Learning Journal "Cultural Value Orientations"

I do agree with the author that it is important to understand the cultural values. Furthermore, it is important to retain where you're coming from so there can be a valid comparison with the culture. That is how we learn is through comparison. It is important that as we're doing field work that we don't try to force our opinions or values on these individuals we're studying. I can see that this is important for my own field work, because I will be dealing with sensitive issues that many people have strong opinions on.

Annotated sources

J. Strickler and N. Danigelis. "Changing Frameworks in Attitudes toward Abortion."  Sociological Forum, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Jun., 2002), pp. 187-201. This article discusses the shift in attitudes being more pro life than pro choice. The article also takes in certain changes in religious perspective, which I find interesting and have been considering incorporating into my own project.

J. Evans. "Polarization in Abortion Attitudes in U.S. Religious Traditions, 1972-1998." Sociological Forum, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Sep., 2002), pp. 397-422. This article also talks about how attitudes towards abortion are being separated into two distinct groups. There aren't a lot of fence sitters anymore. It seems that religions are being somewhat forced to have an opinion on this topic now. This article again peaks my interest because it includes religious opinions.

 

B. Highton. "Policy Voting in Senate Elections: The Case of Abortion." Political Behavior, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Jun., 2004), pp. 181-200. I think this article is important to my study because it points out certain discrepancies with voting about abortion. It is not always just based on the issue but rather a cluster of policy's and therefore accuracy is lost. The politics behind abortion is also immensely important in my study. Its important to know that there are discrepancies with the voting.

 

T. Murphy. "The Moral Significance of Spontaneous Abortion." Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Jun., 1985), pp. 79-83. I liked how insightful this article was. I also liked how the author included ideas of moral obligation. I feel like many people skirt around that issue because it is so hard to define. However I do feel it is important to address the moral aspect of abortion. Also it may be important for my research to understand what spontaneous abortions is, lest I come across it. 

Annotated Sources

G. Pennings “Reproductive Tourism as Moral Pluralism in Motion." This article talks about people who go abroad to other countries where abortion, and in vitro fertilisation are legal to have these procedures done. Certain countries have out-lawed certain practices and it is an interesting idea that many are going to places where it is legal. I think this article could be useful to my study because its important to consider what it means to outlaw abortion or legalize it and what kind of repercussions that can have.

M. Inhorn “He Won't Be My Son.” This article is specifically about invitro fertilisation happening in the Middle East. It is, for the most part a practice that is shunned by Islam because they believe that if a child is not biologically yours then it is a bastard child. They even have issues with adoption. I thought this article might be useful, as I've been toying with the idea of changing my focus from adoption to invitro.

E. Roberts “The Ethics of Cryopreservation in Ecuador and Elsewhere.” This article discusses how embryos are frozen for periods of time for certain families who want to have children. There are several pictures of children who were products of cryopreservation. The ethical dillemas introduced by this are interesting. All the embryos that aren't used are thrown away. Also when the embryos are impanted, doctors often go in and kill several of them, which is called a reduction. The question comes in as to what qualifies for an abortion. This question is an important one for my own case study.

B. Prainsack “Negotiating Life: The Regulation of Human Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell Research in Israel.” Israel has cornered the market on stem cell research. They take the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth very seriously, even by cloning. I felt like this article is very important to my own study because they examine the culture and the religious beliefs of Israel and how those play in to the question why they feel so strongly about stem cell research. Also there are many ethical questions surrounding stem cell research and whether or not it could be considered along the lines of abortion.

1-20-11 Annotated Sources

1. Mason Durie, "Whaiora: Maori Health Development." This book is incredibly insightful about the strong correlation between health in New Zealand and education and income. Those individuls with less income and lower levels of education struggled with greater health problems. In most of these cases it is the Maori that have worse health issues.
2. James Belich, "Making Peoples: A History of the New Zealanders from Polynesian Settlement to the End of the Ninteenth century." I haven't read this book completely, however it has already been very insightful about the historical background of my study location.
3. M. Konrad, “From Secrets of Life to the Life of Secrets: Tracing Genetic Knowledge as Geneological Ethics in Biomedical Britain.” I think this article is important when approaching my research because it ties in this idea of how people communicate about taboo subjects. This article specifically deals with IVF in Britain. A woman feels that she should be secretive and hide the truth about her daughter being the product of a donor egg. She wouldn't tell her close family, relatives, or her daughter. Since my research focuses on the communicative process that accompanies abortion, I thought this article was insightful.

1-14-11 Reading and Writing Social Research

I found this article to be very insightful. In fact it answered some of the questions I've had about writing about my own research. I think its not only important to learn this when it comes to writing my senior thesis, but it will also be helpful when I'm writing up my project now. Also the research questions that were posed in this article really made me internalize more about my own research questions. Specifically the article asked a question about what the motivation is behind the research. This made me think more about what my own motivation behind this project is. I really want to do a valuable research project. I think that no time living abroad is wasted, because you learn so much. However, if I'm going to go abroad and study, I want it to be something where the information could be valuable to others as well. I feel that doing research on abortion could be a valuable use of my time in the long run.

1-11-11 Project Question

Will examining discourse styles and modes of communication among women who have undergone abortions in New Zealand contribute to our understanding of it?

1-09-11 Research Questions

1. To what extent has abortion been researched in New Zealand?
2. Is there an adequate transportation system in place in the city I will be researching in?
3. In order to get a good sample size of volunteers will I have to travel outside of Dunedin?
4. Would it be better to extend my project to include the males involved?
5. What other research methods would be beneficial to use in this study aside from interviewing?
6. Is involving the element of time in my study going to overcomplicate my research?
7. How many volunteers woud yield an effective study?
8. Is this project feesible within the 90 day time frame?
9. How do we find host families?
10. What is the eductation provided on abortion in New Zealand?
11. How familiar are people with abortion there?
12. How common are abortions in New Zealand?
13. What is the political background concerning abortion?
14. What are the mother's rights considered to be in comparison to an unborn fetus?
15. Is there a certain race, or age group that this is more common amongst?
16. How much of Professor Fitzgerald's research will be involved with my own?
17. How does New Zealand define personhood?
18. What kind of back up plans do I need to have in place if my research fails?
19. How much time do I need to spend with my volunteers?
20. How often do I need to keep in touch with my Mentor?
21. Will there be computers or internet cafes accessible for me to use?
22. How long should my interviews be?
23. What kind of abortions are legal there?
24. What do doctors tell patients about abortions?
25. What if I can't find people who fit within my project time table?

01/07/11 What Students Don't Learn Abroad

Ben Feinberg's article encompassed much of my own traveling experience. Tho traveling often has an impact and changes perceptions about ourselves, it isn't simply about us. Going abroad to study different cultures is about gaining understanding the culture. The mistake a lot of individuals make when traveling abroad, is going with the mindset of how they can change that culture to fit their own ideals. The reality of what a place is and the reality of what we believe it to be are two very different things.
A few years ago I went abroad to live in England. I went with this image in my head of what it would be like. The image was a very romanticized view, embellished by the media as well as my own imagination. Not only was it my view of England that was misconstrued, but also my view of how my interactions with England would be. I believed that my experience would be similar to what movies and T.V. shows portrayed. These miscontrued perceptions soon dissipated. After living there for several months my vision began to clear. I began to see the raw sarcastic, depressed, romantic, and historical England. It was this fuller view and understanding that led me to really fall in love with England.
It is not totally possible to separate our own life experience from our travel experience. However, I do think that it is important to seek after the truth about a culture and really try to understand it when we go abroad by examining its different sides.