Nadia (Age: 13)
I expecct Prom to be the best night ever. Its going to be the best night ever because you plan for an entire day to have the most amount of fun with your friends and date, also because you get to dress up really nice. People should particpate in going to prom because its an experience that you only get in high school and why would you want to miss that and wouldn't you like to look back on that experience and share it with people you know in the future? Some reason people would not like to go to prom is because they might be uncomfortable with what prom is; a night of socializing and dancing. Not attending prom, people would think differently of you because you missed out on a supposebly significant part of your high school years. Influences in prom might be from media because for every prom there is shown on television, there are always big decoration and high standards the students will set for themselves such as, limo's, outfits and the plan for after-prom. I would like to attend prom because I would like to be apart of the experience and the whole emotions there is filled with going to prom and planning out series of events leading up to prom and after it.
Natalie (Age:27)
My prom experience was one of the more founders memories of high school I had and having a really great time with my friends. The difficulties of prom were trying to find the perfect dress and the arrangements of the limo with friends. Finding the right sized limo and coming up with a budget and coordinating friends to pay for their share were probably the most difficult because if you were not invited to be in the limo, you weren't consider a "close friend" which some people might of taken in offence. The "fun" part came easy, dancing, enjoying myself, dressing, make up and hair. If I were to go back, the only thing I would change is to take more pictures. Taking a million pictures pictures tells millions of stories when you get older and cannot remember as well. People who don't attend prom during my years were not really stigmatized but missed an important oppertunity to celebrate your last years of high school.
From my interviews, a lot of similarities that are shared are the experiences people look foward to having before, during and after prom.Some commonalities shared were prom being an "once in a lifetime" experience that one should attend to be apart of the "once in a lifetime" conversations. Another was to enjoy your self and that people who do not attend prom should not be stigmatized for not going but consider it as a missed oppertunity.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Hw - 57 Initial Thoughts on PROM
When I see the word "Prom", I think it is short for promoting. And what a coincidence that prom night is about projecting your self image. Much like promoting a product you plan to sell. More like a female presenting her figure in a manner to catch everyones attention. Prom is a interesting night that supposedly will be looked back upon when we get older because of how memorable a night it will be. Although some might say that prom is very much scripted, others will argue that even though it is scripted, there are many different variations of what "prom night" is. I guess for every person there is a different level of experience that is noted ranging from those who enjoyed to those who saw it by and by.
Questions I have for what prom symbolizes in our culture is, why are those who do not participate or those who participate in prom stigmatized? For one, I would like to believe that prom suits to be a dominant social practice and those who decide to go against it, are very much looked down or in lesser manner because they did not part take in this ceremony. Much like funerals, a feeling of disrespect is directed towards those that do not participate in a funeral gathering that they were suppose to attend. Those who do not attend are looked upon not as much as disrespect but with the same negative connotation level there associated with not going.
Last thing before I further theorize the meaning of prom in future blogs to come, my self experience with prom will be interesting to share and see how my initial thoughts of what prom is, with how it will compute with what my own experience of what prom will be coming up this Thursday. SENIORS!!
Questions I have for what prom symbolizes in our culture is, why are those who do not participate or those who participate in prom stigmatized? For one, I would like to believe that prom suits to be a dominant social practice and those who decide to go against it, are very much looked down or in lesser manner because they did not part take in this ceremony. Much like funerals, a feeling of disrespect is directed towards those that do not participate in a funeral gathering that they were suppose to attend. Those who do not attend are looked upon not as much as disrespect but with the same negative connotation level there associated with not going.
Last thing before I further theorize the meaning of prom in future blogs to come, my self experience with prom will be interesting to share and see how my initial thoughts of what prom is, with how it will compute with what my own experience of what prom will be coming up this Thursday. SENIORS!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
"Visit a Cementary": Extra Credit
At the
cemetery I visited today, was my first time actually being at one. I felt a sense of precaution because I felt that anywhere I stepped, if I did not step carefully i would be disrespecting those I don't even know. I think this kind of emotion I felt is due to the fact that I am unaware of what the families who are missing their love ones felt and I would not like to be that person who stands in the way of it trying to experience myself. Basically put, the only time I would feel comfortable at a cemetery is somewhere where I can relate to the loved ones who we both are dearly missing. Another reaction I had to visiting both cementaries were the head stones that read the names of people who have passed in a popular manner of "here lies...so and so" and date of birth, which I thought was interesting because for my head stone I would to be remembered by a charateristic that best describes me and not a generic head stone engraving.
cemetery I visited today, was my first time actually being at one. I felt a sense of precaution because I felt that anywhere I stepped, if I did not step carefully i would be disrespecting those I don't even know. I think this kind of emotion I felt is due to the fact that I am unaware of what the families who are missing their love ones felt and I would not like to be that person who stands in the way of it trying to experience myself. Basically put, the only time I would feel comfortable at a cemetery is somewhere where I can relate to the loved ones who we both are dearly missing. Another reaction I had to visiting both cementaries were the head stones that read the names of people who have passed in a popular manner of "here lies...so and so" and date of birth, which I thought was interesting because for my head stone I would to be remembered by a charateristic that best describes me and not a generic head stone engraving.Harold & Maude Extra Credit
The development of Harold, one of the main characters, transforms from an individual that sees death as something to play with and that life is something that needs to end to valuable the actual essence of existence. His development as a person is aided by the second main character Maude, who sees life as something truly something precious. Through her actions, she involves Harold in activities that develop his mind around understanding his meaning of life.
On the other hand, Harold's mother who is opposed of every decision and choice he makes because she sees his antics pretending to die as childish and inappropriate. She tries to distract him by trying him to date women so he can take his focus off embracing death. This method proves to fail because his only friend that understands him teaches him that what he thinks is not wrong, but at such an early age he should not worry as much about it. In one crucial scene where Harold finally experiences what "real death" is, was at Maude's 80th birthday where she says her farewell to Harold that emotionally breaks him but in a sense is comes to understand what actual death is which is the beauty of it.
In the last scene of the movie, Harold drives his hearse off a cliff symbolizing that he is letting go of his dark morbid perspective of death, and reflecting on Maude's relationship with him embracing a new shade of life.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Hw - 55 Culminating Project - Care of The Dead
Interview with my Mother on what her Death Plans are:
1. Where do you want to be buried and why?
I want to be cremated instead of the traditional burial because my perspective of a traditional burial is that spending large amounts of money to send off a dead body to buried six feet deep into the Earth seems like a waste of money. Cremation is a easier and presumptively a cheaper method of burial that does not cost as much and I suffer from claustrophobia, so being cremated eliminates my fear.
2. What opposition do you find with traditional burial's that other may find useful?
I wouldn't say I have much opposition to a traditional method of burial, but I'm not interested in embalming where they fill my body with formaldehyde only later to finally leak out my casket if I were to be buried in the ground.
3. What type's of methods has your family typically used for a form of burial?
My family is very traditional, and care of The Dead typically dealt by having wakes, going to an open casket, having the bodied embalmed, and then later buried. At points like these, I think the embalming method is useful because it preserves the body to be more of a visible sight, but when it has to be buried, I would prefer the body to be released of any chemicals that will preserve the body from naturally decaying.
4. Last question, Where do you think and how do you think Dad would like to buried?
You know...that's a good question and I think he's a traditional guy, he probably would not like to be embalmed, but he would like to buried and have ceremonies before he is put into Earth.
Interview with Dad on what his Death Plans are:
1. Where do you want to be buried and why?
I would like to be buried, but not embalmed before. So almost a natural birth. I prefer to be buried in the ground where I decay into the ground instead of other alternative methods such as cremations.
2. What opposition do you find with traditional burial's that other's may find useful?
I don't have any type of opposition towards traditional burial's, but embalming is a type of method that I would not like to be done on me.
3.Where do you think and how do you think Mom would like to be buried?
She would like to be cremated but I am going to bury her if she does not like or not! I want her to be buried right next to me in a cemetery either somewhere in New York or in Georgia. I'm opposed to cremations because I feel like there wouldn't be complete closure if my Wife was in urn and then I would end up being buried six feet deep in the Earth. So there is an separation between us that I would not be comfortable with.
To begin with, I feel like both these interviews with my Parents of what their plans are for being buried was necessary and was not as difficult and a little bit comedic than what I thought it was going to be. I feel it was like this, and I expected something different because it was I who was not comfortable with the topic because I'm uncomfortable with the topic of burying my parents. What I realized though is that both my parents come from the same religious background but both have entirely different plans of burial which interesting because before this unit, I always thought that whatever religion you followed, typically you follow the traditional burial that follows. But from this interview, I can see that even though people may come from the same religious background, the perspective of burial is different for everyone and it really depends on what the individual feels. Furthermore, this interesting thing to know looking through the lens of care of The Dead industry where funeral directors have to attend to everyones personal reactions to forms of burial and that there is no one "ideal" burial for a mass of people. Which is an interesting thought, what would be the ideal burial that everyone would prefer?
1. Where do you want to be buried and why?
I want to be cremated instead of the traditional burial because my perspective of a traditional burial is that spending large amounts of money to send off a dead body to buried six feet deep into the Earth seems like a waste of money. Cremation is a easier and presumptively a cheaper method of burial that does not cost as much and I suffer from claustrophobia, so being cremated eliminates my fear.
2. What opposition do you find with traditional burial's that other may find useful?
I wouldn't say I have much opposition to a traditional method of burial, but I'm not interested in embalming where they fill my body with formaldehyde only later to finally leak out my casket if I were to be buried in the ground.
3. What type's of methods has your family typically used for a form of burial?
My family is very traditional, and care of The Dead typically dealt by having wakes, going to an open casket, having the bodied embalmed, and then later buried. At points like these, I think the embalming method is useful because it preserves the body to be more of a visible sight, but when it has to be buried, I would prefer the body to be released of any chemicals that will preserve the body from naturally decaying.
4. Last question, Where do you think and how do you think Dad would like to buried?
You know...that's a good question and I think he's a traditional guy, he probably would not like to be embalmed, but he would like to buried and have ceremonies before he is put into Earth.
Interview with Dad on what his Death Plans are:
1. Where do you want to be buried and why?
I would like to be buried, but not embalmed before. So almost a natural birth. I prefer to be buried in the ground where I decay into the ground instead of other alternative methods such as cremations.
2. What opposition do you find with traditional burial's that other's may find useful?
I don't have any type of opposition towards traditional burial's, but embalming is a type of method that I would not like to be done on me.
3.Where do you think and how do you think Mom would like to be buried?
She would like to be cremated but I am going to bury her if she does not like or not! I want her to be buried right next to me in a cemetery either somewhere in New York or in Georgia. I'm opposed to cremations because I feel like there wouldn't be complete closure if my Wife was in urn and then I would end up being buried six feet deep in the Earth. So there is an separation between us that I would not be comfortable with.
To begin with, I feel like both these interviews with my Parents of what their plans are for being buried was necessary and was not as difficult and a little bit comedic than what I thought it was going to be. I feel it was like this, and I expected something different because it was I who was not comfortable with the topic because I'm uncomfortable with the topic of burying my parents. What I realized though is that both my parents come from the same religious background but both have entirely different plans of burial which interesting because before this unit, I always thought that whatever religion you followed, typically you follow the traditional burial that follows. But from this interview, I can see that even though people may come from the same religious background, the perspective of burial is different for everyone and it really depends on what the individual feels. Furthermore, this interesting thing to know looking through the lens of care of The Dead industry where funeral directors have to attend to everyones personal reactions to forms of burial and that there is no one "ideal" burial for a mass of people. Which is an interesting thought, what would be the ideal burial that everyone would prefer?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Hw - 54 Independent Research B
Death and after life take shape to multiple forms in different cultures. To many religions, death is not necessarily the end of life, because their is a "soul" that lives on after your body can no longer. Very much romanticized that sounds very comforting, but like dominant beliefs, there are the skeptics that question the "truth" to what the dominant believes to find true.
In the Atheist culture, their perspective of death and after life is "that all life-forms end in death and the elements of which they are composed return to the air and the Earth to be taken up and recycled in new organisms."(Cornish, K) And to make grounds on other religions, they do so by disproving those who believe their is a "super-natural" by using credible scientific evidence. By like many other religions, coming in to conflict of "which one is more believable", depends on the individual themselves to decide. But even at the most innocent time a human can make decisions without any bias, atheist argue that such strong religion that believe in a super-natural are inevitable of dodging super-natural belief such as God by" perpetrating a colossal fraud or ignorant and gullible people, chiefly through the indoctrination of infants."(Cornish, K) And at the ending points of life, the conscious mind, assumed to be in the brain, dies, so do "you" also cease to exist. Not as comforting as the other religions that promise purity, reincarnation or Heaven, it may seem that religion is the factor that satisfies the vulnerability we encounter with dying. As the athiest culture may find different, that the vulnerability exist because it is not being able to accept death for what it is, but when you come to accept it, "atheist [are] confronted by the matter of how best to spend the available time...worthy of a human person."
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Hw - 52 Third Third of COTD Book
Mark Harris, Grave Matters: A Journey Through The Modern Funeral Industry to A Natural Way of Burial, 2007, Scribner, New York, NY.
Precis: If you had wanted to pay your last respects to Mary Barnsley, you'd have to had come to her apartment in Austin, Texas, to do it. Home Funerals has been one long-held tradition in America where people care for the dead, usually woman overseeing the dead, washing, dressing and laying out the body. Another method of choice to choose from in the process of caring for the dead is to make your own coffin and there is no federal or state law that is opposed of you doing so. A simple coffin made from pine or other inexpensive, common material is just fine. Third to these types of methods is "Backyard Burial" which entails exactly what the name's meaning is. The Nicholson family which chose to have this kind of burial was once a common feature of the early American landscape especially in the rural south. Last but not least, the "Natural Cemetery" which is a form of burial whose purpose is to return the body to the natural environment as directly as possible.
Quotes:
"...The after-death care of one...a once long-held tradition in this country. For more than a century Americans cared for their own dead as a matter or course. Mostly the women of the house who advertised themselves as professional Layers Out of the Dead washed, dressed, and laid out a body in the dining room...where it lay in repose for any number of days when under constant vigil." (104)
"There's a comfort and healing that comes from physically caring for the dead and from spending quiet, private time in the presence of death. It's a tremendous help in the bereavement process, and helps you see death as a natural part of the cycle of life."(105)
Analysis:
My final thoughts on reading Mark Harris's "Grave Matters" is a prompt that most of the books before presented themselves. Reading these books act like rebels in my thoughts problematizing what I use to know to what I know now. Most of these books are laid out in a sequence of pro's and con's that provide a thought process that challenges what I thought I knew to what is commonly known. For example in Tina Cassidy's "Birth" she provides a focus on particularly safe/unsafe procedures, methods, preparations and tools used during a woman's pregnancy versus the role of midwives and the contrasts between the two giving you both perspectives. Grave Matters also follows a similar lay out, by going into precise detail about the methods of burial and showing the pro's and con's of each method giving the reader a chance to decide.
Precis: If you had wanted to pay your last respects to Mary Barnsley, you'd have to had come to her apartment in Austin, Texas, to do it. Home Funerals has been one long-held tradition in America where people care for the dead, usually woman overseeing the dead, washing, dressing and laying out the body. Another method of choice to choose from in the process of caring for the dead is to make your own coffin and there is no federal or state law that is opposed of you doing so. A simple coffin made from pine or other inexpensive, common material is just fine. Third to these types of methods is "Backyard Burial" which entails exactly what the name's meaning is. The Nicholson family which chose to have this kind of burial was once a common feature of the early American landscape especially in the rural south. Last but not least, the "Natural Cemetery" which is a form of burial whose purpose is to return the body to the natural environment as directly as possible.
Quotes:
"...The after-death care of one...a once long-held tradition in this country. For more than a century Americans cared for their own dead as a matter or course. Mostly the women of the house who advertised themselves as professional Layers Out of the Dead washed, dressed, and laid out a body in the dining room...where it lay in repose for any number of days when under constant vigil." (104)
"There's a comfort and healing that comes from physically caring for the dead and from spending quiet, private time in the presence of death. It's a tremendous help in the bereavement process, and helps you see death as a natural part of the cycle of life."(105)
Analysis:
My final thoughts on reading Mark Harris's "Grave Matters" is a prompt that most of the books before presented themselves. Reading these books act like rebels in my thoughts problematizing what I use to know to what I know now. Most of these books are laid out in a sequence of pro's and con's that provide a thought process that challenges what I thought I knew to what is commonly known. For example in Tina Cassidy's "Birth" she provides a focus on particularly safe/unsafe procedures, methods, preparations and tools used during a woman's pregnancy versus the role of midwives and the contrasts between the two giving you both perspectives. Grave Matters also follows a similar lay out, by going into precise detail about the methods of burial and showing the pro's and con's of each method giving the reader a chance to decide.
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