GL 350 Blog 5

Blog 5 Prompt: What is the point of leisure? Compare and contrast Italian culture to your own as it relates to leisure.

                “Leisure” is a word that means entirely different things to different people, especially when discussing the matter in relation to people in different countries. People have different viewpoints on leisure time and what they do with it. For example, Americans definitely have a different viewpoint on leisure time than Italians. Another thing to look at when discussing leisure is to examine the surroundings of each individual and the access to certain technology, activities, and events that one can choose from to spend their “leisure time”.

                The classic American leisure time is sitting in the comfort of our own homes, drinking a beer, and watching the game with our friends and family. Although not all Americans would choose this as their ideal leisure time, most would say that it is one of the ways which many Americans pass time. My prime leisure time would be to work on cars all day. When I’m turning a wrench, installing a new engine, or simply changing my oil, time seems to not exist. I think this is the point of leisure time. To find something that you enjoy doing in which you don’t have to worry about time and responsibilities.

                Italians, I believe, have the same viewpoint but use their leisure time to get away from the hectic Italian lifestyle. Italians are always on the go, never stopping to really enjoy the little things in life. Italians create places like Piazzas to spend their leisure time in. These piazzas serve as a place for Italians to get away from their everyday lifestyle. Leisure time can be spent sitting in the sun, eating gelato, and admiring the stunning architecture that most piazzas have to offer. Again, this may not be all Italians choice. Others may decide to go to the Borghese gardens to escape horns, traffic, and noise. They may like to enjoy a bike ride or admire the city from one of the many amazing overlooks that Rome has to offer.

                In Barzini, he states on page 165 that “Italians, when safe to do so, enjoy genuine and unrestrained emotions as well as anybody” Although Italians are fast paced, they have some practices they do in which they can enjoy some leisure time. One example is when stores and shops close from 1-4pm. Italians have a chance to enjoy leisure time and relax before going back to work. Americans do not get this mid-day leisure time. Some parts of America are fast paced just like Italian life and sometimes even faster paced in some US cities. Leisure time is very important to both our cultures and the both relate and differ at the same time. Overall, Americans are open and expressive about their leisure time while Italians are not as outgoing about it. They enjoy their time to themselves in private while America is based completely on leisure time instead of trying to focus on work. Barzini says that “The free expression of genuine emotions is a luxury for the privileged, often a dangerous and expensive luxury.”

Soc 490 week 4: Are we in control of our own health?

Soc 490 Week 4: Are we in control of our health?

                I believe that we are in control of our health to a certain extent. There are many ways in which we can keep ourselves healthy. These things we have heard hundreds of times. It is important to eat healthy so that your body can use the best nutrients to function. It is also important to exercise to elevate heart rate which makes us condition the heart to be healthy. Another reason to exercise is to burn calories. Burning calories makes you lose fat which promotes good joints and less cartilage wear due to not carrying as much weight.

                Along with the main concepts of staying healthy, there are also a few different ways to stay healthy. For example, going to the doctor for a regular checkup can prevent diseases from surprising someone down the road. If people don’t get examined by a doctor regularly, chances of a surprise down the road may make it too late to save someone’s life. In the book Universal Healthcare, it states that “healthcare debt is the leading cause of debt in the United States”. This is one reason why some people don’t go to the doctor. Other people just simply hate the doctor’s office so they choose not to go. Taking a multi-vitamin can also help people stay healthy because they can absorb most of the vitamins they need through pill form. There are also other countless supplements that can be taken to get certain nutrients to promote good health.

                Not that the ways that we are in control of our health have been discussed, there are also ways in which we cannot control what happens with our health. One way that we are not in control of our health is conditions in which we are born with, inherit, or develop within our lifetime. There are many diseases that we can be born with in which we have no control over. We can be born with deformities, missing limbs, etc. This prevents people from exercising and doing things to make them healthy due to disabilities. Cancer is also something that we (mostly) do not have control over although there are ways to help prevent certain types of cancers like not smoking, or using tanning beds. Some cancers develop on their own which we have no control over.

                Work conditions are another thing that we do not have control over. Sometimes, the work conditions are very harmful to people’s lives. For example, miners work in harmful dusts which can tar their lungs with black soot. Other people work dangerous jobs in which injury can occur. These jobs include construction, mechanics, heavy machine operators, etc. Altogether, the access to care is very important in prolonging life and promoting health. In Goodman’s article on page 129 he states that the United States has better access to healthcare because we do not have to wait for it like other countries. At any given time, there are 1.8 million people waiting for care in Britain. This wait can cause death numbers to increase. Overall, there are ways in which health can be taken care of by ourselves, but there are other factors that we simply cannot control.

GL 350 Prompt 4

Prompt 4 GL 350: How does the piazza provide a lens towards Italian culture?

                In our class experiences and travels, we have visited and toured multiple piazzas in Rome. They are everywhere! Each has its own unique sculptures, churches and architecture that give it its own sort of feeling. There is so much history in each individual piazza that is sometimes very overwhelming and hard to comprehend. For example, Piazza Navona was once a dirt racing track for horses where thousands of people used to gather to watch the races. Nowadays, it has giant fountains and an obelisk that have been built throughout its history to make it what it is today. People are selling their artwork left and right, restaurants are booming and people are just enjoying life. Take Piazza della Rotunda for example. Its home to the single oldest Roman building still standing today which is the Pantheon. Both of these Piazzas, along with all the rest, offer its own unique feeling and view into the past and towards Italian culture.

                Piazzas provide a lens into the Italian culture due to the past history and sculptures/architecture presented. A major quote in chapter 5 of Barzini he states that “Italians love their own show. They prefer to live in their own ambiguous world of make believe, among paper mache reproductions of reality.” I feel like these Piazzas are a reproduction of Italians imagination. They are what they want all of Italy to look like. These Piazzas are made for Italians to go to for relaxation and to enjoy themselves. Private space is non existent in Italian homes, therefore places like Piazzas are made to get away and to relax, have some time alone, and enjoy life exactly how it’s imagined.

                Italian culture is that of food, atmosphere, and precision. What I mean by precision is that everything has to be completely perfect or else it is completely wrong. For example, in Piazza Navona when the pope wanted the Fountain of the 4 Rivers to be built he had to have the perfect design or else it wasn’t good enough. The fountain today is perfect thanks to Bernini. Surrounding the piazza is a plethora of foods, shops, and nice restaurants for people to enjoy. On page 92 of Barzini he writes that “It is not surprising, therefore, that the possession of a knack to correct and embellish the appearance of life may at times tempt some Italians to utilize it to mystify their neighbors for their own private advantage.” This quote shows what I mean by precision. Italians have a way of correcting things in life to make them perfect. This is part of their culture. It shows in the Piazzas and provides a lens into their culture due to how perfect each Piazza is. Piazza della Rotunda’s Pantheon is made so that a perfect sphere could be fit inside the dome with one inch to spare; the obelisk on top of the fountain of the pantheon was carefully transported back to Rome to show how they conquered Egypt; Navona’s fountains were placed perfectly so that the pope could see them when looking out the window. This shows how precise everything is inside the Piazzas. It’s a home away from home where Italians can go and enjoy their perfect imaginable life but have it be a reality. 

Soc 490 Week 3

Prompt: People from all over the world come to the Cleveland Clinic for care and the Clinic is rated the best hospital in the US, yet not everyone in Cuyahoga County (or Ohio) is healthy, explain.

                Cleveland Clinic has been worldly renowned for their top notch expertise on their care and success with treating patients. Many people from around the world come to the Cleveland Clinic because, its true; they are one of the best in the world. It’s confusing though, Ohio has one of the best health clinics in the world yet there are still people who are unhealthy. How could this be that the care they need is right in their backyard, yet they are still unhealthy?  There are many factors that play into the explanation. One is the type of insurance the person has, second is the financial status of the individual, and third is the willingness to dish out more money for a better product.

                Yes, the care they need is right in their backyard but that doesn’t mean that their insurance will cover the care and costs for procedures they need at the Cleveland Clinic. If you’re one of the best in the world, wouldn’t you charge more for your product? The costs at the Cleveland Clinic for certain procedures or care will be much higher than less renowned organizations because of quality. This is because their care is simply better. People get what they pay for. If you go out and buy a $100 grill compared to buying a $1,000 grill, which would you expect to be better? Of course the $1,000 grill. It’s the same with healthcare. Healthcare is a competitive business. Helms states that “modern drugs and new medical knowledge increases the demand for medical care.” Due to this demand, top notch clinics like the Cleveland Clinic emerge. It was also stated that universal healthcare “encouraged more expenditure with little regard to the cost effectiveness or value of the services”. If universal healthcare was taken into effect, there wouldn’t be clinics like the Cleveland Clinic because competition for business would be eliminated. Quality of care would be a thing of the past due to everyone being the same. No competition for customers would throw quality out the window. The higher costs of better organizations like the Cleveland Clinic help to fund the research they do to keep increasing the quality of their care. Back to the original question as to why there are still unhealthy people in Ohio even though we have one of the best clinics on the world. Gladwell says in his article that “the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States is unpaid medical bills.” Those that are still unhealthy simply cannot afford that “$1,000 grill”. Their insurance they pay for wont cover those costs for the Cleveland Clinic, but will cover the cost for somewhere else that is less expensive. Again, people get what they pay for. Some people are just unwilling to dish out more money for a service that gives better quality. Its there for the taking, but the willingness to pay more isn’t. 

GL 350: Prompt 3 "Does the past limit or promote faith?"

                This topic is very interesting because of the different viewpoints on the subject. As time goes on, the time between the events that created certain religions has gotten farther and farther pushed back in time. The question is whether or not that amount of time has promoted, or subsequently limited our faith. The answer will vary from person to person depending how it is looked upon.

                My position is that faith has been limited by the past. Those that lived in the time of Christ had the first-hand experience of the events that led up to Christianity. Being there when Christ rose from the dead is obviously much more convincing than having the story being passed down thousands of years. Smiles on page 94 says that “The whole point is to change the orientation of their souls, even though they are still confirming the foundations of their beliefs.” This quote really explains some things in relation to the subject. It is much easier to believe events that happen when you witness them first hand, rather than having the story be passed down or read it in a book (the bible). Faith is what it comes down to if you did not witness the events first hand. As time goes on, faith must become stronger which is why I believe that faith is hindered by the past. We must rely on the word of God to promote our faith rather than our own experiences (although God still does work in our world today).

                History does have its ways of subtle promotion. In chapter 5 of Barzini he talks about Saint Peters Basilica and how it is the biggest one. It is undoubtedly an impressive place of worship where many people confirm their faith and new followers of Christ form their beliefs based on being in the presence of such an immense place of worship. The point is that those places of worship were created for a reason. The faith that people have in God has lead them to create these places of worship. God does have his way of promoting faith and Jesus Christ was the main example of this which is the sole purpose people believe. Being at the event where Christ rose from the dead, witnessing the event would leave nobody skeptical. As time goes on though, more skeptics arise because of the lack of first hand experience of such an event. Faith has been hindered by the past in this way but is not totally destroyed. Large churches, big masses, singing choirs, etc.. all promote the faith in which we have today. God is still performing miracles in each of our lives even though we may not notice it at the time. These examples are how faith is restored and refreshed for us even though it has been hindered by time.

Soc 490: Prompt # 2 “Explore the other side of the debate in relation to universal healthcare. Healthcare is a universal right in the United States. ”

Soc 490: Prompt # 2 “Explore the other side of the debate in relation to universal healthcare. Healthcare is a universal right in the United States. ”

                In my first blog, I argued that universal healthcare was not a right and that people were not entitled to have it given to them without some sort of effort on their part. This blog will be completely opposite as I strive to argue the other side of the debate. You can’t fully understand your own side of the argument until you fully understand the other side first. Helen Redmond is the author of one of the articles that is in favor of healthcare being a right. She states that “at the core of the idea that healthcare is a human right is freedom. The United restricts our freedom in relation to healthcare. Instead of freedom, there is fear.”

                That in favor of saying that universal healthcare is a right believe that everyone is entitled to healthcare no matter what the circumstances are. One major theme portrayed is in relation to the mentally ill. Millions of adults and children suffer from a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc. Insurers avoid covering these mentally disabled people because they are too much of a risk to insure because of the cost. What are these people supposed to do? Are they supposed to fight for themselves on the street? Most of them end up in jail, or something similar.

                Another major aspect of those in favor of universal healthcare is those that are addicted to substances. Some of which are their fault, others that are not. Redmond says that  “Those with addictions are discriminated against because healthcare providers refuse them due to long term treatment costs.”  There were 1.5 million people in Illinois that didn’t get treatment that couldn’t afford it. Some of those died because they overdosed waiting to get treatment. The same question still stands. Are those people supposed to fight for themselves on the streets since they cant afford care? Again, some of them end up in jail, and some even end up dead.

                The cost of healthcare and the overall debt that is accumulated for some people is something that universal healthcare will supposedly cure in the long run. According to Redmond and a study within the article, “the uninsured have an average credit card debt of $14,512 due to medical debt and those with insurance have $10,973.” Those who owe this money are not free. Redmond says that this trap is what leads people to have their freedom taken away. For some, this eventually leads to job lock where they are stuck at a job solely based on the healthcare benefits that are offered because they are scared of losing that benefit if they leave. Overall, these major reasons are what influences those to vie for a healthcare system that is universal. Fear should not be the basis of the healthcare system in the United States. It should be the freedom.

GL350 Prompt 2: In what ways have you found Rome to be exhilarating and oppressive?

The history of Rome, according to the British journalist H.V.Morton, is both “exhilarating and oppressive for the traveler.”  In what ways have you found Rome to be exhilarating and oppressive?

                Before departing for Rome, thousands of thoughts of what it would be like would rush into my mind every night as the time grew nearer to leave. How different would it be from home? What experiences would be remembered forever? What things about the trip will stick out compared to other things? These questions and many more, were flooding my mind and consuming my thoughts before the trip. Two weeks into the trip, many of these questions have been answered. What I have experienced so far has been a whirlwind of exhilarating events mixed with a couple oppressing events.

                In chapter 4 of Barzini he states that “everything is displayed everywhere in dramatic and artistic disorder.”  In a nutshell, I think this statement describes Rome very well. Everything that you can imagine has its own place to be displayed even though it may be in the most disorganized manner. Upon getting to Rome, this was oppressing at first. This is because I had no idea how things were placed in Rome, where certain things were, and how they operated. After Being in Rome for 2 weeks, I think that this has turned into an exhilarating experience. It is fun to go find things that you haven’t found before, fun to explore the city, and helpful that anything you can imagine can be found somewhere within Rome.

                Another thing that Barzini says is that “the air is filled with so much noise that one must intentionally raise their voice to be heard, thus adding to the uproar.” This is another thing that has been oppressing in my opinion. Someone can only take so much noise in a day. After being in so much chaos for so long, it takes a toll on the body causing fatigue. On the bright side to this, it has been exhilarating to experience the different types of people in Rome. Even though there is so much “chaos”, it is still possible to shortly block out the noise and examine how life really operates in Rome. The different languages, different ethnicities, different goals for the day, etc. The diversity is something that really amazes me.

                Even though there are too many exhilarating and oppressing thing to discuss in one blog, one major thing that is both exhilarating and oppressing is the absolute mass of humanity within Rome. This oppressing yet exhilarating feeling is something that is difficult to describe. It is oppressing because it makes you feel like you are fairly insignificant due to the massive number of people trying to be successful in Rome, yet alone the whole world. Grasping the fact that you are one out of millions of people is difficult.  Jam packed on the subway with everyone, all going about their daily lives, going to different places, with different ultimate goals in life. It is exhilarating because once you grasp that you have to live the life you have been given, it makes you feel blessed for all that you have and the place that you call home. In Smiles on page 270 he says “And, strange to say, having grown old now, we maintain this particular pride in having sunk roots and habits from our childhood landscapes”  Coming to Rome and experiencing this mass of humanity has made me realize how big and diverse the world really is. Living in Ohio and never experiencing anywhere else outside of the United States can really shorten someone’s horizon of what really is out there in the world that we live in today. 

Soc 490 Week 1: Is healthcare a right or a privilege?

                The debate on whether healthcare is a human right or a privilege has been an ongoing debate for many years. This debate has caused many problems to arise between people who disagree on the touchy subject. The book “Universal Healthcare” explains both sides of the debate by giving articles written by Helen Redmond, and by Leonard Peikoff. The article written by Helen Redmond takes the side that healthcare is a human right. Leonard Peikoff takes the opposing side stating that healthcare is not a right, rather a privilege.

                Helen starts out with her article claiming that “the core of the idea that healthcare is a human right is freedom”. She then goes on to explain her side of the story saying that the freedom that we have been given in this country has been robbed by the burdens of the healthcare system. Instead of freedom, there is fear. Helen symbolizes the government as a “bully that terrorizes and forces us to live in fear. It determines what is possible and what is not possible and crushes hopes and dreams. It imprisons people into lives they did not choose.” Basically, this side of the argument focuses on the people who cannot afford healthcare; therefore it should be given to them since it is a “human right”

                Leonard focuses on the opposing side of the debate stating that healthcare is not a right but rather a privilege. On page 85, he states: “Now our only rights, the American viewpoint continues, are the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. That’s all. Observe that all legitimate rights have one thing in common: they are rights to action, not to rewards from other people.” Those who are in favor of this argument agree that it is not fair for the American people to spend their own money on people who may be too lazy to get a job, don’t want to work,  can’t afford it, or have personal addiction issues.

                Personally, I agree with Leonard. I believe that healthcare is a privilege, not a right. “The system guarantees you the chance to work for what you want, not to be given it without effort by somebody else.” I do not believe it is fair for some people to work, but also pay for those who do no work at all. Leonard symbolizes free healthcare like free haircuts. If they are free, why not get your hair cut more often or for no reason at all? If all things were free, why work? Socialism is not the answer. People need to work for what they want instead of having it given to them with no effort.  On the other hand, if people are in an EMERGENCY and need care, I believe that they should be treated but not on the bill of everyone else. They need to be responsible for the costs instead of putting the burden on people who have nothing to do with the situation. Leonard states that the people who cannot afford healthcare are a minority. If they were the majority, the country would not even think of a national medical program. “As to this small minority, in a free country they have to rely solely on private, voluntary charity. Yes, a charity, not a right”.