Journal: Socializing Care Chapter 10

Journal: Tell the story of the role of motherhood, a mother, or mother-figure in

your life and the challenges you or she have faced.
I actually have been discussing this type of mothers' movement in  many of my other classes. Women are put to a double sword when they are expected to be supermom while keeping up a financially beneficial career. While I will admit men are taking part in the "domestic/child rearing" life than ever before, just as Judith Tucker said: women are still doing at least 2/3 of the work at home while still trying to juggle a career.

I do think that we are in a period of transition (yes a long one) but since the 60's and before women were not in the workplace and education as they are today. Welfare systems are not supporting mothers/families to keep them afloat and are driving many to go into poverty not to mention the enormous number of single moms due to divorce or children out of wedlock.

Our society needs to begin to mold into the current situation to help those mothers/families in need rather than policies that support families from over 2 decades ago. Our policies need to revolove around families that require two parents to work with affordable child care, flex time, health care, maternity leave, and parental leave that is not punished when taken. Yes we have some of these policies but not all apply to small businesses and/or these options are not encouraged to be taken advantage of by the employers. We do need these policies to be changed but no official is going to be elected when he/she proposes to raise taxes to support our society who is in need. This makes me think of the Social Security system when the public was irate about the fact they would be taxed for this policy (which was a low percentage at the time) but if one would suggest to take this benefit away for Social Security recipients we would have an uproar. The push needs to go forward to support these families (specifically mothers) so that we can create a society where all is supported in some way or another instead of the bare minimum. Other countries like Sweden has taken this approach, we just are not willing to elect someone who is willing to raise our taxes for these needed benefits. It's a vicious dead end instead of moving toward change (think of the problems that would be eliminated if poverty was not such an issue for single moms/poverty stricken familes!).


In accordance with the journal assignment that was tied to this reading in the syllabus my mom immediately comes to my mind. My mom came from a poor family with no support in college. When my mom met my dad at the 2 year college in my home town she got married and continued on to law school. As she was just about to finish law school before the LSATs she had my older brother Zane. My uncle was a huge help as he lived in the Des Moines area where she went to law school and he would watch my brother while she went to class/the library/and her final LSAT test.

My mom brought me and my brother as infants to her office to breast-feed and would juggle with appointments, bringing us to the office, or with grandma and grandpa during busy months for my dad in the field. My family was extremely lucky as my dad was a farmer/self-employed and we were able grow up with little child care other than immediate family before pre-school. Had my dad not been self employed and my grandparents available there would have been far more obstacles for my mom to establish her practice.

Journal: Tell the story of the role of motherhood, a mother, or mother-figure in

your life and the challenges you or she have faced.

Journal: Socializing Care Chapter 1

I think I have already blogged about this at some point as chapters 1, 7, and 10 already have my highlighting marks but I thought either way I would re-read the chapter 1 and 10 since I only have Chapter 7 regarding welfare specifically included in my blogs. I am going to answer the question on the syllabus related to when we were assigned chapter 1 and will do the same for chapter 10

Journal: Share an experience you have had with healthcare related to your health, the

health of someone you know, or the health of a loved one

When I have recieved healthcare I immdiately think of going to the doctor. After reading the chapter I think of my doctors, my mom/dad, and even myself. Even if it amounts to taking a Tylenol or cold medicine myself I was doing "personal care" since it was within my means to do it for myself and didn't feel I needed help from someone else.

I thought the chapter brought up a point that is so true to our culture. It is not seen as culturally valuable to be vulnerable. Vulnerability (especially when needing care) is seen as a sign of weakness as our culture has constructed people to be independent.

Also, I think that Tronto makes a good point when she points out that that care has fallen between a gap of rich versus poor and does not allow the equal care of citizens (specifically the United States). Her examples of a child growing up in an environment with few resources will in turn put that child in the same position for when he/she has children. It is indeed a vicious cycle.

This was an interesting chapter. If we turn the public's care problems into a a collective problem rather than the idea "it's their problem" we would be better off in many aspects: as human beings, as a (healthy) nation, and treating everyone equally rather than only valuing those who are financially capable of the care that is needed.

Health Care In Prisons- How does it stack up?? Fact Sheet/Article/Short Video - Amnesty

Wow- Lots of information here! As I read the article my mouth kept dropping yet wasn't all that suprised at some of the information.
The Retaliation and Fear in the Article seems to be alarming. I can understand why the guards/employees would be encouraged to review personal history files BUT I cannot think of how it is appropriate to not keep complaints against an employee confidential in fear of corruption of those people. I keep thinking in my mind to try to think of a solution but even if specific complaints but not entire personal history files were kept confidential the employee would still be aware there was a complaint at one point and time against them (if that makes sense). Regardless, there is unfortunately corruption and it seems as if it will be a challenging task to solve yet is still SO SO important!

Also- The video- this seems a moral question of humanity. What's humane and who qualifies for the same treatment? If one brutally murders should they receive healthcare? I fight with this question but ultimately all I can think of is an older human being who is vulnerable and helpless in old age in need of health care. I still am fighting with this question.

Clearly, Health care in prisons is less than satisfactory. Is there any good infomation about health care in prisions or it must be this bad. Considering many women are in prison for non-violent crimes (and what about those who have committed violent crimes) it seems riduculous the health care is so limited and unacceptable. Considering a prision is run by the state/federal government I am suprised conditions are this bad due to the state/country regulating them. At what cost and to who should bear these costs so prisoners are able to receive even at least adequate health care? Things need to obviously improve but (not to sound harsh) but who bears this costs? Taxpayers? and if prisoners are charged with this cost how are they to pay AND how is society setting them up for success once (if) they get out of prison?