Sarah,
This post was very straightforward, well structured and concise. Well done!
You ask good questions (like "Shouldn’t we trust the ones we are close to, to bring together something we would of liked? Why does the ceremony make such a difference to us, considering we are the guest who is not really invited? Is it something they have dreamed about since they were little?I began to wonder if the reason why religion is such a common trend in death is merely because people find comfort in it...How can we be so sure? What do either of those symbols have to do with the core of what the holiday is actually celebrating?") because they are thought-provoking, often have more than one answer, often have answers that affect many people, and contain unique insights.
I also wondered why people are drawn to the funeral industry...I had always thought that perhaps they were creepy and thus had twisted logic, but perhaps they are simply less afraid of death and more interested in money than many of the population.
Natalie,
I enjoyed several things about your post. I thought it was prudent to mention the fact that your parents' opinions (and their childrens') are the same as a result of living together for a long time. You did not leave it to the reader to make this important inference.
"I think it would be better to cremate me and then put me in a place where people could come remember me, rather than a cemetery filled with death.”....I thought this quote was especially thought-provoking because brought about the possibility that the real cause of preferences between cremation and burial come down to the fundamental question: Which one is more filled with death?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Protege:
Case,
The subject itself was really interesting, but what really adds spice to the interviews is how you managed to discover and then proceed to incorporate the effects of religion on how death was perceived! As in how B's religious upbringing perhaps lead him to believe the body should be cleansed. Alternatively, J's atheistic upbringing leads to his purely literal interpretation of death. Perhaps it's coincidence, but I think you've illustrated quite the phenomenon!
From Natalie:
Casey,
I thought this post was very well written. This line struck me in particular:
"Perhaps that is another reason why death and treatment of the dead is rather taboo in our society; there are so many different, sensitive, deeply engrained opinions and unpleasant emotions associated with it."
I agree with you in the sense that death is taboo amongst the people of our society. Because it is so deeply ingrained in religion, it causes a lot of conflicts of interest between people I think, when it is brought up in conversation. Hearing someone deny the afterlife I imagine can be brutal for someone who has envisioned this idea their entire lives. I believe however that it is not only because of religion, but as you said, the emotions attached to death. People would rather believe that they are invincible and will never die. Therefore if they do not speak of death, they will not experience it.
From Sarah:
Casey,
I found the contrast between your interviews to lead you to some very insightful ideas. This was evident in these sentences, "I think that many teenagers in this society have not yet experienced their most painful moments in life, because they have not experienced many deaths of close friends and family. I wonder if there is something that youth can do to prepare for such an experience." As a teenager who has experienced what death feels like, I can say personally I really don't think we can mentally prepare ourselves. I think after one death you begin to realize that mourning doesn't last forever, it is always with you but it gets better. Yet the feeling of shock and denial are emotions that are inevitable... However, I think it is very important to have your feelings and understand that death is just another part of life, although it is something we wish we could all avoid, it's better to deal with it than to ignore it. I really enjoyed your post, good job!
From Mentor:
Casey,
A very nice survey here. I liked how you tried to explored the link between one's worldview about an afterlife with their impression of death. To expand on that, I wonder how that same worldview would affect their daily lives as well. For example, if subject B had an opinion that the afterlife was a conscious state, mildly pleasant, and (he hopes) continuous for his mind & memory, then how does that affect his daily life? Does he believe that he can engage in high-risk behavior, say sky-diving for example, because he believes there is much more to experience after death?
And likewise, would a subject like J consider himself to be extra cautious, given that his worldview limits his experience to the time he has in this life?
Or are the opposites true? Would B remain extra cautious in order to attain the better outcome in the afterlife, and would J consider himself reckless, given that the consequences could only be short-term?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
HW #50 - First Third of Jessica Mitford's "The American Way of Death: Revisited"
Précis:
My exploration of the funeral industry has hugely contributed to its figurative professional menopause, which in turn brought about an industry-wide hatred of me and book’s revealing of the horrors within it. Unfortunately, the majority of funeral services remain full of manipulative marketing antics, if not more so. Their antics include gaging the cost of their products based on their speculations of family’s ability to pay, hiding as many facts as possible from their clients, taking advantage of the survivors’ ignorance, grief and need and desire to make significant financial decisions on the spot. They fabricate laws to guarantee expensive practices and products such as embalming, caskets and vaults. They justify their high prices by pretending that the prices includes the services of newspaper organizations, grave-diggers, and churches, and by exaggerating the number of hours they spend on a given funeral. Their reasoning for their various ridiculous practices is that they are part of a sacred “American Tradition”, that the casket must match the appearance of the body which must match the body’s dress which must match the vault (all of which must be impeccable for the sake of respecting the dead body and preventing emotional and mental scarring of the surviving loved ones), that the money spent on a dead body reflects the amount of love and respect the survivors have for the deceased, that avoidance of such practices is illegal and hazardous to public health, and that emotional catharsis is provided through correct ceremony. The general absence of informational texts on the subject of funeral services allows and encourages the industry to strive for its common goal: extract as much profit as possible from funeral-seekers.
Quotes I Enjoyed:
I am continually befuddled by the twisted logic of funeral directors. Either they lack a collective consciounce that would keep them from their continually deceptive ways, or Mitford was right when she said that the industry had "hypnotized" itself into believing its propaganda. For example, a supporter of the funeral industry promoted the practice of embalming because the lessened the number of deaths in the US can be attributed to embalming by 50%. Not only is this probably lacking in evidence (where did he get that statistic? Is that even quantifiable?), but by his logic embalming is ultimately hurting the business because the funeral industry's profit is very dependent on the numberof deaths in the US (the only country that embalms). This kind of reasoning continually arises in industry, according to the book. Society's profound ignorance of this business fuels this logic I think, because a few simple questions can reveal the reasoning of funeral directors to be anything but legitimate.
My exploration of the funeral industry has hugely contributed to its figurative professional menopause, which in turn brought about an industry-wide hatred of me and book’s revealing of the horrors within it. Unfortunately, the majority of funeral services remain full of manipulative marketing antics, if not more so. Their antics include gaging the cost of their products based on their speculations of family’s ability to pay, hiding as many facts as possible from their clients, taking advantage of the survivors’ ignorance, grief and need and desire to make significant financial decisions on the spot. They fabricate laws to guarantee expensive practices and products such as embalming, caskets and vaults. They justify their high prices by pretending that the prices includes the services of newspaper organizations, grave-diggers, and churches, and by exaggerating the number of hours they spend on a given funeral. Their reasoning for their various ridiculous practices is that they are part of a sacred “American Tradition”, that the casket must match the appearance of the body which must match the body’s dress which must match the vault (all of which must be impeccable for the sake of respecting the dead body and preventing emotional and mental scarring of the surviving loved ones), that the money spent on a dead body reflects the amount of love and respect the survivors have for the deceased, that avoidance of such practices is illegal and hazardous to public health, and that emotional catharsis is provided through correct ceremony. The general absence of informational texts on the subject of funeral services allows and encourages the industry to strive for its common goal: extract as much profit as possible from funeral-seekers.
Quotes I Enjoyed:
- "It will be noted that the prices all end in the number seven, 'Purposely styled to allow you to quote as 'sixty dollars additional' or 'save a hundred dollars' ' " (page 24).
- "...Cremation of an un-coffined body is prohibited under California Law. This was said in all three cases with such a ring of conviction that I began to doubt the evidence before my eyes in the state code" (page 27).
- " 'I sell vaults. I listened to Mrs. Mitford's speech and seh never said that when Jesus Christ our Lord was crucified, a rich man gave him his vault'...to my pleasure, not a soul stirred. They were all keen to discuss their mother's funeral" (page 37).
- "In an era when huge television audiences watch surgical operations in the comfort of their living rooms, when, thanks to the animated cartoon, the geography of the digestive system has become familiar territory even to the nursery-school set, in a land where the satisfaction of curiousity about almost all matters is a national past-time, surely the secretness of embalming cannot be attributed to the inherent gruesomeness of the subject" (page 44).
- "How true; once the blood is removed, chances of live burial are indeed remote" (page 46).
I am continually befuddled by the twisted logic of funeral directors. Either they lack a collective consciounce that would keep them from their continually deceptive ways, or Mitford was right when she said that the industry had "hypnotized" itself into believing its propaganda. For example, a supporter of the funeral industry promoted the practice of embalming because the lessened the number of deaths in the US can be attributed to embalming by 50%. Not only is this probably lacking in evidence (where did he get that statistic? Is that even quantifiable?), but by his logic embalming is ultimately hurting the business because the funeral industry's profit is very dependent on the numberof deaths in the US (the only country that embalms). This kind of reasoning continually arises in industry, according to the book. Society's profound ignorance of this business fuels this logic I think, because a few simple questions can reveal the reasoning of funeral directors to be anything but legitimate.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
HW #48 - Family Perspectives On The Care of The Dead
I interviewed my mom about her views surrounding death and after-death. Of my mother's experiences with death, my grandma's death and her grandmother's death stick out to her the most. She never discussed death when she was young, so she infers that whatever she learned about death was probably from the media. She did not express strong feelings or have ideas about what influenced her current views on death. When she thinks of funerals, she remembers sadness. When the casket opens the deceased look horrible and "I don't want to remember them that way....I know there is an embalming practice and people at the funeral home try to make the deceased look as natural as possible. The person in the casket usually doesn't look anything like what you remember."
My mom would like to be cremated. "The thought of being buried and decomposing slowly I find kind of creepy. Whoever survives me can do what they want with my ashes. It doesn't matter what they do because I feel like it wouldn't be me anymore. I would like people to remember good things and not be sad but that's unrealistic I guess." One big problem with funerals, to my mom, is that people spend way too much money. "Thousands and thousands of dollars on embalming and caskets just to be put in the ground. You'd be much better off putting the money towards those who are alive." Another problem involves cremation. My mom thinks that to be cremated a body must be embalmed and put in a casket, according to law. She finds this to be incredibly stupid. To my mom, when someone is elderly and they have lived for a long time the funeral can be joyful because it marks the end of a life well lived, but when someone dies young it's simply sad. Additionally, "there is a huge difference in mood when someone is a Christian; it is more joyous. If they are unsaved or young, it is tragic and makes for a difficult funeral."
My dad's first reaction to the concept of death was a sense of wrongness. Although many think of it as a natural part of life, it seems to him like part of a "broken world, somehow or another." He has experienced the unexpected death of many close friends, most of whom were young and/or healthy when they died. He was the last close person to speak to his grandfather before he died. He had a heart attack and my father called and ambulance and waited with his grandfather. As they heard the sirens approaching, his grandfather said "I reckon that would be them here directly." These were the last words my dad heard him utter. This death and several shocking deaths of younger, more physically optimal friends have left my father with the impression that everyone has a part of their mind that goes into a mode of denail or numbness. "You are going through the motions of life without really letting the emotions of loss hit you fully. There is something about you that does carry through that, but it seems like you shouldn't be able to. You see someone carry through and smile at the funeral for their wife and you kind of wonder 'How could you?'"
My dad knows that after death bodies undergo embalming in funeral homes. This process entails "draining the blood in the body and pumping this other stuff in." After his death, my dad would like "just whatever the standard morticians do in terms of embalming, putting me in a box, and burying me." He would rather not be cremated because there is a notion of "becoming part of the universe" that often accompanies it, and that he doesn't believe in. My dad noticed that at funerals, people muse over the morbitidy of the fact that there is a dead body on display and that they are visiting over it. They seem to think that the situation would be far more "tidy" if the body just disappeared. My dad thinks this is perhaps a problematic view because that practice "is a way of honoring that person and facing thier death. I think it's a healthy thing as part fo the mourning practice to do what we do."
In the face of death, my family values respect of the dead as well as the family of the dead. When my father wonders at the behavior of someone related to the deceased, he internalizes it and draws inferences about coping mechanisms. He did not critisize my grandfather for laughing and smiling during my grandma's funeral, even when my father wondered "how could you?" My parents do not encourage repressing grief or maintaining a wooden-faced appearance for the general public. I have found that some of my peers see grief as a weakness. I once had a close friend who advised me to avoid my sadness at a tragic period in my life and make myself think of happier things, because once the damage is done, so to speak, there is nothing I can do about it. My family sees grief as a means of respecting and remembering that which has been lost, and denying the emotions as a defense mechanism. It remains unclear whether that defense mechanism is harmful or useful or necessary, but it certainly is popular.
The interviews with my peers were far less centered around emotions. They thought of blackness, void, funeral, heaven, hell, burial and cremation. I suspect that the fundamental ideas were predominant in the peers' interviews because they had much fewer first-hand experiences with death than my parents had. The repetition of loss left the predominant memory of emotion in my parents' minds.
My mom would like to be cremated. "The thought of being buried and decomposing slowly I find kind of creepy. Whoever survives me can do what they want with my ashes. It doesn't matter what they do because I feel like it wouldn't be me anymore. I would like people to remember good things and not be sad but that's unrealistic I guess." One big problem with funerals, to my mom, is that people spend way too much money. "Thousands and thousands of dollars on embalming and caskets just to be put in the ground. You'd be much better off putting the money towards those who are alive." Another problem involves cremation. My mom thinks that to be cremated a body must be embalmed and put in a casket, according to law. She finds this to be incredibly stupid. To my mom, when someone is elderly and they have lived for a long time the funeral can be joyful because it marks the end of a life well lived, but when someone dies young it's simply sad. Additionally, "there is a huge difference in mood when someone is a Christian; it is more joyous. If they are unsaved or young, it is tragic and makes for a difficult funeral."
My dad's first reaction to the concept of death was a sense of wrongness. Although many think of it as a natural part of life, it seems to him like part of a "broken world, somehow or another." He has experienced the unexpected death of many close friends, most of whom were young and/or healthy when they died. He was the last close person to speak to his grandfather before he died. He had a heart attack and my father called and ambulance and waited with his grandfather. As they heard the sirens approaching, his grandfather said "I reckon that would be them here directly." These were the last words my dad heard him utter. This death and several shocking deaths of younger, more physically optimal friends have left my father with the impression that everyone has a part of their mind that goes into a mode of denail or numbness. "You are going through the motions of life without really letting the emotions of loss hit you fully. There is something about you that does carry through that, but it seems like you shouldn't be able to. You see someone carry through and smile at the funeral for their wife and you kind of wonder 'How could you?'"
My dad knows that after death bodies undergo embalming in funeral homes. This process entails "draining the blood in the body and pumping this other stuff in." After his death, my dad would like "just whatever the standard morticians do in terms of embalming, putting me in a box, and burying me." He would rather not be cremated because there is a notion of "becoming part of the universe" that often accompanies it, and that he doesn't believe in. My dad noticed that at funerals, people muse over the morbitidy of the fact that there is a dead body on display and that they are visiting over it. They seem to think that the situation would be far more "tidy" if the body just disappeared. My dad thinks this is perhaps a problematic view because that practice "is a way of honoring that person and facing thier death. I think it's a healthy thing as part fo the mourning practice to do what we do."
In the face of death, my family values respect of the dead as well as the family of the dead. When my father wonders at the behavior of someone related to the deceased, he internalizes it and draws inferences about coping mechanisms. He did not critisize my grandfather for laughing and smiling during my grandma's funeral, even when my father wondered "how could you?" My parents do not encourage repressing grief or maintaining a wooden-faced appearance for the general public. I have found that some of my peers see grief as a weakness. I once had a close friend who advised me to avoid my sadness at a tragic period in my life and make myself think of happier things, because once the damage is done, so to speak, there is nothing I can do about it. My family sees grief as a means of respecting and remembering that which has been lost, and denying the emotions as a defense mechanism. It remains unclear whether that defense mechanism is harmful or useful or necessary, but it certainly is popular.
The interviews with my peers were far less centered around emotions. They thought of blackness, void, funeral, heaven, hell, burial and cremation. I suspect that the fundamental ideas were predominant in the peers' interviews because they had much fewer first-hand experiences with death than my parents had. The repetition of loss left the predominant memory of emotion in my parents' minds.
Friday, April 22, 2011
HW #47 - Peer Perspectives On Care of The Dead
I interviewed three of my peers: A 17 year old male (J), a 16 year old male (B), and a 16 year old female (A). My results revealed various things about how people who share my age and city see death. My first interview was with B. He admitted to attending two funerals and knowing a close friend who died. His religious upbringing has influenced how he sees death and care of the dead, he believes. Thus, if he had a choice of what happens to him after his death, he would choose “something like the way heaven is commonly depicted. The most important thing to me that I really want though is to be able to hold on to my memories and who I am even after I had passed.” Additionally, his first reactions to the words “death” and “after death” were “Heaven, Hell, funeral, cremate, bury.” In terms of what happens to his body after death, he would like to be cremated. “If I were a body, I think I would rather be ‘cleansed’ in a way by fire (which is sometimes thought of as clean) then left to rot underground forever…I also feel like it is interesting to think that the soul is freed and rises up to the heavens with smoke from the burning body. I don’t necessarily think it is true, but it is kind of a nice thought.” He knows that most dead bodies are bathed and dressed in nice clothing, and their eyes are closed before burial or cremation.
My interview with J went somewhat differently. His first reactions to the terms “death” or “after death” were not religious in the least: “Darkness, absence, a great void.” Coincidentally, his family is atheist and he does not believe in any kind of afterlife. When his family marks the death of someone, the procedure is “little more than a memorial service held.” He does not want anything to happen to his “soul” after he dies, because “you are no longer conscious, you are nothing.” He knows that bodies are usually cremated or buried, but he would like his body to be donated to science like his father’s was, as it “serves no use for me once my brain and heart aren’t working.”
My third interviewee, A thought only of the color black when she heard the terms “death” and “after death.” She admitted to not having to “deal with a sudden or surprising death” because she has only experienced the loss of two family members who she did not know very well and who were very old and sick. Unlike the other two interviewees, she expressed that death is “tragic” because it “comes regardless of age or how ‘ready’ a person is, and unfortunately has robbed society of many beautiful people.” She was raised in a Catholic family and raised to believe that God exists, but she does not believe in God or an afterlife. “As much as it would be lovely to believe in some kind of afterlife, heaven or reincarnation, I just don’t…I think some people are able to believe in God and some people just can’t or don’t.” She has shied away from the indoctrinations of her parents and elders to form her own opinions, but she still does not like to think about what will happen after her death or what her carcass will undergo.
The collective reactionary thoughts to the words “death” or “after death” were of darkness, absence, void, heaven, hell, funeral, cremation, burial, and black. The people I interviewed shied away from directly stating emotions, but they mentioned very unpleasant concepts. Darkness often symbolizes emptiness, which is something every interviewee alluded to. Either they felt that death left a hole where the deceased person used to live, or they feel emotionally empty and numb when they think of death. Perhaps they have just been taught by the media and the people they now to see death as a negative thing rather than a natural part of life, and to associate it with darkness.
All of my interviewees had experienced the loss of an acquaintance or family member to death, but none of them expressed closeness to those who had died and only one of them admitted to having been close to any of the deceased. I think that many teenagers in this society have not yet experienced their most painful moments in life, because they have not experienced many deaths of close friends and family. I wonder if there is something that youth can do to prepare for such an experience. I think that perhaps some people prepare for their own deaths and for pain via avoidance, interviewee A said: “I don’t know (what should happen to me after death) and I prefer not to think about it.” Perhaps she prepared for her death by avoiding thinking of it as a defense mechanism, because she admitted to greatly fearing death in the past and sometimes still doing so.
I found it interesting that one’s beliefs about an afterlife or in religion connect directly to how their body to be treated after they die. A did not believe in an afterlife, and does not like to think about what people will do to her soul-less body. J expressed that you are no longer conscious after death, but the procedures his father’s body underwent inspired him to make use of what was left of him. B, who at least likes the idea of Heaven or an afterlife, has idealistic plans for cremating his body so his soul can rise up with the smoke. It seems that views surrounding religion or God are directly tied to how a carcass should be treated, (I think) because said views include ideas of the relationship between soul and body. Perhaps that is another reason why death and treatment of the dead is rather taboo in our society; there are so many different, sensitive, deeply engrained opinions and unpleasant emotions associated with it.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
HW #46 - Initial Thoughts On Care of The Dead
On the spectrum of emotions, I think that death is associated with the extreme of anger and sadness. I've rarely seen anyone talk about death light-heartedly, and when they did they were shushed or stigmatized. Most people don't enjoy dwelling on the concept of dying, and when they do they are often considered mentally distrought, suicidal or insane. Once my friend A was sad because her grandmother died. She told me and some friends around her that she had to go to the funeral soon. Amidst the condolences, my other friend B said "have fun at the funeral!" A was rather offended, and later on that day another who was part of the conversation asked Friend B to apologize. B Never did. I think this experience is an example of how we are taught by society to view death because although B meant well, he was not "right" in associating death with fun. Friend B thought that a funeral was a place to celebrate someone's life rather than to mourn its ending, but maybe this is a less dominant perspective.
The first funeral I remember being involved in is that of a family friend's. I declined the offer to attend because I thought it would be sad for me. My family did not have a problem with me not going, but in hindsight I wonder if it was cowardly of me to shy away from sadness. The next funeral I went to was for my tortoise, Abraham. He died unexpectedly and we put his body in a little cardboard box. We waited until it was dark enough not to be bothered by security or passersby and my dad dug a little hole in the dirt, next to the courtyard entrance to my building. Sometimes when I walk in my building through that entrance I think of Abraham buried there and of the pleasant time I had with him. This sounds morbid, but I never found it particularly strange. When in class we were asked how often we walk by a grave or memorial, most people said not very often. I realized that I do this daily, but this had never occured to me before. Maybe it never occured to me because I, like the rest of society, don't like to think about death. Or perhaps this is because the dead being is just a tortoise, and not a human with whom I had a deep relationship.
The first funeral I remember being involved in is that of a family friend's. I declined the offer to attend because I thought it would be sad for me. My family did not have a problem with me not going, but in hindsight I wonder if it was cowardly of me to shy away from sadness. The next funeral I went to was for my tortoise, Abraham. He died unexpectedly and we put his body in a little cardboard box. We waited until it was dark enough not to be bothered by security or passersby and my dad dug a little hole in the dirt, next to the courtyard entrance to my building. Sometimes when I walk in my building through that entrance I think of Abraham buried there and of the pleasant time I had with him. This sounds morbid, but I never found it particularly strange. When in class we were asked how often we walk by a grave or memorial, most people said not very often. I realized that I do this daily, but this had never occured to me before. Maybe it never occured to me because I, like the rest of society, don't like to think about death. Or perhaps this is because the dead being is just a tortoise, and not a human with whom I had a deep relationship.
The common practices surrounding care of the dead include burials, wakes, cremation, flowers, condolences and funerals. Bodies are disposed of via placement in a casket, which then is buried forever, or burning. Before cremation or burial, usually the diseased's friends and family can observe the body at a funeral home. This is called a wake. To make the body look less creepy or corpse-like, care-takers apply make-up and sew the lips together so that gravity doesn't pull the lips apart in a snarl. This indicates that people are unwilling to accept the tole nature takes on bodies. In an effort to deny death, people minimize its effects.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
HW #45 - Respond To Other Peoples' Comments
To Daniel,
Thank you! I too was surprised by the leeway the doctor gave me, but I felt more honored than astounded. I did not really have time to dwell upon my surprise while there, which just left me with a sort of adrenaline. I'm not sure if the criticisms of birth that "The Business of Being Born" explicitly or implicitly made were accurate or not. I do think that women are often abused in hospitals, but I did not witness this abuse (thankfully). Seeing birth as a medical procedure is somewhat accurate, because sometimes medical intervention is necessary. "The Business of Being Born", "Baby Catcher" and "Pushed" all referred to C-sections as a rather ugly, cruel event. Sure it is bloody and not always part of the mother's ideal plan, but I think that a happy mother during a C-section is not always a result her ignorance. Sometimes C-sections are done by knowledgeable doctors who prioritize the mother and the baby. Dr. Moritz is an example of that kidn of doctor, and he is certainly exceptional.
To Eloise,
Thank you! I thought the experience was beautiful as well. I'm not sure that all women need to aquire skills that are necessary in c-sections are births, but it is certainly joyful and educational to exercise such skills.
To Sarah,
Thank you! I know it seems like a lot to handle such "extreme" situations, but I think that a lot of people would be surprised by how much they can handle seeing and dealing with. Many people could probably rise to the occasion if they witnessed something crazy like a body coming out of another, and they had to act upon it. I'm glad you caught that birth is a normal process, because it is. It is not a problem or sickness that needs curing.
To Naima,
Thank you! I agree that we should all appreciate birth. If you were a doula, I'd hire you.
To Braxton,
Thank you!
To Jasper,
Thanks BUDDYYYYYY
To Luz,
Thank you, I wish you could have that experience too! I think it's possible, but perhaps difficult.
To Beatrice,
Thanks!
Thank you! I too was surprised by the leeway the doctor gave me, but I felt more honored than astounded. I did not really have time to dwell upon my surprise while there, which just left me with a sort of adrenaline. I'm not sure if the criticisms of birth that "The Business of Being Born" explicitly or implicitly made were accurate or not. I do think that women are often abused in hospitals, but I did not witness this abuse (thankfully). Seeing birth as a medical procedure is somewhat accurate, because sometimes medical intervention is necessary. "The Business of Being Born", "Baby Catcher" and "Pushed" all referred to C-sections as a rather ugly, cruel event. Sure it is bloody and not always part of the mother's ideal plan, but I think that a happy mother during a C-section is not always a result her ignorance. Sometimes C-sections are done by knowledgeable doctors who prioritize the mother and the baby. Dr. Moritz is an example of that kidn of doctor, and he is certainly exceptional.
To Eloise,
Thank you! I thought the experience was beautiful as well. I'm not sure that all women need to aquire skills that are necessary in c-sections are births, but it is certainly joyful and educational to exercise such skills.
To Sarah,
Thank you! I know it seems like a lot to handle such "extreme" situations, but I think that a lot of people would be surprised by how much they can handle seeing and dealing with. Many people could probably rise to the occasion if they witnessed something crazy like a body coming out of another, and they had to act upon it. I'm glad you caught that birth is a normal process, because it is. It is not a problem or sickness that needs curing.
To Naima,
Thank you! I agree that we should all appreciate birth. If you were a doula, I'd hire you.
To Braxton,
Thank you!
To Jasper,
Thanks BUDDYYYYYY
To Luz,
Thank you, I wish you could have that experience too! I think it's possible, but perhaps difficult.
To Beatrice,
Thanks!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
HW #44 - Comments On Other Peoples' Blogs
Sarah L,
You did a lovely job of summarizing the processes around childbirth over the past 100 years. You paused to analyze the practices in light of physiological inclings of women external effects of society on women.
I particularly valued your story of the woman who experienced birth in both Africa and the US, because it was a very relevant example of how the US treats birth like other countries don't: a medical procedure.
Your project matters to me because it provides a an explanation of the relationship between birth and society over the past century in a way that I have not yet seen. I can use your project as a frame of reference when writing about or analyzing birth over time.
Natalie,
Great job of describing the various ways that women are abused via judicial systems and doctors, and why it is considered abuse. I felt your passion oozing out of the computer screen. It was engaging and educational.
I particularly valued your insight that soon-to-be-mothers are the only people in society who are forced to undergo invasive surgery and even abuse for the sake of another life, and an un-born, dependent one at that. This had never occured to me, and I think it is particularly persuasive.
This project matters to me because I have empathy for all the women who have to fight for their ideal births, and for my future, potentially pregnant self. I sincerely recommend that you do send this blog post to an editorial-writing contest or another means of getting it published. I think this is worth reading, for many.
Naima,
You go girl! Your motivation to be involved in your stepmom's pregancy and the overall experience of birth is commendable, and the fact that your formed a strategy to do so looks effective. I think your experiences in doula training will provide life-long skills. After having seen several births, a doula in action, and what it takes to support birthing/pregnant women, I think that you have the potential to be a great doula!
Your project is important to me because I might like to take that class as well. I'm so excited for you to learn more about this process and eventually be a part of a birth.
I found it especially interesting that your aunt sings to the baby and familiarizes herself with him/her by touching the stomach...I wonder how she learned to do this.
Interesting work!
You did a lovely job of summarizing the processes around childbirth over the past 100 years. You paused to analyze the practices in light of physiological inclings of women external effects of society on women.
I particularly valued your story of the woman who experienced birth in both Africa and the US, because it was a very relevant example of how the US treats birth like other countries don't: a medical procedure.
Your project matters to me because it provides a an explanation of the relationship between birth and society over the past century in a way that I have not yet seen. I can use your project as a frame of reference when writing about or analyzing birth over time.
Natalie,
Great job of describing the various ways that women are abused via judicial systems and doctors, and why it is considered abuse. I felt your passion oozing out of the computer screen. It was engaging and educational.
I particularly valued your insight that soon-to-be-mothers are the only people in society who are forced to undergo invasive surgery and even abuse for the sake of another life, and an un-born, dependent one at that. This had never occured to me, and I think it is particularly persuasive.
This project matters to me because I have empathy for all the women who have to fight for their ideal births, and for my future, potentially pregnant self. I sincerely recommend that you do send this blog post to an editorial-writing contest or another means of getting it published. I think this is worth reading, for many.
Naima,
You go girl! Your motivation to be involved in your stepmom's pregancy and the overall experience of birth is commendable, and the fact that your formed a strategy to do so looks effective. I think your experiences in doula training will provide life-long skills. After having seen several births, a doula in action, and what it takes to support birthing/pregnant women, I think that you have the potential to be a great doula!
Your project is important to me because I might like to take that class as well. I'm so excited for you to learn more about this process and eventually be a part of a birth.
I found it especially interesting that your aunt sings to the baby and familiarizes herself with him/her by touching the stomach...I wonder how she learned to do this.
Interesting work!
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