Weblog 6

In the article “Parental Bond and Life Course Transitions from Adolescence to Young Adulthood” written by Freek Bucx and Frits van Wel, they did a study on 1064 adolescents and young adults (12-24 years at wave 1).  The study was done over a six-year period.  The study was used to gather information on how the effects of life course transitions in adolescence to young adulthoods leaving the parental home, living together with a partner entering parenthood, and becoming financially independence. Bucx and Wel indicated that youths tend to have a closer bond to the parents but as the life course proceeds and the adolescents reach closer to departure the bond weakens.

Bucx and Wel state that from three prominent theoretical perspectives with psychological and sociological origins: invitation theory, role identity theory, and theories concerning stressors on the parent-child relationship.  These theories are important due to the varying states that each adolescents and young adults move into the same adult roles as their parents.

I can remember how when I was young and having a bond to certain peers in the different stages of my adolescents years. Days in middle school I can remember always trying to be accepted in the in crowds, doing things that I would later worry if my guardian knew of my actions. As I advance in my education (to high school) I can recall how my bonds shifted from peers to an adult and back to my peers. As I grew closer to being on the same plane as the adults in my life, again there was another shift in bonds. I never cared for the ones in my life at the time to tell me what to do nor did I like for them to not agree with my choices.

Freek Bucx; Frits van Wel “Parental Bond and Life transitions from Adolescence to Young Adulthood” Adolescence 43 71-88 Spr 2008

Weblog 5

In Bonita F. Bower; Barbara J. Myers article “Grandmother Providing Care for Grandchildren: Consequences of Various Levels of Caregiving” they speak of the different ways that grandmothers tend to their grandchildren. You have a selected amount that provides part-time care, full-time care and occasional overnight visits.  It is discussed on how the stress level of each group goes from high to low.

 For the grandmother that provides part-time care do so for many reasons to help the parent(s). The parent(s) may be working full time and is unable to afford to place the child in day care or after school care. The parent may be divorced or never married when the child is born. Sometime the grandmother may chose to care for the child part-time just to provide them with something to do.

For the grandmother that provides full-time often end up with this task for reasons such as the parent(s) are unable to due to the fact that they incarcerated, have an addiction to drugs, illness, abuse to the child and financially unable to provide for their own child. Thus leaving the grandmother to become a greater influence on the grandchild and causing more stress. Instead of being able to focus on interests that were put off for retirement she now has to play the role of full time mom.

As for the grandmother that only has the occasional overnight visits. Well that position is the best of them. She not only get to pursue the interest that in mind she also gets more special moments that are stress free with the grandchild. She is able to space out the time spent as she feels the need.

 

Bonita F. Bowers; Barbara J. Myers, “Grandmothers Providing Care for Grandchildren: Consequences of Various Levels of Caregiving” Family Relations, Vol. 48, No. 3. (Jul., 1999), pp. 303-305

Weblog 4

In Steven Pinker’s article “Why They Kill their Newborns” he claims that women who kill their newborns should not be held as responsible due to the circuitry that is held in our brainwaves from our ancestors in the hunter-gather society. In comparing hunter-gather society with today’s era, Pinker arises to the conclusion that due to the fact that our ancestors had to make hard decision for survival that our teenagers of today are sharing the same circuitry.  In using the cases of Amy Grassberg and Brian Peterson two 18-year-old college sweethearts, who delivered their son in a motel room, killed him and left his body in a dumpster. Next Pinker brings focus upon another 18-year-old named Melissa Drexler, whom delivered her son while attending her prom, in the bathroom stall, leaving him dead in a garbage can. The question “How could they do it?” is the main focus. Neonaticide is what Pinker uses to describes such behavior (the killing of a baby on the day of its birth).

During the hunter-gather societies mothers were often faced with difficult decisions as to let a newborn die when its prospects for survival to adulthood are poor. Circumstances such as birth defects, famine, without a husband or simply no support would lead to decisions. I can understand the thinking and actions of this era; however I cannot sympathy with the actions of teenagers that commit Neonaticide in today’s time. There are so many branches available to aid them if a person feels that they can not handle the responsibilities of being a mother. There are many women that would love to adopt the infants. I know that some teenagers are unable to talk freely with their parents/guardians again there are places that can be found for help.

Pinker in turn compares Neonaticide and filicide (the killing of a child older than one day) and how it differs with the mercy in our court rooms. Susan Smith, woman who sent her two sons 14 months and 3-year-old, to a watery death, incarcerated, unmourned, serving a life sentence. Where as neonaticidal mothers often do not spend more than a day in jail, many are wondering if neonate is a full person; bringing a discussion on clear boundaries to confer personhood on human beings.  Now personally I feel the bucket is full! At time of conception we are a person just at different stages of development. When you chose to take a life rather it is on the day of birth or days after it is still Murder!

Weblog 3

In Pinker’s article he seemed to say that women who kill their newborns should not be held as responsible as women who kill older children. That tendency to commit neontacide is something that is part of our instinct to survive. Killing a newborn might be more justified than killing an older child and we need to establish that line of personhood. He indicates that young mothers may kill newborns out of fear of getting into trouble. That they may see them as burdens. Most tend to be young, poor, unmarried, and isolated; they do it to help the species survive. Hundreds of women commit neontacide and most are undiscovered. Many of his reference sources are vague and he makes assumptions about the state of mind of new mothers. Brings to the table words such as infanticide, neontacide, and filicide and uses them to get his point across and he comparisons between prom moms and women in extreme condition such as famine.   In Chapman’s article he down plays everything direction that Pinker went in his article. He states that Pinker said that killing one’s offspring should be regarded less harshly. For him, women who kill their newborns are obeying their instincts, that the human traits that permit the right-to-life include “a unique sequence of experiences that defines us as individuals.Indicating that an individual have an ability to reflect upon ourselves and abilities to form and savor plans for ones future, to avoid death and to express a need not to die. That newborns don’t have these traits because they were just born you don’t have the right to life. Makes a comparison to mice and newborn stating that Pinker writes that “our immature neonates don’t possess these (human individualizing) traits any more then mice do.” In do not completely agree with either one of them. Pinker makes claims that young women should be punish less harshly do to circumstances, I disagree a young mother in today’s society have many choice and opportunities at their disposal. There is no need for a mother to kill their newborns. I do not complete understand how he could compare 200 or more years to the present days. Yes times were harder then but today in America things are not so primitive. There is no need for the selfless acts of murder to be done. As for Chapman in reading his article it was filled with anger, sarcasm and misquotes of Pinker’s.  

WEBLOG INQUIRY 2

Part I

·         Why do we still have religious wars?

·         Why doesn’t American Government provide free medical for it citizens?

·         Why do people abandon their children?

·         Why people with children given better financial help verses people with out children?

·         Why is the government self serving?

·         I believe that life is a journey?

·         Why is there life?

·         Why is their more evil than good in the world?

·         What is the happiness?

·         Why are some people prejudiced?

·         Why is the illness in the world?

·         Why is there so much greed in the world?

Part II

Why do people abandon their children?

You have some people that have children too young and they in turn leave the nurturing of their children to other relatives or the other parent. Some times you have both parents that are willing to participate in the actions of being adults but their minds are as an adolescent. Mostly it is seen that women are the ones left alone to nurture their children while men are out still socializing trying to live as though they have no responsibility other then themselves. Not to be one sided there are a few men that are left being the only parent for their children. You have some parents that have dependencies that prevent them from being parents. There are also situations where the parent or parents are force to abandon their children. Such reason can be self afflicted, divorce or separation from spouse. Some people feel that once you have an out, you are just out and you return to freedom of yourself.

Part III

I find this topic interesting because of the many friends and family members that have gone through or are going through abandonment issues. Plus, I have my own personal reasons for an exploration.  Growing up knowing that I was not wanted by parents, experiencing the levels of neglect and being turn over to grandparent to be nurtured. Now that I am grown, I have my biological father trying to step in and be a father to me now. Where at the time I needed him he was too busy sleeping around or being a father to other women children. Having my biological mother making my life (at times) complex with my siblings, has become a battle in my life.  Being questioned all the time or made to feel quilt because I have no feeling one way or the other about her.  It makes me want to find a reason or the reason why abandonment is such a high issue in today’s society.

 

Weblog Inquiry 1

Part I

1. I believe that people are complex.
2. I believe that society should have unity.
3. I believe that government is self serving.
4. I believe that justice is one sided.
5. I believe that knowledge comes from many sources.
6. I believe that science can be both a triumph and a disaster.
7. I believe that reality is what one perceives it to be.
8. I believe that life is a journey.
9. I believe that happiness can only come from within.
10. I believe that goodness comes from the heart.
11. I believe that death is the end and the beginning.
12. I believe that God is my provider.

Part II

I believe that life is a journey.

Some people live their lives for adventures, some for knowledge, some for money and some live life just for the moment. When born we are given the structures of our family, customs of our race or country, as well as friends and neighbors. As we grow and learn and make choices of our own our lives are traveling a path. Everyday that we are given anew, we are enabled to choose many paths.  When you make a chose sometimes there are two or more choices that you can chose from. A person may choose to take the path of a monk or the path of a criminal. I have for the moment chosen to make my journey improving myself. By going back to school I will be able to walk though doors that are currently closed to me. Allowing myself to reach the short term goals that I make takes me onto a different path, giving me the chance to experience meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing new emotions. One should remember that life is given to us to live not to rush to the end.

Part III

Life is not a journey! Life can be hard and without a purpose. Being born into poverty and living from pay check to pay check, or being born to parents that do not want you. I would not necessary look at that as being a journey. I would say that it is more like being damn! Continually trying to better ones self and always have the rug pulled from beneath you or a door or window shut is discouraging. Living in areas where it is not safe to walk the streets or safe to allow you kids to play freely. Not being able to go to the corner store with out being approach for drugs or sex, it is not a journey. I would have to say life it what you are given, what you are born into. With a flip of a coin life can be a pleasant state or a nightmare.

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