Caroline Potolicchio’s Main Post

Written By Caroline Potolicchio 

Mendez’s piece is about leadership and how you should always strive to meet a certain goal. Her grandmother raised her after her mom was murdered in a carjacking and her grandmother was truly a role model to her always helping others. When Mendez went to the states she found herself being a leader at the age of 12. She volunteered for the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center, and also found herself teaching English, being a translator, and an organizer.. She went out of her way to lead the way and show other immigrants that they could create a future for themselves. She also lobbied and helped raise awareness about the Development, Relief, and Education for Aliens Minor Act, and the American Dream Act. “Both of these pieces of federal legislation allow undocumented high school students the opportunity to obtain permanent residency, attend institutions of higher education at in-state tuition rates, and give them a path toward leadership.” After reading this piece, it is evident that Mendez had a everlasting impact on leadership with immigrants.

In Turner’s piece, she talks about growing up in Columbia Maryland, the only girl in a competitive athletic family. Before even reading the rest of the article, I was suddenly drawn by this quick fact about Courtney. First off, I am from the southeast, residing in Bethesda Maryland, with both of my parents, and 4 brothers, also being the only girl. She talks about how hard work and persistence are the keys to success, and without them you will fail. She states that for herself, failure is never an option. She gained an understanding of her identity as a black by learning from her past family members. I found it interesting that Turner talks about how she grew up “thinking male”. She refused to do household chores if her brothers didn’t have to do it. Growing up in an athletic family, and being an athlete myself, I know exactly where she is coming from. I grew up as a tom- boy with my four brothers, and always wanted to be equally treated with the rest of them. I found it very intriguing that her parents were not into her being a feminist when they are so keen on studying the black community and their oppression. 

            Kaminksy talks about how she pursued her path of nursing. She states how nursing is a traditionally been seen as women’s work. Her dad asked her why she would choose such a path  if she is an “intelligent young Generation Y woman with possibilities open to her. Her internship in South Africa really was influential in her choosing her career path in nursing.  She talks about the hospital setting and the gender differences. She says that the interaction between physicians and nurses has changed over the years, and she finds that most physicians are respectful of the nursing role. They see the nurse as “an essential final link in the chain of care for the patient and is usually treated as such.

            All 3 of these articles have women who talk about how their experiences and leaders present in their life have led them to the career paths they have chosen.

Nursing- Strictly Female?

In the articles in "Leading the Way", I found similarities between the different authors. Each author was influenced and inspired by either a family member or close friend, whose actions helped each author bring them to where they are today. Carol Mendez talks about her grandmother's struggles and how her determination inspired and encouraged her to become a social activist. All the authors also were driven by life experiences to pursue their line of work. Mendez discusses how after seeing the disparities in health benefits, she became interested in and wanted to help the unequal public health conditions. Turner discusses how her father and mothers life experiences and upbringing greatly shaped her interests and drove her to become active in the field of public health. Kaminsky also discusses how her college education and studies of history and women's studies gave her a unique perspective on nursing and helped further her interests in nursing. All of these articles are examples of strong women whose dedication, perseverance, and life's experiences have led them to where they are today.

However, what struck me the most was in Kaminsky's article. She discusses how nursing is becoming more and more popular, even with men. She also says how nursing is typically seen as a woman's occupation. This statement immediately reminded me of the movie "Meet the Parents". In this popular comedy, Ben Stiller plays a male nurse who is visiting his girlfriends parents and intends to ask for her hand in marriage. Robert Di Nero plays the girlfriends father as the typical over protective, masculine dad. In one scene, when Stiller's girlfriends family asks him what he does and he replies that he is a nurse, the entire family bursts into laughter. They all consider it to be a funny joke and then ask him what his "real" job is, too which Stiller embarrassingly admits he is in fact a nurse. Though this is a small part of the film, it focuses on societies mental image of who a nurse should be, a woman. It also shows how even though in the film Stiller is quite successful at being a nurse, it is still embarrassing for him to tell others. Later on in the film when he is talking to his girlfriends old boyfriend, who De Niro happens to be very fond of, Stiller says he is in "health care" instead of his exact profession- nursing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rTLZujmHXY Though this film is not based around male stereotypes and professions, the addition of Stiller's character being a male nurse states something about societies perspective of nurses. Stillers profession reaffirms his underdog character and also shows typical reactions to someone who may face this issue in their daily lives. I think it reflects poorly on our society that male nurses are not more accepted, and is an obvious example that sexism is still prevalent in modern day.

Caroline Potolicchio's Post

Written by Caroline Potolicchio

 

After reading Jia's post, and the reading's, a lot of new and existing information has opened my eyes. I liked the use of Jia's pictures that she posted because I never knew that race and gender were an issue when it came to abortion. I completely agree with Judith Arcana when she states that "Abortion is a Motherhood Issue."  Women should have the right to decide about an abortion because they have a right to their body, and it is not anyone else's responsibility. If someone else were to force a decision about women on whether or not they are allowed to or have to bear a child, then one can argue that women are being objectified because someone else is taking control of what their bodies are about to undergo. In conclusion I agree with Arcana's argument that women have the right to control their own bodies. 

My personal opinion about an abortion is that the woman can make an executive decision without consulting the father if they are not married.I come from a conservative family, which leads me to have two views on abortion. I think that the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case was very accurate when breaking up abortions into a trimester. The Supreme Court concluded that women have the right to abortion as long as prenatal life and the mother's health is under protection. However, I also think that once you have been bonded to a man in the form of marriage, and you have a child during marriage, the man has the right to have an input on whether or not to keep the baby because they are together as one and both had an impact on the creation of the baby. 

 

Overall I enjoyed the readings, especially Arcana's, but my view of abortion has not been altered in any way after reading them.

Leading Post: Abortion and Motherhood

In the piece "How It All Began: I Have Had an Abortion," the anonymous author describes the women's liberation movement in Europe (France and German) where women's called for the "decriminalization of abortion." Through 343 French women's decision to publicly announce in a newspaper that they have had an abortion, these courageous women's action, have inspired many other women in German and in North America to join the fight. Although this movement did encounter women who were afraid and did not think the movement will be beneficial, the ultimate goal hoped to achieve abortion right for all women and the through public awareness, it hoped to remove the taboo associated with abortion--hoping to make abortion more acceptable and less down down upon in society. The methods of sparking change: "...to break the law in their own country or travel aboard" (368).

Judith Arcana's "Abortion Is a Motherhood Issue" further support an pro-choice agenda. At first I was confused whether Arcana supported pro-life or pro-choice. However, after reading it another time, her vivid imagery of her body and her personal experiences further strengthen her argument--or her credibility. In the beginning, she use language that indicated the right to one', specifically a woman's, body. Sentences such as "Motherhood has left its mark on my cervix, just as it has on the rest of me" and the different stages of her cervix (youthful, cauliflower, etc.) implies the argument that most pro-choice supporters state: a woman should have control and the right to do what she wants with her body. Another argument, I found compelling is that when talking about abortion it should also be in conversation with motherhood issues (such as contraception, miscarriage, adoption, sterilization, and reproductive biotechnology); this argument further strengthen the pro-choice agenda. Through her experience of having children, an abortion, preforming abortion, and sterilization, Arcana develops her credibility that suggest that women should acknowledge, pride, and take responsibility of their choice (especially to abort) rather than to feel ashamed or guilty because the anti-abortion movement have created such atmosphere for those who abort.

On that note, as I read both of these articles, I thought about how abortion in a sense is privileged--abortion is racialized and classified.

This billboard appeared in Atlanta (2010)

This billboard appeared in New York City--SoHo (2011)

This billboard appeared in Chicago (2011)

These anti-abortion billboards all convey the message that abortion is most common among the African American community. The locations in which these billboards appeared also suggest that African American in urban cities are more inclined to having abortions. Even though if statistics does show that abortion is more common among urban cities African American, how effective are these anti-abortion billboards or are they simply racist? 

Thinking on an international level, I thought about how common abortion happens (reported and in secret) in developing countries like India and China. However, these abortions are more gendered based; selective abortion is extremely common in developing countries where baby boys are more valued that baby girls. From personal experience (being born as the third baby girl to my parents) I decided to do a research paper about this phenomenon when I was a senior in high school. The Chinese cultural values, economic needs, and the One-Child policy have greatly exacerbated selective abortion or to what is now known as gendercide. And the consequences of such practice is greatly skewing the ratio of boy to girls in China thus leading to marriage difficulties,  economic problems, and other issues. 

Read the article in The Economist to learn more about gendercide in China

Thinking both locally and internationally on the reasons why women have abortions, I am conflicted on to what extend should abortion be legal and as part of women's rights? Is there a greater problem that needs to be address in order to address the racalization and classification of abortion?  

As I was reading through Judith Arcana's article, I had mixed feelings. I found her writing a little difficult to follow and a bit choppy. She seemed to include personal experiences at random times during her article. As I was reading her article I found myself nodding along to some of her statements, and shaking my head at others. I did agree with her statement that abortion is a motherhood issue because I feel that people choose to have abortions because they know they cannot properly care for the baby and provide for it. Like Arcana says, "choosing to abort a child is a profoundly made life choice for that child", I think that making the decision of having an abortion is an extremely difficult and weighted choice because it calls into question the life of your baby, and your answer will determine the outcome. However, while I agreed with this statement, I found some of her other examples of "major life choices" to be a bit superficial compared to the choice of having an abortion. All of Arcana's examples, including things like boarding school, religion, and personal issues, were used as equivalent examples of having an abortion. Arcana writes, "choosing to abort a child is like choosing to send it to one school and not another, choosing whether or not to allow it to sleep in your bed". While I understand the point Arcana is making, that choosing to have an abortion greatly affects your baby, I found her other examples to be not as life changing or important as the choice of having an abortion or not. The life of your baby is called into question instead of the example of choosing between two schools, which will not have as much of a direct drastic affect on your baby's life.

Abortion is becoming more popular and more highly debated. Growing up in a liberal home, I have also been pro choice, however this does not mean I fail to see the argument of pro life. But I do believe that every woman should have the choice to decide whether or not they can care for a baby and if they are ready for it. I think it is more irresponsible to continue with a pregnancy while knowing that you cannot care for your baby, than it is to have an abortion. Choosing to have an abortion does not mean you never want to be a mother or have no connection to a fetus growing inside of you. To me, choosing to have an abortion is a difficult decision that should be based off of the mother and the baby and if the mother can adequately provide and love their newborn. The choice of abortion should not be decided off of political reasons, and will always be a scary decision any woman has to make.