Changing Nature of the American Family

Conclusion - Personal Accounts and Narratives

2010-05-02T13:41:00.001-07:00

I know this is long... so pick and choose which narratives you want to read if that helps!

After going through all the research and professional publications about how illness impacts the family, in the end possibly the most useful tool for really understanding these issues is to hear it first hand from those experiencing it. First hand accounts, like that of the Wagner family, Dolly, and Yvonne above are sometimes the most poignant and effective ways to really begin to comprehend what people in these situations are dealing with, how they feel, and how they cope. As a result, we will look at a few accounts in relation to the topics we’ve covered, including that of a mother caring for sick children, a sibling of a sick child, a child dealing with the illness of a parent, and lastly a young adult dealing with their own illness.
I have a good family friend from church who recently called my mom looking for some guidance and support. My knew her and her children, but just in the past few weeks has she really begun to understand the severity of her situation. She is a 40 year married woman, with four children ages 4, 6, 9, 10. All of her children have fallen ill with similar conditions, starting at very young ages. Some kids are in more severe situations that the others, but all of them require around the clock care and attention. She was generous enough to take the few minutes she had to conduct an interview with me, which I posted below. I kept things short to respect her time constraints, but I think even her brief answers reveal an enormous amount of information.

1) Can you just briefly explain what it is your children suffer from? 
My 4 children suffer from severe to life threatening food allergies as well as asthma and eczema.

2) What would you say are the 3 top "stressors" this has added to your family life (ie. financial costs, time management, marriage struggles)  Or… What are the 3 major ways this has impacted/changed your family life? 
The top 3 stressors that this has added is
1. I can't leave my children with anyone who is not well learned in this area.
2. I always have to plan ahead & can never be spontaneous.
3. I always have to be "on my toes" wherever we are-so therefore not able to fully relax & enjoy situations.
There is also immense financial costs which causes marriage and emotional struggles.

3) How do you feel it has changed your role as a mother? As a wife?
My role as a mother is changed because I am only one person but I have to be everything to all 4 children at all times. I cannot be an effective leader/friend/wife when I'm under immense stress all the time.

 4) How do care for yourself amidst caring for everyone else!?
I care for myself specifically by exercising daily.

 5) Where/Who do you draw upon for support? Have you been able to find resources for educational, emotional, or even care-giving support? If so, what are they? If not, why has it been difficult?
I draw upon Jesus for support because He's the only one who understands what I'm going through. I have some support from friends/family who are going through this on a smaller scale. I have a wonderful pediatrician and natropath who help me manage the children from the outside. It is difficult for most people to understand the severity of my situation. I have learned to say no to things for the safety and protection of my children. I have become a frantic micro manager!

There were many things that I picked up on through this interview that pertain to what we have been talking about. First, many of the stressors she listed fall in to the categories that apply to families dealing with all types of illnesses. However, the fact that she can not leave her children with a babysitter or anyone who is not trained in caring for her children’s needs is something that is not always considered, and clearly something that adds an enormous amount of strain and pressure to parenthood. Parents always need time away from their kids to relax or spend time with their spouse, yet she is completely held back from doing this because of her kid’s necessary at-home-care and the fear or something happening that only she or her husband would know how to respond to. There is also a general sentiment of extreme stress and tension that seems to define her life from morning to night. I also know that her kids are often awake during the night because they are uncomfortable in their skin, and she looses a great deal of sleep staying up with them and even restraining them to keep them from scratching. A lack of sleep and an every-day abnormally high level of nervous tension makes it hard, as she says in her interview, to fill any other role than mother/caretaker in her life. Her care-taking responsibilities define her schedule and her time, as she says she always has to plan ahead and be prepared. It also keeps her from getting involved in other activities or even feel like she can fulfill her other role as wife. There also seems to be a high level of fear, always worried that one of her kids will have an attack or reaction – keeping her from relaxing or enjoying life at times. I thought it was really interesting to learn that she has found an effective coping mechanism is her exercise routine. It seems exercise would be a great way to get out and release a little bit of the tension she clearly feels. And in her response to support, she clearly has found solace in her faith and beliefs, but also has found it really difficult to find sufficient support otherwise. Even with her friends and family it seems that the support is limited, and largely due to the fact that as she says, it is hard for anyone to genuinely understand what she is going through. This is a general sentiment among care-takers and sufferers, and is why support groups are so important. However, she is a prime example of someone coping with illness in the family that is not typical or extremely common, such as Cancer or Parkinson’s. Therefore, there are not support groups available specifically for care takers of kids with life-threatening allergies! This raises concern, as allergies like this can be just as demanding and emotionally difficult as many other diseases, so how can society build up more resources for family’s like hers who don’t necessary fit the mold?! Lastly, I thought her interview clearly showed that gender roles play a large part in her family dynamic, as it appears she takes on the majority of the responsibilities and therefore stress of care-taking as a woman and mother. Overall, even in her brief answers she revealed so much of what it means to be a mother caring for ill children within the family unit.

Now, to look at a sibling’s reaction, this is an excerpt from a book by Myra Bluebond-Langner called, In the Shadow of Illness. The author interviews and writes about nine families who have a child with Cystic Fibrosis. Below is a serious of quotes from Heather Farrington. The Farrington family is made up two married parents, Vera and Maurice, Heather who is 10, Holly who is 13, and Cody who is 7 and suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. This includes a few things Heather says about how she feels about her own actions toward Cody, how she feels for him, and what she fears due to his illness.

“When I get made at him and I say, ‘You’re a pain,’ and all; I feel sorry for him. And I say I shouldn’t do that because it’s mean to do that to your brother and your sister, especially a brother with cystic fibrosis.”
“When he gets sick I don’t yell at him. I don’t get mad at him. If he does something I get mad, but I don’t say anything to him. I say not to do that because he’s sick. I’m not the same with Holly whe she gets sick. Its only when Cody gets sick. He has cystic fibrosis and I understand how he gets sick.
“My mom treats us the same, but if we have colds at the same time she treats Cody better, because he has cystic fibrosis and his cold might get badder. Mine and Holly’s doesn’t”
“I feel sorry for him when he gets cold and everything… If he gets a cold I think he’ll go to the hospital and I get worried, because if he has to get something done to him that I don’t know of. I get mad because I don’t know whats going on.” (pgs. 45-46).

I thought this was really endearing account of a young girl trying to understand and cope with her brother’s serious case of CF. A few things were definitely consistent with the readings, including that fact that she has taken note of the shifts in her family habits that have occurred due to her brother’s illness. For instance, she sees her mom paying extra attention to him when he gets sick. However, possibly because she is in a teenage stage of development and bit more mature, or possibly because her parents are excellent at balancing their responsibilities, she does not feel neglected or as though her mom pays much more attention to Cody. This is a positive thing, however it is still important for families to continuously evaluate this and talk to siblings about their feelings to make sure this sentiment is not developing without being noticed. It was also interesting that she is more hesitant around her brother, and checks her behavior because she feels badly for him. This sentiment of sympathy is extremely common, and she shows that her role as a big sister has changed because she does not simply act on her feelings or treat him like any other little brother. She edits her reactions to things because of his illness. Lastly, her fear of what is going to happen to him as well as a fear of not having control or being able to help the situation is extremely evident. This is a really hard topic for siblings, especially because with most illnesses it is impossible to tell them exactly what is going to happen to their brother or sister. Therefore, this is again a case where because of her concerns, the Farringtons should make sure to facilitate open communication so they know how she is feeling and can address those feelings in whatever way possible. Overall, Heather seems to be dealing well, but exhibiting many of the emotions and behaviors typical of a healthy sibling.

While it is hard to find personal accounts of children dealing with ill parents, the following youtube video explains a program called Walk with Sally, which aims to provide mentors to children whose parents have cancer. Within it, the children who speak and the mentors who were children when their parents were diagnosed portray many of the feelings and reactions we have heard about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkyYZwJM4gU

After watching it, the first young teenage girl Isabel describes the set of emotions she dealt with from sadness to anger, and especially her uncertainty regarding the future of her family. These reactions are extremely common, and absolutely one of the hardest things for children to deal with is not knowing what is going to happen to their parent – and in turn what will happen to them. The older mentors who were young when their parents were diagnosed were especially interesting because their most common sentiment was respect and pride in their parents who fought cancer, which is an emotion that is often overlooked. Especially as children get older, most of them do have an intense admiration for their parents after watching them go fight an illness like cancer, and this is really important because it does strengthen the family bond during a time of crisis. In addition, this mentoring program illustrates that children with sick parents most often feel alone, and having someone who understands what they are going through can make all the difference in the world. Children are important pieces of the family unit, and therefore it is important to recognize that they are affected just as much as everyone else struggling with the illness.

Lastly, the account below is from a girl in her junior year of college who has been chronically ill for the past 7 years. And… that girl is me ☺ I thought I would share a little bit of my personal story to explain why this is such an important and personal topic for me.

“I was on the way home from a school field trip my sophomore year of college when the first headache came on. I had never had headaches before, so it was an unusual feeling. Seven years later, without a single day that has gone by where I did not feel that pain, it is unfortunately a very usual and common feeling. It wasn’t until six years later, years that were defined by pain, increased symptoms, and frantic doctor evaluations trying to figure out was causing it all, that I was finally diagnosed. They discovered a congenital spinal malformation in my cervical spine that was causing great instability and nerve damage in my neck. The diagnosis has been a huge relief – being sick for no known reason was one of the most discouraging and self-doubting experiencing I have ever had. However, it is also a diagnosis of something that I can not fix – something that will be with me forever. My hope, therefore, comes in the fact that the symptoms can go away and I can live with it comfortably and function normally – at least when I get to that point in a long course of treatment.
To go back, the past seven years have been filled with pretty much any and every emotion you can think of. From doubt to anger to loneliness, different periods of my life brought on different struggles and different feelings. For instance, my attendance during my Junior year of highschool was sporadic at best, and I ended up having to take my entire Senior year off. Four years later, I hold back tears every time I drive by my school building, overwhelmed with the horrible sadness that I feel like I have no memories there. I feel like it represents a whole in my development – a stage that I simply missed out on and can never get back. On that note, another huge issue for me dealing with illness has been maintaining friendships. I am at the mercy of my illness – it dictates what I can and cannot do. For a few years, I was bedridden, and so the only friends I had were the ones who were willing to spend their free time sitting with me on the cough watching movies and talking about everything at school I wanted to be filled in on. Unfotunately, that isn’t a huge group of people. You learn quickly who your true friends are, and as a 16 year old, that is a hard emotional lesson to learn. Even now, I have made lifelong friends at Lesley that know exactly how to take care of me, what I need, what I don’t need, and how to support me in every way. They love me despite my circumstances, and even show me that that means they love taking care of me. However, true friends like this still cause me grief because due to my restrictions, I always feel my friendships are 70%-30% when they should be 50%-50%. I can’t give of myself everything I want to – I miss out on their activities or opportunities to be with them all the time due to unpredictable pain spells or symptom episodes, yet they hardly ever miss out on times to hang out or take care of me. The same is true of my mom, who has given up everything to be my full time care giver. In high school it meant taking care of me hand and foot. Now that I have improved, it still means driving 3 hours 3 times a week to take me to doctor appointments, doing my laundry for me, and bringing me back and forth to school as I need it based on how I am feeling. It is hard to feel as though everyone is giving everything to you, and you don’t know if there is ever a way to truly thank them or show your appreciation for all they do. I feel like a burden sometimes, but mostly I just wish I could return all the love and support they show me in the same way. Lastly… as to not go on and on, I think the hardest part of being chronically ill is that it comes to define you life. It dictates the way I make plans (which means always being tentative and making sure others know that I can not always be dependable), the way I eat, the way I sleep, the way I go about my schoolwork, the amount of energy I have to enjoy life, and even the part I am able to play in my relationship with my fiancé. It feels as though there is no part of me or my life that is not affected by this, and therefore at times it can seem as though I am not me – I am just my illness. HOWEVER, there is also great hope! I find peace in my faith, strength in the support of my friends and family, and joy in focusing on everything I can do and the progress I have made. I am extremely capable, and thank God for that every day. It is a choice I have made to wake up and focus on the positive and rely on others when I need to without feeling guilty – it just isn’t always an easy choice. But it’s possible, and I am grateful that I am in the situation I am and for everything I do have. In conclusion, this topic of family and illness is close to my heart because one of the biggest struggles of being an ill family member is the worry I have and sorrow I feel for the all the things my friends and family must deal with as well. I like to think about and learn what they might be feeiling because I want to be able to see things from their perspective. And I think after reading and seeing first hand all of the stressors that arise in situations like mine for those I love, the most important thing to realize is that care givers take on these responsibilities because they love the person and want to care for them. This keeps it from being too discouraging or making me feel too guilty – I know my loved ones wouldn’t put themselves through this if they didn’t want to. And knowing they want to do it is exactly the opposite – encouraging and supportive!”

I hope between the information presented and all these personal accounts that the experience of illness in the family has become more clear and more easily understood. It is a group experience influenced by personal emotions and societal forces – all coming together to create a unique and challenging lifestyle. However, it can also be rewarding and positive, and as a society we need to work to support families to help more and more of them feel these positive results.

To conclude…

1) Did you feel any different or learn anything new after reading the account from the first mother caring for kids with life-threatening allergies?
2) Are there any specific narratives that affected you the most? What was it about that one that hit you?
3) Do you think that my account made you look at me differently? In what way? How do you think societal ideas influence these views?
4) Lastly… what do you think about anything? How did any of this change your thoughts or teach you something about illness in the family?

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Sources:

Bluebond-Langner, M. (1996). In the Shadow of Illness: Parents and Siblings of the Chronically Ill Child. Princeton New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Accessed from:
http://books.google.com/books?id=1VORNrgo9mYC&dq=in+the+shadow+of+illness&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=CtDdS4fNJZLC9QTi27ivBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Resources for Families Coping with Illness

2010-05-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

Now that we have looked at how illness impacts the family unit in a multitude of ways, we have seen how society contributes to and in some ways defines the way illness is experienced by sufferers and their families. Ultimately this raises the question, how does society also support these families during times of illness? There are, in fact, many resources out there for people to use depending on factors such as the type of illness, the role of the care-givers, and the age of the family member who is ill. Below are some examples of the sources available for families to draw upon throughout society.

For families dealing with all types of illness, individual and group/family therapy can be an extremely useful tool for strengthening the family unit by encouraging effective communication. This can be accessed through psychologist, psychiatrists, or therapists and counselors either in the hospital or private setting. Another resource for those suffering from a variety of illness is support groups. Today support groups come in a multitude of forms – some people even receive immense confirmation from online groups and forums dedicated to the issues they are struggling with. These groups can be accessed through hospitals such as MGH. The link below is to an MGH website that is a portal for families and sufferers to support groups organized by illness/issues.

http://www.mghsocialwork.org/support-groups.html

On this site, you can see that MGH has support groups from cancer, addiction, crohn’s and colitis, pain management, transplant, AIDS/HIV, Cardiac, Diabetes, Mental Health, Parenting, Bereavement, Caregivers, Development Disabilities, Neurological Disorders, and even Smoking Cessation. They also provide a referral phone line to call for those seeking support groups for different reasons. The Family Ties Program in Massachusetts in another example as it offers a parent-to-parent support group for those with kids struggling with disabilities. Below is a quote from a chronically ill patient regarding what her support group means to her:

“I found a support group back home. It meets two times a month at a local hospital. I find that being able to sit down with other people who deal with the exact things I do, really helps. I can’t keep it all inside. I know that saying, ‘You take it out on your gut.’ Well, I already have gut problems, so if I keep my feelings inside, it will only make things worse. In a support group I don’t feel self-conscious when I talk about my illness, because these people understand.” (“Patient Education”)

There are other unique services for people to take advantage of that help with actual care-giving tasks, such as the Road to Recovery Program through the American Cancer Society. Road to Recovery offers transportation for cancer patients to and from treatment appointments. In Massachusetts, the Caritas Home Care program offers Clinical Services provided by professionals such as RNs, Therapists or Social Workers who can cover things such as wound care, IV therapy, or disease management. These services are covered by most insurance plans and Medicare. They also offer Private Pay Services which can cover anything from household chores to medication reminders, or even grooming and bathing.

Another huge medium for support is education. In order to feel empowered and able to understand your own illness or feel capable of caring for someone else’s, people need to be educated on what the disease is and how to tend to it. The American Cancer Society has a wide range of services that fall in the educational realm, including their I Can Cope interactive online education program about cancer and dealing with it. They also put out a Magazine/Catalog called “Tender Love Care” which has a variety of articles focused on supporting women struggling with breast cancer. The NC Association for the Education of Chronically Ill Children is example of a web-based organization that provides links to all types of information from that regarding specific illness to how to advocate for children with chronic illnesses in schools. They also run conferences and give scholarships to children suffering illnesses.

Finally, going back to the specific illnesses we looked at, there are also a variety of services (including some mentioned above) to support those dealing with mental or terminal illness in the family. A few examples of special support systems for these circumstances include The National Alliance on Mental Illness which is a huge resource that offers everything from education to links to resources in your community. They have several locations in MA, including one in Cambridge/Middlesex. Another recommendation for dealing with stigmas and the emotional struggles of mental illness is to join an advocacy group! NAMI is an organization that offers people the chance to partake in various social policy and advocacy bills and initiatives. Directgov is a website that provides information on how to access benefits such Carer’s Allowance for those suffering from or caring for someone with terminal illness. This is a really important resource to make sure everyone knows what they are entitled to from our society itself (ie our government and social support networks). And in addition, support groups and education as listed above are both pivotal for those dealing with mental or terminal illness in the family.

Ultimately, our society is an influence on the illness experience for families in a supportive way as well. They are a large number of resources out there for people to draw upon. However, when looking deeper in to how society supports families, the question must be raised regarding how accessible these are for people of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses? For instance, the Private Pay Services listed above might be really necessary for a family who can not afford to pay anything outside of their insurance. Or, what about those who do not have insurance to begin with? Who do they turn to? It is known that those of lower SES and without insurance fair worse when dealing with illnesses like these, and I think it is important to realize that a lack of access to help and support is large reason why! Therefore, while mediums like the internet have made group networking and educational resources more available to all, there is still much work to be done for our society to be a true support for all families dealing with illness.

Questions to think about…
1) Has there ever been a time when you or a friend or relative has drawn upon one of these or a similar resource? Did you (or he or she) find it helpful? Why or why not?
2) Have you ever known anyone in need of resources like these that were unable to access them? How did that make you feel?
3) What do you think we can as part of society to help make these resources more available to all people?

“Parent to Parent Program”
http://massfamilyties.org/p2p/p2p.php

“In My Community: Day to Day”
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/COM/content/div_NE/COM_5_2x_Day_to_Day.asp?sitearea=COM

“Patient Education: Coping with Chronic Illness”
http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/copechron.pdf

“Caritas Home Care: Programs and Services”
http://www.caritashomecare.org/OPage.asp?PageID=OTH000051

“NCAECIC: Working for the Benefit of Student with Health Challenges”
http://www.ncaecic.org/Chronic-Illness-and-School-Information.php

“Directgov: Caring for Someone Who Is Terminally Ill”
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/DG_10035718

Terminal and Potentially Terminal Illnesses in the Family

2010-04-30T19:33:00.001-07:00

According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures for 2009, over 36,000 people in Massachusetts were diagnosed with cancer, and over 1.4 million were diagnosed across the United States. According to a 2006 study, 80 million people in the US are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, and 864,500 die each year from this disease. In 2007, it was estimated that 14, 561 died from AIDS, and it is estimated that 280 people die of Parkinson’s Disease each week in the US.
These are just a few examples of the many diseases that are terminal or potentially terminal for all those we are diagnosed each year – and those numbers are somewhat disheartening. There are a variety of illnesses that cause families to have to deal with a terminal or potentially terminal prognosis, often a diagnosis that comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Due to the nature of these types of illnesses, they prove to be another example of sicknesses that come with extra stressors and difficulties for families to try and cope with.
One of these stressors is the complexity of trying to explain your illness to your family members. For children, they often ask question regarding why their parent or sibling got sick, if it is contagious, and if they are going to die? Often with younger children especially, their egocentrism at their age can lead them to think that the illness in their family is somehow their fault. And while this is a prevalent feeling among kids, even those in their fifties with dying parents have said they feel responsible. Therefore, it is crucial to reinforce continuously for kids, in to their adulthood, that terminal illness like cancer are no one’s fault! As of the last question, children are always going to ask what is going to happen to their relative, and while it may seem impossible, it is suggested to be honest and realistic with kids when you answer, because they will see through any fake optimism and only become more confused. Another huge issue when a parent becomes ill like this is the time and physical demand of the new treatment suddenly required in their already busy lives. One journal article says,
“Parenting demands a commitment to caring for others. However, the urgency of self-care demanded by life-threatening and debilitating conditions means that parents’ own requirements may have to be given priority over the needs of their children. Although many parents find a way of resolving this that feels satisfying to them, our experience suggests that many feel as though they are face with a seemingly irreconcilable choice of whether to response as parents or as patients.”
This is the unique situations of parents who become terminally or potentially terminally ill. Children who fall are already in a “need of care” place in their life, while parents who fall ill are in a “care-giving” point in life. Therefore, they struggle greatly over how to balance their own care with their childcare responsibilities.
Especially important is that terminal or potentially terminal diseases bring about a unique set of emotions and reactions to the diagnosis and treatment process. Family members must deal with trying to sort out their own feelings while still showing love and support to the member who has fallen sick. Looking at families with children with terminal illnesses, it is suggested that the ill child is encouraged always to express their feelings and emotions regarding their condition. In terminal cases, families often struggle with communication. No one wants to disrupt the equilibrium and show or say how they are feeling in fear of upsetting someone else, especially the one who is sick. However, a lack of communication is only harmful to the entire family unit, as it can create distance and isolation among members at a time when they should be striving to become closer and more solid in order to support one another through this process. As a result, even parents are encouraged to share with their children how they are feeling about the potential or imminent death of their child, because as hard as it may seem, being open with one another’s feelings is the best way to foster emotional healing and strengthen the family unit. Additionally, both the ill person and their family confront and daunting and uncomfortable sense of a complete lack of control and powerlessness. This can become extremely discouraging and defeating. As a result, families are also suggested to focus their energy on the here and now, and on creating happy memories and moments for the family to share.
In sum, terminal illnesses illicit an entirely different set of emotional reactions and coping mechanisms for family members because it includes the extra element of grieving. Grieving is a long and continuous process, and can take an enormous told on the emotional health of the family. While everyone copes and handles this type of news in his or her own individual way, there is a rather typical path of emotions that many people go through. It is suggested that people understand what these characteristic emotions are because it can help the ill member, the family, and friends to cope with the many foreign things they are feeling. There are four basic ones including:
• Shock and Disbelief
• Denial
• Anger and Grief
• Fear
The last emotion has several societal implications in that, as we have discussed in class, society tends to ignore the concept of death. People do not talk about it frequently, and therefore a natural and inevitable process has become an uncomfortable topic in our culture. This creates an even higher level of fear surrounding death. While terminal illness is not a natural way of dying, if our society was more comfortable with the topic overall, families would also be more willing to talk about their fears and issues regarding the potential death, and that would create a greater sense of camaraderie and support.
In sum, terminal and potentially terminal illnesses are unfortunately not uncommon, and they have the power to significantly shake the family unit. These types of illness come with an entirely different set of emotions surrounding grief that both the ill person and their family must learn to cope with, while also prompting several challenges regarding time management between care-giving and care-receiving.
Here is a link to a forum for people dealing with care giving and terminal illness. I thought this short conversation was really deep, and gave examples from real people of the many emotions that come along with terminal illnesss. If you want to read other conversations among people in these situations, you can viist the larger forum at (http://www.beyondindigo.com/forums/view_forum.php?id=20).

http://www.beyondindigo.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=248&forum_id=20

There is also a link to a Newsweek video here that tells the story of a few parents who were diagnosed with cancer while trying to raise their children. It focuses also on a program called PAACT at MGH here in Boston and how it helps families in these situations.

http://video.newsweek.com/#?t=1213998771&l=1377894848

For reflection:
1) What do you think about the added stresses of dealing with a terminal illness in the family?
2) Do you have any experience with this topic? If so, do you feel the information above is similar to what you dealt with? In what ways?
3) Do you feel the list of grieving emotions is accurate? Do you feel it is too general? Why or why not?
4) How do you think society encourages or discourages families who are trying to cope with terminal/potentially terminal illneses?

Sources

“CDC: Statistics and Surveillance: HIV/AIDS
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm

“Facts and Figured about Parkinson’s Disease”
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/359115/facts_and_figures_about_parkinsons.html?cat=47

“Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics”
http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1240250946756LS-1982%20Heart%20and%20Stroke%20Update.042009.pdf

“Cancer Facts and Figures 2009”
http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/500809web.pdf

Carmchael, Mary. “Whats Chemo, Mommy?”
http://www.newsweek.com/id/43353

“Children Dealing With Terminal Illness”
http://www.a-better-child.org/page/845446

Altschuler, J. and Dale, B. (1999) “On Being an Ill Parent.” Clinical Child Pyschology and Psychiatry. 4(1). 23-37
http://ccp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/4/1/23

You Tube Video On Mental Illness!!

2010-04-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry Everyone! I forgot to attach the link the previous post...

But here is a link to a youtube video of a short interview with a woman named Yvonne suffering from Schizo-Affective disorder and how stigmas affected the way she was treated by others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0_9Vawffw&feature=related

What do you think? Is it more poignant to hear it first-hand from someone who was excluded and feared by her friends and family? Why or why not?

Mental Illness and Families - The Stigmas They Must Overcome

2010-04-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Mental illness is a complex and difficult issue for families to cope with. It is unique in that it comes with all the stressors and adaptations discussed above, along with a whole new set of challenges due to the nature of the illness and the way it is perceived by society. To begin with, mental illness brings a different set of initial reactions, emotions, and care giving tasks than physical illness. Many say that denial is extremely common for family members after learning of the illness, and many start to resent the behavior of their loved one because it is embarrassing, frustrating, etc. There is also a common sense of loss over the person they knew, which can also create distance between siblings or parents who were previously very close to him/her. Commonly families lack an understanding of the illness as well, especially at first. As opposed to a disease such as cancer, mental illness are talked about less and understood less by society. As a result, family members who are also care-givers can often feel overwhelmed or as though they have lost control due to a lack of education or knowledge. Therefore, finding resources both educational and supportive is vital in order to help the family gain a sense of security and discernment in their care-giving and their ability to deal with their family member’s behaviors, out bursts, episodes, hallucinations, etc. Another problem is that when some family members do not understand or are not supportive of the ill member, it can create great distance among immediate or extended family members who are looking to protect and defend him/her. Lastly, one of the most difficult aspects of caring for a mentally ill family member is that they often rebel against help or treatment, and can react in a hostile way even to close family members trying to help. Obviously, this can become extremely discouraging and frustrating for those trying to support and care for them, and again can begin to dishearten family members. The important thing though for family members to grasp and believe is that mental illness does not necessarily mean incapable or incapacitated! Therefore, there is always hope, not necessarily in recovery, but in learning and succeeding in life amidst the illness. As a result of all of these added stressors, these are some suggestions for coping and handling:
• Have a plan of action for times when acute symptoms may occur
• Learn to recognize signs of relapse so that it can be caught early
• Get ahead by seeing situations that may cause trouble (such as inviting a family member to a party who is uncomfortable with the situation) in order to take care of these things in advance
• Leave decisions such as stopping or changing treatment up to your doctors so that you do not have to make them on your own
• Do not expect everything to get better at once
• Do not agree with delusions, hallucinations, etc. Be realistic without being judgmental or harsh
These are just a few suggestions of how to manage care and emotional stress, and the number one suggestions for family members is to find support groups for families of mentally ill members. Because it is such a unique illness, it is really impossible for people to truly understand or say they understand unless they have or are experiencing it themselves. As a result, finding a group of people who genuinely do understand what you are going through is extremely helpful coping mechanism.

With all of the complications and struggles listed above, it is clear that mental illness is a particularly difficult sickness for families to care for and adjust to simply due to the nature of the behaviors and affects of the illness. Unfortunately though, on top of all of this, families and their sick member must deal with the various stigmas that society applies to mental illness. According to a study done by the National Mental Health Association on the causes of mental illness:
• 71% of people believe that mental illness is caused by emotional weakness
• 65% believe it is caused by poor parenting
• And 43% believed it is caused in some way by the individual
(“Mental Health Matters”)
In a medically and technologically advanced culture, it is really alarming that with all we know about the biological causes and working of mental illness, a significant number of people still hold on to these false ideas and beliefs. One study showed that mental illness “is one of the most highly rejected conditions, clustering with prostitution, drug addiction, and ex-convict status rather than with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease”. (The Consequences of Stigma for People With Mental Illnes: Evidence from the Social Sciences). I was amazed at the multitude of articles and resources I found regarding stigmas from a simple search on mental illness, but a study like this reveals why! The two are essentially connected in an extremely unfortunate and harmful way. Society stills sees mental illness in many ways as an individual weakness, and therefore does not validate it in the same way as other diseases. At the same time, there is also a stigma that creates fear around mental illness and those who suffer from it. Many people fear that all people with mental illness are violent, while the reality is that the majority do not suffer from violent behavior, and those who do are most commonly triggered by normal stressors such as being threatened. Therefore, society acts cautiously and even avoids those with mental illness due to a stigmatized fear of danger or aggressive behavior. In addition, mental illness caries the stigma of incompetence – meaning that people do not think people who suffer from this type of illness are ever capable of being responsible or holding professional positions. As a result, they end up being treated as second-class citizens who can not hold jobs or take on any type of liability. Again, in reality the majority of those who are mentally ill are capable of work, and their qualifications should be looked at the same as everyone else’s. There are of course mental illness that keep people form being able to hold jobs, but this is not the case for most and thus should be applied to this type of illness as a general problem (ie. stigmatized!)
Just as stigmas usually do – the stigmas attached to mental illness lead to common discrimination by society against this population. Those who suffer from these conditions are often denied employment, denied or receive inadequate insurance, are mistrusted due to fear, and are even rejected or isolated by their family and/or friends. This can then lead to unhealthy behaviors such as being unwilling to recognize or seek help and treatment for their condition due to fear or judgment or maltreatment.
In this way, we see how societal stigmas attached to this disease can both affect family life and the life and health of the person suffering from it. Families often isolate themselves out of fear of embarrassment or criticism of their family member, or even due to fear regarding the safety of their family member. This can be extremely harmful, and goes against all suggestions to help care givers manage their own self-care. Instead they need to remain active in their social circles, activities, and support groups. In the same way, people with mental illnesses can actually suffer physically from these stigmas if they discourage them from getting help or treatment.
In the end, as a society we need to start talking more about this issue and recognizing our false assumptions and fears regarding this disease. If this happens, society can become a support system for people with mental illness and their families rather than a threat or hindrance to their coping and recovery process.

In response to this subject:
1) Do you have any experiences with mental illness either in your family, your community, or among friends in which you have seen these difficulties arise?
2) What are your reactions to the statistics and opinion poles given above? Do you think you would have answered similarly?
3) In the same way, do you feel as though you have been well educated about mental illness, or does it seem like a foreign or untalked about issue in your life?
4) How do you feel about the stigmas society has applied to mental issues? Do you see how societal forces can, in this way, cause problems in the lives of sufferers and their families? Why or why not?

Sources:

“A Resource Guide For Families Dealing with Mental Illness” The NAMI Family Michigan Resource Guide
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDCH-MentalIllness-10AUG04_102671_7.pdf

Tasman, A., Fink. P. “The Consequences of Stigma for People With Mental Illness: Evidence from the Social Sciences” (2002). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press Inc.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gmCxeAw7-Z4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA87&dq=stigmas+of+mental+illness&ots=3jHMGAfhc8&sig=Gb3liSYqnaSy1QUsKJxtWleNJYs#v=onepage&q&f=false

“Stigma” – DuPage County Health Department
http://www.dupagehealth.org/mental_health/stigma.html

“Working with the Family: Impact of Mental Illness on Families”
http://www.pathways2promise.org/family/impact.htm

Social Construction of the Definitions of Health and Illness

2010-04-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Over the next two days we are going to look at two specific types of illness, mental illness and terminal illness, to see what different types of affects they have on the family. However, before diving in to particular illness, I think it is important to pause and look at how society influences the definition and creation of illness in the first place. As a culture immersed in an era of elite medical technology, we look at illness often as an entirely biological process. Diseases are defined by what medicine says is happening in the body, and this is not something that can be challenged or changed, right? Cancer is cancer – there does not seem to be anything society can do to change that or affect its meaning. It’s purely biology!
In reality though, ideas about health and illness are always social constructions. While science is a major contributor, society’s nonscientific beliefs regarding anything from health and illness to morality have an enormous impact on the development of diseases. For one, our ideas about the human body are social constructs. This is because cultural beliefs, practices, etc. shape the way the body is perceived and idealized. One example is the practice of foot binding in China – a situation in which cultural beliefs about what the body should look like is directly affecting the biological make-up of their people. In this way, illness is not simply a biological experience, but a social one as well. Just as the women’s bodies in China are literally be altered and shaped by society, our cultural values influence what we consider to be healthy as well as what we consider to be sick. The International Dictionary of Medicine and Biology defines health as “a state of well-being of an organism or part of one, characterized by normal function and unattended by disease”. While this may seem very straight forward and very scientific, it has many social ideas imbedded it. For instance, what if our society did not place so much importance on the ability to function? Would that still be included as a criteria for being healthy? Or, what if there were certain diseases that our society considered to be special or beneficial? For instance, in “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”, a Hmong family tries to explain to their doctor that in their culture, epilepsy is a seen as a gift from the Gods, and therefore a privilege to those who receive it. In such a case, the total absence of illness would not accurately define health, because some diseases would be considered to be healthy! In this way, even simple definitions of something like health are a combination of medicine and social values – and therefore are ultimately socially constructed.
It is difficult sometimes to believe, as mentioned above, that the actual definition of a disease can be influenced by social factors. However, in the same way that “health” is influenced by society, so can be definitions of disease, such as “AIDS”. One very poignant example of this actually happened in the case of masterbation. While it is still an uncomfortable topic in many ways in the US today, as a whole society now sees it as a natural and biologically encouraged practice. However, this was not always the case. In the eighteenth century, masterbation was actually considered a disease all of its own. It was a medically defined disease called “onanism” and was also referred to as “self-abuse” or “self-pollution”. It was said to cause impotence, epilepsy, blurred vision, headaches, rheumatism, mental disorders, and much more. By the mid-eighteenth doctors actually identified and defined a type of mental insanity as “masturbatory insanity”. One article describes it saying:

“The masturbatory hypothesis provided an explanatory model for many conditions for which the medical profession of the day could find no other diagnosis and for which they could do nothing. By the early nineteenth century self-abuse was beginning to be blamed not only for physical and nervous ailments, but also for mental disorder. By the mid-century, in Britain and North America in particular, a particular form of "masturbatory insanity" was identified. This was strongly associated with ADOLESCENCE, and in some cases may have been dementia praecox.”

Commenting on where these ideas about masterbation came from, the article states that:
“Some historians have argued that the rise of masturbation paranoia reflected anxieties within Protestant culture, cut off from old sources of moral authority, but masturbation fears were at least as prevalent in Catholic nations, possibly reflecting anxieties generated by political, social, and economic change.”

Just from this quote, it is evident that everything from religious, political, social, and economic values or events can influence something that seems as scientific as the definition of disease. In the case of masterbation, as medicine progressed the symptoms were seen to be false, and simultaneously our culture transitioned in to an era of much more relaxed views regarding sexuality. In this way, it was the combination of changes in medical technology and societal constructs that redefined this issue and the many diseases that went along with it.

In the end, before looking at specific disease such as mental illness, it is important to think about where the definitions of these diseases come from and how they are constructed. For instance, one of the things we will talk about regarding mental sicknesses is the stigma that surrounds them throughout society and how that plays a part in the lives of those suffering from it and their care givers. In this way, we see that not only are do our ideas regarding a defined illness have an impact on people’s lives, but they also play a part in defining the illness to begin with.

After reading this…
1) Have you ever thought before that definitions of health and sickness could be socially constructed? If you never have, why do you think that is?
2) Do you agree with the information provided? Or do you think that medical definitions are purely scientific?
3) How do you think this idea of medical definitions and illness affects the way you see or think about illness? Are there any illnesses that you can think of that you do not think should be considered sicknesses?
4) Do you know of any other examples to share of diseases that have developed over time with the advancement of technology and society combined?

Sources:
“Health, Illness, and the Social Body: A Critical Sociology.” (Ed. 4) Freund, P., McGurie, M., Podhurst, L. (2003) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Ke-Me/Masturbation.html

Responses and Coping When Children Fall Ill - How do societal norms play a part?

2010-04-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Chronic and acute illnesses in a family bring about an entirely new set of
responsibilities and roles for each member. Everyone experiences the illness in a unique way, whether you are a friend, a relative, a sibling, or a parent. All parties included have their own reactions, feelings, and alterations to make in response to this major change. In addition, a multitude of people from a variety of social structures are generally involved as they surround the ill person and their family for support. This includes teachers, counselors, mentors, doctors, recreational or physical therapists, social workers, and day-care personnel. In the end, illness brings about change for everyone, and again everyone participates and copes in their own way. One of the most affected populations in these circumstances is siblings. When a child in a family falls ill, his or her brothers and sisters are part of the immediate family structure that is thrown in to disequilibrium. As a result, they endure changes and encounter emotions that they were not expecting and often do not know how to deal with. For one, siblings can be extremely confused by the role shifts that are taking place, and may start to question their identity within the family unit. They also may feel sadness over the loss of what they considered to be “normal” family life. Fear can also take over as siblings worry about the health and prognosis of their brother or sister. Additionally, siblings can even become jealous, angry, or feel neglected if they sense that the ill child is receiving all of the love and attention in the home. One of the most difficult aspects of helping siblings deal with these situations is that depending on their stage of development and their personality, their coping mechanism will greatly differ. For instance, one sibling may start to act out in school while another decides to become the perfect child in search of attention. As a result, the most common advice for parents is to foster continued open communication among all family members, excluding no one, especially not the one who is ill. In general, if siblings are given a healthy outlet for their emotions they are less likely to manifest themselves in problematic ways. Also, it is important to remember that even if siblings are presenting no signs of distress, it is undeniable that the illness is affecting them and therefore important to discuss their feelings anyway.
Another hugely affected group is parents! While it may seem obvious, as we saw in the video clip about the Wagners, there are a multitude of stressors that present themselves when a child falls ill. Two of the biggest issues that arise for parents is taking on their new roles as caregivers, and refiguring their finances in order to pay for their child’s care. Time management becomes extremely difficult as parents struggle to care for their child and spend quality time with one another. Parents can easily become overwhelmed, and consequently begin to experience social isolation, lessening their sense of support and life outside of their family struggles. Along with many of these stressors, unfortunately separation and divorce among parents of ill children is not uncommon.
However, a large piece of how parents deal and cope with a sick child or sick children has to do with gender roles. To look at things from a sociological perspective, it is crucial to consider the different ways in which men and women are involved in the care of a sick family member or even their own health, and how this too can affect family dynamics. Through a feminist perspective lens, the gender norms that have existed for centuries delegating domestic and nurturing roles to women have led to a trend in our culture now in which women are much more responsible for the care of a sick family member than men. In some cultures, this is more of an extreme trend in which men are still supposed to remain removed from care giving and housework. Looking at things from a comparative point of view, studies conducted in South Asia have shown that men who took on care giving roles, especially those who left work in order to do so, were extremely stigmatized and disrespected throughout society. In this way, there are still many societies were men are expected to remove themselves entirely from care giving roles, which is more extreme yet still evident in our culture. Gender roles translate in to care giving also in types of responsibilities men and women generally take on. While women tend to see caring from the sick as an obligation, but do so in an emotionally connected and supportive way, men are typically emotionally removed from the situation and thus help in more managerial areas such as finances, lawn mowing, or physical labor. Men also receive considerable help, while women tend to seek less assistance from others and act more independently. At the same time, women maintain more relationships that provide emotional support rather than physical aid. In the same way, men and women cope with illness in very different way. For instance, women tend to rely on their husbands more for support when they are sick, while men attempt to deal with illness independently. In one study of husbands of breast cancer patients, the husband’s ability to cope was the number one indicator of how well the wife was coping, while the husband’s ability to cope was based more heavily on his own emotional state. In this way, when dealing with illness women are more expressive and depend more on others while men try to remain more emotionally removed and autonomous. Lastly, gender also influences the way in which parent’s perceive and thus care for a sick child. It has been found that parents see sick sons as less capable and in need of more attention and care because society sees sickness as a sign of weakness for men. As a result, they actually put more energy in to caring for boys than for girls. Due to the same societal belief, boys are more likely to hide their chronic illnesses and thus make their care more difficult to administer for their parents, while girls are more honest with their needs. In the end, the fact that women are still subject to this gender norm in society means that they take on the heaviest care giving role in families, only adding to the amount of extra work they already perform in the family unit. The “second shift” that still exists in society proves that women are still majorly responsible for housework, and when they then take on the role of caregiver in family, they are essentially now working three jobs if they (as the majority of women do) work outside of the home as well. Unfortunately, this can then end up limiting their access to employment or out-of-home activities.
In sum, when looking at how family members respond to illness, the most important thing to remember is that everyone reacts differently depending on several factors, including their stage of development and their role within the family unit. Siblings are a great example, as they are all going to have different feelings based on their age, their change in role, their relationship with the ill sibling, their relationship with their parents, or their personality. Most importantly, parents can facilitate their coping process by opening the lines of communication, allowing them to express their feelings and regain a sense of equilibrium within the family. Additionally, it is crucial to take a sociological perspective and think about how societal forces and norms affect the way illness influences each family member’s life in a different way. A significant example of this is how societal expectations of men and women and their applied gender roles change the ways in which they experience and deal with illness. And ultimately, in the case of gender, it means that having a family member fall ill affects the lives of women in the family much more significantly than those of men. These trends should also encourage more research on how other societal factors regarding issues such as race and ethnicity affect care giving as well.

Here is one example from a journal article that gives narratives of working mothers of children with chronic illnesses. While the mother here is divorced, which only adds more strain between the man and woman, it still gives an example of a woman who is overwhelmed by the amount of care she has to give and feels as though she lacks support or help from the man in her life.

“As fathers tend not to have the same investment in caring responsibilities for the child, their confidence and expertise in relation to the chronic illness tends not to be developed over time, and certainly not commensurately with the mother's (Gibson, 1995, p.1205). The mothers remained, for the most part, as the 'sweepers' in the family, needing to be ever-attentive to the wellbeing of their family (Bianchi, 2000). Dolly confirms the imbalance in caring responsibilities reflected in many of the stories:
Dolly: What he doesn't understand is, yes, he takes Margaret three weekends out of four. But who organises all Maggie's medication, organises all her doctor's appointments? Who takes her to all her blood tests? Who irons all her clothes? Who washes all her clothes? Who changes all her bed? Who organises all the nappies? This all just 'happens'. Who buys all her clothes? Who finds time to go and buy her clothes and get her shoes fitted? And this all happens around Steven, and he doesn't get it. Who does all the grocery shopping? You know, the food's just there. The clothes are there. She g0es with a perfect little bag, like an overnight bag, with all the medication, all the stuff. And I'm really filthy with him, because it all comes back dirty. And I said to him, you know, "You can wash.' ... 'I don't expect two or three sets of pyjamas to come back filthy'. Because Maggie's a bit of a grub. You know, 'It wouldn't hurt you to do a wash" and all that sort of thing. So, hopefully he will do that (Dolly, #1, p.36).”

Some things to think about…
1) Have you ever had a sibling fall ill in one way or another so that it had a significant impact on your life? Maybe it was an acute problem and not chronic, such as surgery. Either way, do you remember ever experiencing some of the feelings listed above? What were they and how did you cope with them?
2) What are your opinions about the way gender roles in society dictate care-giving roles? Do you think these roles are true based on your own experiences?
3) What are some things you might suggest to help change these gender trends in society?

“Working mothers of children with chronic illness: narratives of working and caring”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6418/is_1_29/ai_n31676321/pg_3/?tag=content;col1

“Chronic Illness – Famliy Caregiving”
http://family.jrank.org/pages/260/Chronic-Illness-Family-Caregiving.html

“Social Networks, Social Support And Coping With Serious Illness: The Family Connection”
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235925%231996%23999579997%2369421%23FLP%23&_cdi=5925&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000051322&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1075869&md5=0a42b987725992787cf9e575272dc22f

Illness, Family, and Society Introduction - Stress and Coping

2010-04-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is estimated that 20% of all US children have a chronic illness or disability, and 10% have problems that create some type of caregiving need. With numbers this high, it begs the question - what implications does illness have on the family unit and its relationship with society?
Improvements in technology and doctoring have created higher expectations and a heavier reliance on medical care throughout society. As a result, when someone announces that they are ill, others tend to think of their hospital or their doctors as their chief care givers. In reality it is the family unit that acts as the person’s primary caregiver. As we have discussed, the family is a personal experience, but it is also part of a larger social structure. Therefore, when a family member becomes ill, it is not simply a personal experience and struggle for that person to deal with. Instead, it is an experience shared by all those in the family unit. It changes both interactions within the family, as well as those between the family and its outside community. Therefore, it affects various aspects of their social life including their job, relationships with friends, and most importantly – their family! Overall, sickness is a significant source of change for families, and thus we will be examining the various ways in which illness impacts the family as well as its relationship with society. There are a few theoretical perspectives that are especially useful when examining this topic, including family systems theory and life course theory. In addition, feminist theory can be addressed as we look into gender roles in the midst of illness. We will also look at the specific problems created by stigmas attached to particular illnesses, especially mental disease or disability, as well as the issues surrounding potentially terminal and terminal illness. In addition, considering the family’s connection to society we will discover what resources exist to support families as they struggle with this issues! Overall, it is important first to recognize the many changes and stressors that are created by the arrival of illness in the family. Families and family members all react differently to this transition as they develop coping responses, and it is imperative to remember that all members of the family experience their loved one’s illness in different ways. Some of the most difficult stressors include…
• Uncertainty and fear regarding the family member’s condition and prognosis
• Changes in daily routines due to the limitations of the sick member, as well as due to the new demands of treatment
• Emotional strain, including feelings of anger, sadness, guilt, anxiety, or depression
• Understanding the illness, its implications, and treatment
• Role reassignment –according to family systems theory, a medical condition is a force that can throw the family system in to disequilibrium. As a result, responsibilities and roles must be reorganized in an effort to gain this balance back among the family system as well as unto each individual family member. Communication patterns are also in need of similar reorganization.
• Shifting of family expectations of behavior
• Working to give the sick family member as much independence as possible
• Enormous financial strain, often worsened by being uninsured or underinsured
• Learning new and important skills, such as how to use machines or give medications, in order to administer at-home-care
• Scheduling and time management issues
• Making important medical decisions

In the end, all of these added stresses on family life can lead to secondary results such as sibling conflict, poor school performance, social isolation, or marital conflict. Health is an expectation in society, and illness deviates from this “norm”. As a result, families must learn to function in new ways and cope with the personal and societal implications of the illness. The following youtube clip tells the story of the Wagner family, a married couple with two young boys who found out when their younger son Timothy was two that he had Muscular Dystrophy. It gives several examples of how having a son with a chronic illness has altered their lifestyle, including the many stresses that they have had to learn to deal with. It also presents several coping mechanisms, such as Timothy’s mom’s decision to emphasize his capabilities rather than his inabilities in order maintain an attitude of optimism. In the end, they show how learning to deal with chronic illness is a day-by-day task that takes a toll on every family member is unique ways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCHSclk41k&feature=related

After reading this entry and watching this clip, here are some things to think about as we embark on a discussion of these topics…

1. In the past, have you considered illness in the family to be a societal issue as well? Why do you think it is so often considered a personal issue to be dealt with within the family alone?
2. How do you feel about this list of stressors? Do any of them in particular strike you as more or less important/difficult for a family to deal with?
3. What was your reaction to the Wagner’s story? Do you think Timothy’s parents are handling the situation well? Why or why not? What might you do similarly or differently?
4. Is there anything regarding illness and the family that you identify with already? Any experiences that you have had with these stressors in your family? And as we continue the discussion throughout the week, think about ways in which you have dealt with illness personally or in your family (which includes fictive kin and friends as well) and how you can apply your experiences to the information presented.

Sources:
"AAMFT Consumer Update Chronic Illness"
http://www.therapistlocator.net/families/Consumer_Updates/ChronicIllness.asp

"Chronic Illness - Family Caregiving"
http://family.jrank.org/pages/260/Chronic-Illness-Family-Caregiving.html

"Social Networks, Social Support and Coping with Serious Illness: The Family Connection"
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235925%231996%23999579997%2369421%23FLP%23&_cdi=5925&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000051322&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1075869&md5=0a42b987725992787cf9e575272dc22f

"Caring for Siblings of Seriously Ill Children"
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/sibling_care.html

"Illness - A Family's Response"
http://ezinearticles.com/?Illness---A-Familys-Response&id=124432

Conclusion of Cross Cultural Reproductive Rights

2010-04-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

While we are privileged to have the reproductive rights in America, we should not take it for granted. After viewing different countries views on these laws it is apparent how different they are. In Rwanda for example the government feels they should have the power to decide who can and cant have children. Unlike America, Mexico does not educate women on their legal rights and accessibility to contraception. While they do allow abortions, this should not be the sole form of birth control. France on the other hand is very family focused and provides lots of support for women and children. Birth control is free and women are given an annual income from the government to help support their family. Iraq is well known for the strict rules they place on women, knowing this it would be a correct guess to say that they do not allow abortions or much education on birth control. Because of this, women have been forced to sneak around these rules and practice home abortions, not only is this harmful to the women but it puts them under great stress of being ridiculed if people were to find out.

Looking cross culturally from a feminist perspective allows us to see the differences between each country. While the US does not have the best health care system, they are clearly giving more rights to woman than others. Seeing how countries like France treat women’s rights shows us ways that we could improve to better our own. We can also learn from places like Mexico, Iraq, and Rwanda’s lack of education and rights to further educate the woman and children in the United States. We hope that by expanding peoples perspective on this issue we can empower ourselves to make change on a national lever as well as a personal level.

Questions:
How do you feel about this topic?
Has reading about different countries expanded your view?
Is there another country you would be interested in learning about?
What are some changes that could be made on a national level?

posted by: Rory, Alicia, Justi, Kayla and Bri

Reproduction Rights in Iraq

2010-04-17T13:47:00.001-07:00

We will now examine the reproductive rights of women of Iraq. Before looking at the reproductive rights we should first understand women’s rights in general in this country. Women in Middle Eastern countries have more restrictions against them than women in many other parts of the world. The government’s laws are forbidden to go against the established rulings of Islam. Because the government and laws are constructed around the Islamic religion they tend to be very strict for women. Women have less freedom than men in Iraq which negatively impacts women's legal status in the labor code, criminal justice system, personal status, and mobility. Along with fewer freedoms, Iraqi women have limited access to priority reproductive health services.
In Iraq abortion is illegal and considered taboo. Because of this law people have been forced to practice “home abortions” or seek help from illegal abortionist. This is a very dangerous procedure when it is not done professionally. Many women are using these abortions to escape death by an honor killing.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation advocates reproductive rights and health all over the world. In Iraq this organization is hoping to:
-- create a favorable climate for family planning
-- improve quality of care for safe motherhood and child health
-- provide family planning education for women
-- provide infertility treatment
Family planning and contraception is a key point when discussing reproductive rights. In Iraq a national policy regarding access to contraception has been assured since 1993. Although contraception in Iraq is available, the rates in which women use the contraception are not very high. The contraceptive rate was only 32% in 2000. Being a country that is currently a war zone it is difficult to keep up the funds and research regarding family planning.

Reflection Questions:

Do you think it is right to go against the Iraqi culture to grant more reproductive rights for women?

Do you think legalizing abortion in Iraq would make a change in the role or status of women?

References:

http://www.hrw.org/legacy/backgrounder/wrd/iraq-women.htm

http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/womens_rights_in_iraq_decreasing_by_the_day

http://www.ippf.org/en/Where/iq.htm

www.unfpa.org/rh/docs/iraq-rept04-08-03.doc

Posted by: Kayla Guelli

Group: Justi, Alicia, Rory, Kayla, and Bri

Reproductive Rights in France

2010-04-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Accessibility to birth control options are greatly offered for woman living in France. During the year of 1965, woman fought the nation’s ban on birth control. Since then, birth control still remains accessible to every woman in France for free.

Most European countries, including France, have legalized abortion since 1955. The procedure is free once approved by two NHS (National Health System) doctors. The law states that a woman’s pregnancy may be terminated up to 24 weeks under the agreement that: it may put the life of the mother at risk, and poses mental and physical risks to the mother and the fetus [1]. Because this procedure is so readily available and costs next to nothing, this may be the reason why Europe has the highest abortion rates in the world.

To help educate French woman about such services and their legal rights, the UK government teams up with organizations such as “bpas” (http://www.bpas.org/index.php) and “brook” (http://www.brook.org.uk/index.php) to create informational websites. A copious amount of information is posted in regards to STD’s, pregnancy, contraceptive options, abortion options, etc. They also list contact information such as telephone numbers, consultation centers, clinics, etc, encouraging females through a supportive system.

In 2006, The Washington Post wrote an article entitled: “As Europe Grows Grayer, France Devises a Baby Boom.” This article was based upon the fertility rate of woman in France and how it is now increasing due to the Active Family Policy that is encouraged by the UK. “The French government wants to encourage bigger families and make it easier for woman to keep their jobs while raising children [2].”

So, this new law now provides maternity leave benefits, tax credits, and other incentives for families who have three children. “During a year-long leave after the birth of the third child, mothers will receive $960 a month from the government, twice the allowance for the second child [2].” The “help” that each family receives is according to their annual income rates- “providing low-income families the most help. Higher-income families also receive substantial benefits so that only a fraction of a working mother's salary goes to child-care costs [2].” Not only do woman receive these benefits but they are also allowed the option to work part time or not at all, until her child is three years old. And, she will also be guaranteed her previous full-time job when she returns to work.

“From next July (2007), the social security payment to mothers with a third child will rise from €512 ($618) a month over three years, to €750 a month for one year (although mothers can opt for the three-year rate). Offering a higher payment over a shorter time period is expected to encourage women to leave the workforce to have another child [3].”

So although every woman in France has the choice NOT to become pregnant, the UK is actually enforcing the productivity of more children to guarantee a full replacement generation. But what took so long for the delayed entry into parenthood? One prediction may be due to the fact that since the 1970’s there was a significant increase in the amount of woman working, and most social policies of the government helped woman to remain in the work force. Other predictions such as delay in fertility, decline in marriage, increased birth control, and greater economic uncertainty may be contributing factors to the reason why reproductive rates were so low. “Now, France has the second-highest fertility rate in Europe: 1.94 children born per woman, exceeded slightly by Ireland's rate of 1.99. The U.S. fertility rate is 2.01 children [2].”

[1] http://www.btinternet.com/~DEvans_23/legislat.htm
[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701652.html
[3] http://cara.typepad.com/reproductive_rights_blog/2005/10/france_wants_mo.html

Reflection Questions:
1. How do you feel about the benefits mothers receive while on maternity leave?
2. If you lived in France, would you subside to the Active Family Policy?
3. Can you think of any other reasons for the delayed entry into parenthood?

posted by: Alicia Mamula

Reproductive Rights in Rwanda

2010-04-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of change that is currently going on in Rwanda concerning reproductive rights. With a population growth rate of 2.8% Rwanda continues to be the most densely populated country in Africa, which leads to the cycle of poverty, poor health, nutrition, and education that this country has seen for so many years. In 2009 a draft bill was passed in an attempt to lower the birth rate and to change some things regarding reproductive rights. When senators got a look at this bill however, they were shocked at how poorly it had been written and sent it back saying more work needed to be put into the laws. As of right now, sterilization of the mentally and intellectually disabled, compulsory HIV/AIDS testing, and abortion are under heavy debate.

Despite the fact that the Rwandan Constitution gives equal rights to all, article 22 of the new reproductive rights bill states that “the Government shall have the obligation to suspend fertility for mentally handicapped people.” This means if you are mentally ill or have other illnesses the government sees as a handicap, the government has the right to make you sterile. As advocates stated, the bill is not only a HUGE breach of human rights, but it also doesn’t take into account that mental illness and other handicaps are not necessarily hereditary. Also the bill does not state what “other handicaps” mean, so how much power is the government really taking over women by passing this law?

Rwanda, like many countries in Africa, has a large population of people infected with HIV/AIDS, in 2007 this population was 150,000. While they have been implementing programs to give antiretroviral drugs and preventative treatments the bill seems to be undermining all of this. Articles 13 and 17 of the new bill discuss topics on HIV/AIDS that several people have found conflicting. While testing for this illness is something health professionals have stressed as an important tool for prevention and awareness, the bill states that all people looking to get married must get tested before hand and must show the results to their future spouse. It also states that if a doctor feels the need to test a child and they test positive they must tell a parent or care giver. While both of these may seem like an obvious choice, having the government take away the voluntariness and the confidentiality of HIV/AIDS patients is yet again seen as a break of human and reproductive rights.

The final topic under debate is Abortion, which is currently illegal in Rwanda. Article 28 however sets up the first positive part of this bill. It states that “Voluntary abortion as one of contraceptive measures shall be prohibited.” It goes on however to say that it must be approved by three doctors and can only be implemented if the pregnancy “may has a serious impact on the mother’s life.” Since pregnancy always has a serious impact on any woman’s life, it seems that the only struggle to this bill would be the three doctors part. If lawmakers could edit this, it would seem clear that legal abortion might be on the table for Rwanda.

Anyone looking at this bill from a feminist perspective would most likely explode with frustration. Since Rwanda has such a high birth rate and such devastating poverty it is clear that some action must be made. This bill however, seems to be taking steps backwards on both reproductive and human rights. While giving woman the choice of an abortion seems like a move in the right direction, taking away mentally and intellectually disabled woman’s right to have children seems like a polar opposite. We can only hope that by the senate giving the bill back, drastic changes will be made to protect women's reproductive rights.

Questions to consider:
What is your opinion on sterilization based on mental illness or intellectual disabilities?

Do you feel HIV/AIDS testing should be mandatory given how prevalent it is in this population?

What are some changes that could be made to the bill that would HELP enhance women’s reproductive rights in Rwanda?

Do you think there are any other laws that could be added to protect reproductive rights?

References:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906231226.html
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/global?page=cr09-rw-00

Posted by Rory Sheble-Hall

Reproductive Rights in Mexico

2010-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

In the last blog, we managed to get an eye-opening account of the reproductive rights of women in the United States. Today, we shall look sociologically at Mexico's accessibility and policy surrounding contraceptions. Because of the ongoing issues around Mexican immigrants, our group found it would be interesting to consider whether the reproductive rights or lack there of, could possibly be another one of the reasons for this migration. Please think about this information critically and use a culturally comparative lens to form your opinions.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, with a population of 107 million. Despite gradually lowering its birth rate, it is the second most populous nation in Latin America (Brazil is the first). The population of Mexico has tripled since the 1950s and is now expected to double in 32 years. The socio-economic gap between the rich and poor remains wide and is worsening.

Although there have been some successes in recent years to raise the status of the poor, and particularly poor, marginalized, and indigenous women, much more needs to be done. Contraception is a critical need.

Mexfam, Fundación Mexicana para la Planificación, the country's leading private family planning and reproductive health provider, reports that 44% of married women of reproductive age in rural areas use some kind of contraceptive. A government report in 1995 stated that 66.5% of women of child-bearing age who lived with their partner used some method of family planning Sterilization is the most common method (43.3%), followed by the IUD (17.7%), oral contraceptives (15.3%), injectables, and traditional methods. Although the percentage of women in Mexico who have unmet need for contraception (those who wish to avoid pregnancy but are not using contraception) decreased from 25% in 1987 to 12% in 1997, there remains striking disparities across geographic areas. More than 20 % of rural women had unmet need for contraception in 1997, as compared to 9% of urban women. The use of contraceptive methods is more common among women with higher educational levels and who reside in urban areas. There is also greater spacing between pregnancies among women who live in urban areas.

The 1997 "Women's Reproductive Rights in Mexico: A Shadow Report" , prepared by the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York City and Grupo de Información en Reproducción (Information Group on Reproductive Choice) in Mexico City, indicates that information about reproductive health is not always accessible to those within the health system. The report referred to The National Survey on Family Planning of 1995, which revealed that after giving birth, 22% of women who had not wanted their last pregnancy and who did not want another child at the time of the interview, were still not using any method of contraception. A further 15% had never practiced any fertility control. When these 37% of women were asked why they did not use any form of contraception, they cited lack of information regarding what different birth control options were available, how to use them, and to a lesser extent, how to obtain them.

An enormous concern raised by the shadow report is the significant disparity between supply and demand for contraception within the Mexican public health system. Mexico's economic crisis has deepened this disparity and the government is currently unable to meet the growing demand, even with the help of international bodies. This is a grim finding.

Mexico is a society grappling with social upheaval and demands for policies that will raise the status of women and end the massive discrimination seen in many sectors. Quality health services, reproductive rights, education, illiteracy, jobs, housing, domestic violence, rape and other sexual crimes, medically accurate sexuality education, sexual harassment, maternity leave, and other employment rights during pregnancy are all key issues needing serious attention. On April 24th 2007, Mexico City decriminalized abortion in the first trimester, paving the way for the establishment of quality and respectful abortion care for the women of Mexico. We can only hope that this incredible victory for women's lives and rights will have an effect on the many other core issues that women need to have addressed so that they may live in dignity—and in equality with men.

Links to more information and individual stories:

http://hub.witness.org/node/12789

http://reproductiverights.org/en/press-room/the-center-for-reproductive-rights-commends-mexico-city-for-new-law-legalizing-abortion-i

http://www.populationaction.org/blog/2008/10/mexicos-supreme-court-rules-in.html

http://reproductiverights.org/en/case/paulina-ram%C3%ADrez-v-mexico-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights

Questions to Consider:

What are the differences between U.S government policy regarding reproductive rights and Mexico's?
Who does have the power to decide in Mexico? Who should?
What are your thoughts on Mexico recieving international aid for the betterment of programs that support family planning and female empowerment?
How do you think the growing population (which has tripled since 1950) effects Mexico on a sociological scale?
Do you see any connection between the increasing poverty level and the quantity and quality of reproductive information and accessibility?

Thanks for engaging and we look forward to hearing your thoughts~
~Justi
Posted by:
Justi, Rory, Alicia, Bri, and Kayla

Reproductive Rights in the USA

2010-04-13T15:58:00.003-07:00

Out of the roughly 4 million births which were reported in the 2006 US Census;
-more than a one fourth were to unmarried women.
-almost 30% were to women under the age of 25.
-roughly one fourth were to women living below the poverty level.
-women living under the poverty level have a fertility level twice as high as those living at 200% of the poverty level.

There are many aspects to consider when it comes to reproductive rights in the United States. These include; birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion. When looking at any of these issues through the lens of feminist theory, the main connections are the ideas of power and responsibility (both financial and emotional)

Birth Control:
Birth control is available in multiple forms throughout the US. Medicaid is the US health care system provided to those living below the poverty line. Considering the high fertility rate among this population, I would like to consider how Medicaid deals with this issue. In every state, Medicaid plans include provisions for prescription birth control, while only some states include provisions for other forms, including over the counter supplies such as condoms. Prescription birth control pills must be taken everyday by a woman. The woman also must visit a doctor to obtain the prescription. Whatever cost is not covered by Medicaid will also fall to the woman. Most forms of birth control, including condoms, are expensive. By providing only for prescription birth control pills, Medicaid puts the burden of responsibility onto women, instead of men.

Emergency Contraception and Abortion:
While laws and policies differ from state to state, the majority of states have some type of policy which takes the decision to use emergency contraception away from the women, and puts it into the hands of doctors, pharmacists, and the government. When a woman makes the decision to request emergency contraception, numerous states leave it up to the doctors to decide weather or not to prescribe it, based on their own beliefs. Even if the doctor does decide to provide the prescription, many states also allow the pharmacist to decide weather or not they will then fill this prescription. In at least one state, doctors are even allowed to refuse emergency contraception to women who have been victim to sexual assault.
The issues surrounding abortion are very similar to those surrounding emergency contraception. While all of the responsibility for the pregnancy and life of a child will fall to the women, in many places, the decision is not left up to her, or at least not her alone. There is also a huge emotional and psychological burden involved in making the decision to use emergency contraception or to abort. When a woman has made the decision to seek either option, they still might have the power for making that decision stripped from them.

Reflection Questions:
Why do you believe that women are often expected to be responsible for birth control?
Should the federal or state government play a part in reproductive rights?

For more information, including state-by-state policies on abortion and emergency contraception, visit http://www.guttmacher.org/

Posted by Bri Connolly

Cross Cultural Reproductive Rights

2010-04-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Reproductive rights vary throughout different countries. In this weeks blog we will look cross culturally at accessibilities to contraception, education, population statistics, and abortion rights. Each day we will be focusing on a different countries perspective through a micro and macro sociological lens.
Using Feminist Theory we will critically analyze the laws and views of America, Mexico, Rwanda, France, and Iraq. It is important to look at reproductive rights cross culturally because they are an essential women’s right and it is imperative to advocate for one another. Educating ourselves on this topic empowers us to make change on a national level as well as a personal level.

Questions:
What are some views you have on this topic already?
What opinions do you hold?
What factual information do you know?
Do you think it is beneficial to look cross culturally? Why?

Posted by: Rory, Alicia, Justi, Bri, and Kayla

Closing on Substance Abuse and on Teens

2010-04-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Overall Substance Abuse, mainly effects from the family life cycle. There is a belief that this issue will enter the picture again for across generations. It seems to be parent(s) fits in the middle for being “more responsibilities” for their child’s future. Parent(s) needs to help their teen child grow into “normal” adulthood by preventing substance abuse. Grandparent(s) won’t be able to take on this role because they often given up their family. Parent(s) might find it hard to believe how much grandparents are a big part of their deep personal lives. They need to set certain limits for substance abusers in families’ situation or it will create extra family feud problems. These parent(s) might not have anyone to turn to due to money crisis and stress management skills. Including with that, many parent(s) will feel a lot of pressure raising their children with substance problems, so often think it is okay for the grandparent(s) raise them. But in reality, parents don’t trust grandparent(s) raising the child well. It’s all about giving and hoping for second chance for families. We hope that parent(s)/grandparent(s) believe in their selves by proving to raise their children/grandchildren well.

Teens-

This generation for teens has been causing of the riot for alcohol abuse. For the teens that are at risk shows from substance abuse family history, low self-esteem, and mainly don’t fit in a “certain” group. Since alcohol is our most invasive drug and teens have easier way to access it. Usually, adolescent teens have the attraction to go to college parties where their older “friends” gathered together. Another easier way could be finding it at home while their parents are at work. Not all parents realize their children are drinking behind their back and it attempts teens to drink more. Parents’ can help prevent their children from using drugs by talking about the consequences and the effects for their future. Parents can use tools to find signs of teenage alcohol abuse.

Physical: Red and glazed eyes.

Emotional: Depression, low-esteem, mood changes, or irresponsible behavior.

Family: Breaking rules or starting arguments.

School: Grades dropping, disrespecting faulty or skipping classes/school days.

All of this will reflects from new friends who will take your child into the wrong paths without realizing it. Also, one of the statistics proven that each year more than 10,000 young people in the United States are killed and 40,000 injured in alcohol-related automobile accidents.

Few questions:

1) Do you think the numbers will increase or drop?

2) How can families be more of aware of this situation?

3) Do you think the media also creates bad messages for alcohol substance?

Posted by Donna L.

Sober Living

2010-04-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

As we know, substance abuse is not something that forms over night. Often, it is a long process in which a person has been living with the disease for a very long time. Most commonly it is not until after the drug/alcohol has had a large negative impact on all aspects of the users life that they decide or are forced to seek help. A user may have been using for years until people have noticed and it has approached the point of being a severe problem.

Essentially this abuse overtakes a persons entire life, and it directly effects all fuctions of the person physically, mentally, and socially. Drug rehab and therapy is the first step in becoming clean, often rehab centers are used as more of a detox center, a person's stay is usually limited and gives them enough time to get the drug out of their systems and go through inital withdrawals however, that is only the start of the process of becoming sober. Being sober is a persons choice however after a short stay at rehab they are not fully prepared to get back into their normal lives that were previously ruled by substance abuse.

Sober living facilities also known as "halfway houses" make it easier for a user to transition back into their normal lifestyles. A sober house provides users with support and shelter but still certain limitations. Users are able to go out in the world and be productive however, they are still drug tested and kept (hopefully) sober by the limitations house leaders set them to. The purpose of sober living is to make the transition back into the real world easier, but being able to sustain sobereity and set future goals. Most importantly, sober living provides a safe enviorment and social support system for those who want to remain sober but may not have the tools that are needed to do it on their own after leaving rehab.

for more information on sober living : http://www.treatment-centers.net/sober-living.html

Substance Abuse Treatment

2010-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance abuse is a disease that can devastate the lives of all of the people involved. An addiction not only affects the person that is taking part in the use of the substance, but it affects the families. They are the ones that are usually emotionally, verbally, or physically abused when a person that they love choose to lead a life with drugs. When a person becomes addicted to a substance such as drugs or alcohol, they often do not believe that they need help, or they believe that they can change on their own. It is common for users to refuse help, and become unsuccessful when trying to get off the substance on their own.

The professionals at www.emedicinehealth.com believe that even when substance abuse stops, the long-term use may modify the brain’s ability to function. Brain function alterations makes it more likely for someone to be exposed to drug cravings. The control of drug cravings is the most important aspect of maintaining sobriety and avoiding relapse.

Treating substance abuse is dependant on the substance abuser and the substance in which they are addicted to. Each person will have unique needs when battling their addiction, therefore they will need specific treatment.

Professionals believe that behavioral treatment is one of the most significant features in the treatment process. Counseling is often used when the behavior of an addict is questioned. Addiction counseling is a way for the addict and the counselors to find the reason behind the addiction, and why it usually used as a coping method. Counseling will allow addicts to express themselves and what they think about their lives as addicts. The goal is to work through all of the feelings that have been pushed away throughout the time that the individuals were using and the feelings that they generated while engrossed by their chosen substances.

In certain instances, a person may have been using drugs or alcohol for so long, that they literally cannot physically function without the substance. It is in these situations that closely monitored medications may be used during the recovery process. These medications are often used to avoid any medical illness or emergency that can occur when the addictive behavior has been stopped.

It is also common for drug and alcohol abusers to have a variety of mental disorders such has depression or anxiety. Often, it is because of mental illness that drug and alcohol abuse begins. It is vital for addicts that have a mental illness to receive treatment for their condition along with their condition or the addiction will have a higher chance of recurring.

Treatment is not always a voluntary. Addicts often need to be pushed or motivated to receive help when fighting their disease. Motivation is often helpful when an addict is either debating on entering or continuing treatment. Interventions are common when dealing with people that are substance abusers. They often need outside sources to open their eyes to what the addiction is doing to them, and the people that care about them.
The A&E television channel began production of a show called Intervention. This show allows everyone around the country to watch people confront their addictions with the help of their loved ones. The show varies when it comes to the substances and disorder that are illustrated on screen.

Questions
Do you find one treatment method more effective than the others? Or do you think a combination of all of the methods is best?

Are there any treatments that were not mentioned that you feel would be useful?

What are your feelings about Interventions? They are not always successful, are they worth trying?

The first link is part one to an episode of Intervention about leslie, a mother of three who is also an alcoholic.

The second and third links are parts 2 and 3 of Leslie's episode where her drinking has gotten to the worst point, and the family is getting ready for the intervention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weZgOewO5QY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoB1wSatqs8&feature=related

The fourth and fifth links deal with Leslie's intervention and her decision regarding treatment.

Sources: youtube.com,emedicine.com

Posted by: Shannon

Substance Abuse and the Family Environment

2010-04-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Substance abuse not only substantially affects the person who has the addiction, but also the environment his/her family grows up in. Families that grow up in a substance abuse household are more likely to have financial problems, behavioral problems, and incidences of domestic violence.

According to research, most of the children involved in the welfare system have parents that are substance abusers. Many factors play into this research. Money that would be used for food, clothing, and education for the children would be put towards the addiction. Money that would be put towards rent or mortgages on the home would also be used for buying the substance of choice. This obviously would have a huge affect on how the family lives and the environment the family is surrounded by.

The relationship between other family members, like the children, and the substance abuser, as we see in studies, is poor. There is a strong sense of neglect and disconnect between them. Children with drug addicted parents often have a higher level of aggression, delinquency, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, less differentiation of self. These affects on the child psyche affects not only how they are in school, but how they develop into an adolescent and then an adult.

Lastly, violence within the family is highly linked with substance abuse. Alcohol abuse is the most apparent in domestic violence. Studies in the United States show that 30 to 40 percent of men and 27 to 34 percent of women who are responsible for the violence were drinking around the same time it started. The addition of violence in the home with the substance abuse lead to a negative environment that have long lasting effects on the family and its structure.

Posted by Heather Saide

Introduction on substance abuse and it's affect on families.

2010-04-05T12:20:00.001-07:00

As many of us discovered in class today through our genealogy projects, substance abuse is not uncommon to have in your family. It used to be a very taboo subject, but now, with the growing popularity of rehabilitation programs and the subject of alcohol and drug abuse all over the media, it has become a more common thing to talk about. TV shows such as Sober House with Dr. Drew and Intervention are showing the world that substance dependence can be dangerous to your own personal health and wellbeing as well as damaging to your whole family system.

If you think back to the 1920’s when alcohol was illegal, and if you wanted to drink at all you had to hide it, have it smuggled into the country, or make it yourself, you can see how much our culture has changed. Now it is the cool thing to do and a normal part of American culture. Being drunk in public is no longer something that is out of the ordinary. Our whole culture tells us through media and cultural norms that it is normal to want to drink and if you don’t drink you are missing out.

But the issue is that people rely on the fun and good feeling that alcohol, and also drugs, give you. And they self medicate with these lethal substances to get through the problems that life throws at them. Good fun turns into a habit and that turns into a serious substance abuse problem. This problem is affecting not only Americans but the whole world. Popular culture such as advertising, rock bands, and many TV shows, for example, are not doing anything to change that.

Even though addicts and alcoholics are hurting themselves and their lives greatly, they are also affecting their family’s lives. When someone with a substance abuse problem is in a family system, this can change everything

Some questions to think about when thinking about substance abuse and the affect it has on families:

Does the abuser know that her/she is affecting everyone?

How does substance abuse affect everyone else around the abuser?

What are some family systems that could be affected by substance abuse?

What kind of affect do you think the media has on this issue?

Posted by Casandra Colby

Closing on Gay Issues

2010-04-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Recently America has started to become much more supportive of civil rights for the gay and lesbian community then they have been in the past. Despite this recent change attitudes of homophobia are still very prevalent among individuals in the United States. Homophobia is not only prevalent on the individual micro basis but as well on the macro basis. On the federal level homosexuals are still not protected from hate crime legislation and work place discrimination. Under federal law they are also prohibited from marrying and openly serving in the military. Although gays are usually better protected at the state the level that in not always the case. 30 states still have nondiscrimination laws that do not include sexual orientation. As well statesstill prohibit gay couples from adopting, as well as some states have state or constitutional amendments that prohibit same sex marriage.

Homophobia on a Regional Basis

Cities such as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco are known to have the highest amount of partnered gay populations as of the year 2000. There are many myths that homosexuals are gravitated to big cities because they are known to be more tolerant than small towns or rural areas. Although it is true that there is a higher concentration of gays living in large cities, as well as it is true that areas such as the Northeast and the west coast are known to more accepting then that South or Midwest it is still true that homophobia is everywhere. Even though people from areas such as the west coast describe that by living in such an accepting area with many gay rights movements has made them more accepting to gays people in these liberal areas still do report seeing homosexuality as well as hearing school yard terms such as “gay” or “faggot”.
What homophobia means for families

Homophobia still being prevalent in many different areas even more liberal ones can be a devastating thing for families. One example of how it can affect families is if a child who is gay has homophobic parents. The parent’s homophobia could cause a rift between the child and their parents if the parents are never able to accept their child. Homophobia can also have a negative affect on a child who has two same sex parents. With several states having laws against gay couples adopting it can be difficult for each of the same sex partner to have equal parental rights over the child. That can become very difficult in the event of a parents hospitalization or death.

The following YouTube clip shows an example on how homophobia can negatively affect a family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyIMWUTp88

The next YouTube clip explores how parents who are uncomfortable with their child’s sexuality can deal with meeting their child’s same sex partner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7_UQL5OktA&feature=related

Closing Thoughts

1. What do you believe are some ways to end homophobia on a micro level?

2. Can you think of any examples you know of a family being personally affected negatively by homophobia.

Homosexuality in the Media

2010-04-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

     Society as a whole relies heavy on the media to teach them about groups of people with whom they have little contact. Stereotypes portrayed cement prejudices that people already have. The British Journal of Guidance and Counseling published an article by Lindsay Cooper that raises some great points about the portrayal of homosexuality in the media and its effects on sexual minorities. According to Cooper, “a significant majority (83%) of people believe that the media relies heavily on clichéd stereotypes of gay people.” She states, “Hollywood is the principle manufacturer of Anglo-American cultural norms that has provided us with these images…Popular images of gay men that are available, largely on film, are very negative: ‘the child molester, the self-hating, effeminate hairdresser, or the friendless, isolated, older gay man whom everyone pitied or tolerated until he ended it all.’” Those are not the only stereotypes that homosexuals have to deal with. The dominant discourse about homosexuals is that they are promiscuous, disease-ridden, over-the-top and super “fabulous”. With images like that running rampant through the media that we are constantly bombarded with, it is no wonder why some parents react so horribly to finding out their son or daughter is gay.

     Negative stereotypes in the media have a huge impact on the lives of homosexuals in a family environment. Some parents are accepting and understanding. Others however, react with anger or even violence. This can cause people to “stay in the closet” and deny their sexuality. Cooper wrote, “Factors that keep people in the closet include verbal intimidation and fear. All interviewees experienced some homophobia and were subjected to negative images and stereotypes of gay people.” One of the interviewees said, “…there was a time when I was 13/14 when people realized and I started being called gay. I realized I probably was. Of course, I denied it. That was quite a hard time.” (Cooper 425-440) Staying in the closet can push people into feelings extreme loneliness and states of depression.

     Stereotypes that aren’t necessarily negative also have a huge impact on family communication and the lives of homosexuals. Trevor Nutley once wrote, “There was a time when I could not speak to a family member without someone telling me. ‘Oh, Jack reminds me of you so much’ or ‘You and Jack are the same person.’” (Nutley 22) He was speaking of the flamboyant, outlandish, hilarious character from the TV show “Will and Grace”. Because of portrayals of homosexuals in the media, it is almost as if all gay men have to be performing all of the time and all lesbians have to be drama sponges. Sitcoms are meant to be for entertainment, but shows like “Will and Grace” and “The L Word” are being treated like educational television to get insight on what the lives of “real homosexuals” are like and it is simply a fallacy.

Citations

Cooper, Lindsay. "On the other side: supporting sexual minority students." British Journal of Guidance & Counseling. 36.4 (2008): 425-440. Print.

Nutley, Trevor. "Gay and cliche." Xtra! West 24 APR 2006: 22. Print.

Written by: Mollie Foley

Politics of Same-Sex Marriage

2010-04-01T06:31:00.001-07:00

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. For years before, and still today, same-sex marriage has been one of the most controversial topics in American politics. The federal government has yet to legalize gay marriage nationwide. The burden is on the state governments. The legislation surrounding this issue has a huge impact on American families. Currently, there approximately 1.2 million people in gay or lesbian couples in the U.S. This number does not include gays and lesbians not involved in a relationship. These couples are a new type of family in America, and the decisions made about their right to marry greatly affects their legitimacy and rights.

Gay Marriage Facts and Statistics

-41% of Americans support same-sex marriage. 49% oppose it. 10% are unsure.

-Total gay and lesbian couples in the U.S.: 594,391

-Number of people in a gay or lesbian couple: 1.2 million

-State with the most gay/lesbian couples: California

-State with the least gay/lesbian couples: North Dakota

State Laws about Gay Marriage

Same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts (2004), Connecticut (2008), Iowa (2009), Vermont (2009), New Hampshire (2010). Washington D.C. will have legalized gay marriage in March of 2010. Maine, New York, Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Maryland allow some rights to gay and lesbian couples, and recognize out of state same-sex marriages, but their constitution bans same-sex marriage. New Mexico, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. currently provide certain rights for same-sex couples and recognize out of state marriages. Gay marriage is banned in these states but it isn't written into their constitution. All other states ban gay marriage and refuse to recognize out of state marriages or give rights to same-sex couples.

Oklahoma's state constitution states “Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman... A marriage between persons of the same gender performed in another state shall not be recognized as valid and binding in this state... Any person knowingly issuing a marriage license in violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”

Alabama's state constitution says that “Marriage is...a unique relationship between a man and a woman.” It explains that it defines marriage as such in order to “promote...the stability and welfare of society and its children.”

Arguments For

Arguments in favor of legalizing gay marriage are usually centered around the notion of equality for all citizens. By denying gays and lesbians the right to marry, the state is making them second class citizens. Rights in America can not be denied based on sexual orientation, just as they can't be denied based on gender or race. Civil unions fall under the category “Separate but not Equal”.

Another argument is that the U.S. was founded on the idea of separation of church and state, which supporters feel dispels any arguments citing the bible as a basis for law. Marriage is no longer solely a religious institution since people who aren't associated with religion can get married. Marriage has become a social and political structure, and religion is supposed to stay out of lawmaking.

Supporters also argue that same-sex marriage is good for society. Economically, a lot of money goes into weddings and divorces that could be made if same-sex marriage was allowed. By allowing gays and lesbians to marry, they are being integrated into the mainstream culture and become more active members of society. By banning same-sex marriage, states are alienating whole sections of their populations and denying them legal and social rights.

Arguments Against

“Marriage is between a man and a woman” has been the motto of the opposition to gay marriage. Opposers believe that marriage is a religious sacrament, and therefore shouldn't be extended to those who don't live by the dictates of the bible or other religious texts and preaching. The Family Research Council claims, “Homosexual marriage is an empty pretense that...cheapens and degrades the real thing....no society has ceased to regulate sexuality within marriage as traditionally defined, and survived.” Opposers are concerned that if gays are allowed to marry, it will open a floodgate of “sexual combinations” who will all demand equal marriage rights as well.

A common argument in opposition to same-sex marriage is the defense of children. They think that it is dangerous to teach children to accept gay couples as normal, and that this kind of acceptance will destroy family values and poison children's minds. The FRC claims that “homosexual couples have an average of eight sexual partners (outside of the relationship) per year. Children should not be placed in unstable households with revolving bedroom doors.” Something to note about opposers is that many believe that homosexuality is a choice, having no biological roots, and therefore is reversible. This belief can greatly affect people's attitudes toward same-sex marriage.

Repealing Gay Marriage Legislation

Maine repealed gay marriage in November 2009, six months after it was passed. In New Hampshire, opposers work to repeal the newly achieved legalization of gay marriage. Probably the most famous repeal was Proposition 8, which repealed California's gay marriage of November 5, 2008. The votes for prop.8 were 52.5% yes (repeal) and 47.5% no. This repeal was especially significant because of California's notably high gay/lesbian population.

YouTube video supporting Prop.8

YouTube video against Prop. 8

Rights Denied

One proposed solution to the same-sex marriage issue is allowing same-sex civil unions. However, there are currently 1,138 federal rights given to marriages that are denied in civil unions. These include: the right to make decisions for a partner in a medical emergency, the right to petition for a partner to immigrate, family related social security benefits, the right to inherit property from a partner, and many more. Separate but equal is not equal.

In states where homosexuals can't marry or get civil unions they are denied ALL marriage rights and benefits.

Census 2010

The 2010 census is the first that will count the number of same-sex marriages. Demographers expect many unmarried couples to report marriages since they would get one if it was legal.

What implications does repealing gay marriage have for the American Family?

Do you think that people's religious opinions should be respected in lawmaking?

Do you think it is dangerous to make laws about family structure? or is it necessary for culture?

www.gaycoupleslawblog.com

online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-SAME_SEX_MAP_0905.html

www.frc.org

www.unionleader.com

abcnews.go.com/Politics

www.hrc.org/issues/marriage/civil_unions/386.htm

www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30190.html

Gay/Straight Alliances in schools

2010-03-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Being a teenager is hard, but being a GLBTQ teenager can be even harder. Feelings of being an outcast, confusion about not understanding why you feel the way you do, fear of being judged, misunderstood, or even hurt, and even concern about how your loved ones will react. Some GLBTQ youth face the threat of being thrown out of their homes or worse. One way that some schools and organizations have tried to make this easier is with the creation of gay/straight alliances (GSA). These may have different names, different meeting times and places, and different goals, but they are united under one cause; to create a safe (or safer) and welcoming environment for GLBTQ young people as well as their Allies.

There are organizations, such as GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) and GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and even the HRC (Human Rights Campaign), which have tools, workshops, and information which can help start a GSA or work with existing ones.

GLSEN is an especially good resource. Over the years they have worked to create and modify "kits" which can be used to help students and faculty create an effective GSA. They have tools such as "The GLSEN Jump-Start Guide for Gay-Straight Alliances" which includes information and instructions "designed to help you jump-start - or bring fresh and creative energy to - your student club." This can be found by going to GLSEN “Jump-Start” Kit . Have you ever heard or seen information about the National Day of Silence? What about the Days of Action of the No Name Calling Week? All of these are projects that GLSEN sponsor and organize.

GLAAD is also a great resource for kits and information. They have a list of these here: GLAAD Resource Kits .

The HRC has a Youth & Campus Outreach Program which offers students the ability to connect with each other, see if there are organizations that are near them, and even attend conferences and events. The main page for this program can be found here, HRC program

Some of you may be familiar with “The Laramie Project” or remember when the story of the death of Matthew Shepard in 1998. This horrific story and the national media attention that resulted from it is one of the reasons that GSA’s have been created or continued over the last 12 years. For more information, please follow the links under the questions at the bottom.

Questions:

Have you ever heard of Gay/Straight Alliances and did your school have one?
What do you think about the idea of GSA’s, are they still needed in schools today?
Have you ever been involved in an organization which brought groups together with the goals of education, understanding, and safety?
Did you know any GLBTQ people in high school? If so, were they involved in a GSA?
Have you ever been involved in an even sponsored by GLSEN or GLAAD like the Day of Silence?
Have you ever heard of The Laramie Project or other information on the story of Matthew Shepard?
Links:

GLSEN
GLAAD
HRC
The Laramie Project
The Matthew Shepard Foundation
The Day of Silence

by Laramie Ruggiero of Team 4: Rachel Cina, Molley Foley, Laura Koehler, Laramie Ruggiero, Laura Hickey

Gay and Lesbian Adoption

2010-03-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

When gay and lesbian couples choose to adopt they are faced with many challenging decision. Although gay adoption is nothing knew, more and more research and adoption options are becoming available for these families. In general, adoption is a very extensive process that families think through very carefully before coming to their final decision. Gay and lesbian adoption only adds additional concerns for the parents to think about when going down this route.

Since there are many different types of adoption options for families to choose from, it is key to research all of them. Listed below are some options gay and lesbian families can choose from:

Question: What Options Are Available for Gay and Lesbian Adoptions?

Public Agency Adoptions: This is also known as a foster care adoption. The outcome of whether an adoption is finalized with this route is solely left to the attitudes of the state and the agency as each state decides who can adopt. The court will make their decision based on what they think is in the best interest of the child in question. This is of course extremely subjective.

Agency Adoptions: These adoptions are completed with the help of an adoption agency. Again, each adoption agency may hold different policies regarding working with gay or lesbian individuals.

Independent Adoptions: These adoptions are facilitated by someone other than an agency or social worker. This could mean an attorney or physician. These adoptions are illegal in many states. With these adoptions the placement is left up to the families involved. Again honesty regarding who you are is important.

International Adoptions: This option is complicated as it means finding an agency willing to work with a gay or lesbian couple and a foreign country willing to place a child in an alternative family. Many countries are not as accepting of gay and lesbian adoptions. Some countries are making these decisions based on their cultural standards and again, what they feel is in the best interest of their children.

Open Adoptions: Most of the above adoption options would be conducive with the choice of an open adoption. Open adoptions mean a level of contact with birth family. Open adoptions are also usually in the best interest of the child. Consider an open adoption during your adoption research.

Second Parent Adoptions: It's also important for the gay and lesbian family to be aware of second parent adoptions and whether they are legal in your area. This option allows the child to have two legal guardians. http://adoption.about.com/od/gaylesbian/f/gayoptions.htm

With the many adoption options available for gay and lesbian couples to consider, research indicates that second parent adoptions are the most common. Second parent adoptions or stepparent adoptions are “The most common way in which same-sex couples adopt is that one partner already has legal custody of a child (either by birth or adoption) as a single parent. Then the second partner, at some later date after the adoption has been finalized, petitions the court to allow the second partner to do a second parent adoption of the other partner's child using the streamlined stepparent adoption process. Stepparent adoptions are the most common and least regulated types of relative adoptions in the United States. Second parent adoption allows a homosexual couple to adopt a child so that both partners have equal parental rights. For instance, the non-biological mother can adopt the child born to her lesbian partner without terminating the parental rights of the biological mother.” http://www.adopthelp.com/alternativeadoptions/alternatives2.html

In today’s society it is much more common to see gay and lesbian couples adopting children to start families of their own. This being said, there are also some fears that are presented on the topic of gay adoption and gay parenting. Studies show that much of the concern is focused around the child’s understanding of sexual orientation and identification when they are brought up in a gay or lesbian household as well as if they will have additional problems due to their parents. There has not been any evidence of these concerns being true although other fears have been arisen.

Question: Will children be teased if they have homosexual parents?

Society has become more open and accepting to gay and lesbian couples but there will always be the people who disagree with same sex relationships. Answers given to this question vary depending on the child’s age when adopted into the gay family as well as many other factors. Research states that, “Gay and lesbian adoptive parents must also think about how they will explain to younger children, in age-appropriate language, not only how and why the child was adopted but also about the parents' sexual orientation. Both are complex subjects that should be addressed a number of times as the child grows and matures, each time adding new information as the child asks and is able to absorb and understand more. Then both topics become accepted facts of family life.” http://adoption.about.com/od/gaylesbian/f/teasing.htm

To conclude the topic of gay and lesbian adoption here are some questions to think about as well as some added cites to check out relating to different aspects of the adopting process.

Where is Gay Adoption Legal?

Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights - Pros and Cons of Gay Adoption

Case Brief: Homosexuals and Adoption - Equal Protection – Gay adoption in Florida

Questions to think about:

What is your opinion about gay and lesbian adoption?

Which adoption option would you choose to go through with? And why?

Do you think it will become easier for gay and lesbian couples to adopt in the future?

Sources:

http://adoption.about.com/od/adopting/tp/gayadoptionbasics.htm

http://www.adopthelp.com/index.html

Posted By: Laura Koehler, Rachel Cina, Molley Foley, Laramie Ruggiero and Laura Hickey

Explaining Gay Issues to Children

2010-03-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

The issue of homosexuality has become so much more prominent in today’s culture then it was just a generation ago. Terms such as “gay”, ‘lesbian’, and bisexual are becoming much more common in today’s world. This shift is shown by how much more openly gay celebrates who are now in the media such as Rose O Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, Lance Bass and Elton John. As well as movies and televisions shows such as Brokeback Mountain, Kissing Jessica Stein, Queer Eye and Will and Grace the show homosexual life styles.

As well as being more prominent in the media there is now a much bigger push for gay rights, such as in 2004 same sex marriage s became legal in Massachusetts, in November 2008 they became legal in Connecticut and just recently in March 2010 they became legal in DC.

This is such a drastic change because in the culture of the 1950’s the issue of homosexuality was a very taboo one and often swept under the rug and now people are much more open to this life style. When referring to someone as homosexual it means that he or she is sexually attracted to members of the same. Terms such as ‘gay’ refers to homosexual men and ‘lesbian’ refers to a homosexual women. The term ‘bisexual’ refers to those who are attracted to both men and women. Nobody knows for sure why people are homosexual, some studies oh human sexuality believe that it is a result of genetics social or individual factors, either alone or combination. Though since nobody knows for sure there is much confusion about this issue. As well no matter how far that gay rights have come there is still a long way for them to go because homophobia which is an irrational fear, prejudice or discrimination towards homosexual people. Homophobia can vary from name in calling in school to serious hate crimes such as assault and murder. Homophobia is usually based on fear and ignorance.

When wondering where people get these fearful and hateful ideas towards homosexual individuals it is interesting to explore into how parents have taught their children about this issue. When surveyed many people do not remember ever being spoken to about homosexuality as a a child. Some had it be explained and had it treated as any other type of relationship that was the same as a heterosexual relationship. Though many remember their first interaction with the idea of homosexuality to be in school. In schools terms such as ‘faggot’ and ‘gay’ are tossed around loosely as adjectives that have negative meaning attached to them. If that is a child’s first interaction with the concept of homosexuality it is no surprise that ideas of homophobia based on ignorance grow.

It seems that parents do want to shield their children from the concept of homosexuality. These commercials arguing for the passage of proposition 8 in California in 2008 prove how it was believed that teaching children about homosexuality would just confuse them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgjcgqFYP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7352ZVMKBQM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8j2y9WtTPw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75J3TN9Zzck&feature=related

As well as in Lexington Massachusetts there was controversy in schools when parents a second graders were protesting the teaching of a fairy tale about gay marriage to the class without warning the parents. The book “King &King” showed different types of weddings where a prince marries another prince instead of a princess. A Lexington parent complained staying “By Presenting this kind of issue at such a young age they’re trying to indoctrinate of children. They’re intentionally present this a norm and it’s not a value that our family supports”

Questions to Think About

1. If you were a parent how would you explain homosexuality to your child.

2. 2 Do you believe that terms such as “gay” or “faggot” are more likely to create homophobia.

3. Do you side with the parents who complained to the Lexington second grade teacher.

http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/king_and_king/book.html
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/teens/sexuality/739.html
http://rockhawk.com/homosexuals_in_history.htm
http://www.protectmarriage.com/video/view/7
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/king_and_king/book.html
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/?sec=article&article_id=4937
http://www.news24.com/Content/World/News/1073/043aeecea826459c852d8402a8a95bfa/25-04-2006-12-27/Gay_fairytale_sparks_US_debate
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/04/27/when_parents_values_conflict_with_public_schools/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RNWYVKX

Adoption - Final Thoughts

2010-03-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

It is estimated that each year 120,000 adoptions take place in the United States. Families start and expand through this extremely rewarding process. At the same time, as we have discussed this week it is also a strenuous and complicated process at times Just as having children is, adoption is a life-long commitment, and as we examined through assimilation and reunion discussions, one that brings additional challenges and experiences to the child-rearing process. Starting the process entails big decisions including whether to go ahead and use an agency or go about it independently, as well as whether to adopt internationally or intercountry. It also brings a large financial commitment, which can be as much as $40,000 dollars through some agencies. The legal documentation is also extremely taxing and lengthy, especially in international adoptions, which can take years to go through since both governments have laws that must be met. Depending on the circumstances and preferences of the adoptive family and/or the birth family, there is a plethora of options regarding the legalities of the relationship between the two families. The most common include open adoptions and closed adoptions. Whatever parents decide, the road to finally receiving your child is a long yet worthwhile one!

As parents there are many different challenges to overcome that are unique to adoptive families. First, there is the big talk that parents must have with their children to inform them that they were adopted – and this can take place is a variety of ways and at many different times. Some parents choose to start explaining it to their children in bits and pieces from early ages, while others wait to have long talks during their teenage years. However, the discussion this week showed that most people have the opinion that it is most important to be honest and up-front with your children, no matter how you do it! Especially since the child will then need to consider whether they have an interest in pursuing a relationship with their birth family or not, which most people considered to be an extremely difficult reality for adoptive parents. We also looked at a number of valuable sources to help parents deal with the issues of assimilation in to the family, and building cohesion in light of racial, ethnic, or cultural differences. One response gave a personal account of a friend who always felt out of place in his own skin because of his racial difference from his adoptive parents – and this is a huge challenge that is important for families to be able to face through honesty and cohesion.

We also looked at how adopted kids view their situation, and got very valuable information through a personal interview. The most noted and interesting points that people found in this discussion were that not all adoptees feel the same way about their status, and some want to meet their birth families while others have little interest in doing so. In the same way, others pointed out that being adopted does not control a person’s life or thoughts. They live every day just like all other children with families do! They also do not necessarily want to adopt kids themselves or have particularly strong feelings on the topic simply because that it was occurred for them. They want to make their own decisions just like anyone based on their goals and desires, not just on what their parents did.

Another interview revealed the intense emotions and conflicts surrounding the issue of birth family reunions. Technology and social networking today have made a huge impact on this process, one that is positive for some and negative for others. However, in this case the interviewee was steady in faith and mature enough at the time of contact that she has maintained incredible perspective throughout her reunion. She even said she loved telling her story! At the same time, there are many points in her story that could cause intense conflict in other adopted children – such as her birth mother’s lack of interest in her life, her sisters’ label for her as the “lucky one”, and the fact that they contacted her unannounced. In general, the overall feeling after this interview was that birth families really need to show control, respect the agreements they have made, and restrain from contacting their children especially before the age of eighteen.

Lastly, the current hot topic surrounding adoption in the United States has come about due to the historic natural disaster in Haiti, which has left many adoptive families in the United States searching for their children, attempting to get them home, and some even starting new adoption processes in response to the crisis. The consensus here was that the United States has responded well to this issue by loosening their regulations to help adoptive families unite with their children and bring them in to the country. However, it is also agreed that in light of the crisis situation, there is no justification for any adoptions that do not meet all regulations and standards because they are there to protect Haitian families and their children. While expediting an ongoing adoption is positive, attempting to bypass laws in order to obtain one is not.

In conclusion, it seemed that people were thinking about adoption and adopted children in new ways. More things to consider are whether or not any of this information changed your opinions about the adoption process, parenting an adopted child, or being an adopted child? Has your perspective been expanded regarding any of these topics? In addition, how does the information presented in the blog relate to what we are reading in the text? Do you feel as though it has enhanced what has been presented in the reading? Has anything conflicted with what you’ve read in this class or in general? And lastly, what do you think would be the most challenging or the most rewarding part of adoption for you?

Children all over the world are looking for families and homes, and no matter how exhausting or difficult it may be, the bottom line is that it is remarkable how many people are searching and anxious to welcome them in to theirs.

Sources:

“Chapter Six: Adoption”

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/practical/books/family/chapter_6.pdf

Posted by: Courtney Vataha, Kendall Eifler, Nancy Chen, Cassandra Knox, and Jessica Powell

Adoption in the Aftermath of Crisis

2010-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

What are the current issues regarding adoption in the United States right now?

Before concluding, we wanted to look at our topic of adoption in light of current events, specifically the historic earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12^th. As we have already talked about how difficult international adoption can be on a regular basis, it is no surprise that a natural disaster of this level has caused havoc around Haiti’s adoption processes, which was notorious for taking years to begin with. The United States had just over 300 adoptions from Haiti in 2008, and many families were in the midst of their own adoption procedures when the earthquake occurred. (“Haiti Adoption”). Hopeful adoptive parents were suddenly scrambling to find out if their prospective children were even still alive, and if they were how they could continue their adoptions in order to retrieve them from the disaster as soon as possible. In order to aid this process and help families trying to bring their adopted children to the United States, the Department of Homeland Security passed a humanitarian parole policy on January 18^th that allows orphans to come to the US temporarily on individual bases to make sure that they undergo the care they need. (“US Citizenship and Immigration Services”). This policy applied to children who fall in to two categories: those we have been confirmed as orphans eligible for international adoption, meet the logistical criteria, and were in the process of being adopted before January 12 – and those in the same situation who were not in the process of being adopted, but who were matched with prospective parents prior to the same date. In this way, all children who were about to be adopted are being given the chance to unite with their adoptive families in the United States as soon as possible. However, one of the problems after disasters such as this one can be the loss of legal documents and the chaos or breakdown of communication lines and authorities/government departments. (“Haiti Information”) Therefore, it still has not been easy, and there are kids who may have been in the adoption process who are now stuck. However, the efforts of the US government in terms of adoption policy reflected their continual efforts to aid Haiti in as many ways as possible, and in many cases it has paid off. Below is a youtube clip of a couple in Wisconsin who recently united with their adopted two-year-old Haitian girl as a result of this new legislation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-SHT_Od-Vs&feature=related

The Department of State is also asking couples who have not yet been able to bring their children to the United States to send them as much detailed information about their child and adoption case as possible, in case their documentation in Haiti was destroyed during the earthquake. Another way for anyone to help is to make a donation to specific humanitarian organizations working in Haiti on adoptions, such as the Joint Council on International Children’s Services.

The other side of the adoption frenzy is Haiti right now is a blessing, but a difficult one, as many United States families are now wanting and hoping to adopt in light of the earthquake. While this is extremely heartwarming, and even though legislation in the United States has been loosned, the same legal documentation and confirmations need to be met in Haiti in order to start the process. Due to the fact that so many deaths are still unknown, and children may have been separated from families, sadly it is still being determined which children are actually orphans. Therefore, it needs to be confirmed that these children have no remaining family in Haiti who still wish to be their caretakers before they can become eligible. This will be a long process, but is clearly severely important. Sadly, there have been many people who have taken advantage of this situation and tried to adopt children without regards to the international adoption laws. These have been dubbed, “cowboy adoptions” and while people may think they’re helping, in actually they are abducting children who may be families. (“Protecting Haiti’s Children from “Cowboy Adoptions”)

Therefore, it is important for people in the adoption process to keep pushing agencies and government offices to get their children home! And those hoping to adopt are encouraged to do so, as long as they follow the laws that – while they may seem arduous and take far too much time – are there to protect children and their families. Lastly, this link is to an interesting MSNBC article regarding these issues and families who are working through them.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34962518/ns/today-today_people/

Discussion Questions:

1) How do you think you would react as a person in the midst of an adoption of a Haitian child?

2) Are these issues regarding adoption things you would have expected or thought about in the aftermath of a natural disaster like this one in Haiti? Are you surprised by the issues brought up? Did you consider adoption when you thought about what problems are now facing Haiti?

Sources:

“Haiti Adoption”

http://haiti.adoption.com/

“US Citizenship and Immigration Services”

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=9c22546ade146210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

"Haiti Information"

http://www.adoption.com/haiti-disaster-january-2010/

"Protecting Haiti’s Children from “Cowboy Adoptions”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8491981.stm

Posted by: Courtney Vataha, Kendall Eifler, Cassandra Knox, Nancy Chen, and Jessica Powell

Technology and Adoption Reunions

2010-03-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of the most important parts of the adoption process is the big conversation that parents have with their child to inform them that they were adopted. Parents choose to do this in all different ways, and at many different times. Some children are as young as five, while others are in the late teenagers years when they find out. However, no matter when this realization occurs, one of the most common concerns is whether or not the adopted child will want to find or reconnect with their birth families. This is a loaded topic, and it is handled differently from family to family. But from a sociological perspective, one of the interesting things to look at is how the progression of technology, particularly in regards to the internet, has affected the number and types of adoption reunions that occur every year. In a 1996 study, researchers found that 72% of adopted adolescents wanted to know the reason for their adoption, 65% wished to meet their birth parents, and 94% wanted to know which birth parent they looked like. (“Adoption Statistics: Birth Family Search”) This shows how many adoptees are curious about their birth families, and with the rising number of social networking sites including Facebook and Myspace, it is simply easier to find people these days! Often, searching a person’s name and place of residence is enough to get multiple results. In addition, a plethora of sites and registries have now been created online with the purpose of helping adoptees and birth parents reconnect. One writer says that, “Since the advent of the Internet, and entire industry has sprung up to meet the growing demand.” (“Using the Internet to Find Birth Parents”). This includes sites that have legal documents and birth records available, reunion registry search sites such as AdoptionRegistry.com, genealogy websites such as Ancestory.com, and web forums and chat rooms dedicated to reconnection. Overall, this revolution can be a great thing to help adoptees learn as much or as little about their families as they wish. It allows for more and more reunions that lead to positive results. However, it has also become controversial for the many problems it can cause as well. For instance, social networking sites and chat rooms have been publicized greatly regarding their dangers and insecurities. This applies to adoption searches as well, as people have paid money to investigators who are fakes, or even talked to people impersonating family. (“Using the Internet to Find Birth Parents”). Adoption searches are not any more safe than any other form of internet networking, and therefore children especially need to be educated and monittered to go about this process safely. In addition, the difference between closed and open adoptions was discussed earlier, and this can become an issue as well. For instance, in a closed adoption, adoptees and birth parents cannot contact one another until the adoptee has reached the age of 18. However, giving up a child is extremely difficult, and some birth parents are getting anxious to find and contact their children before this deadline. And now, they have plenty of resources through which to do it. Even in an open or semi-open adoption, it can be problematic if birth parents contact their children without permission or before the child knows or is ready to deal with these circumstances. For example, here is an account given by a woman on About.com regarding this issue…

“How Social Media Has Affected Our Lives”

“Social media has created a difficult situation for me. My 14-year-old daughter's birthmother contacted her through Facebook without my knowledge or permission. Fortunately, my daughter told me immediately and we have worked through this. The issue for me is that while I have always been very upfront about the fact that my daughter is adopted and that she could access information about her birthparents when she was 18, what her birthmother did is an invasion of our privacy. The birthmother had no idea how this might affect my daughter, and I see it as a very selfish act on her part. I have always freely shared information with the birthparents because I am so grateful to them for this precious gift given to me, but I have shared information because it is the right thing to do. Also, I have an older adopted daughter whose birthparents have respected the age boundaries and I am concerned this makes her feel less worthy, even though we've discussed that this isn't a reflection of her worth.” (“Social Media and Adoption”)

This is an example of how these societal changes can actually led to unfortunate reunions that do not benefit the child or their families. However, as said before, the exact opposite is the case for many people who are excited and relieved to have so many ways to search and find their families. When it comes down to it, the most important part is that when kids go looking for their birth relatives, they are educated and prepared for the various results. In addition, birth parents need to remain loyal to their adoption agreements and respect their children and their adopted families.

I have a friend whose half-sister found her through Facebook not long ago, and she was kind enough to share her thoughts and feelings about the situation with us for the blog. I REALLY encourage you to read it!! It’s a very touching interview, and an overall happy reunion story!

Adoption Interview

1) How old were you when you were told you were adopted? What did your parents tell you about your birth parents at the time?

I've always known my whole life that I did not come from my momma's belly, but from another woman. When I was younger I understood that surprisingly well but as I got older I had to know more. They really only told me she was from kansas, she had a daughter before me and was really struggling in life. She kept my older half sister but gave me away. Come to find out november last year I have a 22 year old half sister Ashley, I'm 20, a 14 year old half sister Hannah (who has the same birthday as me, August 1st), and a 5 month old half sister Journie. I was the only one she decided to put up for adoption to have a better life. I thank God for that everyday!

2) Who from your birth family contacted you? And how? (aka facebook, search engine, etc.)

My half-sister Ashley found me through facebook after a year of knowing I existed. Even though I've known about her my whole life. She was angry with her mother enough to go against her wishes to find me and succeeded.

3) Did they contact your parents first to ask if it was okay to get in contact with you?

Ashley didn't really know my parents, or have any legal papers or anything with our information to get in contact with them first. Just had our last name my name and birthdate. Being over 18 they have to right to contact me and I have the right to contact them according to the rules of a closed adoption.

4) Growing up, did you ever have an interest in reuniting with your birth family at all? (Would you have pursued it if they didn’t?) Why? Why not?

Yes, I've always had the desire to know where I've come from. Who I look like, where I should have been raised. I always wondered. My mother (Marla) who was adopted has no desire at all to contact her birth family. It's a preference. Eventually I believe I would have found a way to find them, but God worked it out in His perfect timing and brought them to me.

5) What was your initial reaction when your family contacted you?

My initial reaction was complete and utter shock! I was screaming and almost crying when I saw the friend request from Ashley LaCroix. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited.

6) Overall, how do you feel about it now? Are you glad they did?

I feel really good about knowing my birth family now, even though my birth mother does not seem to want to contact me. To me that's not rejection or whatever... it's just gotta be hard to see or talk to the child you gave away so many years ago. But my two half sisters Ashley and Hannah are so accepting and very curious as to why I was the one that got the good life when their mother has stolen from them to get money for drugs and alcohol their whole lives. They call me "the lucky one" and often ask about my life and what it's like to travel and go to college and to have a great family.

7) How do you think things will go from here out? Will you keep in contact with them? Visit? Let things go?

I really believe this happened for a great reason only God knows for right now. I believe I'm supposed to be somewhat of an example for them and show them that life doesn't have to be a dump or families don't have to lie and steal from each other. Especially Hannah who is 14 and still very moldable and open to new things. I definitely want to keep in contact with them for the rest of my life and to eventually visit my half sisters and to meet my half nieces (Ashleys two daughters.. Kylee and Emma) Yes the name Kylee was kinda a coincidence... though she thought she'd heard it before and really liked it for some reason.

8) Has this experienced changed your perspective at all about who you are?

This experience really has changed a lot about who I am! God has shown me even more the ministry I have in helping to restore and rescue the young girls or even boys that have been unloved or are just stuck in a bad lifestyle.

9) How did your family handle the situation? Were your parents and/or sister upset? Supportive? Do you feel like it changed your relationship with them at all?

My family was pretty shocked at first just like I was, and often reminded me to be careful and not expect anything from them or for them to be bitter or to hate me for the life I've had compared to theirs. This is not the case at all! Ashley and Hannah understand that I was just given this life for a big purpose and it's not coincidence that I was the one that was given up. But I think my sister Jillian felt a little like I had found new sisters and wanted to replace her or just felt like I loved them more. Which is not true. I feel like my family is very supportive now because I don't hold my birth sisters over my real family. As far as I'm concerned this is how it should be.

10) As someone who has gone through this experience, do you think that it is a good thing that new technologies have allowed for easier or more casual reconnections with birth families? Why or why not?

Yes I'm really thankful for the chance to get to know them, and to realize God knew exactly what he was doing 20 years ago when he gave a young woman the desire to give her baby a better life. Technology is getting crazy now but I'm very thankful! My parents watched her cry in the lawyers office as she said she believed God told her to give me up as I was still in her belly, and from there on I think she knew I wasn't hers.

11) And, do you think birth families should seek out their kids? Or do you think kids should be the ones to initiate the process if they would like?

My thought is the child should be the one to reach out to the birth family. The birth parents should understand when they give a child up that that child is no longer theirs. They really have no place to... though I always thought my birth mother would when I was younger. I think the way my birth sister reached out to me, was perfectly acceptable. Non invading or making me get to know her/them. She asked over and over if I wanted to know them, if this was too weird or too much to handle. I was just so curious I couldn't help it. I still feel like my birth mother doesn't want to know me or get to meet me. She really didn't even approve of finding me. But she asked to see my pictures on facebook and asked Ashley about my life. I respect her very much and I don't believe the strength she had came from herself. I really believe God gave her temporary strength just for that. I think I'm going to write her a letter sometime soon to share that with her. God only knows what will happen! I'm sorry again if this is too late... I hope you get this on your blog in time! I hope I answered everything good enough! Ask any questions if something is unclear! Thank you I love telling this story!

A few revealing things about the process...

v The interviewee is a girl of great faith, and was clearly prepared and mature enough to handle her reunion. This is evident in her confidence regarding her mother’s decision not to contact her – which otherwise could be somewhat devastating, and as well in her ability to handle the fact that her birth mother has lived an extremely hard life, along with her siblings. Rather than allowing it to get to her, she is grateful and ready to help her siblings in any way she can.

v Many people ask – what makes the difference people adoptees who wish to meet their birth parents and those who don’t? One article says that it truly comes down to personal preference and personality! It has less to do with environment and conditions and much more to do with simply what the tendency of the adoptee is. (“Do Adopted Children Ever Want to Meet Their Birth Parents”). The interviewee here confirms that! She has a wonderful adoptive family who she loves, but she wanted to know about her birth family, and even as the statistics say, who she looked like! She says she believes it is just personal preference.

v Her situation was perfectly legal and appropriate because she was over the age of 18, and she was glad to have been contacted! However, randomly finding a friend request on Facebook from a family member could also have the opposite affect depending on the adoptee and their desires regarding reunion. The interviewee also expressed that even though her situation was different, in general she thinks that children should be the ones to initiate contact.

Considering the information and interview, some food for thought….

1) Do you think these new avenues allowing families to find one another are positive progressions, or are just causing more issues or problems for adoptive families?

2) Do you think parents should be the ones to contact children, or visa versa?

3) How do you think adoption reunion affect the adoptive families? How might you deal or view this situation if you were an adoptive parent?

Sources:

“Do Adopted Children Ever Want To Meet Their Birth Parents”

http://www.americanadoptions.com/adopt/article_view/article_id/3625

“Social Media and Adoption”

http://adoption.about.com/u/ua/searchandreunion/social_media_adoption_search_reunion.htm

“Using the Internet to Find Birth Parents”

http://www.life123.com/parenting/adoption/birth-parents/using-the-internet-to-find-birth-parents.p2.shtml

“Adoption Statistics: Birth Family Search”

http://statistics.adoption.com/information/adoption-statistics-birth-family-search.html

Posted by: Courtney Vataha, Kendall Eifler, Cassandra Knox, Nancy Chen, and Jessica Powell

Growing Up an Adopted Child

2010-03-25T11:34:00.001-07:00

A child who is growing up adopted faces many benefits and advantages of being an adopted child. Of these many benefits the most significant one is growing up with two loving parents. These two parents put all their time, energy and love into providing the child with as much care as possible in order to assure that their child comes before anything and grows up a good life. What comes along with the opportunity of having two parents is financial security. In most cases the adopted child does not have to watch their parents struggle to pay rent or other everyday costs. This financial security creates a sense of happiness among the adopted child and his/her parents. Because of this financial security and the fact that the two parents want their child to be happy, the adopted child has the opportunity to fulfill everyday dreams. They can pursue trying new activities such as sports, painting, piano, etc, that they may not have been able to do if not been adopted. This creates an open mind frame for the child to pursue any goals or hobbies they want to accomplish in life. Another huge factor that comes along with being adopted is the chance to grow up in a safe neighborhood which then leads to a better education. Providing a better education for the child leads them for the opportunity to go to college and explore what they want to be when they grow up. The chances of completing college are much higher for an adopted child.

One of my close friends from home is an adopted child so I thought it would be interesting to hear first hand experience what it actually is like to grow up being an adopted child.

Me: When did you first find out that you were adopted and how did you feel about this?
*Courtney: “I don’t know when I found out when I was first adopted. My parents weren’t trying to keep it from me. They told me when they thought I would be able to comprehend what adoption was. They had no problem letting me know though. When I found out they explained it and it was kind of confusing. Whenever I wanted to have questions answered they were always willing to answer them and what not.”

Me: What is it like to grow up knowing that your parents are not your biological parents? Do you think this had a great impact on your life or the way you acted?
*Courtney: “No it doesn’t have a big impact. I don’t really think about it to be honest. At first it was kind of like “oh” it’s still not like I don’t know them I was adopted right from birth so that’s all I ever knew. If had been in a foster care till age 3 or 4 and had recollection of that it would have been different. It didn’t feel like they were strangers because of the fact I was adopted right at birth.”

Me: Because you were adopted do you feel this will influence you to adopt children in the future as well?
*Courtney: “I want to have my own kids but if for some reason I’m not able to of course I would. Also I may adopt a kid even if I am able to get pregnant. But it hasn’t been like oh just because I’m adopted I’m going to go adopt.”

Me: Do you hope/or have contact with your biological parents? If so what is it like? How often do you talk?
*Courtney: “Yes I have contact. Sometimes it’s a little much because she wants to be so much part of my life but at the same time she does understand I have my own thing going on with my parents and she respects that. She is eager to meet me in person and keeps pushing that so it makes it a little more stressful on me to make a decision that will please everyone.”

Me: Do you think that you will meet her? If so when?
*Courtney: “Yea. I’m not sure yet. But it has to be when I have more time to really think about that decision.”
* Name was changed.

Some questions to think about...
1) Do you agree with all these benefits of growing up an adopted child? Just because the child is adopted is it always granted that they will be brought up financially secure and with two loving parents as the sources state?
2) Do you know anyone who is adopted and grew up a life that was not so happy and had financial struggles? Do you know anyone who is adopted and grew up happy with a good life? How did being adopted turn out for that person to be?
3) What are your feelings towards adoption in general?

Sources:
http://www.comeunity.com/adoption/adopt/growingup-html.html

http://www.americanadoptions.com/pregnant/article_view/article_id/3267
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cafc8MnixwY&feature=related
posted by Cassandra Knox, Nancy Chen, Kendall Eifler, Jessica Powell, Courtney Vataha

Parenting an Adopted Child

2010-03-24T09:19:00.001-07:00

Parenting an adopted child is a difficult, rewarding process. There are so many variables in this topic that it is impossible to touch on all of them. A few important ones are talking about adoption, assimilating an adopted child into a family, and issues of race, ethnicity, and culture.

Talking about Adoption

When parenting an adopted child, it is important to have open communication about the issue of adoption, but even more so it is important for the parents to show the child that he or she is a part of the family.

Talking about the adoption process with a young child is called telling an ‘adoption story’

According to Parents Magazine, one example of an outline of an adoptions story is as follows:

· He was born the same way as everybody else in the world.

· He grew inside another woman, but that woman wasn't ready or able to be a mother to any baby at that time.

· You wanted to be a parent very much.

· You adopted him and he will be your child forever.

As children get older, they often become more inquisitive about the adoption. Parents are presented with many questions from their child that they may not necessarily know the answer to about the biological family/parent(s). Although there are many different suggestions about how to answer these questions, the overwhelming theme seems to be honesty.

Adopted children have different reactions to the issue of being adopted.

Children cope with these feelings in a variety of ways: some are open and talk about their feelings, some are defensive and use denial to cope, some are angry and disruptive, [and] some think that adoption is no big deal (Parents Magazine)

This is an award winning picture book about adoption.

I Wished For You

Assimilating an Adopted Child into the Family

Sometimes, families will have both biological children and adopted children, or multiple adopted children. This can present both unique challenges and opportunities for assimilating a child into an adoptive family.

An important strategy for parents in this situation is to avoid comparing the siblings. Also paying individual attention to each child is important. Reassurance that, yes, they really are brothers and/or sisters is also important. (adoptionissues.org) http://www.adoptionissues.org/same_families_different_stories.html

One strategy for assimilating a child into a family is to honor the day he or she was adopted with a celebration called ‘adoption day’ or ‘gotcha day’. This is sort of like a birthday and provides an opportunity for a family, or even an extended family and/or network of friends to show a child how much they are glad he or she is part of the family and to be open about the adoption. (Adoptive Families Magazine) http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/

Happy Adoption Day

Issues of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity

There are many opinions on whether interracial adoption is desirable, and there are many reasons why someone would choose to adopt a child of a different race, but once a child is adopted and there is a racial difference, no matter what the situation, there are certain ways to help a child and family become cohesive. It is important for the parents to understand this issue, be on the same page, and work through it with the child as well as any other member of the family. Even if there is no racial difference between an adoptive family and a child, there are usually ethnic differences and almost always cultural differences between an adoptive family and the biological family. Sometimes people choose to adopt siblings, when this is possible, or two children from similar backgrounds in order to create continuity and a stronger cultural identity within the family.

Cultural Identity is an important factor to encourage a child to develop and so is cohesion with the adoptive family.

This is a picture book about interracial adoption that sends the message that even if you look different from someone, you are still very much the same.

I Don't Have Your Eyes

There is a lot of difficulty involved in some interracial/international adoptions. This is a clip from the movie Adoption by Barb Lee. <http://www.adoptedthemovie.com/adopted-synopsis/> This movie is about the adoption of two Asian girls, one who is Chinese and very young, the other is a thirty-two-year-old who was adopted as a child from Korea.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think some of the struggles of being a parent to an adoptive child might be?

2. Do you think that parents should talk to their children about adoption? When? How?

3. Do you know someone who was adopted, or were you adopted yourself? If so what was the process of assimilating into the family like?

4. How do you think parents should deal with the issue of interracial or international adoption?

5. What did you think about the story presented in the video clip from Adopted?

6. Do you have any other thoughts or opinions about parenting adopted children?

posted by Cassandra Knox, Nancy Chen, Kendall Eifler, Jessica Powell, Courtney Vataha

Sources:

http://www.adoptionissues.org/adoption_resources.html

http://www.parents.com

http://www.amazon.com

http://www.adoptionpolicy.org/speak.html

What Are My Adoption Options?

2010-03-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to adoptions, there are many choices that are available to both the adoptive families and the birth families. Some of the choices include open, semi-open and closed adoptions, international adoptions, new born adoptions, special needs adoptions, foster adoptions, embryo adoptions, agencies and independent adoptions. There is an extensive list of possibilities that families can choose from. There are also legalities that surround adoptions; laws that can vary from state to state, country to country when adopting internationally, sealed and unsealed records, and even families bringing in attorneys during the lengthy process.

For an introduction to open adoptions, please see the video provided from YouTube below from The Adoption Center of San Diego.

Introduction to Open Adoption

Closed adoption is the process in which the adoptive families and birth parents do not meet and have minimum to no contact with each other. The families will also know very little information on the other family. Although most international adoptions are considered closed, birth parents do have “some very basic information about the birth parents such as medical history, ethnicity and cultural information” and it has become the exception. However, an adoptive child may choose to search for his/her birth parents at the legal age in which he/she can make a decision.

International adoption is exactly what the word international implies. Adoptive families and birth families are from all corners of the earth. However, there are more hurdles in this process. The laws of the country in which you plan to adopt your child from are observed; additionally, documents and translation of said documents must also be completed. When an adoptive family is considering an international adoption, some things to consider could include race and medical needs in addition to their age and gender. Some of the laws surrounding international adoption include:

• If you want to adopt from Korea, you cannot weigh more than 30% over the normal weight for your height when you work with certain agencies.
• If you are single, male or female, forget about adopting from Armenia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka (among others). No single adoptive parents allowed.

Surrounding the adoption process, the family dynamics are changed. Upon the completion of an adoption, families’ now have to divide resources differently. If an infant is adopted, things such as diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, and education are added to expenses. Will the family decide to relocate to a different neighborhood because of schooling options? Will the family begin saving for the child’s college education or pay for college when the time comes? All these factors change the mental and emotional state of the family unit.

1. If you are considering adoption in your future as a parent, which method would you choose?
Open? Closed? International? Other?

2. What are your thoughts surrounding some of the laws and requirements surrounding international adoptions? Do you think they should be kept, amended, or abolished?

Sources:
What Are the Different Types of Adoption
http://adopting.adoption.com/child/what-are-the-different-types-of-adoption.html

Posted by Nancy Chen, Kendall Eifler, Cassandra Knox, Jessica Powell, and Courtney Vataha

Introduction to Adoption and Policy Focus

2010-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Adoption is an integral part of culture in the United States as it crosses the borders of ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, and touches hundreds of thousands of individuals each year. Specifically in 2009 there were 12,753 international adoptions in the United States, signifying a 25% drop from 2008 state statistics posted by the Center of Adoption Policy. Every year there are single parents, families, and individuals who pursue adoption for a variety of reasons. The process embodies a legal issue as well as a lifelong family commitment. The draw may be derived from family connections to infertility or the lifelong dream of adoption, whatever the driving motivation the presence is undeniable throughout our society. As the range of reasons behind the pursuit of adoption amongst individuals varies so does the type of adoption. From the full spectrum of open to closed cases, to issues of trans-racial adoption, orphanage issues, single parent adoption, inter-country adoption versus domestic adoptions the process is lengthy and comes with many tolls. The reach of adoptions stretches into the financial, emotional, family, and cultural spheres of life.
The process begins for most by isolating the focus of their search and educating themselves. With the focus of the families or individuals process is further directed through legal avenues of either a licensed private agency adoption, where families relinquish parental rights to the agency and work with the agency as they decide about a prospective match for a fee of up to 40,000 dollars. This agency must also qualify and meet the expectations of the State standards for licensure. To independent adoption which conducts the process through an attorney and typically works directly with the birth parents and this type of transaction must agree with the standards of the bar association and State regulations. This Independent type of adoption is not identified by all states and typically is also less expensive than the aforementioned private agency adoptions. Facilitated/unlicensed agency adoptions are significantly less supervised and assured as they are directed by an unlicensed individual who links birth parents with looking prospective adoptive parents or individuals. However these types of processes are further affected by the specific type of adoption being conducted from inter-country to foster care adoptions.
Especially, as Intercountry adoptions signify further processes in filing with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Determining the type of adoption dependent upon whether it is subject under the Hague Adoption Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, which was formally inducted into placement within the United States on April 1, 2008, and establishes standards to protect inter-country adoptions. The Hague Convention preambles states;
“The child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding. Intercountry adoption may offer the advantage of a permanent family to a child for whom a suitable family cannot be found in his or her State of origin.”
The process continues with further legal due process in choosing between forms I-800A, Application for Determination of Sustainability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, or I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.
While the legal process of adoption is pervasive in the first steps of obtaining a child the focus of the paradigm shifts dramatically as the child grows to issues of assimilation into the family and community as well as issues of diversified ethnic background and even the role of biological parents in the adult adopted individuals life.

Also, as we’re embarking on our week long topic of adoption:
What are your preliminary responses?
Do any of you have personal connections to adoption?
What are your thoughts on the different policies regarding adoption processes in the United States?

Sources:
Taken from:http://www.adoptionpolicy.org/facts.html
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_adoptoption.cfm
http://adoption.state.gov/about/who/eligibility.html)

Posted by: Jessica Powell, Cassandra Knox, Nancy Chen, Kendall Eifler, Courtney Vataha

Introduction to how varying International Perspectives affect Child Rearing

2010-03-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Having an international perspective on some essential issues involving families shows how differently the same social institution can function in different cultural circumstances. In some countries, as mentioned in the blog on Tuesday, spanking is an accepted form of discipline and circumcision is a tradition expected to be followed for all generations. In other countries, these behaviors are considered abusive. When interacting with families from other countries, acknowledging these differences in beliefs could mean distinguishing abusive parents from caring, traditional parents.

It is easy to misunderstand the nature of families from unfamiliar cultures and origins. As discussed with the blog on Media, many television shows, news reports, movies, and other forms of media wrongly portray international families, or only portray a small percentage of the population. These messages the viewers receive influence how they perceive international families because they may display only the stereotypical aspect of the families or misrepresent or not represent some other families at all.

Throughout the week, the topic of self-esteem of children in different cultures was also touched on. The different child-rearing approaches, as mentioned in the introductory blog, have a major influence on the child’s development no matter what culture they belong to. It is shown that in different cultures, some of the traditions and structures of the families cause the children to generally have a lower self-esteem, while others have the opposite effect and the children develop positive images of themselves. Not only does child-rearing affect how the child will develop morals, norms, behaviors, and so on, but it will also have an impact on the child’s self-esteem in the future.

Another part of this week’s blog was discussing whether or not there are adversities to adopting babies from across our borders. One of the factors discussed was a family adopting a child who is of a different ethnicity and race. Many people and organizations are opposed to this thought because they feel that the child will lose their traditional values. Another key factor of adoption that was expressed was on how the child would adjust to the new family. It seems that even though a family may give their adoptive child love and affection, it is hard for many children to adjust to their new environment.

The last topic discussed this week talked about how international perspectives of child rearing are rubbing off on American parents. We have seen how the international influence has impacted the way American parents care for their children and even how parents name their children. The Baby Wearing technique as an example has made a noticeable surge amongst American parents.

All children across the globe are raised differently. I am sure that every single parent feels that they have their own individualized way at rearing their child. There are probably over a thousand variations of ways to raise a child. Although there may be many ways, there are also cultural norms that are followed by people of each country. A great article discussing this is: (http://www.babyzone.com/toddler/toddler_development/discipline/article/child-rearing-around-world) Child rearing is in my mind one of the most important worldly issues to be talked about. The future of the world relies on the children that each generation produces. Depending on how that child is raised often times foreshadows what that child may be like as an adult.

I challenge all those who have read all of this week’s posts to think to themselves on how this weeks blog has impacted the way they think on child rearing.

This post was presented by: Annika Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Sally Pitcher, Stephanie Vassillion, Karl Daruwala, Elissa May

International Influence on American Parenting

2010-03-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

           Every cultural group has their own values and traditions that they apply to infant caretaking. Americans may sometimes find these customs odd and couldn't imagine implementing them in their own lives (like genital mutilation as mentioned in earlier posts). However, Americans aren't completely closed minded when raising their children. After picking and choosing the aspects of parenting methods seen in other parts of the world, America has seen a growing popularity in these infant caretaking customs.
           One example of international influence on American parenting is babywearing. The term may not be familiar, but it isn’t uncommon to see these mothers carrying their infants in a sling around their body. Babywearing has only recently become popular in America, yet it has been a prominent part of childrearing across the world for centuries.
• In China, mothers have been wearing their babies for thousands of years, including in the traditional Mei Tai carrier hold.
• Native Americans on United States soil wore their babies during the busy day of cooking, cleaning, preparing animal skins, and more.
• In many nations, babywearing is still a vital practice of parenting, part of cultures dating back centuries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Wd-Rj17jg
           Another everyday international method being used by American parents is Lamaze birthing. Most likely if a woman were to go into labor, even somebody not trained in the Lamaze method would tell the expecting mother to breath in and out. “The method isn’t quite this simple, but includes childbirth education classes, relaxation, breathing techniques and continuous emotional support from the father and a specially trained nurse”. The French Dr. Fernand Lamaze was credited after formalizing the method, but the first people to use these techniques were the Soviets. It wasn’t until the 1960s that this method was embraced by parents across the nation.
           Even things as common as name choice for babies in America are showing an increase in foreign origins. Parents are moving away from traditional Christian names like John and Mary to more names like the Irish Aiden (the most popular name given to boys in 2009 in America) or the Persian Jasmine (ranked #100 in most popular names given to American girls in 2009).

Some interesting questions to think about…

1. How often do you notice mothers babywearing in a given week?

2. What are the benefits of babywearing?

3. Do you know somebody who has practiced Lamaze? How can this method ease the birthing process?

4. Which names would you be likely to name your children? Do they have a traditional English/Latin/Christian origin, or do they fall outside this realm?

5. Common names from the 1950s are predicted to soon become popular again, do you think names like Gary and Deborah will be making a comeback?

References:
http://www.baby2see.com/names/decades_trends.html
http://www.heavenlyhold.com/pages/Babywearing101.htm
http://www.lamaze.org/WhoWeAre/History/tabid/104/Default.aspx
http://www.babynames.com/Names/Popular/

Post provided by Karl Daruwala, Annika, Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Elissa May, Sally Pitcher, and Stephanie Vassillion.

International Adoption: Problematic or Beneficial?

2010-03-19T08:01:00.001-07:00

The Possible Risks of International Adoptions

One major component of studying families from a global perspective is the issue of international adoptions, and the decision adoptive parents have to make about assimilating their adopted child into their own culture, or preserving the child’s original culture. This can be a difficult choice for parents because it could possibly lead to a loss of cultural identity for the child in the future. Some parents are eager to assimilate their child into their own culture, while others are looking to find the balance between setting the child apart from the family culture and diminishing the original culture of the child. (Vonk).

Many advocates of adoption agencies prefer to place children with families of the same race for the sake of the child’s racial and cultural identity. Some organizations, such as the National Association of Black Social Workers opposed placing African children in homes of white American families. Their opposition stems from their belief that this mixture of races within the family will cause the child to have racial identity confusion or encounter racism or difficulty forming an ethnic identity. Many adoption agencies based in Africa have fear that the adoption of African children by American families will cause the child to lose the cultural and traditional values of their country of origin and take on an Americanized way of living (Roby).

Along with affecting their cultural identity, international adoption and the assimilation into a new culture influences the identity the child forms as a member of their new adoptive family. Many children have difficulty identifying or attaching to parents who appear and act differently than they do. In one study, almost one third of the children examined showed feelings of wanting to be white at a young age, and about one half of the children expressed the desire to have been born into their adoptive family. This may be due to the fact that they feel distant from their parents and other siblings because of their appearance, and have difficulty communicating their concern with their parents because they feel misunderstood or alone (Juffer).

The question to think about is : Are these challenges of preserving the child’s cultural identity while teaching him the skills he will need to thrive in an American community significant enough that possible adoptive parents should not adopt a child if he or she is of another race?

What services would be appropriate to carefully ease adopted children into a new culture without confusing the child about his or her ethnic or racial identity? Do you think these services are necessary for every adopted child?

What do you think adoptive families could do in order to make the child feel as much of a member of the family as a biological child?

Do you agree that interracial adoptions cause more risks for the child’s identity than same race adoptions? Are there equal risks?

Do you think the birth families should have a say in whether or not the adoptive family preserves the adopted child’s culture in the future?

Juffer, Femmie and Wendie Tieman. (2009) Being adopted: Internationally adopted children’s interests and feelings. International Social Work 52(5), 635-647. http://isw.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/52

/5/635.

M Elizabeth Vonk, Peggy J Simms, & Larry Nackerud. (1999). Political and personal aspects of intercountry adoption of Chinese children in the United States. Families in Society, 80(5), 496-505. Retrieved March 17, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 44580377).

Roby, Jini L., Shaw, Stacey A. (2006) The African Orphan Crisis and International Adoption. Social Work 51(3), 199-210. http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com /login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=22702483&site=ehost-live

This post was presented by: Annika Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Sally Pitcher, Stephanie Vassillion, Karl Daruwala, Elissa May

Self-Esteem and Child Rearing: Cross-Culturally

2010-03-18T15:45:00.001-07:00

Self-Esteem is defined as the extent to which an individual believes himself or herself to be capable, significant, successful, and worthy. The amount of self-esteem, or having self-esteem has become a marker for the psychological well-being of a person, as well as a factor in the resiliency of an individual. So how does one develop self-esteem?

Self esteem is developed in middle childhood, when a child reaches elementary school and begins to compare themselves to other children based on their abilities, appearances and many other factors. In addition to this, the most important way a child gains their self-esteem is through parent-child interactions, or child-rearing. Parents can affect their child's self esteem simply by the way they encourage or discourage them. A parent who is accepting and gives positive reinforcement and is nurturing of their child will most likely produce a child with high self-esteem. On the other hand, a parent who puts down a child's self-worth, or is negative and not nurturing to their child is likely to produce a child with low self-worth and self-esteem. Also, the amount of support or expectations that a parent puts on a child has a huge effect on the child. A child who receives support that coincides with their skills and helps them just enough is likely to develop self-esteem and confidence in their skills, while a child who receives too much or no help is likely to feel negatively about their skills.

A parent who uses an "authoritative" approach to child-rearing will find that it provides the optimal level of assistance and nurturing to give the child good self-esteem. As you can see, the parent to child dynamic is a very large factor in the development of a child's self-esteem.

Culturally, other things also affect a child's self-esteem. Children in Asian countries, while having high test scores, have low self-esteem, probably because while they view others with high levels of praise, do not feel the same about themselves. Meanwhile, African American children have high levels of self-esteem probably because of their extended families and ethnic pride in their heritage.

Here is a link to a video on how to help develop a child's self-esteem, in ways other than only child-rearing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASpyeZ6ZP-o&feature=related

Some interesting questions:

Did your parents positively or negatively affect YOUR self-esteem when you were growing up?

Do you think that the concept of the "authoritative" parent is ideal for all aspects of child-rearing, or only for self-esteem building?

Do you think that parents in other cultures are typically, or try to be, authoritative parents? Or do they use other parenting styles?

Herz, L. and Gullone, E. (1999). The relationship between self esteem and parenting style: A cross-cultural comparison. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. Retrieved from http://jcc.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/30/6/742

How The Media Affects Child Rearing in International Families

2010-03-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Child rearing has been greatly influenced by the media. Especially in the United States, international families have no choice but to look at how the media portrays them. Television shows such as “The Simpsons” portray international families in a certain way that may make a child watching the show think that this is how their life is supposed to be. A character on the show, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is an Immigrant from India. He works in a convenience store even though he has a Ph. D. in computer science. He had an arranged marriage, even though Apu resisted this idea, and had eight children. This portrayal alone sends a certain message to children who are Indian Immigrants watching the show. Even if they work very hard in school, will they still end up working in a job similar to a convenience store? Also, not all Indians have arranged marriages and this sends a confusing message as to whether arranged marriages are a good or bad thing.

According to an article on The Portrayal of Family on Television,

“Minority families continue to struggle for representation and positive portrayals. Native Americans appear infrequently and are often stereotyped as alcoholics with impoverished, dysfunctional families. Latino families are underrepresented and often portrayed as lawbreakers with little education, but with strong family ties. Asian-American families rarely appear. In the 1990s, unmarried relationships and couples without children were more common than ever on television.”

Popular television shows such as “The Cosby Show” or “Roots” show African American families and sends a message to how they should act. The same goes for shows such as “The Goldbergs” that portrays a Jewish family. There are shows that are more diverse, classical favorites such as “I love Lucy” or modern shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy”.

The difference in the amount of men and women as the lead role (or hero figure) is also an issue for all families but certainly affects international families. According to an editorial about Girls, Boys and Families, “The most comprehensive international analysis of children’s television to date reveals an unambiguous tendency: Of all the main characters on children’s TV only 32 % are female – in reality, however, women count for 51 % of the world’s population.” Many cultures already see the man as the more dominant figure and a lot of the media just continues to push that idea. Families may try to mimic the ideals that are shown by the media and try to rear their children based on how the media says they should be reared.

Other media proponents such as commercials and news shows or articles, also depict people with different cultures and nationalities in a certain light. We hear about many more African American or Latino crimes committed than of other nationalities. Some commercials include all different nationalities of babies for things such as diapers or food while other commercials only show white babies. All of these things affect how families look at (and identify with) themselves. Does it matter how hard they work if they are going to just fall into the stereotype? Are certain diapers designated for certain nationalities? These issues are absorbed by all families at every moment and have an influence on how families act and choose to bring up their children.

The media can be very confusing for international families because they are not the "typical" family (especially if they are international families living in the United States). They may assume this is the correct way to lead their family and rear their children if that is what if being portrayed by the media.

Do you think that media has a role in international families and how they rear their children?

Do you think that the media could lead to discrimination, stereotypes or even jealousy of other nationalities? How so?

How else does the media affect international families that were not talked about here?

Television and The Family – The Portrayal Of Family On Television. (2010). Retrieved From: http://family.jrank.org/pages/1680/Television-Family-Portrayal-Family-on-Television.html

Maya Gotz (2008). Retrieved From: http://www.br-online.de/jugend/izi/english/publication/televizion/21_2008_E/21_2008_E.htm

Posted by Carolyn Kaufman

This post was presented by: Annika Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Sally Pitcher, Stephanie Vassillion, Karl Daruwala, Elissa May

What is child abuse? An international Perspective:

2010-03-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Child rearing is affected by the cultures view of abuse to a child. However, there is much gray area and disagreement about what is defined as abuse in different cultures and countries.

What about spanking?
In trying to discipline children many parents use spanking or other corporal punishment to discipline their children and show then what is okay and not okay to do. However, views on corporal punishment have much variation. Is it abuse?
In Sweden (as well as other European countries) spanking and all corporal punishment is illegal, as it is considered abusive. The US has hotly debated the legalities of spanking in recent years in Massachusetts and California. American’s are generally not in support of the state intervening with a parent’s choice to spank their child, as they don’t see it as abuse.
The culture/perspective of the parents affects the outcome of corporal punishment on the child. One study in the US showed that the long term effects of corporal punishment are different in African American families than in white middle class families. The difference was because the white middle class families felt they were not supposed to spank their children, so if they did, it was because they were emotionally frustrated. On the other hand, in African American families, corporal punishment is a consequence without such emotional charge; therefore the children do not get nearly as much harm from being spanked in African American families. In fact, it was an affected means of discipline (although not as much as time outs, etc) (Berk, Laura). This study shows that the long term effects of “abuse” or “punishment” depend on the meaning of those giving it.

What about female circumcision? (Female Genital Mutilation -aka FGM)
The women in the following link think that it is helpful to their daughters to have their clitorises cut off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsqEyGdLh8I&feature=related
The mothers say it is normal, and that it helps the girl be calm and have self-restraint. However, in western societies, FGM is usually considered abusive to a young girl.
If cutting off a piece of girls’ genitals is considered traumatic and abusive…

What about circumcision of baby boys? They have no ability to give consent and are also strapped down while a piece of their genitals is cut off. In the US most males are circumcised, and the same rational is used: that it is normal and the boy would not like it if he were not circumcised. In Australia and Europe, circumcision is not done routinely (but for religious and particular health reasons), and movements banning it age gaining momentum.

Some questions:

Is it okay for any culture to decide what abuse to a child is? What if that includes female genital mutilation or striking a child?

How much difference does the culture’s meaning of the “abuse” change the experience of those being “abused”? (Think of the study cited above.) Is circumcision or FGM less harmful if the culture has positive connotations for it?

Do you think spanking is abuse? Why or why not?

Do you think male or female circumcision is abuse? Why or why not?

This post was presented by: Annika Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Sally Pitcher, Stephanie Vassillion, Karl Daruwala, Elissa May

Sources:
Berk, Laura. (2004/7) Development through the Lifespan. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Fourth Edition
http://blog.thepastoralcompany.com/?p=956
https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/u6/Circumcision-Infant-Male.pdf
http://bjsw.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/35/1/125

Introduction to how varying International Perspectives affect Child Rearing

2010-03-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

One of the many ways to define child rearing is “The training or bringing-up of children by parents or parent-substitutes. It is used also for child rearing practices in different societies, at different economic levels, in different ethnic groups, etc. It differs from parenting in that in child rearing the emphasis is on the act of training or bringing up the child and the interaction between the parent and child, while parenting emphasizes the responsibility and qualities of exemplary behavior of the parent.”(http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Ch/Child+Rearing.html) Child rearing is a term that can be divided by physical and human made borders. Some physical borders that may affect a families perspective on child rearing, may be a family living in a underdeveloped mountainous region versus a family who lives in a thriving city. Some of the human made borders may include, varying country borders, different cultures, and differing religious views.
Child rearing is carried out by the way that each individual child is socialized into their specific society. Having a child socialized to their own society does not necessarily mean conforming to every standard that society has put on them but rather adapting to those standards.( http://www.roxbury.net/images/pdfs/casintro.pdf) The way in which a child is socialized into their society may be greatly influenced by who (gender wise) runs the household, cultural norms, etc. However in a study done by Anne M. Ferrari, it seems that ethnicity is the most influential cause on how a child is reared.
Another important factor to think about when talking about child rearing is of how various governments play a factor in this subject. For example the American government has much more strict child labor laws in comparison to third world countries. In light of this one may assume that the way a child is brought up in a third world country may be much different the way in which a child is brought up in America.
No matter of how you look at child rearing, it is important to understand that this is an essential topic to learn about when talking about family life across the world.

Some key questions to keep in mind when thinking about the international perspective on childrearing would be

1. What is the impact of child abuse on childrearing?

2. How does adoption affect the way a child is reared?

3. What are the expectations of the way a child should act based on region lived, and cultural influences?

4. What is the “Western” view of how a child should be brought up?

5. How do race, ethnicity, and gender roles affect children differ from on a another?

Ferrari, Anne M. “The impact of culture upon child rearing practices and definitions of maltreatment,” Child Abuse and Neglect 26, no. 8 (2002): 793-813. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V7N-468CBDF-1&_user=1075869&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2002&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000051322&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1075869&md5=9aab88977155fcc2213c5a2e74bf7695

Cahill, Spencer E., Gerald Handel, Frederick Elkin. “CHILDREN AND SOCIETY
The Sociology of Children and Childhood Socialization First Edition, http://www.roxbury.net/images/pdfs/casintro.pdf

Patel-Amin, N. & Power, T. G. (2002). “Modernity and childrearing in families of Gujarati Indian adolescents.” International Journal of Psychology, 37(4), 239-245. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a741933849

This post was presented by: Annika Ecklund, Carolyn Kaufman, Sally Pitcher, Stephanie Vassillion, Karl Daruwala, Elissa May

Final Thoughts: Teen Pregnancy

2010-03-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

The media has negative effect on the growing trend of teenage pregnancy.The TV shows and celebrities are sending a message to young girls that being pregnant as a teenager isn't that bad. In many cases, many girls aren't showed the opposite end of the issue with the consequences of having children at a young age. As we have discussed, many teens are not prepared to be a parent. The "glamorization" of teen pregnancy by the media has had a negative effect on teens today and has changed the views of many peole in society. Since teen pregnancy is becoming more accepted in society, more young people are taking advantage of it.

Strong education and access to birth control is an important antidote to the raise of teen pregnancy rates. Schools should be teaching teens about safe sex. Clearly preaching abstinence is not working, so instead of trying to prevent sex all together we should be trying to keep teen pregnancy rates and STD rates down. A sex-seducation program that includes abstinence as well as safe preventatives and the consequences of unsafe sex, would be more essential for teens. The best way to avoid these things is to not have sex at all but, in high schools today the odds are that AT LEAST one student is having sex, and if teaching about protection can help just one teen avoid getting pregnant then it's definitely worth it.

Do you have any final thoughts on the information that was presented to you this week?
Has the information changed your view of teenage pregnancy?

Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca

More on Teen Pregnancy

2010-03-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb4u46f9fS8

What are your reactions to this Primetime Special?
Note how the first teen mom expresses how she is so upset about all the "life" she missed out on.

Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca

Teenage Pregnancy...Glamorous?

2010-03-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

Teenage pregnancy has recently been the new “hot” topic of the mass media everywhere from movies to families of high governmental status and everything in between. It seems lately that the media is ‘glorifying’ and ‘normalizing’ teenage pregnancy by making it a widely accepted subject. The media makes teen pregnancy look easy, but what isn’t shown are the actual hardships and struggles of a child raising a child.
Another issue about teenage pregnancy in the media is that it rarely mentions the use of contraceptives or STD testing. “‘It's the missing three C's: there's little commitment, no mention of contraception and rarely do we see negative consequences,’ says Jane Brown, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina who runs the Teen Media Project. ‘What's missing in the media's sexual script is what happens before and after’... They also seem to be glamorizing unprotected sex. Every girl on the television show Teen Mom, admitted that they were engaging in unprotected sex at the time they became pregnant. Shouldn’t we be showing teens how to appropriately use contraceptives and get tested regularly for STD’s? It is shown that television shows such as 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have brought the issue of teenage pregnancy to the viewers’ attention, who are mostly teens themselves, that teen pregnancy can happen, but if the girls on television can do it and have their own television show, so can they.
One of the major controversial pregnant teenagers was Bristol Palin who was 17 when she found out she was pregnant. The daughter of Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, who spoke openly and highly about her abstinence-only sex education plan, took the U.S by surprise when she announced that she was pregnant. The same goes for Nickelodeon star Jamie Lynn Spears, the little sister of pop singer, Britney Spears, who found out she was pregnant at the age of 16. The second controversial issue surrounding pregnant teens is the “Pregnancy Pact”, which was a pact, made by 18 girls in Gloucester to get pregnant together. This was a major story on the news and in the media for weeks and was still mentioned months after. Lifetime even turned it into a hit movie. Please view the MSNBC for more information:

What are your thoughts on this report?

This new “hot baby fad” is striking our nation and it doesn’t seem to be dying down at anytime soon. It seems that many people in the United States have become more accepting of teen pregnancy, but it all depends on the different cultures. Different people in different cultures view teen pregnancy in different ways, and that’s okay, but is this “fad” going to last? How far will the media go to make a buck? Will teen pregnancy become a viscous cycle?

Sources:
Jayson, Sharon. Does ‘Juno’ Show Strength or Glorify Teen Pregnancy? USA Today 2008 May 27. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-09-juno-pregnancy-main_N.htm

Kilff, Sarah. Teenage Pregnancy, Hollywood Style. Newsweek Exclusive. 2008 Jul 23.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/148437

Lowen, Linda. Teen Pregnancy in Pop Culture—Media Images of Teen Pregnancy in pop Culture. http://womensissues.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/tp/TeenPregnancyPopCultureMedia.htm

Please enjoy the following video clips:

This video clip is an interview of a pregnant teen and her hardships.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/40211#?l=1377894848&t=1676207999

Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca

Teen Pregnancy Education

2010-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

1.)Sex Education in school and at home: Sex education is an umbrella term which includes facts about sex and talking to children about the myths and dangers of early sex. Helping children to understand the statistics will support him or her in making educated decision about starting or postponing sexual activity. (http://www.education.com/topic/teen-sex-education/)

……Sex education isn't just an issue at home: it has become a hot-button controversy among politicians, pediatricians, and educators nationwide.

Biggest unanswered questions about sex, love, and relationships: (Here’s the top 10) (http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Fact_Sheet_What/)

• When is it okay to have sex? How do I know when I'm ready?
• How far is too far for me - or for someone my age?
• Does my partner really love me? How do you know when you're in love?
• How do I say "no" without making my boy/girlfriend feel bad and without feeling pressured?
• Why do so many girls get pregnant when there is plenty of birth control information available?
• Why do teens feel they have to have sex before marriage? Is it to feel cool?
• Where can I find out about birth control?
• How can I ask my parents about sex - or tell them I'm ready to have sex - without them having a heart attack?
• How many teen girls get pregnant every year?
• Why don't parents and other adults stress abstinence as a way to avoid pregnancy?

As both parents and teens know, addressing these questions is not always easy, but teens tell us they'd rather find out the facts about sex, pregnancy, and relationships from the adults in their lives than through myths and half-truths in the school yard.

Question to think about: Whether teens should get the details on sexual relationships, or whether abstinence is truly the best policy. Think perspective from parent, educator, politician, pediatrician’s point of view

2.)Education for teen pregnant girls: There are many options available to teens today: Adoption, Abortion, Transition Programs, and keeping the child are all options. (http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/articles3.html)

Statistic facts:
1. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one-third receive a high school diploma)
2. Teen mothers: Only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30
3. Teen mothers are more likely to end up on welfare (nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare).
4. The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.
a) The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison while teen daughter are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.

Questions to think about: Why are options important for teen pregnant girls? Which option do you think is the BEST to prevent teen pregnancy?

Why are teen fathers overlooked?

2010-03-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Why is it that we hear so much about teen mothers and their babies and so little about the men who have fathered their children? One out of every fifteen men will father a child while they are a teenager. Even more then that will drop out of high school. Only 20% of teen fathers marry their child's mother.
http://www.modernmom.com/article-3591-teen-dad-pregnancy-facts/#jumpToArticle

There is not much research out there about teen fathers. On MTV's Teen Mom the focus of the show is about the mothers and their relationships with the people around them. All of the mother's have very different relationships with the father's of their child. Farrah seems to have no communication with her baby daddy. While Amber and Gary seem to be trying to work out their relationship with their child's best interest in mind. Gary wants to spend time with his daughter and support both the baby and Amber. Maci's boyfriend Ryan does not seem to care or pay any attention to his son. He seems to just want to live his life on his own and forget he ever had a child. Then their's Tyler, him and his girlfriend Caitlin gave their baby girl up for adoption. They both seem torn up over the situation. Tyler shows his maturity over everything. On mtv.com there is a letter Tyler wrote to his daughter Carly about how he needed to give her a better life. http://remotecontrol.mtv.com/2009/07/17/online-exclusive-read-tylers-entire-letter-to-his-baby-girl/

There is a wide range of teen fathers out there. From very involved and supportive to not around at all. Why do they get forgotten?

BeccaJo, Rebecca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo

Risk Factors of Teenage Pregnancy

2010-03-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

As discussed in our introduction teenage pregnancy is on the rise. It is an issue now talked about everywhere. One of the discussions on teenage pregnancy focus on what the factors that cause teenage pregnancy are. There is compelling data that suggest there are several strong factors that lead to an increased risk of getting pregnant as a teenager. These risks come from a teenager’s environment and background, as well as individual behavior of a teenager. It is important to note that this research does not say that every teenage girl with these risk factors will get pregnant. The research merely shows that these factors have lead to and increase in teen pregnancy rates. They are often broken down into two categories. Environmental, and Individual factors.
    The most studied factor is that of geographic location. Researchers found a correlation between the neighborhoods that teenagers live in and their risk in getting pregnant. It was found in a study by the American Medical Association that” Teens who live in neighborhoods that have high levels of poverty, low levels of education, and high residential turnover are at a higher risk for teen pregnancy”(AMA,7). A similar study found that family factors also contribute to the rising rate of teen pregnancy. These include the income level of the family, as well as the family structure. Teens that were born to teenage parents are also more likely to become teenage parents themselves.
    There are also factors that are individual girls, but are harder to study. There has been research that suggests that low self-esteem correlates to having sex earlier and getting pregnant at a younger age. This is harder to study then where you live as a risk factor. Another individual factor is school performance. Students that do poorer in school tend not to be future orientated. This can lead to an increased risk for becoming pregnant as a teenager.
    Rebecca, Becca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo
Thought provoking questions:
1) What can be done to curb the link between these factors and the rates of teen pregnancy?
2) Has there been enough research about teen pregnancies that fall outside of these risk factors?
3) Who do we make aware of the factors? Teen? Parents? Girls? Boys?
4) How do we educate people on the risk factors?

Sources
Chang, Philip . "National Innitiative on Teen Pregnancy ." American Medical Association Journal . (2003): 6-30. Print.

Hello Teen Pregnancy!

2010-03-02T05:03:00.000-08:00

After ten years of the declining rates of teen pregnancy, the rates have been increasing since 2006 and continue to rise (http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=11881305). Experts say that many factors may lead to the rising rate of teenage pregnancy, some of which include: media, lack of adequate education, family background, and geographic location. The high rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States can also be because of several other factors that include, the development of sexual maturity earlier than emotional maturity, and the proper education regarding sexual relationships among teenagers, STI’s, and pregnancy preventative techniques (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/adolescent-pregnancy). Compared to other industrialized countries, the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy. In 2002, there were over 750,000 teen pregnancies in the United States including 215,000 teen abortions (www.4parents.gov); eight in ten of these pregnancies were unintended and 81% of these teens were unmarried (www.livestrong.com). Without contraception, a teenager has a ninety percent chance of getting pregnant within one year of continuing sexual activity. Teenagers who grow up in poverty, drop out of school, begin dating at an early age, have few friends and no social support system and have no future goals for oneself, begin use of drugs and and/or alcohol at an early age, have a mother who was a teenage mother, or live in a community where early parenthood is accepted are more likely to become teenage parents (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/adolescent-pregnancy).

In recent years, teenage pregnancy has been thrust into the spotlight and is no longer seen as a taboo subject. Teenagers often receive misinterpreted or misleading messages from the media. With television shows, such as 16 and Pregnant and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, young celebrities, such as Jamie Spears, and other predominant people in the media, such as Bristol Palin, the creation of a teenage pregnancy “fad” has swept our nation.

Thought Provoking Questions:

1. What are your current thoughts on teen pregnancy?

2. Do you think the media has a positive or negative effect on society and its views on teen pregnancy?

3. In your opinion, why do you think the teen pregnancy rates continue to rise?

4. Do you think that there are adequate services that help teenage parents?

5. Do you have any personal experience (you or a friend/ acquaintance) with teenage pregnancy? What are your thoughts about it?

Welcome Sociology of Family Spring 2010 Bloggers!

2010-02-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Changing Nature of the American Family blog! It is finally not raining in Boston and I feel very encouraged by the sight of blue sky -- even if only in a few spots. I am even more encouraged by the lively and rich discussions we have been having in our Soc of Family class and I look forward to the innovative topical discussions the blogging teams will post to this site.

Our first blog posting of the semester will be on Monday March 1st -- please log on and enjoy the reading. More important, log on and participate in the dialogue and deepen our collective learning about the social lives of families in contemporary society.

Blog On!

Dr. Amy R-R

Closing Thought of the Week

2009-12-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Through out this week we talked about the reality of single parenthood. Not everything is pretty in pink as portrayed in the media. The one good thing that the media did do was shed light on the hardship of being a single parent in America. Was it accurate that is for you to decide. We also discussed about the different ways that single parents could receive help from different institutions. These institutions are out there to help single parents and let them know that they are not alone. So as we close this week long discussion about single parenthood we ask each and everyone of you to reflect on the various statistics and information presented through out the week and post your final thoughts on the reality of single parenthood.

The Media and Single Moms

2009-12-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Parkers is a tv show that portrays the life of Nikki Parker a single mom and her daughter. As you veiw the following clip think about how the media portrays the life of this single black mom and do you think it is accurate?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWDjIoqRb8

I'm a Single Parent... Help!

2009-12-03T05:13:00.000-08:00

Being a single parent is very difficult work. It is very overwhelming for the single parent to run a house and children on their own. Luckily, there is help! There are many organizations out there which have the advice and much needed support for the single parent, both single mothers, and especially single fathers. Many organizations are faith based, out of a church or temple, however, there are others which where created by single parents to help other single parents.

Many of the organization’s websites have great resources for the single parent such as: articles, information, advice, government resources, and support boards, as well as stories from single parents. Though some of these organizations are based in different states, the website alone is able to help a single parent and give them the support and advice they need. These websites are not solely focused on the single mother, or single father, but also the children of the single parents.

Some websites to help single parents are listed below. These are great resources for anyone looking for information about single parenting, or looking for support and advice. Please feel free to peruse these websites for their great information.

http://singleparentsnetwork.com/

http://www.singleparent411.org/faith_based.htm

http://www.singleparentcenter.net/

http://www.singleparents.org/

http://www.warmlines.org/spsg.html

The following video is a great advertisement for an organization called S.P.A.R.C. who is a great organization dedicated to helping out single parents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVaP-OKA20w&feature=related

Snapshot into a Single-Mother’s Life: Welcome to Reality

2009-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

The media portrays some, but not all the hardships that single mothers endure. For the past 15 years approximately 12 percent of families in the U.S. were headed by females (pobronson.com). According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2005, 50 percent of African American children live in a household held by a woman, 25 percent Hispanic, 16 percent non-Hispanic, and 10 percent Asian (squidoo.com). Single mothers have to juggle between their work, legal services, social services agencies, etc. At times they can feel overwhelmed and stressed because of the difficult life circumstances. In recent studies, they have found that single mothers have a 40 percent higher risk of major depression (Turo-Shields). This depression can be caused by an increased amount of life stressors and lack of social support. Many times these mothers fall into the working poor class and many times have difficult choices they have to make. Approximately 27.7 percent of single mothers live in poverty (bizymoms.com).

From a personal interview with two single moms, I was able to see the various hardships and joy that a single mothers face. Tati is a single teenage mom. She has a 15 month old son. As we talked she began to talk about the hardships and the joy she has of being a mom. She began to talk about how at times her son would drive her crazy that she just wanted to scream and walk away. At times it was too much for her to handle, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter how much stress she felt she still just wanted to relax and spend time with her son. When she did work she felt the support and love of her family having her parents take care of her son while she worked all day. In addition, she said that it didn’t matter how long she worked all she wanted to do was go home and spend time with her son because she is so attached to him. On the other hand there was Maria. She is currently 52 and has four children. As she talked about her experience as a single mom she began telling me of the various things she went through. She raised her children in housing apartments offered by the government. She was a welfare mom. Maria was also a homemaker and did not go off to work until her children were of school age and even then she was known as a working mom only working hours around her children’s school schedule. When it came to buying her children gifts she found that the law-away plan was the only way that she could afford buying Christmas gifts for her children. As her children grew, her eldest daughter helped her out babysitting.

Looking over these personal accounts and review the information that has been given we can see that the media life of a single mom isn’t as pretty in pink as it is put out to be. They endure many stresses and are at greater risk of depression, but over all they work hard to maintain and keep their family afloat.

Discussion:

Does the media accurately portray the reality of having the perfect job that accommodates a single mother’s lifestyle?
How does race and stereotypes play a role in single motherhood?

References:

Barnes, S. L. (2008) A Case Study of the Working Poor Single Mother Experience: An

Analysis of the Structure versus Agency Discourse. Journal of Poverty. Vol. 12 Issue 2, p175-200. from SocINDEX

Bizymoms.com 11/30/2009

Marrero, Tati. Personal Interview. 11/30/2009

Rosario, Maria. Personal Interview. 11/30/2009

Single Parent Family. www.squidoo.com Found 11/30/2009

The Factbook. pobronson.com. Found 11/30/2009

Turo-shields, D. (2/2009). Single Mothers at Greater Risk for Depression. mental-

health-matters.com Found 11/30/2009

Single Dads in the Media Vs Single Dads in Reality

2009-12-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

http://
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZuVvpdTu1s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoIc84wdBps&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwXthGWcmh8&NR=1

Single Dad’s in the media:
The clips above represent how television shows depict two different types of single dads. In the first clip it shows a Clip of the show Two and a half men, which shows how a divorced single father raises a child. Through out the show you can see how the mother feels that her ex husband is not capable enough to take care of their son on his own. This clip shows how the parents are trying to set relatively the same boundaries to benefit their son, however as you can see it is hard for parents that are spilt up to uphold the same rules. The media in this case portrays the father as a bad influence on his son. This clip does a good job depicting a typical bad guy role of the single father.
In the second clip you can see a different kind of single father in the show Full House. In this shows a father who lost his wife, so this shows how this father as to play the role of both father and mother. In this clip we see the children’s reaction to losing a grandparent. Danny the father tries to comfort is daughter, but isn’t able to really see her pain. The T.V show may have done this to show that he isn’t able to connect with his young daughter on such a personal level, like a mother would. We also see Michelle’s older sister try and step up and act like a mother, but the truth is that she isn’t able to really help her younger sister because she like her younger sister, she is still a child too. In the third clip we see Michelle’s uncle Jesse who lives with her, and is also consider a role model in the family step up and help Michelle cope with this lost. The media portrays Danny Tanner the father as someone who isn’t able to help his daughters with all their problems, but they are able to handle them with the help of other family members. This is a very interesting view of how the show can be view. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you feel like these T.V shows depict single fathers in a negative or positive light? Please explain?

Single fathers in Reality:
Through research I have found single dads in reality are becoming more and more common. In 1970 single fathers were 10% of single parents; by 2003 they were 18%, increasing their numbers from less than 400,000 in 1970 to 2.3 million in 2003 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). These numbers are astonishing compared to when being a single dad was unheard of. However single mothers are dominating the world of single parenthood. There are many different theories as to way that is. According to Downey and Powell (1993) they used reports from eighth graders with single fathers… and found no difference between single fathers and single mothers in adolescents repots of parental trust, clarity of expectations, frequency of rule setting, or frequency of talks about school. However they did find that single mothers were more likely to know children’s friends, and their friend’s parents. On the other hand Hawkins had a conversation with 7th graders about their single parents and found out that 475 of adolescents reported talking with their single mother about personal problems in the past month, compared to 38% for single fathers and 17% for married fathers. This information goes along with the idea of children speaking on a personal level with their mothers at a younger age, but at an older age the children are more likely to spend time with their fathers. Hook and Satvika 2008 also believe that a causing factor is “ Single fathers may spend les time with their children than do single mothers because children spend more time away from the home visiting their mothers than their fathers.” This is interesting to think about. Do you think that this is an accurate fact? If anyone has an experience either a personally or maybe one through a friend of a single father that either goes along with these theories, or goes against them if you feel comfortable sharing I think it would be interesting to see if they correlate with any of these? Please feel free to share any thoughts you may have on this topic!!

Hawkins, D.N., Amato, P.R., & King, V. (2006). Parent-adolescent involvement: The relative influence of parent gender and residence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 1225-136.

Hook, Jennifer L, & Satvike. Chalasani. (2008). Gendered Expectations? Reconsidering Single Fathers’ Child- Care Time. Journal of Marriage & Family, Vol. 70, pg978-990,14p.

Powell, B., & Downey, D.B. (1997). Living in single-parent households: An investigation of the same sex hypothesis. American Sociological Review, 62,521 – 539.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). Facts for features: Father’s day. Retrieved February 12, 2007, from www.censes.gov/ Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/006794.html.

Taking a Look at Single-Parents

2009-11-29T20:44:00.001-08:00

Single-parent families are defined as a family that is formed as a result of marital dissolution and non-marital child bearing (about.com). Single-parent households are something that is very commonly seen today in the United States. Since the year 1970 “there has been a 300 percent increase in single-parent households headed by mothers and a 500 percent increase in those headed by fathers. Today, 26 percent of white families are headed by one-parent, as are 61 percent of black families and 34 percent of Hispanic families.” (Seccombe, 2008, pg. 18). There are many sources available for single-parents. Ranging from the media to various government institutions one can learn about the services offered to single-parent households.

Currently it is very common to see single-parent household shows on television. The media has found various ways to portray the lifestyle single-parenting. Television shows such Full House or Two and a Half Men portray the life of single-parent dads. In addition, the light that media gave single-parent households brought to life the various hardships that single parents endure, but it also idolized this lifestyle and could portray a false image of single parent households.
From the media to real life their can be a great amount of contrast from this fairy tale life. In the year 2006, the United States census found that there were approximately 12.9 million families in the U.S. that were headed by a single parent. Furthermore the census found that 10.4 million were single-mother families and 2.5 million were single-father families (U.S. Census Bureau). In conducted research, it was found that approximately 21.2 million children in the United States come from single parent homes. Furthermore, at least 44 percent of the single-women households are divorced or separated, while 33 percent have never been married. In reference to single-men households about 57 percent are divorced, while 18 percent have never been married (about.com).

In conclusion, through out this week we will talk about the hardships that single-parents endure. Furthermore, we will look at the various ways that the media portrays single-parent households in contrast to reality. In addition, we will talk about the various ways that that single-parents can receive help through various institutions. We hope that you enjoy it.

Questions for discussion:

What is your perception of a single-parent home?

What are your feelings about the statistics of single-parent homes?

How do you think media portrays single-parent homes and do you think it is accurate?

References:

Bergman, M. (3/27/07). Single-Parent Households Showed Little Variation Since 1994,
Census Bureau Reports. http://www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html

Seccombe, K. (2008). Families and their social worlds. Boston: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon.

Single-Parents. (2009) http://singleparents.about.com/od/legalissues/p/portrait.htm

Closing Thought

2009-11-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

In the past week we've discussed lay-offs and joblessness, the housing market, we've introduced personal stories into the conversation, and we've allowed for people to see how the economic crisis has affected different sectors of society by posting articles, facts, and clips.

We now ask for others to post interesting articles, facts, or clips that they find (and the research doesn't have to be in depth -- all it takes it going onto google, or some newpaper website and searching recession and family) -- they they find interesting.

Please explain what about the article interests you, and how it relates to the class. This is your chance to tell us what about the recession is captivating and why.

How Should Families Handle Layoffs?

2009-11-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/11/16/Economy-is-taking-its-toll-on/1258383675.html

After going to the link for the video video, do you believe Dr. Charles Foster is in the right by saying to be straightforward with kids about lay offs?

Do you think it is important for children to understand the fears of their parents? If so, is there certain methods that you think would be better than others in letting a child know how the parent feels?

Personal Stories on the Recession

2009-11-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Obviously many environmental factors and situations influence how a family develops, as well as affects how families function. It’s been difficult for many families to ignore the financial crisis, because most families are facing or struggling affects from the financial crisis. In the last three days we’ve outlined how the financial crisis is affected social resources for families such as the housing market, healthcare, the job market, and obviously the inflation for the cost of education – as many of us are aware.

The Obama administration has tried to create incentives for people to spend money – such as the $8,000 dollars new home buyers received for purchasing homes in the last year, as well as stimulus checks, (which differ depending on if you are responsible for a family or a single person).

Below are links to articles that reference the issues listed above. We ask you to please read one article from an issue that you find interesting, and answer the questions at the bottom of this post. We have also attached a NPR interview that is aprox. 8 minutes long. It’s understandable that some people may not want to listen to it, but the interview is transcribed and you can read it on the link as well.

INTERESTING ARTICLES:

A very interesting article about how states are closing prisons because they cannot afford to keep them open, and pay for the cost of living of the inmates.
http://recession.org/news/no-money-for-prisons

This article is about how families are re-examining how much they have to live on, and what exactly they really “need”
http://recession.org/news/living-standards-recession

This article is about how the economy is affecting family relationships.
http://www.slate.com/id/2211594/

If you’ve ever worked as a nanny and dealt with internal whether of leaving the job, and the affects it has on both the child and the family – then you might be interested in this one.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/30/nanny.jobs/index.html

Families having to move because of financial circumstances.
http://www2.morganton.com/content/2009/may/28/recession-uproots-families-takes-toll-children/business/

How the recession is re-shaping the American Family – personal stories.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0614/p13s01-usec.html

This article discusses how personal the recession can get – the financial crisis crashed through a families door. They never thought they’d have to deal with something like this.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/11/eveningnews/main3703133.shtml

People turning motels into homes.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102050673

What were:
1) the salient themes that you could pick out from the article, in relation to families.

2) the changes taking places in family structure, function, or even the benefits of having a family.

3) examples that support your opinion on why, when, and how people might delay families during the recession.

4) We can look at the effects that the economic crisis has had and is having on families --- but what about on people looking to start families soon? Their dreams are going to be pushed back. What about people looking to buy houses soon? , etc. What might the effects be on these populations?

Ashley B, Ashley K, Zac B, Alyssa R

Questions About The Economic Recession

2009-11-18T06:22:00.000-08:00

The following are questions to consider.

1.) How has the economic recession affected you or your family in some way?

2.) What do you think about the facts/statistic about the economic recession affecting families?

3.) What are your feelings/thoughts about the economic recession?

A Few Questions About the Impact of the Recession on Families

2009-11-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

What different programs are there currently that aid families in affording healthcare, housing, food, etc.?

According to newly released census statistics, the wealthiest 10% of Americans, those making more than $138,000 each year, earned 11.4% times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008. What is your personal belief on the matter of the wealthiest earning more than 11 times the amount of the poverty line?

The unemployment rate hit 10.2% in October. That means 15.7 million Americans are out of work. The number of filed bankruptcies jumped to 9% as well. Also in October, 937,840 homes had received a foreclosure letter. Where are some of the major areas and regions in the US that are finding unemployment and homelessness to be a growing concern? What is happening to families in those areas?

What are statistics on children who are now homeless such as percentage of homeless children in regards to the homeless population, risks, education, and health concerns? How do you believe this will effect future generations and families?

While National Health spending is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2009 , what do you believe should be done to make it easier on individual families(socialist healthcare, capitalist healthcare, other)? Do you have any graphs or statistics to back your conclusions?

Employers are finding that healthcare is now the biggest expense they have to pay. It is possible that by 2019, healthcare costs paid by employers could reach $850 billion. How do you believe this affects the work place in relation to hiring? Would those who have families instead of someone who is single have a harder time of getting hired?

2009-11-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

How the Recent Recession Has Affected Families

By: Ashley Keating, Ashley Brocker, Alyssa Ricci, and Zachary Browning

Below are some facts and charts we pulled from a few articles on Recession.org.

The median household income fell 3.6% last year to $50,303. This was the steepest year over year drop in forty years. Hispanics had the largest decline in median income at 5.6%. For Asians, it fell 4.4%, blacks 2.8%, and whites 2.6%. Men working full time saw a 1% decline in their income, while women fell to 1.9%. But the hardest hit are children. The child poverty rate is 19%. The poverty rate overall, at 13.2% is the highest since 1997. These hard times have had many people reach for a government safety net. People who may never have asked for help before are now turning to programs such as food stamps. The number of people covered by government health insurance has increased by 4.4 million people. An astounding 15.4% of Americans say they lacked health insurance throughout the entire year.
Those over the age of 65 saw a rise in income of 1.2%. The best off 5% of households went from 21.2% in 2007, to 21.5% in 2008. Not surprisingly, half of all income went to the top fifth of American households. According to newly released census figures, the wealthiest 10% of Americans, those making more than $138,000 each year, earned 11.4% times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008. While the richest Americans may be seeing reductions in executive pay, those at the bottom of the income ladder are often unemployed and struggling to get by.
The number of Americans filing personal bankruptcies surged 9% in October and were on target for the highest annual total in four years. The American Bankruptcy Institute, an industry research firm that relies on data from the National Bankruptcy Research Center, said 135,914 consumers filed for bankruptcy last month. Maureen Thompson, legislative director for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys in Washington, said “many middle income families are struggling after being unemployed for longer than anticipated. And with their home values lower, interest rates higher and credit lines reducing, they are being forced to declare bankruptcy.” People carry an average of about $46,000 in debt - mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and other consumer debt.
The unemployment rate hit 10.2% in October. This equaled 15.7 million Americans who are out of work. Plus the workers forced to settle for part-time work or those who have simply given up looking, and the rate is 17.5%. A much larger share of jobs these days - more than four out of five - are in the service sector, such as tax preparers, hair stylists and retail clerks. Those jobs generally pay less and offer fewer benefits than blue-collar manufacturing work.
Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high during the third quarter. During that time, 937,840 homes received a foreclosure letter -- whether a default notice, auction notice or bank repossession -- according to RealtyTrac, the online marketer of foreclosed homes. That means one in every 136 U.S. homes were in foreclosure, which is a 5% increase from the second quarter and a 23% jump over the third quarter of 2008.

Here are some facts found on the National Coalition on Health Care, NCHC.org

Facts on the Cost of Health Insurance and Health Care

Health care spending continues to rise at a rapid rate forcing businesses to cut back on health insurance coverage and forcing many families to cut back on basic necessities such as food and electricity and, in some cases, shelters and homes.
Experts agree that our health care system is riddled with inefficiencies, excessive administrative expenses, inflated prices, poor management and inappropriate care, waste and fraud. These problems increase the cost of medical care associated with government health programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and health insurance for employers and workers and affect the security of families.
National Health Care Spending
• National health spending is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2009, accounting for 17.6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). By 2018, national health care expenditures are expected to reach $4.4 trillion—more than double 2007 spending.
• National health expenditures are expected to increase faster than the growth in GDP: between 2008 and 2018, the average increase in national health expenditures is expected to be 6.2 percent per year, while the GDP is expected to increase only 4.1 percent per year.
• In just three years, the Medicare and Medicaid programs will account for 50 percent of all national health spending.
• Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund is expected to pay out more in hospital benefits and other expenditures this year than it receives in taxes and other dedicated revenues. In addition, the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust Fund that pays for physician services and the prescription drug benefit will continue to require general revenue financing and charges on beneficiaries that will grow substantially faster than the economy and beneficiary incomes over time.
• According to one study, of the $2.1 trillion the U.S. spent on health care in 2006, nearly $650 billion was above what we would expect to spend based on the level of U.S. wealth versus other nations. These additional costs are attributable to $436 billion outpatient care and another $186 billion of spending related to high administrative costs.
Employer and Employee Health Insurance Costs
Over the last decade, employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have increased 131 percent.
Employees have seen their share of job-based coverage increase at nearly the same rate during this period jumping from $1,543 to $3,515.
The cumulative increase in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums rose at four times the rate of inflation and wage increases during last decade. This increase has made it much more difficult for businesses to continue to provide coverage to their employees and for those workers to afford coverage themselves.
• The average employer-sponsored premium for a family of four costs close to $13,400 a year, and the employee foots about 27 percent of this cost. Health insurance costs are the fastest growing expense for employers. Employer health insurance costs overtook profits in 2008, and the gap grows steadily.
• Total health insurance costs for employers could reach nearly $850 billion by 2019. Individual and family spending will jump considerably from $326 billion in 2009 to $550 billion in 2019.
• The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that job-based health insurance could increase 100 percent over the next decade. Employer-based family insurance costs for a family of four will reach nearly $25,000 per year by 2018 absent health care reform.
The Impact of Rising Health Care Costs
• Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate with significant drops in health insurance coverage, and national surveys also show that the primary reason people are uninsured is due to the high and escalating cost of health insurance coverage.
• A recent study found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses. Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent had health insurance.
• According to another published article, about 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs.
• Without health care reform, small businesses will pay nearly $2.4 trillion dollars over the next ten years in health care costs for their workers, 178,000 small business jobs will be lost by 2018 as a result of health care costs, $834 billion in small business wages will be lost due to high health care costs over the next ten years, small businesses will lose $52.1 billion in profits to high health care costs and 1.6 million small business workers will suffer “job lock“— roughly one in 16 people currently insured by their employers.

Below are some charts we found on statehealthfacts.org

Massachusetts: Poverty Rate by Family Structure, states (2007-2008), U.S. (2008)
________________________________________

Poverty Rate by Family Structure, states (2007-2008), U.S. (2008)

Adults with Children 157,600 12% 9,379,400 14%
Adults with No Children 395,500 15% 21,490,700 18%
Total 553,100 14% 30,870,100 17%

Massachusetts: Population Distribution by Household Employment Status, states (2007-2008), U.S. (2008)
________________________________________

Population Distribution by Household Employment Status, states (2007-2008), U.S. (2008)

At Least 1 Full Time Worker 4,512,700 71% 215,678,600 72%
Part Time Workers 560,500 9% 25,299,000 8%
Non Workers 1,301,600 20% 59,566,600 20%
Total 6,374,700 100% 300,544,200 100%

Massachusetts: Unemployment Rate (Seasonally Adjusted), 2008-2009
________________________________________

Unemployment Rate (Seasonally Adjusted), 2008-2009

September 2008 191 5.6% 9,592 6.2%
September 2009 320 9.3% 15,142 9.8%

Massachusetts: Monthly Number of Persons Participating in the Food Stamp Program
________________________________________

Monthly Number of Persons Participating in the Food Stamp Program

August 2008 537,675 29,459,942
July 2009 674,552 35,851,179
August 2009 687,117 36,491,920

*Finally, below is an article found on contemporaryfamilies.org. It is a somewhat long article, so don’t feel you have to read the whole thing, but it has some very interesting facts. Such as the effects on marriages, children, parenting, loans for college, etc. It says that the report was done before the recent economy crisis, so you could only imagine how much worse things could be now!

THE EFFECT OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS ON FAMILIES

A Briefing Paper prepared for the Council on Contemporary Families by
Stephanie Coontz and Valerie Adrian, The Evergreen State College
June 19, 2008
In the following paper, we summarize the extent of the unfolding economic crisis in America and then discuss its many effects on families, from the direct impact of economic stress to less obvious effects such as deteriorating schools, changes in eating habits, and even families' ability to take care of their pets.

AMERICANS CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE:
THE HARD PLACE: OUR HOUSING CRISIS
In just 10 years, between 1996 and 2006, Americans saw the value of their houses double. As housing prices outstripped the capacity of many people to engage traditional home-buying practices and financing, it encouraged recklessness in some and desperation in others. Many people became nervous that if they didn't buy soon, they would never be able to afford a home. Others decided they could afford to spend beyond their means, because the home would continue to rise in value. The rule of thumb used to be that a home should cost 2 1⁄2 times a person's annual salary or less, and that the purchaser should have enough cash to put down 10-20 percent of the purchase price. For instance, a person or couple making $100,000 could buy a $250,000 home, and put down somewhere between 25,000 and 50,000, depending on their credit. But as home prices soared, many prospective purchasers could not buy a decent home for even three times their annual salary. Many lenders and borrowers turned to "creative financing," discarding the traditional safeguards against foreclosure.
First to go was the demand for a cash down payment. In 2004, 42 percent of first-time home buyers had no down payment at all. But lenders did not stop there. Interest-only loans, adjustable rate mortgages, and a combination of the two became increasingly commonplace. With an interest-only loan, a borrower pays only the interest for a set amount of time; then the loan resets and the principal is added onto the payment as well. With an adjustable-rate mortgage, the borrower pays on both principle and interest, but at a low rate that will later jump up to market value.
These strategies make sense for borrowers whose incomes are sure to go up in the future. If a student is almost finished with school, for example, and is guaranteed to generate significantly more income in a few years, an interest-only loan is a good way to lock in a lower price. Unfortunately, many people with no hope of higher incomes were also allowed to buy into these mortgage plans. In California, for instance, 60 percent of new mortgages the first half of 2005 were interest-only, despite the improbability that this many people would see a significant jump in income.
Sooner or later, something had to give. In the first three months of 2008, there was a 112 percent increase in foreclosure filings compared to the same period in 2007. In April of this year, 243,353 homeowners received notice of foreclosure and 80,926 had their homes foreclosed -- an increase of 12 percent over the figures for March and a 65 percent increase compared to foreclosures in April of last year. There are currently 1.1 million homes, 2.5% of all loans, in foreclosure, and more than 6 percent of the remaining mortgages are at least one payment behind. Last month was the 29th consecutive month of increases in the foreclosure rates. One in every 483 U.S. households either lost their home to foreclosure, received a default notice or was warned of a pending auction. Foreclosures will account for 30 percent of national home sales this year, driving down the sale price of all homes on the market. During the first quarter of this year, housing prices fell 14.1 percent, the sharpest downturn since the Standard & Poor's index's inception 20 years ago.
When a house goes into foreclosure, neighboring houses experience an immediate decrease in value, averaging $3,000 each. As a house sits vacant and lawns become overgrown, the entire neighborhood gets harder to keep up. Vacant homes attract vandals, drug users, and squatters. Many middle-class homeowners in hard-hit states now find themselves plagued with problems they once thought were unique to the inner cities.
Renters suffer too. They may be up to date on their payments, but if the house is foreclosed, they must leave. In Franklin County, Ohio, approximately 70 percent of foreclosure evictions are delivered to tenants. This trend may get worse: In 2006, 42% of mortgages taken out for investment property carried adjustable rate mortgages.

THE ROCK: SOARING PRICES
Meanwhile, oil prices have gone through the roof, causing food prices to soar. Every piece of produce that isn't grown locally is delivered to a store by a truck that runs on diesel, which now costs over $5 a gallon.
In terms of gas costs, city dwellers may be more fortunate than rural families, despite having to bring their food in from further away. Nationwide, Americans now spend about 4 percent of their take-home income on gasoline. In rural areas of the South, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and North and South Dakota, where commutes to work are especially long, the percentage of family income that goes to gas is more than three times higher than that.
In the fall, Americans will experience yet another effect of high oil prices. The current price for home heating oil in Maine, is $4.60 gallon, a 70 percent increase over last year. This winter, middle-class American may experience the "heat or eat" dilemma that physicians report already afflicts many poorer Americans.

THE CRUNCH
All these factors have contributed to a fall in real wages, as rising living costs cut into salaries, and have also caused a rise in unemployment and underemployment In the past 5 months, 324,000 jobs have been lost, and in May, unemployment took its biggest leap in more than 20 years. Especially hard hit has been the construction industry, a trend that has a disproportionate impact on Hispanic families, since construction is a prime source of work for blue-collar Hispanic men. But the transportation and manufacturing industries, traditionally a source of "family wage" jobs for men without a college degree, in all racial-ethnic groups, have also suffered.
The unemployment rate does not count people who are not looking for work, even if they would like to have a job. In March the Labor Department reported that the jobless rate had topped 13 percent for men in the prime age group of 25-54. Only once before since World War II has the rate gotten that high. Some of these men may be in school or have taken early retirement, but many are "discouraged" workers, who have given up actively looking for work.
Blue collar workers who are not laid off are less likely to earn middle-class incomes than in the past: Analyses of family budgets suggest that a wage of $20 an hour, or $41,600 per year, is the minimum necessary to put a family into the middle class. According to calculations by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of hourly workers in manufacturing who earn that much is down nearly 60 percent since 1979, and it is sliding month by month, as airlines and automotive industries create two-tier hiring structures and exact wage concessions from employees.
Workers whose hourly pay has not been cut are often forced to take a reduction in hours. There has been a tremendous spike in workers who have a job but cannot get enough hours to earn a living wage. They are often expected to be on call, which doesn't leave them time for a second job.
Employees who rely on commissions and tips are also feeling the pinch. At least 1 out of every five American workers earns variable pay, and many of them have seen their incomes shrink substantially. Meanwhile the 20 million small business owners and 5 million "micro" business owners and their employees are experiencing declines in spending and patronage by customers.
Even before the current crisis, income instability was on the rise: Nearly 10 percent of workers in the early 2000s suffered from a loss of income of 50 percent or more, compared to only 4 percent in the early 1970s.

WHAT DOES THE CRUNCH MEAN FOR FAMILIES?
Both job loss and sharp fluctuations in income are highly correlated with marital instability. And the inability of many families to sell their homes has also led to a growing number of couples deciding that one must follow the job while the other holds down the house. One organization that tracks job mobility reports a 50 percent increase over the past four years in the number of commuter marriages, where spouses live in different cities. Such separations, whether temporary or permanent, are hard on both adults and children. But children face many other risks in this economy, even when their parents manage to stay together.
EFFECTS OF THE HOUSING CRISIS ON CHILDREN AND TEENS
According to the Washington D.C. policy group, First Focus, 2 million children are directly affected by the sub-prime mortgage crisis. This number does not include the children who live in rentals and will receive eviction notices as their homeowners fail to pay the mortgage. Nor does it include children whose parents have conventional mortgages and are facing foreclosure. More than 130,000 children in Florida and 312,000 in California will be evicted in 2008 and 2009.
Eviction often means that children must change schools, in many cases more than once,
as families use interim housing before finding a more permanent place. When children change schools frequently, their work and behavior can suffer. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, children who change schools two or more times in a school year are twice as likely to perform below grade level in reading and math as students who remain in the same school. Frequent moves also contribute to higher drop out rates.
School relocation is particularly detrimental for teens, who rely more on their peer groups and have a tougher time joining new ones, than younger children. In fact, school relocation during mid-year is more highly associated with teen delinquency than is divorce. Teens who move frequently are 77 percent more likely to have four or more behavior issues and 20 percent more likely to exhibit violent behavior in high school than their more residentially-stable peers.
Even when children don't switch schools, the housing crisis can hurt their education, because school funding depends largely upon property taxes, which fall when home values drop. Schools are also one of the few tax projects on which voters can directly say yea or nay. With less money in their bank accounts and more money in their gas tanks, voters are less likely to approve tax increases for schools.
JOB LOSS AND FINANCIAL STRAIN INCREASE THE RISK OF IMPAIRED PARENTING
One of the main ways that children are hurt by unemployment and income loss, even at levels well above the poverty line, is through the increase in stress and depression that their parents experience. Parents with steady incomes, secure housing, and access to community support networks are those least likely to use punitive methods of childrearing. Conversely, economically-distressed parents tend to use harsh or inconsistent discipline even when they recognize and feel guilty about its effects. Parenting practices also become harsher and less consistent when parents are experiencing marital conflict, which is also heightened by job loss and housing insecurity.
Most of the effect of economic loss on children is channeled through deterioration in parenting practices, but there's a direct impact too. Economic loss has been found to increase kids' vulnerability to peer pressure. Children who experience economic loss often become depressed and less motivated, and their lowered aspirations may have long-range consequences in their lives.
In extreme cases, economic stress can trigger outright child abuse. In Florida, for example, The Exchange Club CASTLE, a child abuse prevention organization in Fort Pierce, reports that its May referral list for abuse and neglect was twice the normal size. The Department of Children and Families' hotline of Palm Beach County Florida now receives 900-plus more calls per month than a year ago.

FOOD AND NUTRITION ISSUES
Even when parents continue to parent effectively, food insecurity is a real threat to children in these difficult times. March 2008 saw a 1.5 million (5.7 percent) increase in the food stamp rolls from the previous year. March's enrollment of 27.88 million people represents a 219,000 person increase from February.
Twenty-five percent of American households with children are food insecure, which means people in those homes cut back on portions or skip meals in order to stretch the food out to last all day. America's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network – surveyed 180 food banks nationwide in April, and found that 99% have seen a substantial increase in the number of people seeking help, while donations have fallen off. Food Bank for New York City, the number one food pantry for the city, has experienced a 47 percent drop in food donations this year. Congress' farm bill will provide some relief to the food insecure by giving money to food programs, including food pantries, but help will not arrive until October. Sometimes families have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets, a problem that may seem trivial until you have to tell your 6-year-old that the family dog must be given away. The SPCA in Santa Cruz, CA, which runs a food bank for pets, has seen a 20 percent spike in demand over the past six months.
The need to economize in hard times also affects children's (and adults') nutrition in other ways. One ironic consequence of economic stress tends to be obesity, as consumers substitute cheaper food that can fill them up. Junk food costs an average of $1.76 per 1,000 calories, while unprocessed foods run $18.16 per 1,000 calories. A recent marketing poll found that a third of all households had begun to substitute boxed or frozen goods for fresh ones.

COLLEGE EDUCATIONS AT RISK
One of the unanticipated consequences of the debt crisis has been that lenders have begun to deny student loans, not on the basis of a student's financial profile, but on the school the student attends. Some of the country's largest banks are turning down loan applications for students planning to attend community colleges and second- or third-tier universities. Forty percent of America's undergraduates attend community college, and for many lower-income students these are the only option.

DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS BY AGE, RACE, AND GENDER
Thirty million Americans are over age 65, and with the average social security payment set at $1,079, there is not much of a margin to cover rising medical, prescription, food, and gas bills. Since more than a third of retired Americans help their children financially, according to a recent AARP poll, their financial troubles may trickle down to their children and grandchildren as well.
The AARP reports that the majority of baby boomers (aged 44-62) say they are struggling to make ends meet. Sixty percent have cut back on extras and 25 percent report having trouble paying their mortgage. Young adults aged 25-35 have their own issues. Many are still paying off student loans, and 35 percent are not saving for retirement at all.
As is so often the case, African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk both for job loss and foreclosure than are whites. Studies consistently show that even where black and white families earn the same yearly income, African-Americans have much lower levels of accumulated wealth, largely because their mobility has been more recent and they did not inherit homes or assets from earlier generations. More than half of all mortgages granted to African Americans in 2006 were sub-prime. In fact, a family living in an upper-middle class African American neighborhood is twice as likely to have a sub-prime mortgage as a lower-middle class white family. Hispanics were also over-represented in the sub-prime housing market. Given the continuing residential segregation in America, foreclosures on such homes will disproportionately affect African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods.
In the recession of 2001-2004, women lost jobs at a higher rate than men. In the first 6 months of this recession, the reverse was true. From November 2007 through April 2008, men lost 700,000 jobs, especially in traditional "family-wage" occupations such as manufacturing and construction. Women, by contrast, gained almost 300,000 jobs, since female-dominated fields such as health care have remained strong.
No one is "winning" any gender battles here, though. The pay gap between men and women had been narrowing for several years, but has recently begun to increase again. Women’s real wages, which rose throughout the 1980s and 1990s, dropped between 2007 and 2004.
And a disturbing Congressional study release in July 2008 suggests that the short-term gains for women in the early phases of this recession may not last. Long-term trends in the economy, which encouraged and rewarded women’s employment from the 1960s through the 1990s, seem now to be discouraging women from staying in the workforce. The percentage of women holding paid jobs in the prime work years, 25-54, peaked in 2000 and has since declined, despite the increase in jobs between November and April. When economists first noticed that women were dropping out of the workforce, many commentators assumed that they were doing so to stay home with their children. But economist Heather Boushey, a senior economist at the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, has found that the trend is not concentrated among mothers, but affects all women – married and unmarried, non-mothers, mothers with small children, and mothers with teens. Men’s workforce participation has been declining for some years; now women’s is declining too, and probably for the same reasons – stagnating wages and a difficult job market, causing many women to become discouraged and encouraging some to drop out of the labor market. Since women bring home, on average, a third of family income -- and often much more when their husbands face job difficulties -- this trend is far more worrisome for family well-being than it seemed when we thought women might be dropping out because the family could afford to have one person stay home with the children.

Summary of Family Representation in the Media

2009-11-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

There is still an idealization of the nuclear family being represented in the media and that can be seen throughout the decades with shows such as; ‘The Brady Bunch’ (1970’s), ‘Family Ties’ (1980’s), and ‘7th Heaven’ (1990’s). The difference between the decades is that as the years progressed, the family bonds stayed in the shows but real life issues began to be discussed instead of being nonexistent.
The most important feature our group wanted to convey was how the individual’s portrayal began to change with the course of time as well. Fathers were no longer just seen as the working provider, mothers were not only seen as wives and homemakers, and children started behaving badly; shedding their good image in favor of situations more closely based in reality. The popularity of television over time has increased in great numbers and a prime reason could be the focus of television shows to gain a wider audience by broadening their viewpoint. People began to identify with characters on their favorite TV shows because they shared similar personality traits or life situations. It was no longer taboo to admit that you came from a single parent household because the media helped show that it wasn’t an isolated situation, it was happening to families everywhere and they were able to function afterward perfectly fine.
At the helm of all of this change was the government run agency the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This corporation was created to regulate what the public hears and sees in the media. Controlling what we see on TV, this group is able to say whether or not a show can be aired and it is able to place restrictions on shows they feel are getting out of hand. Society still plays a large role in how a show is received, but the FCC controls what can be seen. A popular show in current times, ‘Family Guy’, created a spoof directly toward the FCC because they were told to restrain themselves in their story lines. Their topics are often a little crazy but they are all in the sake of comedy. So, we leave you with this clip summarizing the current view on the FCC and their often silly restrictions of modern day shows. Because even though television has made progress with what is depicted, ridiculous restrictions can still be placed on topics that are based in real life.

Family in the Media: Current Day

2009-11-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Television has recently addressed many new family issues. The wide array of family structures are now common and accepted. Shows such as Reba and Two and a Half Men portray to the viewers that there are many types of family situations. Reba addresses issues such as divorce, single motherhood, and teenage pregnancy. Reba's son Jake, teenage daughter Cheyenne, Cheyenne's husband Van, and their daughter Elizabeth all live in Reba's house. Reba's ex-husband Brock lives right next door with their daughter Kyra, his new wife Barbara Jean and their young son Henry. This unconventional living situation is accompanied by the close relationship amongst ALL of the family members. This show is showing the viewers that the "mother, father, and children" idea of a household is no longer the only way to live. Two and a Half Men also share this message. Charlie is a jingle writer with a large house on the beach that he shares with his divorced brother, Alan, and his nephew, Alan's son, Jake. Charlie is a man that has had many women in and out of the house, while Alan is nearly the opposite from his brother. Their living situation as well as their lifestyles also contradict what society once viewed as the norm.

-Do you think these current show correctly depict the multitude of family structures current in our society today?

Teenagers in the Media

2009-11-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

While the family representation has changed over the course of television history, none can deny the pivotal changes that have been made when it comes to the representation of teenagers. Early in television, teenagers were seen as morally sound and well behaved. Over time however, more risks have been taken when it comes to their representation in prime time. The adage of “sex sells” has come into play and viewers enjoy watching their favorite characters take part in situations that are deemed “unsavory” by criticisms of the time.
Television began moving away from the portrayal of innocent teenagers starting more in the 1970’s. Shows such as ‘One Day at a Time’ dealt with issues of birth control and pre marital sex with the teenage girl Julie Cooper- far from the representation the Brady kids were giving off during the same decade. These were issues that teens were actually dealing with and that is what gave the ratings such a good boost, even if critics were not always counted as fans.
In the 1990’s, teenage television essentially got its own network with the formation of ‘The WB’. Every night there was a lineup of at least two shows that revolved around teenagers. ‘Dawson’s Creek’, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Roswell’, ‘7th Heaven’, among many others, consumed the teenage television market. Least not forget the ever popular ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ which was aired for ten years before its cancellation. Whatever the premise of the show, they all touched base on issues that people could relate to. Pregnancy scares, love triangles, fights, parties, all became a part of the sensationalism that became teenage life. Some wondered if people actually lived this way, some did, others didn’t, but no one could escape the popularity their story lines captured.
Currently, one of the most watched shows among teenage girls would be ‘Gossip Girl’. A show about Upper East Side teens, the main characters are often seen scheming to bring others misery while simultaneously trying to balance friendship and their love lives. This group of teenagers is a stark difference to how teenagers were portrayed when television started to become popular and mainstream.
Has television gone too far in their portrayal of teenage debauchery? –Has it become more sensationalized over time, breaking too far away from reality?
Why do you think that teens gained such a popular role in television? What, overtime, has allowed for the change to occur?
What show did you feel growing up captured the true essence of teenagers?

Representation of the Family in Media

2009-11-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

The 1990s

Throughout the 90s Full House was extremely popular television show especailly among families. Other than it's positive family messages and helpful advice, the show pushed the boundaries of how families were represented in the media during this time. The show consisted of a motherless family and a father left to raise three children on his own. Danny Tanner, the father, cooked, cleaned, and financially supported his family. Danny played both roles of mother and father, and found help raising his three children from his brother in-law, Jesse, and best friend, Joey. The only motherly figure of the show was introduced a couple seasons in when Jesse married. She acted as the female presence the growing girls needed during their time of adolescence. The show dealt with average issues teenage daughters deal with such as relationship problems, problems at school, breaking curfew, so on and so forth. However when the male perspective was not sensitive enough, the show had Jesse's wife, Rebecca, give Danny advice on how to deal with his daughter's issues and sometimes dealt with the daughter's problems directly. At the end of every Full House episode was a message to help families similar to the tanners deal with their family issues. The show was also a great representation of how an unconventional family with conventional problems can be as supportive and functional as the "traditional" family was and is decades ago.

Discussion Questions:

How does this modern family differ from the stereotypical "traditional" family?

In your opinion, why do you think the writers of this show chose to use a single father opposed to a single mother?

Do you believe that a family with out the presence of both mother and father is as functional and supportive as a family with them?

2009-11-11T14:13:00.001-08:00

Representation of Family in the Media: 1970's and 1980's

2009-11-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

The 1970's

The Brady Bunch was a popular show in the 1970’s that tried to go back to the traditional family values. During the 70’s many shows were trying to show that certain social norms were changing, but the creators of The Brady Bunch wanted to bring people back to the traditional values of a family. The mother cooks and cleans, while the father is the one that goes to work and makes the money. It was very noticeable while watching this show that Mike, the father, was definitely the bread winner and the head of household. Mike was always the one to explain the lessons that the children should have learned after getting in trouble. He was the power figure, the dominant male. Although in the show Mike is a widower and Carol, the mother, is a widow that is not how it was originally written. Carol was originally written as being a divorced single mother; the writers changed this within the first episode. The Brady Bunch rarely addressed any political or social issues that were occurring in that time. When any such issue was addressed it was done so in a very subtle manner. When the show addressed women’s liberation and gender equality it was seen simply in the siblings fighting. African Americans were rarely seen in the show at all. The show may never have made the top ten lists of Neilsen ratings, but it had been viewed as one of America’s most important sitcoms in the 1970’s.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think the producers felt the need to bring people back to traditional family values?

What do you think the reasoning for changing Carol from a divorced woman to a widow was?

Why was Mike always the one to punish the children or teach lessons while Carol just agreed with what he felt was right?

The 1980's

The Cosby Show sparked much controversy about race and class in America. The show aired from 1984 to 1992, it revived the television genre of situation comedy which saved the NBC network. The Cosby family was an upper-middle class black family. This show portrayed a black family in a way that contradicted how black families had previously been portrayed on television. Cliff, the father, was a respected gynecologist and Claire, the mother, was a successful attorney. Their two older children attended prestigious colleges, while their son had a wonderful relationship with his father and the two younger daughters mainly experienced Cliff’s “hilarious child-rearing routines”. The viewers saw the Huxtable home as “classy”. The producers actually brought in a psychiatrist to help them portray a family and a home that broke common stereotypes against blacks. Many other shows that were focused on black families at the time accentuated such as Sanford and Son, Good Times, and The Jeffersons.

Notice the differences between these two clips the first is from Sanford and Son and the second is from The Cosby Show

Just starting with the appearance of the house where the shows take place. The Cosby household is neat and organized the jazz music as a nice touch to the “classy” feel that the viewers got when watching the show. The Sanford household is cluttered and messy. The focus of conversation in The Cosby Show is educated; they talk of music and higher education. In the Sanford and Son clip the characters sound uneducated and speak with a stereotypical African American accent. This is how the black family was often portrayed to viewers, The Cosby Show was able to break that trend and give an opportunity for blacks on television in the future.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think the producers of The Cosby Show decided to break the stereotypes of blacks?

What effects do you think the shows of this time that portrayed the black stereotypes had on the viewers and families?

Do you think that The Cosby Show was able to change any effects the stereotypical shows had caused on families and how they dealt with diversity?

Representation of the Family in the Media: The 1960's

2009-11-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

This week we will be looking at how the media has represented the family in television shows. Throughout the week, we will post information on a given decade starting with the 1960’s. As you read, you will be able to see the changes that have been made over time and learn the impact the portrayals have had on family life.

Television shows in the 1960’s marked a time when the family sitcom began slowly moving away from the ideals of the 1950’s. There were still plenty of shows that represented the nuclear family that consisted of the father being the bread winner, the mother a stay at home housewife raising the children, and the children following the rules and never stepping out of line. Shows such as ‘Leave it to Beaver’ were still popular and included stories of white- middle class families that still practiced the racial and ethnic exclusion typically seen in suburban life. It was during this decade that we were able to see the rise of the suburban domestic comedy and shows that revolved around a supernatural “fantastic family”.

The nuclear family was replaced by a ‘counter programming’ trend that involved shows revolving around broken, single parent families. Even though the divorce rate was rising throughout the 60’s, censorship codes demanded that single parent households were not by choice, but were caused by death of the spouse absent from the family. These shows began to dominate the prime time line up along with the supernatural comedies such as ‘Bewitched’ and ‘The Munsters’.

Comparing nuclear vs. fantastic:

A popular show most associate to be the quintessential nuclear family was ‘Leave it to Beaver’ which aired from 1957-1963. Ward and June Cleaver were middle class suburbanites raising their two boys Wallace ‘Wally’ and Theodore ‘Beaver’. Ward was the breadwinner for the Cleaver family and was in charge of decision making and disciplinarian action with the children. June was the ‘dream’ housewife- always caring for the children, doing housework, and fixing dinner every night by the time her husband was home from work. She was able to do all of this while wearing fitted dresses, high heels, and a smile. The children were always polite and rarely got into trouble and when they did, they would always learn an important moral lesson by the end of the 30 min time spot.

‘Bewitched’ first aired in 1964 and was on until it was canceled in 1972. The premise of the show was a witch, Samantha Stevens, trying to live her life as a newlywed free of magic. Though Samantha was portrayed as a housewife, it was often shown that she would initiate and win arguments against her husband Darren. Feminine power is a recurring theme in ‘Bewitched’ and is portrayed prominently with Samantha’s mother, Endora. Endora never liked Darren and was often shown insulting him and casting unfriendly spells on him. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, whether that is because of her dislike of mortals or men, she never let situations change her personality.

‘Bewitched’ was a prolific show because it dared to show situations in a prime time comedy that were considered taboo before. Samantha and Darren were the first couple in television history to appear in the same bed together. Samantha’s mother and father were openly divorced and often insulting toward one another when put in the same scenes. Racism was also touched upon in multiple episodes. A story, submitted by a tenth grade English class, involved Samantha’s daughter Tabitha and her black friend alter their skin colors so their peers would treat them equally.

Why do you think television shows began to evolve around non-nuclear families?

Do you think that 'Bewitched' was a stepping stone for future shows to be more daring?

Why do you think shows revolving around "fantastic" and broken families gained immense popularity during this time?

Summing Up Blog #3 on Media Images of the Family: I Love Lucy

2009-11-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in our blog this week! Our topic was intended to not only show the media images of I Love Lucy in relation to the 1950's, but to also be fun. I Love Lucy is clearly seen as a classic TV show just by the fact that everyone is still watching and talking about it. It is also clear that I Love Lucy not only supported the societal norms of the 50's, but also pushed the boundaries. When looking at the posts and discussions from students throughout the week, there is clearly a difference of opinions on some of the topics which is great by allowing people to view different aspects of the show in different lights. A lot of people believed that the extreme behaviors in the show that both supported and went against the societal norms were not intentional, but rather for comedic purposes. Some people believed that even if there were some signs of going against the societal norms of the 50's, like Lucy talking back to her husband or trying to attain equal rights, it was not that important because in their opinion, Lucy is always just "put back into her place". Others, however, believed that even though Lucy was at times "put back into her place", the fact that Lucy acted out was still a step towards breaking the gender norms seen in the family system, whether intentional or not.

The "Equal Rights" episode is a great example of showing the sexual scripts women and men followed and their different ideas of equal rights in the 50's. Ethel telling Lucy that they should not have been trying to change anything because it was not worth it, really sparked up a conversation and it would have been interesting to see what people thought about the ending. The ending of the show actually shows Ricky and Fred agreeing that Lucy and Ethel deserve equal rights, and even if it may not be fully shown in all of the episodes, the fact that Lucy and Ethel won in this case, is HUGE! Also, learning that Lucille Ball was the first women to be part owner of her own production company, Desilu productions, may have also influenced people to look at the show in a more pushing the boundaries aspect, because of the strong individuality of Lucille Ball herself.

Other than the situations and interactions between the characters on the show, portraying the support and non-support of the 50's, there was also a lot of other aspects of the show that made it unique for it's time which are hard to be argued. The fact the I Love Lucy was one of the first shows to show an exogamous relationship, discussing birth, and giving birth to a multi-racial child are truly important aspects of the show that cannot be ignored. These aspects of the show were clearly beginning to take steps towards showing families on TV that were similar to those in reality. One student asked if the show had ever gotten hate mail because of this, but we are not sure. Even if they had, however, the show was still a huge success which may mean that the majority of people really did not have a problem with I Love Lucy.

So, we hope that the class enjoyed learning about the different aspects of I Love Lucy, it's portrayal of the family, and also seeing first hand examples through the "Equal Rights" episode. As mentioned in the first post, television often portrays the "normal" family through contradictory messages. I Love Lucy is a perfect example of this and even so, will always be a classic that will never be forgotten.

Thank you again from,
Michael, Jessica, Lauren, Meghan, & Madison!

Please Enjoy our Formal Closing!

Summary of the "Equal Rights" Episode

2009-10-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

In the final part of the "Equal Rights" episode, Lucy and Ethel end up teaching Ricky and Fred a valuable lesson in equality and humility. The men successfully pull a prank on Lucy and Ethel but the women quickly turn the tables and end up having their husbands arrested and thrown in jail. Of course they eventually sorted things out with police and the men were released, but Ricky and Fred were forced to think about their actions and realize that things won't always go their way. In the end, the couples were happily reunited and the realization of how important equal rights are became a reality.

Although it was a very comedic take on a serious issue, this episode reflects how the 50's culture viewed equal rights as somewhat of a joke at times. It is important to note how I Love Lucy set a precedent for depicting men and women equally within the family as well as society. This episode goes along with this week’s discussion on how I Love Lucy seems to have contradictory themes of supporting AND pushing the boundaries of the 1950’s. Lucy's efforts were continually thwarted, but her ambitions were never broken. Viewers regularly witnessed Lucy in roles that women in the 50's were typically never thought of having or succeeding in.

Some Questions to Think About:

Which points in the episode stood out the most to you?

Do you think that it portrayed an accurate depiction of families in the fifties? Why or why not?

Any other comments?

"Equal Rights" Clip #4

2009-10-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is the final clip for the "Equal Rights" episode. We are not going to leave a description because we do not want to give away the ending. ENJOY!!!!!

Questions to Consider:

Did you expect the show to end the way it did?

What do you think about the ending in general?

Any other comments?

I Love Lucy Pushing the Boundaries of the 1950's

2009-10-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Although I Love Lucy did portray the ideals and societal norms of the 50’s, there are also portrayals of a more modern day family. One example of a similarity between how the family is portrayed in I Love Lucy and families today would be their portrayal of exogamy. Having Lucy and Ricky being in an interethnic relationship, and being married out of their particular social group, definitely began to push the boundaries for its time. When Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz brought the idea of their show to CBS, they automatically turned it down because CBS believed Desi to be “too ethnic”. However, with Lucille and Desi performing some vaudeville acts to gain people’s support, CBS decided to go ahead with the show. Lucy and Ricky portraying an interethnic relationship, as they had in real life, was the first to do this in its time. This definitely shows what more modern day marriages are like with the United States being a “melting pot” of all different races and ethnicities. Even though in the 50’s people may have still been a little skeptical at the belief of an interethnic marriage, watching I Love Lucy, which millions did, may have shown viewers that this is now becoming the norm and that there is nothing wrong with being married with someone out of your own social group.

As of pushing the boundaries with gender, it is clear that it may not be as obvious as Lucy and Ricky’s exogamous relationship, but in many people’s opinions, it is still present. As feminist Anne Andes puts it, “Lucy is ultimately UNRULEABLE! …No she does not break the rules to make a feminist statement…But in her own rebellious way, she proves that women can break the molds within which their world tries to cast them...” (2007, para. 3). Therefore, even if people may not think that it is intentional, watching Lucy try to break free from her homemaker life, could definitely impact the viewers. Yes, Lucy is usually put back into her place, but occasionally she does get what she wants, and the fact that she is “disobeying” her husband, may have influenced women to do the same. With the amount of viewers, “40,000,000 regularly”, watching I Love Lucy, it would be hard to believe that no one was impacted by Lucy’s rebellious ways (Pan, n.d. para. 2). It is clear that the media impacts viewers, so women must have at least began to question their place in the family and why things were the way they were. Again, if Lucy was a happy housewife, like ads at the time always portrayed wives in the 50’s as being, why would Lucy, living in the same era, be constantly trying to escape it? An article by Wendy Pan explains that “these issues were very real to women in the post war 1950's and were clearly reflected in Lucy's continuous rebelliousness to become part of her husband's world” (n.d., para. 4). Pan explains that the show was depicting reality, just as how Lucy and Ricky’s exogamous marriage was. Therefore, this was pushing the boundaries of its time because reality in television was usually and for the most part nonexistant. Although I Love Lucy on the surface makes light of the issues of reality, and may cover them up with comedy, they were touching upon them nonetheless and are still noticeable.

Another example of I Love Lucy pushing the boundaries in the media would be when Lucy became pregnant. No one had ever brought up pregnancies on television because it was too risqué with its association to sex. However, because Lucille Ball was pregnant in reality, and with the writers explaining to CBS that the show should portray real-life situations, it was allowed. The cast had to actually say that Lucy was “expecting”, as mentioned in a previous post, but the fact that they even brought up the fact that woman can and do get pregnant, especially in this case with a multi-ethnic child, was a huge step in portraying what real families are actually going through. The night Lucille Ball actually gave birth to her son, Desi Jr., was the same night that Lucy Ricardo had her son, Ricky Jr. This was completely intentional and the viewers were clearly ecstatic. There were a total of 54 million people tuned in to watch Lucy’s pregnancy on January 19, 1953, which was more than the viewers who tuned in for President Eisenhower’s inauguration on January 20, 1953 (I Love Lucy, para. 3; Leiban, n.d., para. 6).

References:

Andes, Anna. (2007, May 30). Online Transactions. Message posted to http://vergingwriter.blogspot.com/2007/05/lucy-accidental-feminist.html

I Love Lucy, Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.fiftiesweb.com/i-love-lucy.htm

Leiban, Nina. (n.d.) BALL, LUCILLE: U.S. Actor/Comedienne. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=balllucille

Pan, Wendy. (n.d.). I Love Lucy History Goes on Making History. Retrieved October 23, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?I-Love-Lucy-History-Goes-on-Making-History&id=1525551

Some Questions to Think About:

In general, how do you feel about this information?

Do you agree with the idea of I Love Lucy pushing the boundaries? Why or why not?

What do you think about the fact that more people watched Lucy's birth to Little Ricky than Eisenhower’s inauguration?

Changing Nature of the American Family

Conclusion - Personal Accounts and Narratives

Resources for Families Coping with Illness

Terminal and Potentially Terminal Illnesses in the Family

You Tube Video On Mental Illness!!

Mental Illness and Families - The Stigmas They Must Overcome

Social Construction of the Definitions of Health and Illness

Responses and Coping When Children Fall Ill - How do societal norms play a part?

Illness, Family, and Society Introduction - Stress and Coping

Conclusion of Cross Cultural Reproductive Rights

Reproduction Rights in Iraq

Reproductive Rights in France

Reproductive Rights in Rwanda

Reproductive Rights in Mexico

Reproductive Rights in the USA

Cross Cultural Reproductive Rights

Closing on Substance Abuse and on Teens

Sober Living

Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance Abuse and the Family Environment

Introduction on substance abuse and it's affect on families.

Closing on Gay Issues

Homosexuality in the Media

Politics of Same-Sex Marriage

Gay/Straight Alliances in schools

Gay and Lesbian Adoption

Explaining Gay Issues to Children

Adoption - Final Thoughts

Adoption in the Aftermath of Crisis

Technology and Adoption Reunions

Growing Up an Adopted Child

Parenting an Adopted Child

What Are My Adoption Options?

Introduction to Adoption and Policy Focus

Introduction to how varying International Perspectives affect Child Rearing

International Influence on American Parenting

International Adoption: Problematic or Beneficial?

Self-Esteem and Child Rearing: Cross-Culturally

How The Media Affects Child Rearing in International Families

What is child abuse? An international Perspective:

Introduction to how varying International Perspectives affect Child Rearing

Final Thoughts: Teen Pregnancy

More on Teen Pregnancy

Teenage Pregnancy...Glamorous?

Teen Pregnancy Education

Why are teen fathers overlooked?

Risk Factors of Teenage Pregnancy

Hello Teen Pregnancy!

Welcome Sociology of Family Spring 2010 Bloggers!

Closing Thought of the Week

The Media and Single Moms

I'm a Single Parent... Help!

Snapshot into a Single-Mother’s Life: Welcome to Reality

Single Dads in the Media Vs Single Dads in Reality

Taking a Look at Single-Parents

Closing Thought

How Should Families Handle Layoffs?

More Questions About The Economic Recession

Personal Stories on the Recession

Questions About The Economic Recession

A Few Questions About the Impact of the Recession on Families

Summary of Family Representation in the Media

Family in the Media: Current Day

Teenagers in the Media

Representation of the Family in Media

Representation of Family in the Media: 1970's and 1980's

Representation of the Family in the Media: The 1960's

Summing Up Blog #3 on Media Images of the Family: I Love Lucy

Summary of the "Equal Rights" Episode

"Equal Rights" Clip #4

I Love Lucy Pushing the Boundaries of the 1950's