Extra Credit

After watching both One Born Every Minute and The Business of Being Born, I noticed many similarities and differences between the two. One similarity I noticed was that many of the things The Business of Being Born frowned upon during labor in hospitals were evident in the show. The Business of Being Born really reiterated the fact that hospitals make it hard for women to have natural births because they in a sense persuade them into taking drugs. Once you take a dosage of one, you have to keep having more, therefore many women go in with the idea that they are going to have a natural birth and end up leaving without accomplishing that. In the show One Born Every Minute drugs were highly encouraged and more than one kind was given to the women in labor. A major difference I noticed was the way the women acted in labor. The women displayed in The Business of Being Born were very relaxed and in calm environments, free to walk around and do what helped them deal with the pain. The women displayed in One Born Every Minute appeared to be in a lot more agony and highly stressed out, which has to be less healthy for the baby. The women giving birth in One Born Every Minute had a whole team of people who helped with the arrival of the baby. The main doctor who delivered the baby was also a male. In The Business of Being Born, only one female mid-wife was present during the pregnancy. In watching both, it seems as though the women in The Business of Being Born had a lot more control over their pregnancy and that the mid-wife seemed to genuinely care more, because she had a more personal relationship with her patient. The interests and concerns of the women in One Born Every Minute are a lot less important. The doctors will pretty much do what they deem necessary to speed up the amount of time women spend in labor. In The Business of Being Born the woman giving birth is depicted as being knowledgeable because it is her  body that is going to naturally do what it is supposed to. In One Born Every Minute, it is definitely the doctors that are more knowledgeable. The doctors and nurses pretty much tell you what to do and why you should do it instead of letting a women’s body run its natural course. Birthing in One Born Every Minute is portrayed as being long, scary, and painful, while birthing in The Business of Being Born is portrayed as natural, peaceful and calm. I think all of this can greatly impact women’s health. There are clearly negatives and positives of giving birth at the hospital and at home. By closely looking at the two, we can figure out methods that work best and most efficiently for women, thus making the whole experience of birthing a much more positive experience for many women.

Advertising Analysis Blog

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/daniel+radcliffe+broadway

The image I chose is of Daniel Radcliffe and everyone knows him from his role in Harry potter. I chose this image because just like women being portrayed as objects of sexual desire in advertisements, many men are also depicted in this shallow and un realistic way in which I feel affects women.

In this image, Daniel is shirtless and bearing a chiseled chest. He is seductively holding items in his hand and not looking at the camera. There is also mist that is behind him in the picture. All of these things contribute to the sultry tone that this image is displaying. In real life, Daniel wouldn’t be standing shirtless, with fog in the background, and seductively gazing off. All of these things are what create the seductive tone of the picture. Ideal beauty standards are ageist, heterosexualist, and racist (Kirk and Okazawa-Ray 208). This is very much true for women, but also for men. Daniel Radcliffe is a young, good looking, heterosexual, white male. He falls into all the categories in which advertisers use when looking for their models. This ad relates to women’s bodies on a macro level because women see these men used for ads and feel pressure not only from the thin female models, but also to attract the “perfect” male depicted in ads such as this one. Media representations and ads overwhelm girls with an ideal of beauty that is: thin, tall, young, lean white, well-groomed hair and flawless skin (Kirk and Okazawa 208). Media representations and ads of men include much of the same things: Heterosexual, white, well-groomed. Women see the ads featruing attractive men with good looking women and assume that the only way they stand a chance with someone that is as good looking as Daniel Radcliffe is by losing weight and conforming to what they think he would want, or what the female models posing with them look like. This ad is used to promote Daniel’s new play, and I definitely think him wearing no shirt along with his seductive stare and posture are strategic ventures made to gain hype for the play.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives 5th 
            Ed. NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print.

Service learning proposal

Charlotte Albone
February 2, 2012
Meredith Tweed
Wst 3015- 002

Contact information:
Title of proposal: VOX service learning community partners, spring 2012.
Name of community partner: VOX
Group members: Erika S, Lydia H, Scott V, Kelsey G, Charlotte A
Community partner profile:
Name: VOX, Voices of Planned Parenthood
Contact: Alexa Nelen
Community partner mission statement: “Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood-UCF chapter exists to educate the University community about reproductive health and rights, to translate increased awareness into pro-choice activism on campus, and to serve as a coalition partner to state, national, and international reproductive rights efforts” (“VOX UCF”).
Political/and or social basis for organization: VOX strives to obtain equal reproductive justice for women. VOX works with Planned Parenthood to help achieve this goal. Equal reproductive rights for women are being threatened by a number of political initiatives in which Planned Parenthood is opposed to. Some current concerns that will be addressed this semester are: birth control refusal under the affordable health care act, pro-life protests at the Planned Parenthood clinics, general access to sex education and contraception.
Community partner needs: Many of Vox’s activities are reactions to things that are going on politically therefore, the organizations needs may not be known that far in advance. Some of the organizations immediate requests include:

• People to solicit donations for the “Lets Talk About Sex” event- This is a benefit event that has a lot of raffle prizes, games, and music. We have been asked to go to businesses and ask for donations for the event.
• clinic escorting-We will be helping patients safely enter Planned Parenthood when protestors are present. Training is necessary for this and VOX will provide this later on in the semester.
• tabling oustside of the student union- A table is set up in which members of VOX inform students who approach the table about safe sex, current reproductive issues, any questions they may have. VOX also has condoms readily available for students.

Plan proposal:

Specific problems my student learning partner will address: Equal reproductive rights for women, informing students about “safe sex,” and access to contraception. This is relatable on a macro level because recently, contraception has been a big issue for the Obama administration. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans will be required to cover the cost of birth control and other women’s preventive services without charging a co-pay or deductible. Churches and other houses of worship are exempt from the requirement to offer insurance that covers contraception. This is a problem because it would be wrong to deny them coverage for contraceptives that all other employees will have. The specific needs of my community partner include: help with the “let’s talk about sex event,” clinic escorting, and tabling.

Rationale for women’s studies: VOX’s mission really highlights educating people about reproductive rights for women and awareness of pro-choice activism. Unlike, “first” and “second wave” feminism, “third wave” feminism really emphasizes multiple identities. Issues brought about by a variety of women make us question assumptions on issues such as health care (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 14). All these different women with different skills and backgrounds have different opinions regarding reproductive rights. Just because we are all women does not mean we have common viewpoints on everything. What we have talked about in class really ties into this. Every person has experienced different social and historical situations that have produced different experiences, also known as situated knowledge (Kirk and Okaawa-Rey 56). This is why not everyone shares the same beliefs regarding women’s reproductive health. If you grow up in a conservative family in which it is instilled in you that abortion is wrong, you will most likely hold these views when you are older. Situated knowledge plays a big role in how people form their opinions. The goals of VOX can also be affected on a macro level. The government has the ability to pass laws that can restrict or help the reproductive rights of women. The price of birth control, who has access to it, access to abortion services all depend on rulings made by a national institution.


VOX is a pretty active student organization so more events are likely to come about as the semester progresses.
Action: We have met with Alexa Nelen, the president of VOX at UCF. She is aware that we are available for service learning and has made some requests in regards to getting donations for “Let’s Talk About Sex.” We will continue to attend meetings throughout the semester and respond to needs as they become apparent.
Timeline: Again, new needs will arise as the semester progresses, so a full timeline is not possible at this time. Some presently known events include:

• “40 Days of Life,” a 40-day sustained nationwide protest targeting Planned Parenthood clinics, will last from February 22nd through April 1st. There will be a recurring need for clinic escorting throughout this event (“40 Days for Life”).
• A training session for clinic escorting will occur “in the coming weeks,” according to meeting notes from VOX’s Facebook group (“VOX UCF”).
• “Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby,” which will happen “sometime in March” according to VOX’s website (“Events”).
• Tabling will occur throughout the semester.

                                                Works cited

" 40

" 40 Days for Life."    40 Days for Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.

            <http://www.40daysforlife.com>.

"Events - VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood at UCF." VOX: Voices for Planned

            Parenthood at UCF - About. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.

            <http://www.VOXUCF.org/events.html>.

"VOX UCF." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2012.

            <http://www.facebook.com/groups/2200915873/>.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. NY:
              Frank Moritmer, 2007. Print.

Roe v Wade campus engagement

I recently attended the 39th Roe v Wade Anniversary celebration, which was held at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. The Roe v Wade court decision nullified the State of Texas’s criminal abortion laws in regards to its finding that the right to decide whether to have a child is an indispensable right promised by the U.S. Constitution (“Roe v. Wade and the Right to Privacy”par.1). The event I attended was supported by Planned Parenthood, which had a lot of staff from the Orlando clinic present. The event also had students from the UCF college Democrats and NOW. After arriving at the church, I talked with other people that were at the event and signed a poster stating what choice meant to me. Everyone was then ushered to take a seat and listen to the different speakers for the night. Some of the speakers included: Planned Parenthood staff, members of the church, and UCF students. The speakers also consisted of both males and females, young and old. Some of the speakers told personal stories, while others informed the audience about everything that Planned Parenthood has done for women’s health. A common theme I noticed in many speeches was that of, “why choice is important."

In my opinion, being pro-choice isn’t being pro-abortion. Being pro-choice means giving women the right to choose what they want to do with their own bodies. Women shouldn’t have to feel as if they are trapped and have no options. History shows that women will seek abortions whether they are legal or not. Before legalization in 1973, an estimated 200,000 to 1.2 million abortions occurred in the United States yearly with an approximate death rate at between 30 and 40 per 100,000 (Cates and Rochat , Teitze par.3). It is evident that women will seek abortions illegally, thus harming themselves. One of the speakers told a story about how a girl from his high school died because of a botched abortion. Although abortion was a big topic, it was not the only thing discussed at this event. Sue Idtensohn, president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando discussed everything they do for women’s health. Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provides contraception, screening for various cancers, and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases to name a few.

Many of the speeches made that evening were completely inspiring and accurate. I agree that a woman should have the ability to choose what to do with her body. A woman should not have to resort to illegal and unsafe practices in order to terminate a pregnancy she cannot support or does not want. Planned Parenthood does so much more than just performing abortions. Planned Parenthood informs women about how to take safe sex precautions and provides cheap and affordable health care services.

I am so glad I attended this event and got to hear from these amazing women and men who left me inspired.








Works cited
"Roe v. Wade and the Right to Privacy [part 1 of 4]." Contemporary Women's
Issues. Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2012.
Cates, Rochat, and Teitze. "Policy update on safe legal abortion, 30 years after
Roe v. Wade." Contemporary Women's Issues. Institute for Women's Policy
Research, Oct. 2003. Web. 21 Jan. 2012.

introduction letter

Hello, my name is Charlotte Albone and I am currently a freshman at UCF. I was born in England and moved to Florida when I was six. My family and I moved to Jupiter, which is about two and a half hours south of Orlando. My house in Jupiter is 10 minutes from the beach so I am always there. I love lying out by the pool and doing anything outside, or in the water. I have been a competitive swimmer since the age of eight and was also captain of the swim team my senior year in high school. My major at UCF is political science and I am minoring in women's studies.

 I am interested in taking this class because I want to learn more about women's place in society and how it has evolved over time. I also want to learn more about how women have broken barriers, and the harsh encounters that they endured while doing this.

 I have done a few activism activities that were actually on campus. A women's suffrage march took place during the fall semester in which I walked with many others in celebration, marking the anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. I also went on a slut walk. A woman was raped and the police officer told her that if she hadn't of dressed so "slutty" she wouldn't have gotten raped. The slut walk was held so women know that nobody brings rape upon themselves. The way a woman dresses is not responsible for her getting raped. I think activism is important. Making our voices heard in society is what can really impact the future.

 I think that feminism is actively trying to bring equality for women in economic, social, and political aspects. This differs from women’s studies because women ’s studies focuses on understanding how history has shaped women’s experiences and positions in society today. I think that feminism is more focused on changing and improving the status of women, while women ’s studies looks at the experiences and aspects that affect where women are today.

The major differences between genders are the way that females and males are supposed to act. Society has made it so that men are supposed to be tough and strong. A man who shows his emotions and cries is considered to be “weak.” A woman, on the other hand is supposed to be more emotional and delicate. I think the people who have had the greatest influence on my understanding of how men and women behave, are my parents. When I was younger, my mom bought me Barbie dolls and dressed me in girly dresses. By doing this, my mom influenced the way I would differentiate between how men and women behave. Whenever adults see baby girls they usually compliment the girl on her looks and tell her how pretty she is rather than how smart she may be. This again affects the way one would understand how men and women behave.

I have read, understood, and agreed to the terms of the course syllabus and the blogging protocols