This week, I've organized the states into their Culture Region with a preference for population, since that's what would determine the legality of an issue. I cross-referenced the previously posted cultural regions map and this population map by the US census. I've also collected data on three of my six issues. Here is the Excel chart so far. (save as to view)
For issues, I've settled on Reproductive Choice, Euthanasia, Gene Theft, Faith Healing, Vaccines and (added) Death Penalty since these are easily verifiable, mufti-faceted issues.
For the issue of abortion, I've decided to use NARAL's rating for each state since it combines all factors such as waiting periods, vaginal ultra-sounds, and so on. (their methodology here.) I've also combined contraception and abortion as issues since they include both in their rating. They have been accused of not being entirely supportive of low-income women and of championing contraception over all other factors (I.E. they were accused of not doing enough to stop forced sterilizations in China and India) but if all I'm trying to summarize is the ease of obtaining contraceptives and abortions in US states, these factors shouldn't effect the quality of the rating.
In my data so far, things are looking to be pretty homogenous within cultural regions. There are outliers (such as Utah and Idaho where a majority of the population is Mormon. In fact, the author noted he almost made that region it's own nation because the values are so influenced by Mormon conservationism.)When I have finished the table, I will compare the results to the values laid out for the regional cultures and see how certain values effect biopolitical policy.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Bioethics topics
In this post, I'll be choosing my topics for geographical
consideration. I think I'm going to have some difficulty with states in
which the majority of the population live in a small geographical
percent of the state (Like Oregon), but I think I can address this issue
with county-by-county break-downs on votes for certain issues, and also
local journalism. I also considered expanding my inquiry to the areas
of Mexico and Canada that are mentioned in Woodard's writings, since
much of First Nation and El Norte is outside our borders. But that would require some knowledge of their legal systems so I decided against it.
It'd be good to seek some issues that are legal, and some that are just hotly debated because that will give some insight into the reasoning. I should pick some that are unique to certain states and highly relevant to their culture. It would also be prudent to have a few extra for back-up in case I can't find enough content on specific issues or they are only really relevant to certain states.
Potential topics:
1) Abortion-
I could site the arguments people give and examine how they relate to values based on the cultural region they reside in.
2) Contraception-
This issue would probably be similar to Abortion, with more relevance to Tidewater and the Deep south because of their value of Tradition
3) Euthanasia (Physician-assisted suicide)
This one would probably only be relevant in a few states, but revealing when considering the value of individual freedom vs the value of collectivism.
4) Gene Theft
Similar to the item above, this may be relevant in only a few states. But very tied-in to their values.
5) Faith Healing (specifically exemptions)
Certain states have exceptions in their child neglect laws that allow parents to forgo medical treatment in favor of Faith Healing. This says quite a lot about culture in terms of the value of religion.
6) GMOs
Genetically Modified Organisms are obviously not illegal, but they do generate quite a few opinions. This would be a topic about which it would be easy to find many, many arguments online. The only challenge here would be find out where each of these arguments came from, geographically.
7) Spiritual Drug Use
This would be a good topic to address The First Nation since many Native American Tribes used hallucinatory drugs for religious ceremonies and their aren't any attributes listed I can tie to Bioethics. Which states has their culture influenced the laws? State Law often includes exceptions for Native American tribe members.
8) Stem Cell Research Though this topic is ripe with cultural perceptions, are they possible to break down by state? Again, I could look for credible opinion pieces online and track the author to their childhood home.
9) Vaccine controversy
This issue is distributed throughout all the cultural regions, I'm sure. I could try and find out where the highest saturation are and tie the individualism to the cultural regions, if that is indeed the case.
It'd be good to seek some issues that are legal, and some that are just hotly debated because that will give some insight into the reasoning. I should pick some that are unique to certain states and highly relevant to their culture. It would also be prudent to have a few extra for back-up in case I can't find enough content on specific issues or they are only really relevant to certain states.
Potential topics:
1) Abortion-
I could site the arguments people give and examine how they relate to values based on the cultural region they reside in.
2) Contraception-
This issue would probably be similar to Abortion, with more relevance to Tidewater and the Deep south because of their value of Tradition
3) Euthanasia (Physician-assisted suicide)
This one would probably only be relevant in a few states, but revealing when considering the value of individual freedom vs the value of collectivism.
4) Gene Theft
Similar to the item above, this may be relevant in only a few states. But very tied-in to their values.
5) Faith Healing (specifically exemptions)
Certain states have exceptions in their child neglect laws that allow parents to forgo medical treatment in favor of Faith Healing. This says quite a lot about culture in terms of the value of religion.
6) GMOs
Genetically Modified Organisms are obviously not illegal, but they do generate quite a few opinions. This would be a topic about which it would be easy to find many, many arguments online. The only challenge here would be find out where each of these arguments came from, geographically.
7) Spiritual Drug Use
This would be a good topic to address The First Nation since many Native American Tribes used hallucinatory drugs for religious ceremonies and their aren't any attributes listed I can tie to Bioethics. Which states has their culture influenced the laws? State Law often includes exceptions for Native American tribe members.
8) Stem Cell Research Though this topic is ripe with cultural perceptions, are they possible to break down by state? Again, I could look for credible opinion pieces online and track the author to their childhood home.
9) Vaccine controversy
This issue is distributed throughout all the cultural regions, I'm sure. I could try and find out where the highest saturation are and tie the individualism to the cultural regions, if that is indeed the case.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Woodard's definitions of cultural nations.
Some important details about Woodard's distinctions:
A nation is a group of people who share— or believe they share— a common culture, ethnic origin, language, historical experience, artifacts, and symbols. Some nations are presently stateless— the Kurdish, Palestinian , or Québécois nations, for instance.
The lines on the map slash through cohesive cultures, creating massive cultural fissures in states like Maryland, Oregon, or New York, whose residents have often found they have more in common with their neighbors in other states than they do with one another.
Definitions of the Nations (highlights added on traits relevant to biopolitics):
Yankeedom was founded on the shores of Massachusetts Bay by radical Calvinists. Most interested in education, Local political control, and the pursuit of the "greater good" of the community, even if it meant self-denial. Yankees have the greatest faith in the potential of government to improve people's lives, see it as an extension of the citizenry. Value social engineering and the middle class. Citizen involvement in government. aggressive assimilation of foreigners. It is centered in New England, ranging from upper New York State to the northern strips of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana , Illinois, and Iowa; parts of the eastern Dakotas; and on up into Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Canadian Maritimes.
New Netherland- the greater New York City area. Values commercial trading, Multi-ethnic, Multi-religious, speculative, materialistic, mercantile, free-trading. Not entirely democratic. Functions much as a city-state. a profound tolerance of diversity, commitment to the freedom of inquiry. Spans New York City, the lower Hudson River, Northern New Jersey, Western Long Island, and Southwestern Connecticut.
Midlands (heartlands)- Pluralistic and organized around the middle-class , ethnic and ideological purity have never been a priority, government has been seen as an unwelcome intrusion, and political opinion has been moderate, even apathetic, extremely skeptical of top-down governmental intervention, began in Pennsylvania, spans southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware, Maryland, Central Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Northern Missouri, Most of Iowa, Eastern half of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Also extends into Canada, in southern Ontario.
Tidewater- Fundamentally conservative. Values respect for authority, tradition. Does not value equality or public participation in politics. Settled by wealthy aristocrats seeking to create a "country gentleman's paradise" who brought along their indentured servants.
Greater Appalachia- this culture had formed in a state of near-constant war and upheaval, fostering a warrior ethic and a deep commitment to individual liberty and personal sovereignty. Intensely suspicious of aristocrats and social reformers.
The Deep South - Founded by Barbados slave lords as a west indies-style society. the least democratic of the nations, a one-party entity where race remains the primary determinant of one’s political affiliations. Spans the southern lowlands, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Western Tennessee, Southeastern parts of North Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas
New France- Most overtly Nationalistic of the Nations. Down-to-earth, egalitarian, and consensus-driven, The most liberal voters on the continent. multiculturalism and negotiated consensus are treasured. Spans the lower third of Quebec, Northern and Northeastern Brunswick, Cajun enclaves of Southern Louisiana. (New Orleans being a mix of New France and Deep South)
El Norte- Overwhelmingly Hispanic, straddling the American-Mexican border. Norteños (“ northerners”) have a well-earned reputation for being more independent, self-sufficient , adaptable, and work-centered than Mexicans from the more densely populated hierarchical society of the Mexican core. encompasses south and west Texas, southern California and the Imperial Valley, southern Arizona, most of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, as well as the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California.
The Left Coast- (We know this best as Cascadia, and the author, in fact, mentions this movement. But I'll layout the region as he describes it) A long strip from Monterrey, California to Juneau, Alaska. Includes decidedly four progressive metropolises: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver B.C. Combines the Yankee good faith in Government and Social reform with a commitment to self-exploration and discovery.
The Far West- Settlement was only possible with the help of large corporations due to lack of natural resources and thus remains an semi-dependant nation. tends to revile the federal government for interfering in its affairs while demanding it continue to receive federal largesse. rarely challenges its corporate masters, Encompasses the interior West, Northern Arizona, interiors of California, Washington, and Oregon, much of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alaska; portions of Yukon and the Northwest Territories; the arid western halves of the Dakotas, Nebraska , and Kansas; and all or nearly all of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
First Nation- Made up of Indigenous peoples of North America, these people can survive in barren environments on their own terms. First Nation is rapidly taking control of vast portions of what were previously the northern fringes of the Far West, including much of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Labrador; the entirety of Nunavut and Greenland; the northern tier of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta; much of northwestern British Columbia; and the northern two-thirds of Québec.
Woodard then goes into how many of these differences- and even the borders of the regions- can be spotted on political strategy maps, dialect charts, county votes, and many other. He writes "California is split into three nations, and the divide is visible, plain as day, on a map of which counties voted for or against same-sex marriage in 2008. " So my inquiry isn't exactly ground-breaking, but I do think it will be interesting to look at it through a bio-politics lens.
All Content on this post:
Woodard, Colin (2011-09-29). American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Kindle Locations 105-107). Penguin Group US. Kindle Edition.
Other notes:
I noticed Woodard's work is suddenly making the rounds on the internet today, which is funny, and makes me talking about this less interesting to my friends. On the up-side, somebody put together a better map, so now I won't have to do that. Perhaps I can check mid-week to see if anyone has made anymore substantial criticisms, seeing as this work has received some more attention.
A nation is a group of people who share— or believe they share— a common culture, ethnic origin, language, historical experience, artifacts, and symbols. Some nations are presently stateless— the Kurdish, Palestinian , or Québécois nations, for instance.
The lines on the map slash through cohesive cultures, creating massive cultural fissures in states like Maryland, Oregon, or New York, whose residents have often found they have more in common with their neighbors in other states than they do with one another.
Definitions of the Nations (highlights added on traits relevant to biopolitics):
Yankeedom was founded on the shores of Massachusetts Bay by radical Calvinists. Most interested in education, Local political control, and the pursuit of the "greater good" of the community, even if it meant self-denial. Yankees have the greatest faith in the potential of government to improve people's lives, see it as an extension of the citizenry. Value social engineering and the middle class. Citizen involvement in government. aggressive assimilation of foreigners. It is centered in New England, ranging from upper New York State to the northern strips of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana , Illinois, and Iowa; parts of the eastern Dakotas; and on up into Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Canadian Maritimes.
New Netherland- the greater New York City area. Values commercial trading, Multi-ethnic, Multi-religious, speculative, materialistic, mercantile, free-trading. Not entirely democratic. Functions much as a city-state. a profound tolerance of diversity, commitment to the freedom of inquiry. Spans New York City, the lower Hudson River, Northern New Jersey, Western Long Island, and Southwestern Connecticut.
Midlands (heartlands)- Pluralistic and organized around the middle-class , ethnic and ideological purity have never been a priority, government has been seen as an unwelcome intrusion, and political opinion has been moderate, even apathetic, extremely skeptical of top-down governmental intervention, began in Pennsylvania, spans southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware, Maryland, Central Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Northern Missouri, Most of Iowa, Eastern half of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Also extends into Canada, in southern Ontario.
Tidewater- Fundamentally conservative. Values respect for authority, tradition. Does not value equality or public participation in politics. Settled by wealthy aristocrats seeking to create a "country gentleman's paradise" who brought along their indentured servants.
Greater Appalachia- this culture had formed in a state of near-constant war and upheaval, fostering a warrior ethic and a deep commitment to individual liberty and personal sovereignty. Intensely suspicious of aristocrats and social reformers.
The Deep South - Founded by Barbados slave lords as a west indies-style society. the least democratic of the nations, a one-party entity where race remains the primary determinant of one’s political affiliations. Spans the southern lowlands, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Western Tennessee, Southeastern parts of North Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas
New France- Most overtly Nationalistic of the Nations. Down-to-earth, egalitarian, and consensus-driven, The most liberal voters on the continent. multiculturalism and negotiated consensus are treasured. Spans the lower third of Quebec, Northern and Northeastern Brunswick, Cajun enclaves of Southern Louisiana. (New Orleans being a mix of New France and Deep South)
El Norte- Overwhelmingly Hispanic, straddling the American-Mexican border. Norteños (“ northerners”) have a well-earned reputation for being more independent, self-sufficient , adaptable, and work-centered than Mexicans from the more densely populated hierarchical society of the Mexican core. encompasses south and west Texas, southern California and the Imperial Valley, southern Arizona, most of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, as well as the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California.
The Left Coast- (We know this best as Cascadia, and the author, in fact, mentions this movement. But I'll layout the region as he describes it) A long strip from Monterrey, California to Juneau, Alaska. Includes decidedly four progressive metropolises: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver B.C. Combines the Yankee good faith in Government and Social reform with a commitment to self-exploration and discovery.
The Far West- Settlement was only possible with the help of large corporations due to lack of natural resources and thus remains an semi-dependant nation. tends to revile the federal government for interfering in its affairs while demanding it continue to receive federal largesse. rarely challenges its corporate masters, Encompasses the interior West, Northern Arizona, interiors of California, Washington, and Oregon, much of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alaska; portions of Yukon and the Northwest Territories; the arid western halves of the Dakotas, Nebraska , and Kansas; and all or nearly all of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
First Nation- Made up of Indigenous peoples of North America, these people can survive in barren environments on their own terms. First Nation is rapidly taking control of vast portions of what were previously the northern fringes of the Far West, including much of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Labrador; the entirety of Nunavut and Greenland; the northern tier of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta; much of northwestern British Columbia; and the northern two-thirds of Québec.
Woodard then goes into how many of these differences- and even the borders of the regions- can be spotted on political strategy maps, dialect charts, county votes, and many other. He writes "California is split into three nations, and the divide is visible, plain as day, on a map of which counties voted for or against same-sex marriage in 2008. " So my inquiry isn't exactly ground-breaking, but I do think it will be interesting to look at it through a bio-politics lens.
All Content on this post:
Woodard, Colin (2011-09-29). American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Kindle Locations 105-107). Penguin Group US. Kindle Edition.
Other notes:
I noticed Woodard's work is suddenly making the rounds on the internet today, which is funny, and makes me talking about this less interesting to my friends. On the up-side, somebody put together a better map, so now I won't have to do that. Perhaps I can check mid-week to see if anyone has made anymore substantial criticisms, seeing as this work has received some more attention.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Obtained Woodard's book and the search for criticisms.
After investigating what grounds Woodward defines regions on, I will try to pick issues that touch on them. For example, if "The importance of children/ roles of women" are one of them, I may choose Birth Control or Abortion.
I just bought the Kindle edition of Woodard's book and will begin scouring it for useful information. I'm mostly going to look for the definitions of the regions and how they effect today's politics, which is an important part of the book.
The most I could find in terms of commentary about Woodard's work is in the form of reviews, which are generally positive. The main criticisms being that small parts of states are left out, his definition of "nation" is too vague, and the historical evidence is over-stretched. But no one is outright disagreeing with his premise or the number of regions, which is what is important to my inquiry.
Articles with criticisms:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/05/colin-woodard-s-eleven-nations-shows-a-less-than-united-states.html
http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/10/review-guest-american-nations-a-history-of-the-eleven-rival-regional-cultures-of-north-america/
I just bought the Kindle edition of Woodard's book and will begin scouring it for useful information. I'm mostly going to look for the definitions of the regions and how they effect today's politics, which is an important part of the book.
The most I could find in terms of commentary about Woodard's work is in the form of reviews, which are generally positive. The main criticisms being that small parts of states are left out, his definition of "nation" is too vague, and the historical evidence is over-stretched. But no one is outright disagreeing with his premise or the number of regions, which is what is important to my inquiry.
Articles with criticisms:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/05/colin-woodard-s-eleven-nations-shows-a-less-than-united-states.html
http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/10/review-guest-american-nations-a-history-of-the-eleven-rival-regional-cultures-of-north-america/
Saturday, November 2, 2013
American Cultural Regions.
I'm happy to report that there already exists a definition and grouping of American sub-cultures, besides "West Coat/East Coast" or "Bible Belt". There is a Professor by the name of David Hackett Fischer that theorized today's United States is made up of four cultural regions based on the nationality and decade of it's settlers. He claims that New England culture comes directly from it's puritan founders between 1629 and 1640, while the Cheapness Bay area is influenced by English cavaliers and their Irish and Scottish servants who came between 1640 and 1675. The Delaware valley was settled mostly by Irish, English and German Quakers in 1675 and 1725, and Fischer claims that this cultural region is vast, spanning from the mid-Atlantic states to the west coast. Lastly, Scottish, Irish, and English settlers from the outlying borderlands of Britain formed the culture of the Upland South, which includes West Texas and the southwest. (Fischer's book on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion%27s_Seed)
Expanding on Fischer's work is a journalist and writer called Colin Woodard. He wrote a book breaking the culture regions into more specific regions and elaborating on their cultural characteristics. They are called: Yankeedom, New Netherland, The Midlands, Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, The Deep South, New France, El Norte, The Left Coast, The Far West and First Nation. According to Woodward, these cultures can transcend countries, as El Norte expands south into Mexican and Alaska shares First Nation culture with parts of Canada. I'm going to try and track down his book and find out more about his definitions of the culture regions.
Additional thoughts:
-As this may fulfill steps 1 and 2 of my project plan (see previous post) I'm afraid my project may be too short. Maybe I can incorporate some influential people and their positions on biopolitics in each region.
- I'd like to find someway to use to observations I have about American culture that effect Biopolitics. The first is that American morality seems to be highly inconsistent. (Example: Genocide is the worst thing a government can possibly do... Unless, of course, you count the Native American genocide. Then, it's an irritating blemish that most people ignore.) Conservatives seem to care disproportionately more about the well-being of unborn, potential children than that of poor children who are suffering malnutrition.
The second: America worships capitalism like a religion. And an unfortunate side effect of capitalism on over-worked, under-educated people is false promises of simple cures to what ails them. Biotechnology specifically is susceptible to this. The greatest contributer to our expanded lifespans is proper nutrition and safer lifestyles, yet pharmaceutical companies promise to cure everything with pills that come with side effects that seem to be worse than the disease in it's early stages. For example, if someone is suffering high cholesterol, they can first try to address the problem with diet and exercise before it turns into a bigger problem. Simply put: Capitalism fixes things that aren't broken.
-I found this graphic. I'm not sure that it will be useful though. It's more youth culture.
Expanding on Fischer's work is a journalist and writer called Colin Woodard. He wrote a book breaking the culture regions into more specific regions and elaborating on their cultural characteristics. They are called: Yankeedom, New Netherland, The Midlands, Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, The Deep South, New France, El Norte, The Left Coast, The Far West and First Nation. According to Woodward, these cultures can transcend countries, as El Norte expands south into Mexican and Alaska shares First Nation culture with parts of Canada. I'm going to try and track down his book and find out more about his definitions of the culture regions.
Additional thoughts:
-As this may fulfill steps 1 and 2 of my project plan (see previous post) I'm afraid my project may be too short. Maybe I can incorporate some influential people and their positions on biopolitics in each region.
- I'd like to find someway to use to observations I have about American culture that effect Biopolitics. The first is that American morality seems to be highly inconsistent. (Example: Genocide is the worst thing a government can possibly do... Unless, of course, you count the Native American genocide. Then, it's an irritating blemish that most people ignore.) Conservatives seem to care disproportionately more about the well-being of unborn, potential children than that of poor children who are suffering malnutrition.
The second: America worships capitalism like a religion. And an unfortunate side effect of capitalism on over-worked, under-educated people is false promises of simple cures to what ails them. Biotechnology specifically is susceptible to this. The greatest contributer to our expanded lifespans is proper nutrition and safer lifestyles, yet pharmaceutical companies promise to cure everything with pills that come with side effects that seem to be worse than the disease in it's early stages. For example, if someone is suffering high cholesterol, they can first try to address the problem with diet and exercise before it turns into a bigger problem. Simply put: Capitalism fixes things that aren't broken.
-I found this graphic. I'm not sure that it will be useful though. It's more youth culture.
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