The American way of birth has now become a battle between the "normal" vs. "natural" way to deliver babies into this world, it is becoming harder and harder to find couples that have have a "natural" birth and harder to find couples that have not have a "normal" one. The majority of American women choose to give birth in hospitals with the pressure of impersonal doctors, unneeded drugs, and dangerous surgeries, rather than the natural and much safer way, based on the relationship you have with your own body, not being told to rush and just having as much help as you want from a Dula or midwife in the comfort of your own home.American women follow what they see everyone else doing, without much thought even if it not what is better for there body.
Unlike the rest of the world the idea of a midwife is extremely rare, in Europe and Japan midwives attend over 70% of births. Dating back many many years ago in the united states midwives where represented as dirty, unsafe, germ filled, poor people, they made sure to use propaganda to make everyone think that was true. So it is not a new idea in America that hospitals are the "safer" place to have a child. Are the American women the only reason for this dramatic change in the way we give birth or are the doctors to be blamed? American doctors are only taught one way, according to Susan Hodges from the Documentary The Business of Being Born "Very few doctors have ever seen a natural birth in medical school." Like in the tittle of the documentary, birth had become a business, it had become this very impersonal experience that is being rushed by doctors who want to make as most money in a days work as possible. If the mother's cervix is not dilating fast enough the doctors will speed things up, by inducing them with medicine, they want to get them in and out as fast as they can. A women interviewed said they liked the doctor aspect "surgery is easy, its a one, two, three step process." I think it goes unrecognized how manipulated the doctors really are, most of the time they have no real reason for injecting the women with medicine, inducing labor or calling for an "emergency c-section". in reality they are the ones putting the baby though distress causing things to go wrong. In most counties around the world their "normal" way of birth is our natural birth. according to Marsden Wagner an M.D "every where else in the world that's what they do. They lose less mothers and babies where midwives are used."
Over the past few years this sense of fear had been instilled in most women, because technology has advanced us in ways that allow childbirth to be easier and less painful they choose to take the easy way because they know it is an option.In our culture birth is considered a crisis, the women have got themselves in this mind set that they will not be able to go through the experience with out the help of medicine or the "comfort" of a doctor. In times of crisis, human beings (soon to be mothers) tend to do what the alpha male tells them to do, they follow the orders of ones in charge (the authority figure). Referring back to the documentary a source who's name i did not catch said "the medical field had convinced most women that they can not birth." I believe if the women embraces her sexuality and women hood they are more willing to go through with a natural birth,because they have mentally prepared themselves for what to expect, but if they are worried their body will let them down and they do not want to experience the "pain" as some describe it they will go to a doctor where the choice of medication is available. I feel as if the women are forgotten in this process it is supposed to be about the mother and the baby, we were born to give birth, out bodies are designed specifically for that purpose.
Home births or births in birthing centers are a completely different experience for the soon to be mother, midwives give the power back to the women, instead of being told what to do, they figure it out for them self. Women in America need to "rediscover how easy birth can be."
In general women are scared the pain of going though a natural childbirth will cause them, that's why they take medication, "its not natural, but its normal." In America we are spoiled with the option of even being able to control that, in most of the world they do not have that option they are forced to really experience the process to the fullest. It seems much more raw but relaxed and worshiped in other countries than in America. They have the support of family and friends, they are in the natural position and lets the body do what it wants to do, in the way there body feels most comfortable in and they are in a calm serene environments. The American way of birth has become this high paced rush for both mother and doctor, bright bright lights, medication and unnatural birth positions, its a race to see who can get out faster.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Homework: Re-cap and thoughts on Andy's Analysis of the AWOB
Over the past few days in class we have been discussing our ideas on what the "American Way of Birth" actually is, how it is perceived, and how it has changed over time compared to not only early in American history but world wide (globally). Yesterday the class tried to better understand why it is that Americans want so badly to have kids. Many of the ideas thrown around sounded valid, but the ones that i felt applied to most women were that:
- Child birth and the job of raising a child is a life experience that should not be missed. Women are born with this amazing ability, your body is made to do it so we should take advantage.
- Women are following the social norm. Once we are married the next thing people expect is for a couple to have a baby.
- Family Pressure, Mothers want to see there sons and daughters having kids of there own. Grandchildren become a competition, the proud grandparents want to show off how "beautiful and perfect" there newest additions are.
- Teens especially think it seems like the "cool" thing to do, something to dress up and play around with. They see all the celebrities are want to follow in the same footsteps, not realizing how big a responsibility it is.
How many of the women in the world specifically in the united states are having kids for the right reasons? One idea that was tossed around was the theory that all people have some sort of "deep physical hunger" (something they cant live without), in this case it would be sex. According to Andy "Birth happens because of irrational reasons, a deep physical hunger for sex. People do not give birth because they want to have babies, but because they want more sex." Are a lot of kids alive today a mistake according to there parents? This idea lead to a number of questions yet to be answered leaving us with research to do.
Today in class the discussion switched gears a little bit; why has the AWOB become so alienated? Technology has advanced us in ways that allow childbirth to be easier less painful, but that could lead to the reason why women today are having so many more children. How much should the government be able to interfere with families? a specific example, most recently seen all over the news is the case of the women who just gave birth to the octuplets, many people consider her to be selfish, she does not have the money or support of loved ones to care for all 14 of them, why should her kids have to suffer for her "deep physical hunger" for children. Having already had 6 kids, and her doctors fully aware they still decided to fulfill her wishes and implanted all 6 of the embryos, two of which resulted in twins. In an interview on msmbc.com the mother of 14 said "a lot of couples do undergo this procedure and its not as controversial because their 'couples' so its more acceptable to society." Many argue that the doctor is to blame and was completely irresponsible and that knowing her circumstances, they should have not allowed her to go ahead with the pregnancy. Others can argue that its the mothers choice to have as many children as desired. Was this an example of a case where the government should have gotten involved? I believe so because not only is it ecologically horrible for the environment, but she can not support all of them, why should the innocent children have to suffer and why should our tax money go towards paying for her own selfish act.
In general women are scared the pain of going though a natural childbirth will cause them, that why they take medication, "its not natural, but its normal." In America we are spoiled with the option of even being able to control that, in most of the world they do not have that option they are forced to really experience it to the fullest. It seems much more raw but relaxed and worshiped in other countries. They have the support of family and friends, they are in the natural position (the way there body feels most comfortable in), they are in a calm serene enviornments. The american way of birth has become this high paced rush for both mother and doctor, bright bright lights, medication and unnatural birth postitions, its a race to see who can get our faster.
- Child birth and the job of raising a child is a life experience that should not be missed. Women are born with this amazing ability, your body is made to do it so we should take advantage.
- Women are following the social norm. Once we are married the next thing people expect is for a couple to have a baby.
- Family Pressure, Mothers want to see there sons and daughters having kids of there own. Grandchildren become a competition, the proud grandparents want to show off how "beautiful and perfect" there newest additions are.
- Teens especially think it seems like the "cool" thing to do, something to dress up and play around with. They see all the celebrities are want to follow in the same footsteps, not realizing how big a responsibility it is.
How many of the women in the world specifically in the united states are having kids for the right reasons? One idea that was tossed around was the theory that all people have some sort of "deep physical hunger" (something they cant live without), in this case it would be sex. According to Andy "Birth happens because of irrational reasons, a deep physical hunger for sex. People do not give birth because they want to have babies, but because they want more sex." Are a lot of kids alive today a mistake according to there parents? This idea lead to a number of questions yet to be answered leaving us with research to do.
Today in class the discussion switched gears a little bit; why has the AWOB become so alienated? Technology has advanced us in ways that allow childbirth to be easier less painful, but that could lead to the reason why women today are having so many more children. How much should the government be able to interfere with families? a specific example, most recently seen all over the news is the case of the women who just gave birth to the octuplets, many people consider her to be selfish, she does not have the money or support of loved ones to care for all 14 of them, why should her kids have to suffer for her "deep physical hunger" for children. Having already had 6 kids, and her doctors fully aware they still decided to fulfill her wishes and implanted all 6 of the embryos, two of which resulted in twins. In an interview on msmbc.com the mother of 14 said "a lot of couples do undergo this procedure and its not as controversial because their 'couples' so its more acceptable to society." Many argue that the doctor is to blame and was completely irresponsible and that knowing her circumstances, they should have not allowed her to go ahead with the pregnancy. Others can argue that its the mothers choice to have as many children as desired. Was this an example of a case where the government should have gotten involved? I believe so because not only is it ecologically horrible for the environment, but she can not support all of them, why should the innocent children have to suffer and why should our tax money go towards paying for her own selfish act.
In general women are scared the pain of going though a natural childbirth will cause them, that why they take medication, "its not natural, but its normal." In America we are spoiled with the option of even being able to control that, in most of the world they do not have that option they are forced to really experience it to the fullest. It seems much more raw but relaxed and worshiped in other countries. They have the support of family and friends, they are in the natural position (the way there body feels most comfortable in), they are in a calm serene enviornments. The american way of birth has become this high paced rush for both mother and doctor, bright bright lights, medication and unnatural birth postitions, its a race to see who can get our faster.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
CLASS WORK: Room 101 reseach
Group one - Pregnancy, Birth Control, Abortion, Adoption
1. What percentage of men use contracptives (Condoms)?
Use within marriage. An estimated 44 million married couples use condoms for family planningThe estimate of 6 to 9 billion condoms used worldwide each year is based partly on surveys of actual use and also assumes that, of the 8 to 10 billion condoms produced each year, 10% to 20% are never used.
(http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/h9/h9chap1_1.shtml)
2. What is the average age of birth?
Women in the United States are waiting longer to have children, health statistics show, presenting challenges for doctors and patients alike. More than 586,000 babies were born to women over age 35 in 2004. That's just over 14 percent of births that year, up from about 5 percent 15 years ago. The average age of women when they gave birth for the first time was at a record high of 25.2 in 2003, the CDC said. That age has increased by nearly four years since 1970.
(http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/21/later.childbirth/index.html)
3.what is the most common form of birth control?
Women prefer to use the pill ahead of other forms of contraceptive according to a new survey by the Office for National Statistics. In 2007/08, three-quarters of women in the 16-49 age group reported using some form of contraception, with 28 per cent of women using the pill, compared with 24 per cent who relied on the male condom. One quarter of women said they did not use any form of contraception in 2007/08, with the most common reason being that they were not in a heterosexual relationship (14 per cent). Three percent said they were not using contraceptives because they wanted to become pregnant.
(office for National Statistics www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/csh1008.pd)
4. Percentage of Adoption in the united states?
Adoption in the United States is the legal act of adoption, of permanently placing a person under the age of 18 with a parent or parents other than the birth parents in the United States. The 2000 census was the first census in which adoption statistics were collected. The number of children awaiting adoption dropped from 132,000 to 118,000 during the period 2000 to 2004 USA Adoption Chart.In fiscal year 2001, 50,703 foster children were adopted in the United States, many by their foster parents or relatives of their biological parents.
(wikipedia)
5. what is the percentage of teen pregnancy? How has it changed?
The birth rate rose by 3 percent between 2005 and 2006 among 15-to-19-year-old girls, after plummeting 34 percent between 1991 and 2005, the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
LOOK AT LINK FOR GRAPH: http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/12/06/GR2007120600072.gif
Group 2- Medical technigues and technology of birth
6. What percentage of woman die of Childbirth?
women are dying from childbirth at the highest rate in decades, new government figures show. Though the risk of death is very small, experts believe increasing maternal obesity and a jump in Caesarean sections are partly to blame. The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose to 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004, according to statistics released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics. The rate was 12 per 100,000 live births in 2003 — the first time the maternal death rate rose above 10 since 1977.
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427256/)
7. What is the percentage of male babies who are circumcised?
Between 2001 and 2003, the percentage of male infants who were circumcised in the hospital decreased from 63 percent to 56 percent, the lowest percentage recorded since 1979. Between 1979 and 2001, the percentage of male infants who were circumcised in the hospital remained relatively constant, ranging between 59 percent and 65 percent. However, between 2001 and 2003, the percentage of male infants circumcised decreased from 63 percent to 56 percent. he percentage of male newborns in the western region of the United States receiving circumcisions has significantly decreased, from 64 percent in 1979 to 31 percent in 2003. This decrease may be reflective of an increase in the proportion of births to Hispanics, who have been found to be less likely to receive circumcisions than are white and black male infants.
(http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/85MaleCircumcision.cfm)
1. What percentage of men use contracptives (Condoms)?
Use within marriage. An estimated 44 million married couples use condoms for family planningThe estimate of 6 to 9 billion condoms used worldwide each year is based partly on surveys of actual use and also assumes that, of the 8 to 10 billion condoms produced each year, 10% to 20% are never used.
(http://www.infoforhealth.org/pr/h9/h9chap1_1.shtml)
2. What is the average age of birth?
Women in the United States are waiting longer to have children, health statistics show, presenting challenges for doctors and patients alike. More than 586,000 babies were born to women over age 35 in 2004. That's just over 14 percent of births that year, up from about 5 percent 15 years ago. The average age of women when they gave birth for the first time was at a record high of 25.2 in 2003, the CDC said. That age has increased by nearly four years since 1970.
(http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/21/later.childbirth/index.html)
3.what is the most common form of birth control?
Women prefer to use the pill ahead of other forms of contraceptive according to a new survey by the Office for National Statistics. In 2007/08, three-quarters of women in the 16-49 age group reported using some form of contraception, with 28 per cent of women using the pill, compared with 24 per cent who relied on the male condom. One quarter of women said they did not use any form of contraception in 2007/08, with the most common reason being that they were not in a heterosexual relationship (14 per cent). Three percent said they were not using contraceptives because they wanted to become pregnant.
(office for National Statistics www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/csh1008.pd)
4. Percentage of Adoption in the united states?
Adoption in the United States is the legal act of adoption, of permanently placing a person under the age of 18 with a parent or parents other than the birth parents in the United States. The 2000 census was the first census in which adoption statistics were collected. The number of children awaiting adoption dropped from 132,000 to 118,000 during the period 2000 to 2004 USA Adoption Chart.In fiscal year 2001, 50,703 foster children were adopted in the United States, many by their foster parents or relatives of their biological parents.
(wikipedia)
5. what is the percentage of teen pregnancy? How has it changed?
The birth rate rose by 3 percent between 2005 and 2006 among 15-to-19-year-old girls, after plummeting 34 percent between 1991 and 2005, the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
LOOK AT LINK FOR GRAPH: http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/12/06/GR2007120600072.gif
Group 2- Medical technigues and technology of birth
6. What percentage of woman die of Childbirth?
women are dying from childbirth at the highest rate in decades, new government figures show. Though the risk of death is very small, experts believe increasing maternal obesity and a jump in Caesarean sections are partly to blame. The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose to 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004, according to statistics released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics. The rate was 12 per 100,000 live births in 2003 — the first time the maternal death rate rose above 10 since 1977.
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427256/)
7. What is the percentage of male babies who are circumcised?
Between 2001 and 2003, the percentage of male infants who were circumcised in the hospital decreased from 63 percent to 56 percent, the lowest percentage recorded since 1979. Between 1979 and 2001, the percentage of male infants who were circumcised in the hospital remained relatively constant, ranging between 59 percent and 65 percent. However, between 2001 and 2003, the percentage of male infants circumcised decreased from 63 percent to 56 percent. he percentage of male newborns in the western region of the United States receiving circumcisions has significantly decreased, from 64 percent in 1979 to 31 percent in 2003. This decrease may be reflective of an increase in the proportion of births to Hispanics, who have been found to be less likely to receive circumcisions than are white and black male infants.
(http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/85MaleCircumcision.cfm)
Monday, February 9, 2009
What questions do we need to better understand the American Way of Birth?
Topic ---- How people get pregnant?
Birth control
Abortion
Adoption
1. what % of women get pregnant on purpose?
2. how available is birth control to all people? (teens and adults)
3. what is the % of teen pregnancy? how has it changed?
4. what reasons do women have for getting an abortion?
5. how do the different races compare to pregnancy?
6. what is the average age of birth?
7. reasons for adoption?
8. is abortion or putting your child up for adoption more difficult for the mother?
9. what is the most common form of birth control?
10. what is the safest form of birth control?
11. what %of men use condoms?
12. what is there reason for not?
13. what %of men take responsibility for there children?
4 Birth Stories:
Birth story # 1 - The first person i asked said when they gave birth it was just as expected and "would remember every wonderful moment" they had planned form the very beginning to have a completely natural birth in the comfort of there own home. Months before the birth the two of them attended various birthing classes (a lot of yoga) to better prepare themselves. It was very important for both the husband and wife to feel they were involved in the actual process as much as the professionals. They made sure to have a staff they felt very secure with, both the dula and the OB/GYN were close friends of the soon to be parents. Her water broke in the mid morning, she was in the kitchen making tea, instead of freaking out she said she felt "an enormous sense of excitement, i felt prepared and i was ready for whatever this new little life was gonna bring." After cleaning up the mess her and her husband called their friends (the dual and the OB/GYN) over to there house, while waiting the two of them practiced some of the breathing methods and birth positions while listening to some of there favorite music to take her mind off the pain. "Having a supportive husband made the whole process less stressful, and exciting knowing you have a loved one to share it with." About an hour and a half later the dula and OB/GYN arrived, 3 hours after her water broke the contractions started, and they got set up and comfortable in their bathtub, "Natural birth allowed my son to take his time. When he arrived his umbilical cord was short which explained why I could only push a few seconds before stopping. He needed oxygen in short bursts! It was truly an experience I cherish for the fact that by body delivered when it was ready, not by induction."
Birth story # 2 - The second story i got was a little different form the first, it was a little less enjoyable. It was an unplanned pregnancy even though both the mother and father were thrilled with the new, thoughts ran through there head that it might have been a little too soon being as there daughter was just turning one. she was less worried about the process than her plan for after the baby was born. her first pregnancy was faster and a lot less painful than expected, that was not the case with her second one. Her water broke in a little less of a private place, the near by super market in the dairy aisle. she called her husband to meet her and take her to the hospital. 15 minutes later they were in a taxi cab going to the hospital, she described her contractions as "the worst pain ever! nothing could have prepared me for that, there were a few times where i did not know if i was gonna get out of it alive. I wanted to give up and no amount of support or words of comfort could make me feel any better. I needed the epidural as fast as i could get my hands on it!" After she was given the medication it did not seem to be working fast enough but about an hour later she was feeling a little more comfortable, but unfortunately it did not last forever, after a good 43 hours of treacherous labor she gave birth to another baby girl. Although she was over joyed with the newest addition she said "no amount of money could persuade me to go through that again." She stayed true to her word and 11 years to this day she has never been pregnant again.
Birth story # 3 - similar to the first story, the mother cherished every moment of the birth even though it played out a little differently than expected. both the mother and the father had originally wanted to have a natural birth in a hospital. They felt comfortable in that environment but felt it important to have her mother, step-mother and sisters in the room along with her husband. Being as scrap booking was a Hobie of hers, she wanted as many pictures and videos as her loved ones could take, it was "a memory i never wanted to forget!". little did she know complications would change her plan. It was 1 in the morning when her water had broke, she was sleeping and didn't notice anything until she was woken up by the pain of the contractions. After her husband quickly finished packing last minute things, they were on there way to the hospital (20 minutes by car). All her family was on call and left immediately once news had surfaced. In the car ride she said "i had a feeling it was not gonna be as easy as expected, i felt something was a little off and i was just extremely anxious to see my doctor" turned out she had the motherly instinct, 3 hours after being in the hospital she was rushed into an emergency c-section ( the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around the babies neck. " I knew how much support i had, but i could not help feeling extremely alone." after the surgery was over she was over bared with a huge rush of emotions, seeing the baby for the first time gave her a whole new outlook on life.
Birth story # 4 - Birth story # 4 is not much of a birth story, its only what i have been told about my birth parents and the whole adoption process. I was born on December 8Th 1992 in Corpus Christi Texas. Everyone always asks me how i felt when i was told i was adopted, to be honest i have absolutely no recollection of ever being told, almost as if i always knew (sounds corny). I have never really been told much about my birth parents and i have never bothered to ask cause it always seemed like a touchy subject. I know they were very young and felt they would not be able to support me. I was put up for adoption immediately after birth, I'm not sure if my birth parents ever saw what i looked like. My mother and father received the news the day i was born, they dropped everything and got the first possible plane fight to Texas, we were united when i was two days. I stayed in Texas for two weeks where i meet my grandma, two weeks later i was in Mexico visiting family and friends and then California and Florida, i was about 4 months when i finally got to new york. I often times wonder what my life could have been knowing i could have been given to a number of families, i have never made the attempt to get in contact with my birth parents but i always wonder what they are like and the lives they live now and if they still feel they made the right decision.
Birth story # 2 - The second story i got was a little different form the first, it was a little less enjoyable. It was an unplanned pregnancy even though both the mother and father were thrilled with the new, thoughts ran through there head that it might have been a little too soon being as there daughter was just turning one. she was less worried about the process than her plan for after the baby was born. her first pregnancy was faster and a lot less painful than expected, that was not the case with her second one. Her water broke in a little less of a private place, the near by super market in the dairy aisle. she called her husband to meet her and take her to the hospital. 15 minutes later they were in a taxi cab going to the hospital, she described her contractions as "the worst pain ever! nothing could have prepared me for that, there were a few times where i did not know if i was gonna get out of it alive. I wanted to give up and no amount of support or words of comfort could make me feel any better. I needed the epidural as fast as i could get my hands on it!" After she was given the medication it did not seem to be working fast enough but about an hour later she was feeling a little more comfortable, but unfortunately it did not last forever, after a good 43 hours of treacherous labor she gave birth to another baby girl. Although she was over joyed with the newest addition she said "no amount of money could persuade me to go through that again." She stayed true to her word and 11 years to this day she has never been pregnant again.
Birth story # 3 - similar to the first story, the mother cherished every moment of the birth even though it played out a little differently than expected. both the mother and the father had originally wanted to have a natural birth in a hospital. They felt comfortable in that environment but felt it important to have her mother, step-mother and sisters in the room along with her husband. Being as scrap booking was a Hobie of hers, she wanted as many pictures and videos as her loved ones could take, it was "a memory i never wanted to forget!". little did she know complications would change her plan. It was 1 in the morning when her water had broke, she was sleeping and didn't notice anything until she was woken up by the pain of the contractions. After her husband quickly finished packing last minute things, they were on there way to the hospital (20 minutes by car). All her family was on call and left immediately once news had surfaced. In the car ride she said "i had a feeling it was not gonna be as easy as expected, i felt something was a little off and i was just extremely anxious to see my doctor" turned out she had the motherly instinct, 3 hours after being in the hospital she was rushed into an emergency c-section ( the baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around the babies neck. " I knew how much support i had, but i could not help feeling extremely alone." after the surgery was over she was over bared with a huge rush of emotions, seeing the baby for the first time gave her a whole new outlook on life.
Birth story # 4 - Birth story # 4 is not much of a birth story, its only what i have been told about my birth parents and the whole adoption process. I was born on December 8Th 1992 in Corpus Christi Texas. Everyone always asks me how i felt when i was told i was adopted, to be honest i have absolutely no recollection of ever being told, almost as if i always knew (sounds corny). I have never really been told much about my birth parents and i have never bothered to ask cause it always seemed like a touchy subject. I know they were very young and felt they would not be able to support me. I was put up for adoption immediately after birth, I'm not sure if my birth parents ever saw what i looked like. My mother and father received the news the day i was born, they dropped everything and got the first possible plane fight to Texas, we were united when i was two days. I stayed in Texas for two weeks where i meet my grandma, two weeks later i was in Mexico visiting family and friends and then California and Florida, i was about 4 months when i finally got to new york. I often times wonder what my life could have been knowing i could have been given to a number of families, i have never made the attempt to get in contact with my birth parents but i always wonder what they are like and the lives they live now and if they still feel they made the right decision.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
AMOL Big Paper:
Intro ---
Every America has there own definition of their American way of life, a lot has to do with their background and experiences. Every one wants to achieve the “America dream”, but what defines that. We live in a land of opportunity and most want to take advantage of it. Status is very important to most people and it is most of their goals in life to make it to the top. American is supposed to be a place where everyone, people born dirt poor or filthy rich are given the same chances and opportunities to succeed in life. People from other countries have a painted picture in their head that everything is possible; a lot of their perception is influenced by the American and worldwide media. Through observation and interviews of the American people we were able to discuss as a class many of the dominant frameworks of the America way of life. While closely looking at all the aspects of the AWOL we were able to better analyze it and see how much of it is actually true, and what is made up to be more than it actually is.
Through the eyes of an American ---
What is The American Way of Life? At first it seemed like there would be and obvious answer: “2.5 kids, two cars, a white picket fence and a dog.” However, it turns out that its a little more complicated than that, depending on who you ask. In the beginning of the year on the many trips we took walking and observing our surroundings. Through interviews with peers, family members and strangers on the busy New York City streets, I was able to I gathered an overall idea about what the American Way of Life actually is. Although everyone’s definition of the American Way of Life is different, both Fred Taylor and John Fanning, two middle class white men, were able to agree that they thought it was structured around freedom and the right that people have to persue what they love. They felt it is “Important to live the life you imagined and follow your dreams” (Taylor), and that “People should be able to seek what they feel is necessary in life” (Taylor). It’s interesting that the majority of what they said was similar, possibly due to the fact that they went through some of the same struggles in life; both coming form artistic backgrounds.
The American Way of Life is a never-ending cycle, which involves numerous subjects left open for discussion. Living in America in this day and age has been extremely tough. It a melting pot of different cultures all having different views of what the American Way of Life is, and some of the challenges that go along with it. Financially it has become very difficult to support American family lifestyles “at this point in time the economic system is horrible. The Richer are getting Richer, the middle class is becoming smaller and more people are becoming poorer and poorer.” (Taylor) For the most part everyone that I have interviewed felt America was based on “opportunity,” but with the current government opportunity seems to be getting smaller, and one thing seems to lead to another. How much freedom and opportunity do we actually have? Generally speaking the lower class seems to have a much larger struggle. While walking around the streets I interviewed a lower class Hispanic women who said, “If you are born from a poor family life is harder to get by in life. We do not have the access to the best education, which can make or break our careers.”
People claim you can do anything you want in life, as long as you put your mind to it. But how true is that? Although she felt not everyone was able to seek the “American Way Of Life,” it seems that people agree that education and money play a very important role in the socioeconomic status of Americans. “People who are educated do better in this country” (Fanning). Education seems to be a large part of how successful people become in life. Why were people 40 years ago able to support families without graduating from high school or having a college degree? Why has it changed so much? People who get a lower level of education usually are not able to get highly paid jobs.
Does everyone living in American dream the same dream? Is it to“ work hard, start families, try and make money, and pass down tradition and values to the next generation.” (Fanning) Is that the typical American Way of Life? Who is the one who determines the way we choose to live our lives? People all around the world go to great lengths to get to America because of the “freedom” and “opportunity” they hear we Americans have.
Capitalism ---
Capitalism is more complicated than most would understand, there are many different aspects to the way it is run. The official definition of Capitalism is an economic system in which goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed through the mechanism of a free market based deeply on the right to private property and the profit motive. The three major defining concepts of capitalism are Land, Labor, and Capital. These all have a lot to do with the production of a product. Land (the natural world) is the natural resources the product needs. Labor involves all the work necessary to produce and sell the product, lastly Capital which is the resources (the stuff) used to "re-shape" and sell the final product. People who have money to start off are able to get father in life than people who don't. There is a lot of strategy behind capitalism many companies and businesses try to make the most money possible while spending as little as possible this is also known as profit motive. It the seller and the consumer who both try and get the most out of every dollar they put towards the product, the price of their product set according to the market price. That is the highest price the seller will sell their product for and the lowest price the consumer is willing to pay for (buy low, sell high). Based on supply and demand the market price will shift. If demand of a product goes up price and quantity will also go up, if demand goes down so will the price and quantity. If Supply goes up price goes down while quantity goes up, lastly when supply goes up quantity goes down. A free market economy will cause competition between business because the government does not impose regulations with leaves the market to set its own level, this lack or regulation is what is causing the economic crisis occurring right now. Why do people work as hard as they do? Is it because they want to? The invisible hand is what pushes you to do not always what you want, but what you know you have to do in order to provide a comfortable life for yourself and the people in your life (self interest). One of the most common stories you will hear in American is the "Rags to Riches" one. So many people are drawn to the fact that we have upward mobility, where you can start at the bottom with little money but still make it to the top. That motive knowing you can make something of your life encourages people to continue to work.
Constitution and government---
We studied the constitution and took a deeper look into the meaning behind it, before that it was important to understand the basic concepts.
Pre-Amble
To ensure that America stays free and that Justice is always served, this constitution was created so that laws and rules must be abided by, the constitution serves the purpose of making sure that everyone is unified and domestic peace is kept in place.
• Legislative Branch:
- Made up of Congress, House of Representatives, and Senate
- Makes Tax laws
- Makes laws controlling trade between the United States and other countries
- Representation in senate remains the same, different from the House of Representatives which varies on population of state
- Senate can say yes or no to treaties that president makes
- Approves the production and making of money
- Can declare wars with countries
• Executive Branch:
- Makes sure that laws of US are followed and obeyed
- To be a president, you must be a natural born American and have lived in the US for at least 14 years
- The President has a cabinet that he can turn to for advice. i.e) The Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce
- The President has the power to approve or disapprove laws that the Congress creates
• Judicial Branch:
- Justices have to be trained in law.
- Supreme Court is made up of 9 justices
- Is The Supreme Court
In the constitution, it states that the supreme law of the land is that all of the decisions are made under the authority of the United States of America. Nothing is based on religion and no test has to be taken in order for a person to qualify for a job in the US office. If this was the case for every situation I think things would be a lot different then they are. This law is supposed to show how the Untied State is not only based on a dominant religion, when Bush was elected president he made the separation between church and state extremely hard to find. Supposedly it does not keep anyone who is not of the prominent religion in the United out of office. It also allows citizens that currently live in the US; practice any religion they choose because there are no consequences. It will not affect them negatively and they can pursue a career in a office of the United States. I think religion had been a huge part of the AWOL for thousands of years and has become a trap, when this law was written I think it was just a cover up tricking people to think that they could believe in anything they wanted and not be effected, but people are judged all the time and discriminated against because of religion preference and beliefs. The constitution was written not to be like any other country assuring people that they were given freedom one of them being the tight to choose and live by their religion.
According to the constitution, the fourth amendment states that the government is not permitted to search a person’s house or take a person’s items with a good reason and a warrant. I think a persons privacy should be respected but I believe it can be broken to ensure the safety of other people/citizens. My only objection is that when the law was written it should have been made more specific, it clearly states that random searches are not allowed. After 9/11 security became more intense and while traveling places more and more random searches started. They were not searching people’s items to make it any less convenient or to intentionally invade their privacy. It was done to ensure the safety of the people around them. Events and situations have taken place in the United States that left a lot of people shaken: terrorist bombings and many alleged plots for future attacks on the US. Looking closely you could conclude that there are exceptions being made towards the 4Th amendment but the reason why are acceptable.
The 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th amendments of the constitution are considered to be extremely crucial because it lead to the US’s change as a government. They introduced the Electoral College and the abolishment of slavery. For many years the white people had all the power, when these amendments where passed the American citizens of color to have more freedom mainly putting and end to slavery. The 12 Amendment changed how both the president and vice president became elected. Instead of electing a president and vice president together they made the decision to put them on separate ballots. Now a day the president makes the decision on who is appointed vice president.
The 13TH, 14TH and 15th amendment are the ones that allowed the United States citizens freedom. When slavery was abolished things seemed to become more diverse, the government now seems to consist of a few different races and backgrounds (Obama). The 14th amendment states that laws can’t be made that rob people of their lives and freedom, the 15th amendment stated that all citizens of any race had the right to vote but women were not allowed that privilege yet. Every amendment was a milestone in American history because they were the first amendments that allowed all citizens (with the exception of women) to be somewhat equal, attempting to bring the country closer.
I think that the amendments where passed around that time because although race was still a heavy weighing issue people were starting to realize that slavery would not last forever. Minorities began to stand up for themselves making it known they too had a voice to be heard. For many years it was the whites that had total control and dictated to everyone “below them”. I think Martin Luther King Jr played a large part in the process of getting equal rights for all people. During the movement, he referred frequently to the constitution and relied on it to help get the idea across to people that all people no matter race should be treated equal. Minorities showed their determination to be free, and probably helped to make it known that many of them weren’t scared of breaking the rules anymore. Although White supremacy was still to be feared, it was slowly becoming less of a threat. Things were changing in the world, and people began to realize that they deserved to have rights that whites only had. More and more Black leaders and speakers began to immerge. Although it would be nice to say we now live in a time where the race card is not played that is not the reality. It has without a doubt become much better but I don’t think it will ever go away completely.
Every America has there own definition of their American way of life, a lot has to do with their background and experiences. Every one wants to achieve the “America dream”, but what defines that. We live in a land of opportunity and most want to take advantage of it. Status is very important to most people and it is most of their goals in life to make it to the top. American is supposed to be a place where everyone, people born dirt poor or filthy rich are given the same chances and opportunities to succeed in life. People from other countries have a painted picture in their head that everything is possible; a lot of their perception is influenced by the American and worldwide media. Through observation and interviews of the American people we were able to discuss as a class many of the dominant frameworks of the America way of life. While closely looking at all the aspects of the AWOL we were able to better analyze it and see how much of it is actually true, and what is made up to be more than it actually is.
Through the eyes of an American ---
What is The American Way of Life? At first it seemed like there would be and obvious answer: “2.5 kids, two cars, a white picket fence and a dog.” However, it turns out that its a little more complicated than that, depending on who you ask. In the beginning of the year on the many trips we took walking and observing our surroundings. Through interviews with peers, family members and strangers on the busy New York City streets, I was able to I gathered an overall idea about what the American Way of Life actually is. Although everyone’s definition of the American Way of Life is different, both Fred Taylor and John Fanning, two middle class white men, were able to agree that they thought it was structured around freedom and the right that people have to persue what they love. They felt it is “Important to live the life you imagined and follow your dreams” (Taylor), and that “People should be able to seek what they feel is necessary in life” (Taylor). It’s interesting that the majority of what they said was similar, possibly due to the fact that they went through some of the same struggles in life; both coming form artistic backgrounds.
The American Way of Life is a never-ending cycle, which involves numerous subjects left open for discussion. Living in America in this day and age has been extremely tough. It a melting pot of different cultures all having different views of what the American Way of Life is, and some of the challenges that go along with it. Financially it has become very difficult to support American family lifestyles “at this point in time the economic system is horrible. The Richer are getting Richer, the middle class is becoming smaller and more people are becoming poorer and poorer.” (Taylor) For the most part everyone that I have interviewed felt America was based on “opportunity,” but with the current government opportunity seems to be getting smaller, and one thing seems to lead to another. How much freedom and opportunity do we actually have? Generally speaking the lower class seems to have a much larger struggle. While walking around the streets I interviewed a lower class Hispanic women who said, “If you are born from a poor family life is harder to get by in life. We do not have the access to the best education, which can make or break our careers.”
People claim you can do anything you want in life, as long as you put your mind to it. But how true is that? Although she felt not everyone was able to seek the “American Way Of Life,” it seems that people agree that education and money play a very important role in the socioeconomic status of Americans. “People who are educated do better in this country” (Fanning). Education seems to be a large part of how successful people become in life. Why were people 40 years ago able to support families without graduating from high school or having a college degree? Why has it changed so much? People who get a lower level of education usually are not able to get highly paid jobs.
Does everyone living in American dream the same dream? Is it to“ work hard, start families, try and make money, and pass down tradition and values to the next generation.” (Fanning) Is that the typical American Way of Life? Who is the one who determines the way we choose to live our lives? People all around the world go to great lengths to get to America because of the “freedom” and “opportunity” they hear we Americans have.
Capitalism ---
Capitalism is more complicated than most would understand, there are many different aspects to the way it is run. The official definition of Capitalism is an economic system in which goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed through the mechanism of a free market based deeply on the right to private property and the profit motive. The three major defining concepts of capitalism are Land, Labor, and Capital. These all have a lot to do with the production of a product. Land (the natural world) is the natural resources the product needs. Labor involves all the work necessary to produce and sell the product, lastly Capital which is the resources (the stuff) used to "re-shape" and sell the final product. People who have money to start off are able to get father in life than people who don't. There is a lot of strategy behind capitalism many companies and businesses try to make the most money possible while spending as little as possible this is also known as profit motive. It the seller and the consumer who both try and get the most out of every dollar they put towards the product, the price of their product set according to the market price. That is the highest price the seller will sell their product for and the lowest price the consumer is willing to pay for (buy low, sell high). Based on supply and demand the market price will shift. If demand of a product goes up price and quantity will also go up, if demand goes down so will the price and quantity. If Supply goes up price goes down while quantity goes up, lastly when supply goes up quantity goes down. A free market economy will cause competition between business because the government does not impose regulations with leaves the market to set its own level, this lack or regulation is what is causing the economic crisis occurring right now. Why do people work as hard as they do? Is it because they want to? The invisible hand is what pushes you to do not always what you want, but what you know you have to do in order to provide a comfortable life for yourself and the people in your life (self interest). One of the most common stories you will hear in American is the "Rags to Riches" one. So many people are drawn to the fact that we have upward mobility, where you can start at the bottom with little money but still make it to the top. That motive knowing you can make something of your life encourages people to continue to work.
Constitution and government---
We studied the constitution and took a deeper look into the meaning behind it, before that it was important to understand the basic concepts.
Pre-Amble
To ensure that America stays free and that Justice is always served, this constitution was created so that laws and rules must be abided by, the constitution serves the purpose of making sure that everyone is unified and domestic peace is kept in place.
• Legislative Branch:
- Made up of Congress, House of Representatives, and Senate
- Makes Tax laws
- Makes laws controlling trade between the United States and other countries
- Representation in senate remains the same, different from the House of Representatives which varies on population of state
- Senate can say yes or no to treaties that president makes
- Approves the production and making of money
- Can declare wars with countries
• Executive Branch:
- Makes sure that laws of US are followed and obeyed
- To be a president, you must be a natural born American and have lived in the US for at least 14 years
- The President has a cabinet that he can turn to for advice. i.e) The Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce
- The President has the power to approve or disapprove laws that the Congress creates
• Judicial Branch:
- Justices have to be trained in law.
- Supreme Court is made up of 9 justices
- Is The Supreme Court
In the constitution, it states that the supreme law of the land is that all of the decisions are made under the authority of the United States of America. Nothing is based on religion and no test has to be taken in order for a person to qualify for a job in the US office. If this was the case for every situation I think things would be a lot different then they are. This law is supposed to show how the Untied State is not only based on a dominant religion, when Bush was elected president he made the separation between church and state extremely hard to find. Supposedly it does not keep anyone who is not of the prominent religion in the United out of office. It also allows citizens that currently live in the US; practice any religion they choose because there are no consequences. It will not affect them negatively and they can pursue a career in a office of the United States. I think religion had been a huge part of the AWOL for thousands of years and has become a trap, when this law was written I think it was just a cover up tricking people to think that they could believe in anything they wanted and not be effected, but people are judged all the time and discriminated against because of religion preference and beliefs. The constitution was written not to be like any other country assuring people that they were given freedom one of them being the tight to choose and live by their religion.
According to the constitution, the fourth amendment states that the government is not permitted to search a person’s house or take a person’s items with a good reason and a warrant. I think a persons privacy should be respected but I believe it can be broken to ensure the safety of other people/citizens. My only objection is that when the law was written it should have been made more specific, it clearly states that random searches are not allowed. After 9/11 security became more intense and while traveling places more and more random searches started. They were not searching people’s items to make it any less convenient or to intentionally invade their privacy. It was done to ensure the safety of the people around them. Events and situations have taken place in the United States that left a lot of people shaken: terrorist bombings and many alleged plots for future attacks on the US. Looking closely you could conclude that there are exceptions being made towards the 4Th amendment but the reason why are acceptable.
The 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th amendments of the constitution are considered to be extremely crucial because it lead to the US’s change as a government. They introduced the Electoral College and the abolishment of slavery. For many years the white people had all the power, when these amendments where passed the American citizens of color to have more freedom mainly putting and end to slavery. The 12 Amendment changed how both the president and vice president became elected. Instead of electing a president and vice president together they made the decision to put them on separate ballots. Now a day the president makes the decision on who is appointed vice president.
The 13TH, 14TH and 15th amendment are the ones that allowed the United States citizens freedom. When slavery was abolished things seemed to become more diverse, the government now seems to consist of a few different races and backgrounds (Obama). The 14th amendment states that laws can’t be made that rob people of their lives and freedom, the 15th amendment stated that all citizens of any race had the right to vote but women were not allowed that privilege yet. Every amendment was a milestone in American history because they were the first amendments that allowed all citizens (with the exception of women) to be somewhat equal, attempting to bring the country closer.
I think that the amendments where passed around that time because although race was still a heavy weighing issue people were starting to realize that slavery would not last forever. Minorities began to stand up for themselves making it known they too had a voice to be heard. For many years it was the whites that had total control and dictated to everyone “below them”. I think Martin Luther King Jr played a large part in the process of getting equal rights for all people. During the movement, he referred frequently to the constitution and relied on it to help get the idea across to people that all people no matter race should be treated equal. Minorities showed their determination to be free, and probably helped to make it known that many of them weren’t scared of breaking the rules anymore. Although White supremacy was still to be feared, it was slowly becoming less of a threat. Things were changing in the world, and people began to realize that they deserved to have rights that whites only had. More and more Black leaders and speakers began to immerge. Although it would be nice to say we now live in a time where the race card is not played that is not the reality. It has without a doubt become much better but I don’t think it will ever go away completely.
Inauguration Analysis:
I was surprised how emotional this past week was, especially the Monday (Martin Luther King Day) before the inauguration. Talking to family and friends everyone seemed to be amazed that they lived to see the day where "MLK'S dreams became a reality". I stayed home to watch the inauguration with the surprising permission of my parents, they felt it was a extremely historical day that could not be missed. To me if felt like the first day in many years where people has some sort of hope for the country, it was a good feeling to know that a president i actually wanted and many of the people closest too me choose, won!!! because that has not been the case for the past two elections. This election seemed to have a slightly different vibe from previous ones. People seemed more desperate, as if Obama was the our only answer, treated almost as god: he had all the answers to our problems, as long as he is out president we have no more worries. Although i agree that he will lead us in a better direction then McCain, there is only so much he can do in the time he has to get us out of the mess we are in. It seemed to become a trend to show support for him, most celebrities used there power to promote him, appearing in TV specials, commercials, and ads, making it the "in" thing to do.
while watching the news coverage, I was really surprised and inspired to see how diverse the crowd of people (more than 2 million) gathered together in Washington to show support for Obama, many reporters compared it to the march on Washington when MLK gave his most famous "I have a dream" speech. I think it gave many hope that the road to end racism was coming to an end, but in reality there is a long way to go, we have just made a huge leap. when the Bush's showed there face at the celebration i was surprised at how calm to crow was, i was expecting to see more anger and hate in people actions.
I was also really surprised at how much the media took interest in the outfits the Obama family was wearing, it seemed like a very insignificant thing compared to the rest of the day. Everyone was talking about what the new up and coming young designer Michelle was wearing, and J Crew made it very clear that they provided the outfits for Barack, and his two daughter Sasha and Melia.
Overall I enjoyed watching the inauguration, i thought it was very thoughtfully planed out with all of the preformences, and it was a good feeling to see so many people (black, white, hispanic, rich and poor) show their support in the freezing cold weather. That was a historic event that im sure will be talked about in out children's american history classes. All of us can say we had the privilage of watching it live.
Posted by tribeca92 at 3:59 PM 0 comments
while watching the news coverage, I was really surprised and inspired to see how diverse the crowd of people (more than 2 million) gathered together in Washington to show support for Obama, many reporters compared it to the march on Washington when MLK gave his most famous "I have a dream" speech. I think it gave many hope that the road to end racism was coming to an end, but in reality there is a long way to go, we have just made a huge leap. when the Bush's showed there face at the celebration i was surprised at how calm to crow was, i was expecting to see more anger and hate in people actions.
I was also really surprised at how much the media took interest in the outfits the Obama family was wearing, it seemed like a very insignificant thing compared to the rest of the day. Everyone was talking about what the new up and coming young designer Michelle was wearing, and J Crew made it very clear that they provided the outfits for Barack, and his two daughter Sasha and Melia.
Overall I enjoyed watching the inauguration, i thought it was very thoughtfully planed out with all of the preformences, and it was a good feeling to see so many people (black, white, hispanic, rich and poor) show their support in the freezing cold weather. That was a historic event that im sure will be talked about in out children's american history classes. All of us can say we had the privilage of watching it live.
Posted by tribeca92 at 3:59 PM 0 comments
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