Service Learning

I forgot to post about a service learning project I could work on. Next semester I am taking English 102 with Katie Zanto on the subject of Educational Issues. She is also offering a 1 unit course to supplement it where I will take what I am learning in 102 and apply it by going to elementary schools and doing activities to teach the kids about a topic I feel is important and relevant to me. I'm excited to do this and am not entirely sure on the full logistics of it. I was also thinking it would be cool to get more community events happening in Incline Village. I'd like to work with IVGID to build a little stage somewhere and make it possible to have little concerts in the park, farmer's markets, etc. where more of the community can be involved with one another.

Crunch Time

The last couple of weeks we had a different professor. Jillian was a lot of fun to have in class. Her passion for the subject and topics she brought to the table was clear and obvious. No matter the topic and comments made, she could spew information for days it seemed. Her energy was uplifting, motivating, and great. Jillian helped me consider new ways to approach writing my essay, which has really helped. While it was fun having a new face, it was great to have our professor back. I enjoyed hearing about his adventures, work, and new projects in Alaska as well as where we are at with our research. It seems like we're all around the same stages of research; finishing up and consolidating. It helped to talk about my topic out loud, I felt a little less behind, but am still feeling a little anxious about what is to come. Finals are next week and that is a week or so too soon. Yet I find myself in a time paradox of wanting summer to be here and school to be over, but I need so much more time to get all of my essays and projects finished while finding time to study and maintain my sanity. I guess it’s part of the student gig and will pass soon. It was fun to have our scattered class discussions back. What I assume was supposed to take 45 minutes or so turned into an entire class period because of our bouncing banter. I love it.

Economic Justice

Last week the class focussed on defining economic justice. Jillian asked us about what it meant to us, and later provided a definition. We watched "From First to Worst" highlighting California's public schools, listened to Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations", and learned about Jillian's case study of english learners.

What really stood out for me was the school systems. I have been in public school since the fourth grade and suddenly feel very fortunate. Both the Michigan and Idaho districts I belonged to provided me and my peers with plenty of tools to succeed. Disturbed by the 6 or 8 thousand dollar budget per student in California, I was moved to see what was spent on me during my time in primary schools. In Gaylord Michigan, $7,988 per student is what is spent. In the Wood River Valley the price is $14,406 per student. That is a drastic difference from the California system. I feel that my high school education was incredible and see how important that funding truly is now. In class I brought up the lack of spending now creates are larger price tag later in the sense that we become semi responsible for the uneducated, homeless and poor through tax funded programs. This was also confirmed in the statistic of state funding in prisons spending $27,000 per prisoner vs. $6,000 per student in the public school system.

Bettsy Betts

Bett's presentation was really helpful. At first I was searching without checking the "full text" box and could not access many of the articles and academic journals I needed. She pointed out specific data basis that will be helpful to me in the future, as my topic is more of a social topic rather than sustainable.

I have narrowed my topic to maternal health. I think I will start broad, addressing the issue on a global scale and then bringing it back to the United States as I go. I am excited to really dive into my research.

Danel, Isabella, Wendy J. Graham, and Ties Boerma. "Maternal death surveillance and response." Bulletin of the World Health Organization Nov. 2011. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Mar. 2012

Hill, Nancy. "Somali Immigrant Women's Health Care Experiences and Beliefs Regarding Pregnancy and Birth in the United States". College of Nursing and Health. OCLC First Search. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

Kabakchieva, Velika. "Maternal Morbidity And Maternal Mortality In The United States." Journal Of Children and Poverty. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

Lu, Michael C. "We Can Do Better: Improving Perinatal Health In America." Journal Of Women's Health. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.

"Percentage Of Births That Were Home Births, By Maternal Race/Ethnicity - United States, 1990-2009." MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 61.3 (2012): 58. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.

I will also have "Half the Sky" as a reference soon.

Tapped

While watching the movie "Tapped", I began to feel annoyed and upset at the way the big bottling companies made decisions about the water they were selling without allowing the people of the area to have part in it. It is their water in a way and the fact that they aren't benefiting from the profits is annoying. Also, the fact that there were droughts in many areas and there was no limit or restriction to the water being pumped but there was one for the people living there seems pretty backwards. This parallels with my research because in the sense that there are six men making decisions about birth control for women. An outside being is making the decisions similarly to the residents where water is being pumped. It just doesn't seem right.

Proposal

Womens Rights/Choice
Gay Rights: mainly law
Freedom of Religion
Respect in general

Womens Rights:

The ongoing controversy regarding women’s rights apart from unequal pay has been abortion. Pro-choice or pro-life? Recently, however, the heated debate has come to contraceptives and healthcare. Should insurance cover birth control as if it were any other medicine? Are employers allowed to dictate and discriminate based on contraceptives? Are the 99% of women taking birth control “sluts” and/or “prostitutes” as Rush Limbaugh would put it? Six men are making these decisions. Men, meaning they never have been, are not, and never will be women who could potentially become pregnant. I am sure these men enjoy taking part in sexual activity and would feel very different on the subject if other contraceptives were to fail. Noone should be able to tell another being what is right or wrong for their body and what they can and can’t do.

Gay Rights:

I recently heard on the news that Tennessee is making it illegal to discuss homosexuality in public schools from kindergarten through eighth grade. Concerns are that children who might be gay, be bullied or have a homosexual family member at home will have nowhere to go to discuss it if the need arises. Proponents argue that there is an ‘age appropriate’ responsibility to hold in the school area. Why is there the need to create this law in the first place? What are we so afraid of?

Respect:

United States soldiers burnt the Koran. Men are choosing what women can and can’t do with their bodies. The government is saying gay or lesbian love is invalid and inadequate. This all comes back to the point of respect. We need to respect other people and their differences.

Questions

1. What is your definition of social sustainability?
My definition of social sustainability is universal respect of differences, equal opportunity to resources, and the ability to sustain one's self and the previous.

2. In your own words what is social justice?
Social justice is equality on all levels. Equal rights (along with the obvious basic human rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), respect, access, opportunity, education, basic health care, etc. without struggle to receive and achieve these.

3. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from this class so far this semester?
The biggest lesson I have learned so far is that people aren't as understanding as I am. That may sound self-centered, but I am generally very understanding and/or willing to learn more to try and be understanding. I can visualize the other side of a situation, even if I don't agree, and say 'hey, I get what you're saying. I see what you mean, but this is what I think and maybe you can understand too.'

The people we discuss in class, read in text, and hear about on the news that are facing injustice, are being opposed by people who are set in their ways, and aren't so willing to work towards an agreement very easily.

4. What questions would you like us to answer next semester?
When I am asked to come up with questions, I struggle. I generally need something to spark a question, so this may seem half-heathed. I would like to understand the sustainable half of this class. What is meant by it? Is my definition of "social sustainability" correct, given that the sustainability portion seems foggy to me? I see the social justice aspect, and want to integrate the sustainability component. Will we be discussing those struggling with finances, and the unjust system they are coerced into? Not only people of racial descent are faced with social injustice. I would also be interested in discussing a way for students to become more involved and trying to create a sociology independent study or pulling more classes that integrate it into SNC. Amnesty International on a collegiate level facilitator? EHH?