since before going there i was hoping to interview the mothers not the workers. Thank you for complementing my use of descriptive writing in describing the PATH center. I was reading some of the "good model"s' blogs and I noticed that many of you guys describe everything in detail so I tried implementing that in my own writing. If the 100% success rate is in fact accurate then yes, it is wonderful, but then again, that was said by a worker there so I'm not sure if he really is willing to speak negatively about his job.
Reply to Dev's (Protege) Comment:
Thank you for your comment. Those mothers are in a very delicate situation in their lives. I don't think anyone growing up imagine living in a homeless shelter when they are older so PATH does a very good job in protecting their dignity so they don't break down and fall into depression which for them will probably be very easy to do. I also like the fact that you enjoyed my project and I hope you will consider switching to Andy's class next semester.
Reply to Mentor's Comment:
Thank you for your comment. I agree with you when you said that I would have gotten a better and more accurate perspective of PATH if I had personally interviewed one or two of the mothers but because of the agreement PATH signed with the mothers when they provided them with shelter, I could not do this. If I was given another opportunity at doing this project, I would definitely go back to PATH and request a special interview and I bet if I tell them that it is for a school project that will promote PATH, they will surely be able to help me out.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
HW 44 - Comments on Other Peoples' Blogs
For Devin (Classmate)
Devin,
In your project you discussed the advantages and disadvantages of cutting the umbilical cord at a certain time. Directly after the baby is delivered or waiting a few minutes and cutting it then.
I liked that you focused on our unit’s main idea which is that practices we consider normal are actually very weird and in this case, incorrect. I liked that you argued both points of the spectrum and even though you sided with the umbilical cord not being cut immediately, you left the reader room for them to decide on their own as to which one they preferred. I also liked that you added a bit of experiential side to your academic project by informing a mother and a mother-to-be about the cutting of the umbilical cord and I think their responses summed up how the common people in this country think.
Your project was important to me because I consider myself above what I describe to be as the common people, yet I did not know about the risks and benefits of cutting the umbilical cord at different times. If I ever plan on having kids, I will definitely think about this and instruct my partner’s OB/GYN to cut the umbilical cord after a couple of minutes. And when s/he is cutting the cord, or if get to cut the cord, I might be thinking of you and your project. And to stick in someone’s memory as an influential person, especially in mine, is a true accomplishment. Good Job.
I think your speech was best in the class and I feel bad for the people who did not get to hear it. Your props with Stewie and the model placenta were very creative. Keep up the good work and make sure you make SoF proud when you’re in Cornell.
For Sarah Tornay (Writing Group)
Sarah,
In your project you decided to research about the risks of VBACs and a mother doing a C-Section every time she gives birth. You used a lot of statistics to back up your main idea and successfully informed the reader (me) on what the risks are of a VBAC and “once a C-Section, always a C-Section”.
I liked that you focused on something that is extremely controversial which drew me in when I started reading your blog post. I also liked that you used many statistical evidence to argue the risks and advantages of both VBACs and C-Section-every-time deliveries. Your project is important to me because it informed me on subjects I had little prior knowledge about. Now I will be able to argue with “educated” folk about which is more dangerous.
To make your project better, I would make it clearer as to what VBAC stands for. You mentioned it in the post, but I don’t think it was clear enough. I knew what it meant because I read Tina Cassidy’s “Birth” but the common people might be confused or lost and as what the common people do when they are confused, they stop. You don’t want your reader to stop reading your paper or read your entire paper while confused.
All in all, a good post. An advice for the next project you do; try and do something experiential so you feel as if you are physically active with your project instead of just doing it for a class grade.
For Johnny (Writing Group)
Johnny,
In your project you decided to look at alternatives of raising a child. The two alternatives you chose to look at were abortion and adoption.
I liked that for your project, you did not just use a random source from the internet. You actually read a book and gathered evidence to support your argument. Most high school teenagers wouldn’t do that.
To make your project better, I would suggest you use your words carefully. I know that sounds mean but I mean it in the kindest way possible. In your post you used the phrase, “kill the baby”, that is a heavy line. Abortion is a very delicate and controversial topic and like Andy said, “always talk about abortion as if someone in the room has had one.”
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From Mentor (Father)
I am glad you selected a topic from which you are learning about birth process, it was most appealing to me that your instinct motivated you to visit the PATH in the Bronx. I liked your interest as you mentioned "The lack of information on PATH made it even more important for me to visit them." In fact most of the researchers get their information from primary sources and you hit the right place.
I would suggest you do not limit yourself questioning only one person who definitely has good amount of information, few mothers in PATH or any other place could be your good source of information. If they allow, you should try to get more information from PATH mothers. It is always better to develop a sound questionnaire to collect data/information so that you can collect some quantifiable data with some open ended questions.
At the end, I must say you gathered some valuable information which may lead you to further explore on the topic. Well done, all the best.
From Protege (Davendra)
I like how you obtained your information. The fact that you actually went to the organization themselves, and interviewed Mr.C shows a good dedication to your work. Also your getting more in depth info than what you can find around. I my self have never been in the situation of these mothers, however I imagine that it is not a great situation. I believe what PATH is doing is great because there are many in that type of situation, that can be assisted and inspired by what PATH does.
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From Devin (Classmate)
You asked yourself what the government does to help poverty stricken pregnant women in New York City and then you visited an office in the Bronx of an organization called PATH, which you found out a little about online.
I really liked the way you describe the look and feeling of the office at the entrance making the point of how unwelcoming it must be to a poor pregnant woman coming there. But then you contrast this with the happy looking women who were staying there, making it seem like a good place overall. It seemed amazing when Mr.C said that PATH has an 100% success rate helping mothers to support themselves finnancially and not need temporary housing again.
The work PATH does is really important. These are babies, ones born to poor single moms, who are most likely to drop out of school and not have a chance of making a good life for themselves. They need to be brought into the society not made to feel like outcasts.
Myy only suggestion would have to be to ask what kind of jobs the mothers got so that they could be independent and not need temporary housing. But maybe he would not have wanted a direct question like that. I think you did a great job describing this visit and making it interesting.
Devin,
In your project you discussed the advantages and disadvantages of cutting the umbilical cord at a certain time. Directly after the baby is delivered or waiting a few minutes and cutting it then.
I liked that you focused on our unit’s main idea which is that practices we consider normal are actually very weird and in this case, incorrect. I liked that you argued both points of the spectrum and even though you sided with the umbilical cord not being cut immediately, you left the reader room for them to decide on their own as to which one they preferred. I also liked that you added a bit of experiential side to your academic project by informing a mother and a mother-to-be about the cutting of the umbilical cord and I think their responses summed up how the common people in this country think.
Your project was important to me because I consider myself above what I describe to be as the common people, yet I did not know about the risks and benefits of cutting the umbilical cord at different times. If I ever plan on having kids, I will definitely think about this and instruct my partner’s OB/GYN to cut the umbilical cord after a couple of minutes. And when s/he is cutting the cord, or if get to cut the cord, I might be thinking of you and your project. And to stick in someone’s memory as an influential person, especially in mine, is a true accomplishment. Good Job.
I think your speech was best in the class and I feel bad for the people who did not get to hear it. Your props with Stewie and the model placenta were very creative. Keep up the good work and make sure you make SoF proud when you’re in Cornell.
For Sarah Tornay (Writing Group)
Sarah,
In your project you decided to research about the risks of VBACs and a mother doing a C-Section every time she gives birth. You used a lot of statistics to back up your main idea and successfully informed the reader (me) on what the risks are of a VBAC and “once a C-Section, always a C-Section”.
I liked that you focused on something that is extremely controversial which drew me in when I started reading your blog post. I also liked that you used many statistical evidence to argue the risks and advantages of both VBACs and C-Section-every-time deliveries. Your project is important to me because it informed me on subjects I had little prior knowledge about. Now I will be able to argue with “educated” folk about which is more dangerous.
To make your project better, I would make it clearer as to what VBAC stands for. You mentioned it in the post, but I don’t think it was clear enough. I knew what it meant because I read Tina Cassidy’s “Birth” but the common people might be confused or lost and as what the common people do when they are confused, they stop. You don’t want your reader to stop reading your paper or read your entire paper while confused.
All in all, a good post. An advice for the next project you do; try and do something experiential so you feel as if you are physically active with your project instead of just doing it for a class grade.
For Johnny (Writing Group)
Johnny,
In your project you decided to look at alternatives of raising a child. The two alternatives you chose to look at were abortion and adoption.
I liked that for your project, you did not just use a random source from the internet. You actually read a book and gathered evidence to support your argument. Most high school teenagers wouldn’t do that.
To make your project better, I would suggest you use your words carefully. I know that sounds mean but I mean it in the kindest way possible. In your post you used the phrase, “kill the baby”, that is a heavy line. Abortion is a very delicate and controversial topic and like Andy said, “always talk about abortion as if someone in the room has had one.”
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From Mentor (Father)
I am glad you selected a topic from which you are learning about birth process, it was most appealing to me that your instinct motivated you to visit the PATH in the Bronx. I liked your interest as you mentioned "The lack of information on PATH made it even more important for me to visit them." In fact most of the researchers get their information from primary sources and you hit the right place.
I would suggest you do not limit yourself questioning only one person who definitely has good amount of information, few mothers in PATH or any other place could be your good source of information. If they allow, you should try to get more information from PATH mothers. It is always better to develop a sound questionnaire to collect data/information so that you can collect some quantifiable data with some open ended questions.
At the end, I must say you gathered some valuable information which may lead you to further explore on the topic. Well done, all the best.
From Protege (Davendra)
I like how you obtained your information. The fact that you actually went to the organization themselves, and interviewed Mr.C shows a good dedication to your work. Also your getting more in depth info than what you can find around. I my self have never been in the situation of these mothers, however I imagine that it is not a great situation. I believe what PATH is doing is great because there are many in that type of situation, that can be assisted and inspired by what PATH does.
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From Devin (Classmate)
You asked yourself what the government does to help poverty stricken pregnant women in New York City and then you visited an office in the Bronx of an organization called PATH, which you found out a little about online.
I really liked the way you describe the look and feeling of the office at the entrance making the point of how unwelcoming it must be to a poor pregnant woman coming there. But then you contrast this with the happy looking women who were staying there, making it seem like a good place overall. It seemed amazing when Mr.C said that PATH has an 100% success rate helping mothers to support themselves finnancially and not need temporary housing again.
The work PATH does is really important. These are babies, ones born to poor single moms, who are most likely to drop out of school and not have a chance of making a good life for themselves. They need to be brought into the society not made to feel like outcasts.
Myy only suggestion would have to be to ask what kind of jobs the mothers got so that they could be independent and not need temporary housing. But maybe he would not have wanted a direct question like that. I think you did a great job describing this visit and making it interesting.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
HW 42 - Culminating Birth Project
To enhance my understanding of the whole topic of birth, and most things related to birth, I decided to research about poverty stricken mothers in NYC. I focused on pregnant women more than just mothers in general so it would further connect to the Birth unit. More specifically, I focused on what the government is doing to help the pregnant women. Before starting any research, I hypothesized that the government is providing special shelters dedicated just for pregnant women, equipped to handle all the needs of the pregnant women which, in my opinion, are greater than those of the common homeless people.
While researching, I set the search parameters to NYC only because I wanted to find a place that was accessible to me because I wanted to make this project a physical experience. I came across the website, NYC Homeless Services, which educated me about an organization called PATH. There isn’t too much information on PATH online, which is understandable since most of the people interested in PATH do not have access to the internet. The lack of information on PATH made it even more important for me to visit them.
PATH stands for Prevention Assistance for Temporary Housing. The office I visited is in the Bronx on Powers Avenue and 141st street. I did not think the neighborhood the office was located in was very friendly and inviting especially considering the fact that the people going to the office are emotionally stressed and at least the staff members could make it more scenic than it is right now. However; my opinion was probably just biased because it was raining the day I visited the office.
The second I walked in through the sliding entrance doors, I was greeted with a large sign titled: RULES. I started reading from Number 1 because I was determined not to break any rules as to create the best example of myself and SoF. The last rule on the list read; No Cameras or Documentation of Any Sort. I felt a little disheartened but I was still motivated enough to move on and find my interviewee. The room adjacent to the welcome room was 90% filled up by a very intimidating metal detector. The whole time I searched my pockets for anything metal, I thought of how a mother seeking refuge there might feel. The place was certainly very secure since they led me to wonder whether if an unfortunate incident had occurred.
The guard in charge of the metal detector immediately ceased my camera and gave me a token. The reason they gave me for no cameras was that they had to protect the anonymity of their clients. But I could not help but wonder if they had a darker ulterior motive. The guards and visitors all gave me questioning looks and one guard asked whether I was lost or not. I told them why I was there and they all looked quite impressed and they all directed me to the front desk where I met my interviewee.
Mr. C, who chose to be anonymous, but consented to being called Mr. C, worked in the registration department of PATH and agreed to answer my questions as long as I did not ask to reveal any personal information of the mothers. He led me to his office that is on the second floor of the three story building. As I walked through following Mr. C, I looked around and saw many women that were pregnant and some women with infants or toddlers. They all looked happy. That was a good sign.
The second floor looked a lot less friendly than the first floor. This is probably because only one wing on the second have women living there. Mr. C's office was surprisingly spacious. I did not expect a government social worker to have an office that size. My first question to him was whether he minded if I recorded the interview, he hesitated, but gave his consent.
Here follows the list of questions I asked him and his (paraphrased) responses:
What is the first thing that a woman has to do when she comes to PATH?
We ask her to take a pregnancy test and if she is pregnant. While she waits for the results, she fills out a form that has 10 questions mostly about her past.If the pregnancy test is a positive, we refer her to an OB/GYN and then the hospital sends her back to PATH after they're done with all of their tests. The mother stays in PATH until her application has been processed and once it has been, we send her to a shelter that suits her needs.
What are some of the factors that make a woman ineligible fr a place in a shelter?
If she has a close family member that is financially stable and willing to support her, if her bank account records are decent, or if the father is able to look after her and the baby, we tell the mother that she is not eligible.
How long does it take for a mother to move into a shelter from when she enters PATH?
Around 6 hours
How many women do you have to process on an annual basis?
Hundreds! Thousands!
Can you give me a rough estimate?
Around 1500 or so...
What are some of the services that pregnant women that come to PATH receive?
Every pregnant woman has to take mandatory birthing classes at their designated shelters. Also, depending on how far they are in their pregnancy, they either attend a school where they learn skills to utilize after they leave the shelter, or we place them in a job in which they can use their skills to earn a decent salary with which she can sustain her and her baby. Our goal at PATH s to prevent mothers from living in a shelter for an extensive period of time. We aim at helping them out at a tough point in their lives so when they move on, they will not need any financial support. It's in our name, Prevention Assistance of Temporary Housing. We try and prevent the women from needing temporary housing ever again in their lives.
What is PATH's success rate when it comes to helping mothers lead a better life after they leave the shelter?
100%. No doubt about it. I am still in contact with some mothers who were desperate for help and now they live a happy life with more kids and some even have a loving husband our boyfriend.
What are the different birthing procedure you guys here at PATH follow?
We have never had a birth here in the center and as far as I know, we have never had a woman give birth at any of the shelters either. We always take them to a hospital. The pregnant women shelters are all strategically situated so the mothers can be taken to a hospital as soon as her water breaks.
(I wanted to tell him that taking a mother to a hospital when her water breaks is not the best thing to do but I digressed)
Why don't you guys look into home birth?
There are a lot of issues when it comes to home birth because we'll have to consider the mother's religion. Their family's religion. We find it easier if we just stay out of all those hassles.
With that question, I had to conclude that interview because the people at the front desk needed him for something. He gave me a couple of brochures and pamphlets that according to him would help me learn more about what exactly PATH does for homeless mothers. I think my visit to PATH was very educational and informative and I wish I could have interviewed one of the mothers living there. I think I would have been able to learn a lot more if I had multiple points of view on the topic Alas, I have to respect that agreement that PATH signed with the mothers about not giving up the mothers' identities to the public.
While researching, I set the search parameters to NYC only because I wanted to find a place that was accessible to me because I wanted to make this project a physical experience. I came across the website, NYC Homeless Services, which educated me about an organization called PATH. There isn’t too much information on PATH online, which is understandable since most of the people interested in PATH do not have access to the internet. The lack of information on PATH made it even more important for me to visit them.
PATH stands for Prevention Assistance for Temporary Housing. The office I visited is in the Bronx on Powers Avenue and 141st street. I did not think the neighborhood the office was located in was very friendly and inviting especially considering the fact that the people going to the office are emotionally stressed and at least the staff members could make it more scenic than it is right now. However; my opinion was probably just biased because it was raining the day I visited the office.
The second I walked in through the sliding entrance doors, I was greeted with a large sign titled: RULES. I started reading from Number 1 because I was determined not to break any rules as to create the best example of myself and SoF. The last rule on the list read; No Cameras or Documentation of Any Sort. I felt a little disheartened but I was still motivated enough to move on and find my interviewee. The room adjacent to the welcome room was 90% filled up by a very intimidating metal detector. The whole time I searched my pockets for anything metal, I thought of how a mother seeking refuge there might feel. The place was certainly very secure since they led me to wonder whether if an unfortunate incident had occurred.
The guard in charge of the metal detector immediately ceased my camera and gave me a token. The reason they gave me for no cameras was that they had to protect the anonymity of their clients. But I could not help but wonder if they had a darker ulterior motive. The guards and visitors all gave me questioning looks and one guard asked whether I was lost or not. I told them why I was there and they all looked quite impressed and they all directed me to the front desk where I met my interviewee.
Mr. C, who chose to be anonymous, but consented to being called Mr. C, worked in the registration department of PATH and agreed to answer my questions as long as I did not ask to reveal any personal information of the mothers. He led me to his office that is on the second floor of the three story building. As I walked through following Mr. C, I looked around and saw many women that were pregnant and some women with infants or toddlers. They all looked happy. That was a good sign.
The second floor looked a lot less friendly than the first floor. This is probably because only one wing on the second have women living there. Mr. C's office was surprisingly spacious. I did not expect a government social worker to have an office that size. My first question to him was whether he minded if I recorded the interview, he hesitated, but gave his consent.
Here follows the list of questions I asked him and his (paraphrased) responses:
What is the first thing that a woman has to do when she comes to PATH?
We ask her to take a pregnancy test and if she is pregnant. While she waits for the results, she fills out a form that has 10 questions mostly about her past.If the pregnancy test is a positive, we refer her to an OB/GYN and then the hospital sends her back to PATH after they're done with all of their tests. The mother stays in PATH until her application has been processed and once it has been, we send her to a shelter that suits her needs.
What are some of the factors that make a woman ineligible fr a place in a shelter?
If she has a close family member that is financially stable and willing to support her, if her bank account records are decent, or if the father is able to look after her and the baby, we tell the mother that she is not eligible.
How long does it take for a mother to move into a shelter from when she enters PATH?
Around 6 hours
How many women do you have to process on an annual basis?
Hundreds! Thousands!
Can you give me a rough estimate?
Around 1500 or so...
What are some of the services that pregnant women that come to PATH receive?
Every pregnant woman has to take mandatory birthing classes at their designated shelters. Also, depending on how far they are in their pregnancy, they either attend a school where they learn skills to utilize after they leave the shelter, or we place them in a job in which they can use their skills to earn a decent salary with which she can sustain her and her baby. Our goal at PATH s to prevent mothers from living in a shelter for an extensive period of time. We aim at helping them out at a tough point in their lives so when they move on, they will not need any financial support. It's in our name, Prevention Assistance of Temporary Housing. We try and prevent the women from needing temporary housing ever again in their lives.
What is PATH's success rate when it comes to helping mothers lead a better life after they leave the shelter?
100%. No doubt about it. I am still in contact with some mothers who were desperate for help and now they live a happy life with more kids and some even have a loving husband our boyfriend.
What are the different birthing procedure you guys here at PATH follow?
We have never had a birth here in the center and as far as I know, we have never had a woman give birth at any of the shelters either. We always take them to a hospital. The pregnant women shelters are all strategically situated so the mothers can be taken to a hospital as soon as her water breaks.
(I wanted to tell him that taking a mother to a hospital when her water breaks is not the best thing to do but I digressed)
Why don't you guys look into home birth?
There are a lot of issues when it comes to home birth because we'll have to consider the mother's religion. Their family's religion. We find it easier if we just stay out of all those hassles.
With that question, I had to conclude that interview because the people at the front desk needed him for something. He gave me a couple of brochures and pamphlets that according to him would help me learn more about what exactly PATH does for homeless mothers. I think my visit to PATH was very educational and informative and I wish I could have interviewed one of the mothers living there. I think I would have been able to learn a lot more if I had multiple points of view on the topic Alas, I have to respect that agreement that PATH signed with the mothers about not giving up the mothers' identities to the public.
Friday, April 1, 2011
HW 41 - Independent Research
Olda, Regin. "Single Mothers and Poverty." Single Mothers and Poverty n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/CFW/Publications/pdfs/mapagendaforaction.pdf >
Countless statistical evidence stating the difficulty single mothers face when they have no support from their families and it is up to them to raise their child or give birth to their child. This PDF also goes in depth about a lot of policies in Montgomery that were put in place to help the single mothers or mothers-to-be become more successful, not just for themselves, but also for their children.
Baer, Kathryn. "How Much Does Single-Mother Poverty Cost Our Nation?." Poverty & Policy (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://povertyandpolicy.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/how-much-does-single-mother-poverty-cost-our-nation/>
At the beginning of the 2010 fiscal year, 4% of our GDP was spent on helping single mothers or what seems the more politically correct term, “father absence” families/. The money went into programs that provide shelters, education, jobs, and communal support to single mother. The article starts out by talking about how important it is to have a baby born in the right environment with the right people but it somehow drifts off to talk about left wing political policies versus right wing political policies. If one was keen on learning about single mothers, he or she should read the article half way and then just read the last paragraph. Many of the body paragraphs in this article are just political hokum.
Paltrow, Lynn. "Too poor to procreate: How the Monroe County Court Opinion in In the Matter of Bobbijean P. furthers the rational of service cuts to poor families and fails to advance the welfare of children." National Advocates for Pregnant Women (2004): n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/issues/procreation_penalties/too_poor_to_procreate_how_the_monroe_county_court_opinion_in_in_the_matter_of_bobbijean_p_furthers_the_rational_of_service_cuts_to_poor_families_and_fails_to_advance_the_welfare_of_children.php >.
United States. Family Services. New York City: , 2009. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/homeless/famserv.shtml >.
B. For the culminating project, I plan on heading down to the homeless pregnant or homeless mothers shelter and walk around and talk to people there. I think it will be a truly authentic experience. I will try to see if I can help some of the workers there. I also plan on taking lots of pictures and writing a full analysis on what I saw and what I did in the shelter.
Paltrow, Lynn. "Too poor to procreate: How the Monroe County Court Opinion in In the Matter of Bobbijean P. furthers the rational of service cuts to poor families and fails to advance the welfare of children." National Advocates for Pregnant Women (2004): n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/issues/procreation_penalties/too_poor_to_procreate_how_the_monroe_county_court_opinion_in_in_the_matter_of_bobbijean_p_furthers_the_rational_of_service_cuts_to_poor_families_and_fails_to_advance_the_welfare_of_children.php >.
The government has labeled some parents “too poor” to procreate. This is a very controversial issue because it breaks numerous “freedom amendments”. The government program, which was left nameless in the article, seeks out parents whose records show drug abuse and minimum wage income as unfit parents. Studies have shown that many families that are currently living with welfare are usually the ones who develop drug problems. The nameless government program also seeks out women, who are pregnant and their medical and/or financial record deems them unfit to have a child, and forces them to give up their baby for adoption or foster care.
Ann, Crittenden. "MOTHERS ECONOMIC ABCs."Myth of The Work/Family Balance n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://www.mothersoughttohaveequalrights.org/content/view/94/>.
Ann, Crittenden. "MOTHERS ECONOMIC ABCs."Myth of The Work/Family Balance n. pag. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://www.mothersoughttohaveequalrights.org/content/view/94/>.
Many stories about poor single mothers and how they faced their challenges and how some mother overcame those challenges. Many reference links to potential programs that aim to help poverty stricken single mothers. I found that that website has a very interactive community that genuinely seem to want to help mothers-to-be that are in need.
United States. Family Services. New York City: , 2009. Web. 1 Apr 2011. < http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/html/homeless/famserv.shtml >.
Provides services for homeless pregnant women (and homeless mothers) which include shelter and nutritional sustenance so their baby can be born healthy. The websites highlights the requirements one needs to meet to be eligible for the services and also where and how they can receive the services. In my opinion, this is my best source of evidence because it is very simple. It gives clear instructions as to what a mother or a mother-to-be should do without any of the “keep your chin up” nonsense.
B. For the culminating project, I plan on heading down to the homeless pregnant or homeless mothers shelter and walk around and talk to people there. I think it will be a truly authentic experience. I will try to see if I can help some of the workers there. I also plan on taking lots of pictures and writing a full analysis on what I saw and what I did in the shelter.
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