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Final Blog Post

Reflecting on the last 15 weeks in WRIT 150 class, I can recognize some significant points of growth. As I progressed through the writing projects, I found that I became more efficient in my research process which I believe is a result of having to consistently practice researching scholarly sources in a set timeframe. Finding the research process less daunting because I feel more confident in my skills is something that I can take from this class to help me in my studies. One major thing that I learned about myself is that I often need to slow down in my outlining process and simplify the skeleton of my essay otherwise my progress takes significantly longer than it needs to. I feel that the collaborative learning aspect of the class gave me a further appreciation for peer editing and makes me more likely to engage with student collaboration in essay projects in the future. Since we utilized peer editing so much in the class, I feel less tentative to reach out to my friends for support...
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WP4 Blog #2

One source I found through my research was a scholarly journal article titled “Transgender-specific developmental milestones and associated experiences of violence, discrimination, and stigma among Filipinx transgender women who are sexually active with men.” I found the scholarly journal article through ProQuest. The keywords I used to search ProQuest were “transgender women” “health” and “violence.” The source I found is greatly helpful because it dives in on a very specific focus group that is included in the demographic that I am writing about for my paper topic. Along with very focused–or niche–research, the source gives a research-backed overview of the community of transgender women in the US which I can use to help fuel my argument. The article specifically lists some social determinants of health for transgender women which serve as a jumping-off point for my argument. Source  
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WP4 Blog #1

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For writing project 4 I am choosing to write about the trans femme community and the social issues they face pertaining to health. Some knowledge I have on conditions facing this group already is that the community of Trans-femme individuals in the US faces an alarming amount of hate crimes and violence inflicted on them as a result of larger harmfully unresolved societal views and values. Trans-femme individuals in our culture are heavily dehumanized due to fetishization and othering which enables sexual, physical, emotional, and political violence toward them. I also know that because of the prevalence of targeted abuse among other social conditions, psychological trauma is often associated with the lived experience of being a trans-femme individual. Some information I want to research more on my chosen demographic group is the threat of diseases on the community such as HIV. Also, I want to research the political factors impacting access to trans-specific healthcare as well as laws ...
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Charting an Ethical Course: Taking a Position

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From my research on a particular scientific study conducted in Mexico on Embryos, I learned that these studies have been considered controversial because they use human bodies to grow embryos. Women involved in the study are artificially inseminated and then undergo a process called lavage to flush out the embryos so they can be looked at. Since this study was the first instance of genetically analyzing naturally conceived embryos, there are some benefits to the research ( NPR ). The studies found that natural embryos are equal to and slightly healthier than IVF embryos which could allow for a cheaper alternative to IVF to be available ( NPR ). However, the position I am leaning more toward is deeming the study unethical. On one hand, the women in the study do have the autonomy to do what they want with their bodies however, because of the money offered for the study, the existence of their informed, just, and free consent is up for question. There is a benefice to the study–offering a...
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Charting an Ethical Course: Topic Introduction

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  For WP3, I am choosing to write about a specific case of embryo research related to decreasing the demand for in vitro fertilization. The research I am diving into surrounds a study conducted in Mexico that involved producing embryos to be studied by artificially inseminating female bodies belonging to young women. The ethical dilemma is raised because of the setting and the involvement of capital incentives. The women involved themselves in the study of their free will however the significant cash offer creates questions about the amount of free-thinking that went into their decisions to participate. The ethical pillars of justice, autonomy, and benefice conflict. Due to the unjust socioeconomic situation in the particular area of the study, it could be inferred that the mode of incentivization targeted autonomy and particularly the bodily autonomy of women. Also, another key argument is the benefice that the study ultimately brings outweighs–or doesn’t outweigh–the possibility ...
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Paternalism and Public Health: Stance on Topic Issue

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With continued research–contrary to my knee-jerk reaction–I believe that a very paternalistic approach should not be used to regulate Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs–rather a perhaps “soft paternalistic” approach. In my paper, I am arguing that GMOs’ positive effects on the environment, the economy, and the world hunger crisis outweigh the possible health consequences which remain still somewhat inconsistently reported. The main weakness of my position is that it isn’t definitively supported nor disproven by scientific research. However, I am using the so-called “weakness” in my position to add nuance. I believe that because there is this “indecisiveness” in the scientific community, there is an opportunity for consumers to be empowered. By labeling food products with GMO and non-GMO consumers can further have access to bodily autonomy or authority over their own health. Specifically, with commonly available knowledge, consumers can assess health risks and their own threshold for r...
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Paternalism and Public Health: Topic Introduction

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My topic for writing project #2 is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In my project, I will ask whether the government should take a paternalistic approach to regulating GMOs in food products; do the public health costs outweigh peoples’ right to freely consume food products? The central perspective that I have found so far supports the claim that the government should take a paternalistic approach to GMOs. So far, 19 countries of the European Union have voted to ban GMOs in some form, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands being a few countries that have fully banned GMOs (“Several European countries move to rule out GMOs”). A scientific study I came across found that consuming GMOs can have such serious effects on human health such as a decrease in learning ability and development of tumors that it seems easy to argue that governments should get involved to minimize this threat to public health. Refer here to explore the scientific study. Nevertheless, having the g...
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