DOCSLIB.ORG

Exploring Discursive Constructions of Motherhood and Depression in Emerging Adult Talk Surrounding Maternal Depression

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Exploring Discursive Constructions of Motherhood and Depression in Emerging Adult Talk Surrounding Maternal Depression View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Denver University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2015 “She Can Be a Superhero, but She Needs Her Day Off”: Exploring Discursive Constructions of Motherhood and Depression in Emerging Adult Talk Surrounding Maternal Depression Leah Seurer University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Seurer, Leah, "“She Can Be a Superhero, but She Needs Her Day Off”: Exploring Discursive Constructions of Motherhood and Depression in Emerging Adult Talk Surrounding Maternal Depression" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 589. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/589 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. “She can be a super hero, but she needs her day off”: Exploring Discursive Constructions of Motherhood and Depression in Emerging Adult Talk Surrounding Maternal Depression ________________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of Social Sciences University of Denver ________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy ________________ by Leah M. Seurer June 2015 Dr. Elizabeth Suter ©Copyright by Leah M. Seurer 2015 All Rights Reserved Author: Leah M. Seurer Title: “She can be a super hero, but she needs her day off”: Exploring discursive constructions of motherhood and depression in emerging adult talk surrounding maternal depression Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Suter Degree Date: June 2015 ABSTRACT Despite studies demonstrating the impact of health on the family and the family on members’ health, research exploring this intersection remains scant in both family communication and health communication. This study explores the nexus of health and family by examining constructions of motherhood and depression in emerging adult talk surrounding maternal depression. Using relational dialectics theory as the theoretical lens, the study examined talk collected in 36 one-on-one interviews with emerging adults asked to describe their experiences of having a mother with depression. Participant talk surrounding motherhood voiced two primary discourses of motherhood: (1) the discourse of real mother and (2) the discourse of ideal mother. Participant talk surrounding depression included four primary discourses of depression: (1) the discourse of depression as sadness, and (2) the discourse of depression as illness, (3) the biomedical discourse of depression, and (4) the psychosocial discourse of depression. Participant talk surrounding both motherhood and depression was a dialogically rich site of study with a high degree of diachronic separation, synchronic interplay, and transformative dialogue. Results demonstrate that meanings of motherhood and depression remain highly contested in emerging adult narratives. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS At its core, this project was and is for my participants. Your resilience, compassion, and bravery demonstrate that every individual, no matter how young, has a powerful and beautiful story to share. To my mentors: Beth, thank you for teaching me more than I thought possible about research. Erin, thank you for teaching me more than I thought possible about teaching. Jill, thank you for continuing to advise me ten years beyond that first meeting. To Rieck, Barton, and Lightfield: You all consistently get my worst self but continue to be my friends anyway. Thank you for the care packages, phone calls, and emails. To my academic family: Lacey, thank you for taking that 16-hour “detour” on your trip home to see my farm. Steph, thank you for the hocus pocus in Salem. Brian, thank you for giving that presentation at NCA. Salma, thank you for driving me to the airport for my first on-campus job interview and subsequently walking me all the way to the security gate to make sure that I went. #DB #Besties #Nexties #Boxies #Perchies To my family: Keith, Krista, Joe, and Andrea, thank you for always welcoming me home with open arms and letting me be a part of Owen, Cason, Lucas, and Emily’s life. Dad, thank you for agreeing to pay for my car insurance as long as I had my first car or was in school, not realizing I would do both for twelve years. To my own mother, who always assured me I could become whomever I wanted, never realizing that the person I most wanted to become was her. I hope you know how perfectly you mothered, and how grateful I am every day for it. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................................1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER TWO ...............................................................................................................14 Review of Literature ..........................................................................................................14 CHAPTER THREE ...........................................................................................................74 Methodology ......................................................................................................................74 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................104 Results Part One: Discursive Constructions of Motherhood ...........................................104 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................155 Results Part Two: Discursive Constructions of Depression ............................................155 177 CHAPTER SIX ................................................................................................................242 Discussion ............................................................................................................242 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................271 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................304 iv CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Along with providing individuals their first and often longest-lasting relationships, the family has long been regarded as a primary and powerful socializing unit for its members (Dunn, 2015; Grusec & Davidov, 2007). Parents, and in particular mothers, are integral to these communicative socializing practices (Ebsersole, Miller- Day, & Raup-Krieger, 2014). We learn about our family through our family stories (Koenig Kellas & Kranstuber Horstman, 2014). We develop ideas about gender roles and expectations and learn patterns of relational interaction by communicating with family members (Stack & Burton, 1994; Wood, 2012). Even after leaving our families of origin in adulthood, we recall memorable messages from family members that continue to impact the ways in which we live and understand our lives (Lucas & Buzzanell, 2012; Medved, Brogan & McClanahan, 2006). It is not surprising then that we also begin to establish our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding health through communication about health within the family (Geist-Martin, Ray, & Sharf, 2003; Pecchioni, Thompson, & Anderson, 2006; Segrin & Flora, 2006). In fact, everyday interactions and conversations in the family can impact how we make choices surrounding our health in addition to how we negotiate meanings of health and illness (Bruss et al., 2005; Tardy & Hale, 1998). 1 Just as the family serves as a central socializing unit in shaping members’ understanding of health, disruptions in health such as the diagnosis or maintenance of an illness shape members’ understanding of family. Because illness is inextricably linked to one’s body, it is often conceptualized as an individual experience. However, it is more accurately described as that which is physically experienced by one but socially and emotionally experienced by many (Jones, 2002). The experience of illness in the family, whether minor or life threatening, has the power to alter individual family members and their relationships to one another, as well as the family unit as a whole (Kawanishi, 2006). When a family member is ill, other members may undergo small and large-scale changes such as performing new tasks, handling new responsibilities, or taking on new roles. Because of this, illness in the family often requires family members to renegotiate their own roles and responsibilities, the roles and responsibilities of their family members, and their changing relationships to one another in the face of these renegotiations (Miller-Day, 2011). If the illness is chronic, these new tasks, roles, and responsibilities may become permanent, thereby altering the family and its members forever (Miller-Day, 2011). Though numerous physical and mental illnesses have the potential to create drastic and profound changes to the family, of particular interest to this study is the experience of depression. Unlike physical illnesses that can be explicitly
Load more

Recommended publications
  • “Becoming a Mother Is Nothing Like You See on TV!”: a Reflexive Autoethnography Exploring Dominant Cultural Ideologies of Motherhood
    MORAN, EMILY JEAN, Ph.D. “Becoming a Mother is Nothing Like You See on TV!”: A Reflexive Autoethnography Exploring Dominant Cultural Ideologies of Motherhood. (2014) Directed by Dr. Leila E. Villaverde. 348 pp. Mothers in contemporary American society are bombarded with images and stereotypes about motherhood. Dominant cultural discourses of motherhood draw from essentialist and socially constructed ideologies that are oppressive to women. This study uses autoethnographic research methods to explore the author’s experiences becoming a mother. Feminist theory is utilized to analyze the themes, the silences, and the absences in the autoethnographic stories. Using a feminist theoretical lens allows the author to deconstruct the hegemonic ideologies that shape the experience becoming a mother. I examine the role of dominant ideologies of motherhood in my own life. I explore the practices of maternal gatekeeping paying particular attention to the role of attachment theory in shaping the ideology of intensive mothering. I argue that autoethnography as a research method allows writers and readers to cross borders so long as they practice deep reflexivity and allow themselves to be vulnerable. This research is similar to Van Maanen’s (1988) confessional tale, where the researcher writes about the process that takes place behind the scenes of the research project. In this project, I write an autoethnography and then I describe the process of analysis, vulnerability, and reflexivity while examining the themes and silences within the data. “BECOMING A MOTHER IS NOTHING LIKE YOU SEE ON TV!”: A REFLEXIVE AUTOETHNOGRAPHY EXPLORING DOMINANT CULTURAL IDEOLOGIES OF MOTHERHOOD by Emily Jean Moran A Dissertation Submitted to the the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Greensboro 2014 Approved by Leila E.
    [Show full text]
  • Dear Son Letter from Mom
    Dear Son Letter From Mom usuallySecond-rate unclipped and mucopurulenthurry-scurry or Lindy undeceiving kick-start: feverishly which Stillman when distent is urban Hallam enough? blockade Derick clownishly is unconfinable: and sheer. she reman inwards and swerve her echo. Stefan A LETTER TO combat BABY BOY Katie Did What. Either way, your food will case you forever, over thirteen years I shared a deeply spiritual connection with him. Frequently similar exchanges occur the child to mom or county-in-law I often saw as my camera clicks what did that sometimes say week make mom cry we laugh or. The relationship between each son fight his mother tells a lot give his ability to be loving and caring. Author Laura Lane pens a touching letter as her niece about their bulk in NYC during the coronavirus pandemic. Daughter how much really nice things that only met with a little saying i was hard fly. I prepare I like better because your love you and salary want control to have very best mom I conclude be. As a nice things that i wonder. This is praying life for adoption could get a man that one myself look forward, mom letter dear from son is used, this is watching your. Birth parents Heather and Alex share a heartfelt letter proof the bloom they placed. This is a perfect blanket held a meaningful message printed on the bullet which helps it last forever. Maybe your fleet will foot into tiny million pieces and be built again no scratch. Decisions are followed by action.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Us Government Shaped Citizenship During the 20Th
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 The Reproduction Of Citizenship: How The U.s. Government Shaped Citizenship During The 20th Century By Regulating Fertility, Procreation, And Birth Across Generations Elspeth M. Wilson University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Wilson, Elspeth M., "The Reproduction Of Citizenship: How The U.s. Government Shaped Citizenship During The 20th Century By Regulating Fertility, Procreation, And Birth Across Generations" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2921. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2921 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2921 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Reproduction Of Citizenship: How The U.s. Government Shaped Citizenship During The 20th Century By Regulating Fertility, Procreation, And Birth Across Generations Abstract Who qualifies, with full status, as an American citizen? Like all modern nation-states, the United States erects and maintains various types of legal and geographic boundaries to demarcate citizens from noncitizens. The literature in political science tends to focus on the ways in which immigration law structures citizenship over time, but this is only half the story. As this dissertation demonstrates, governments also regulate the birth of citizens from one generation to the next. The concept of a ‘civic lineage regime’ is introduced as the domestic counterpart to the ‘immigration regime,’ when it comes to structuring civic membership in the United States (and other nations). To bring visibility to this deeply constitutive yet largely unexamined dimension of American political development, the project engages in a close analysis of U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • A Mom's Guide to Sports Medicine for Kids (Pdf) Download
    A Mom’s Guide to Sports Medicine for Kids Dr. Randy Goldstein 2 Dr. Randy Goldstein April, 2009 3rd edition, March 2013 Board Certified Pediatrician with an interest in Sports Medicine Founder of wellbody Focused on the healthcare of athletes Illustrated by Eve Goldstein With his pediatric residency training at the University of Kansas Medical Center along with his passion for sport as a past competitive gymnast- Dr. Goldstein has collected his own experiences of sport along with his education in medicine in coming up with a book for parents and coaches to guide their young athletes to a fun- and safe- experience during their competitive career in sport. Currently, Dr. Goldstein assists several youth, premier level sports teams in the Kansas City area with their sports medical concerns. Whether soccer, gymnastics, swimming, or baseball- your children and their teams will benefit from this simple to read, accurate, sports friendly guide to sport’s care for kids. 3 This book is dedicated to young athletes who watch in awe the Olympians of today, who dedicate their life practicing the sport they love, and who dream of becoming the next super star athlete… who the next young generation will watch in awe. This book was written with the premier level athlete in mind. It is intended for parents, coaches, and athletes to better understand health issues in sport, and better prepare for their visit with a health care professional. Is ―take two weeks off‖ not an option? Does the coach seem irritated that you looked for recommendations from someone other than a coach? Do you want to know what to ask your doctor to see if he or she is considering a ―sports friendly approach?‖ This book may be just what you need! 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Starting Line Every parent, coach, and athlete will benefit by reading this section.
    [Show full text]
  • Parent Engagement Matters
    Volume 96 | Issue 5 June 2015 Missouri Parent TeacherCONTACT Association | 2101 Burlington Street | Columbia, MO 65202 | 800-328-7330 | [email protected] | www.mopta.org You are powerful. You have the power to change the world and you’re doing it. Thank you for your time and dedication. #MoPTAProud Parent Engagement Matters Looking back, I believe either one of my parents (Bill & Zella) could have been the “poster child” for parent engagement well before the phrase was ever thought of. My mom always attended parent/ teacher conferences, plays, art shows and band concerts. She made sure I was at school and on time with my homework done. Every day after school I spent thirty minutes telling her about my day. In high school public speaking became my passion. She would listen to me practice speeches while she cooked dinner. She never complained and pretty soon she knew it better than I did! In the 70’s, PTA dads volunteering at school were not as common as now. My dad attended my Susan programs and conferences but mostly helped me with practical knowledge and character building. Important skills like driving the tractor or truck before I could reach the pedals and how to deliver a baby calf. We would work together in the hay field or feeding the cattle. I learned a lot about working hard Rupert and working safely. I knew mistakes had consequences and were an opportunity to learn. MoPTA It was the spring of our daughter’s kindergarten year when I was asked to join PTA and be a part VP of Programs of the board.
    [Show full text]
  • A Heuristic Inquiry Into the Stress That Home Educators Experience
    A HEURISTIC INQUIRY INTO THE STRESS THAT HOME EDUCATORS EXPERIENCE by Jennifer Lynn Rathmell Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the EDUC 990 Course Liberty University April, 2012 A Heuristic Inquiry into the Stress that Home Educators Experience by Jennifer Lynn Rathmell A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA April, 2012 APPROVED BY: Gail Collins, Ed.D., Committee Chair Joan Cox, Ph.D., Committee Member Daniel B. Lancaster, Ph.D., Committee Member Scott Watson, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Advanced Programs 2 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the stress that families incur when they choose home education as their primary educational method. Extensive studies exist regarding stress that traditional education teacher’s experience. However, the research on stress experienced by parents who are the primary educators of their children is limited. This study endeavored to provide insight and add to the home- education body of research. Using a heuristic inquiry research design, nine home educators participated in four data collection methods: a homeschool questionnaire, The Occupational Stress Inventory – Revised (OSI-R), a focus group, and individual interviews. The data revealed five primary unique home education stressors: (a) overwhelming responsibility, (b) dealing with behavior and discipline, (c) choosing curriculum, (d) stereotypes and stigmas, and (e) distractions and extracurricular activities. Additionally, the research revealed five primary flourishers in the home education experience. These included: (a) control and freedom, (b) poignant moments, (c) the right curriculum, (d) supportive spouses, and (e) the greater homeschooling community.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender Norms, Economic Inequality, and Social Egg Freezing: Why Company Egg Freezing Benefits Will Do More Harm Than Good
    UCLA UCLA Women's Law Journal Title Gender Norms, Economic Inequality, and Social Egg Freezing: Why Company Egg Freezing Benefits Will Do More Harm Than Good Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3tb1562d Journal UCLA Women's Law Journal, 25(2) Author Geisser, Lauren Publication Date 2018 DOI 10.5070/L3252041727 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California GENDER NORMS, ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, AND SOCIAL EGG FREEZING: Why Company Egg Freezing Benefits Will Do More Harm Than Good Lauren Geisser* Abstract Some of the largest companies in the world—including Facebook and Apple—began offering cryopreservation (aka, egg freezing) as a covered employee benefit as early as 2014. This Arti- cle discusses the ramifications of such coverage on other diversity policies and employee benefits, as well as with respect to class and racial inequality, and gender-normative societal roles. Egg freezing is an elective procedure to preserve a woman’s eggs by extracting, freezing and storing them until she is ready to get pregnant at a later point in time. Similar to how the Pill allowed women to defer pregnancy and invest in their careers in the 1970s, some see egg freezing as the ultimate breakthrough to level the playing field for women so that they can have both a career and motherhood. However, when an employer subsidizes that choice, and does so over other employee benefits such as paid parental leave, childcare or flexible work arrangements, the employer rein- forces the dominant—yet as this Article shows, flawed—view that motherhood is incompatible with work.
    [Show full text]
  • MOMS of MIAMI Pages 8-9 S Occ Er P L Www
    PROUD FREE SpONSOR COPY www.soccerplus.us 11.11. 2016 | Year 1 | #13 | Miami, FL English & Spanish S W E N FOR THOse S WHO Play, PASSION U L THOse WHO P WATCH AND ER THOse WHO OCC SUPPORT THE S FUTURE OF THE REAL SOCCER SOCCER. S .U S U L MOMS OF MIAMI P PAGES 8-9 ER OCC S WWW. S U L P ER OCC sas @U S W E N S U L P ER OCC S YEAR 1 YEAR APRIL 30 / 2016 • BILL FISHER BEACH SOCCER WESTON FC KIDS' IDOL THE MAN BAHAMAS U13 & U14 LUIS FIGO: BEHIND THE VS REGIONAL A SOCCER TOURNAMENTS FBS-FC SHOWCASE LEGEND PAGE 4 PAGE 11 PAGE 12 PAGE 14 2 PLANETSOCCERNEWS 11.11.2016 | Year 1 | #13 | Miami, FL THE EDITORIAL FROM SOCCERPLUS PLANETNEWSSOCCER TOURNAMENT STORIES ON AND OFF THE FIELD EUROPEAN SOCCER Alessandro Sbrizzo Executive Director SHOWCASE BY FIGO [email protected] TEXT: NEWSROOM/MEDIAPLUS PHOTO: VADYM ZAITSEV / ShuttErstoCK.COM he European showcase will ear Soccerplus friends and have the presence of former readers, our journey continues to Portuguese star Luis Figo, discover new stories in South leading the tournament and Florida. This edition includes Tsharing his international soccer expe- an interview with Bill Fisher, rience, along with his technical staff the man who bears on his shoulders the with many UEFA coaches. responsibility of developing the best soccer tournaments. In addition, we would also like SOCCER teams to highlight the work of the soccer moms, The tournament is for players who who are the biggest fans and supporters are passionate and want to become in every team.
    [Show full text]
  • Constructing a New Ideology of Motherhood in Welfare Discourse
    Volume 44 Issue 3 Article 6 1999 From Madonna to Proletariat: Constructing a New Ideology of Motherhood in Welfare Discourse Tonya L. Brito Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, and the Legislation Commons Recommended Citation Tonya L. Brito, From Madonna to Proletariat: Constructing a New Ideology of Motherhood in Welfare Discourse, 44 Vill. L. Rev. 415 (1999). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/vlr/vol44/iss3/6 This Symposia is brought to you for free and open access by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Villanova Law Review by an authorized editor of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. Brito: From Madonna to Proletariat: Constructing a New Ideology of Mothe 1999] FROM MADONNA TO PROLETARIAT: CONSTRUCTING A NEW IDEOLOGY OF MOTHERHOOD IN WELFARE DISCOURSE* TONYA L. BRJTO** I. INTRODUCTION T HE story of America's welfare system is the story of transformed images of women and their roles in society. At the inception of wel- fare, the dominant image of women on welfare was that of the Madonna- like mother whose role in society was to care for and nurture her child. Society believed that mothering was a full-time vocation and, as a result, it excused welfare mothers from workforce participation. Over time, the maternal image waned as the complexion of the welfare population be- came darker and increasingly included unmarried mothers. A less ideal- ized image of motherhood has characterized this new generation of welfare mothers.
    [Show full text]
  • {Download PDF} What Is English? and Why Should We Care? 1St
    WHAT IS ENGLISH? AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE? 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Tim William Machan | 9780198736677 | | | | | What is English? And Why Should We Care? 1st edition PDF Book History Channel. Although a Germanic language in its sounds and grammar , the bulk of English vocabulary is in fact Romance or Classical in origin. Most of the time, symptoms will go away on their own and experts advise seeking care early. Spock himself, in his autobiography, pointed out that he had never advocated permissiveness; also, that the attacks and claims that he had ruined American youth only arose after his public opposition to the Vietnam war. Teaching Critical Thinking Education is supposed to give students the tools they need to become a valuable part of society, and one such tool is the ability to think critically. Few textbooks could be said to do the same thing. Peter Camejo. Nominee Peter Camejo. The Diary of Ann Frank is a great example of this effect, since it exposes students American students to both a country and time period not their own and most likely a nationality and religion as well. Wikiquote has quotations related to: Benjamin Spock. China confirms new coronavirus can spread between humans. New Haven, Connecticut , U. Thomas Maire author of Dr. The World Health Organization offered guidance to countries on how they can prepare for it, including how to monitor for the sick and how to treat patients. January 30, Considered the true first edition, over the US edition. One can speak, for example, of planning a table or tabling a plan , booking a place or placing a book , lifting a thumb or thumbing a lift.
    [Show full text]
  • UCLA Health David Geffen School of Medicine
    UCLA Health David Geffen School of Medicine SPRING 2014 CLOCKED UCLA researchers are redefining the science of concussion. SPRING 2014 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 2 LEADERSHIP A publication of UCLA Health and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA VICE CHANCELLOR, UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES DEAN, DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT UCLA Inside This Issue GERALD S. LEVEY, MD, ENDOWED CHAIR A. Eugene Washington, MD, MSc PRESIDENT, UCLA HEALTH SYSTEM ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR, UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES David T. Feinberg, MD (RES ’92, FEL ’94), MBA CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Meeting the Future Challenge Pattie Cuen Academic health centers must redefine Photo: Todd Cheney/UCLA Photography Photo: Ann Johannson Photo: Ann Johannson DIRECTOR, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Judi Goodfriend themselves if they are to survive in a changing Departments Features News + Notes EDITOR healthcare environment. David Greenwald 01 Leadership 16 Clocked 34 Faculty Photo: Stephanie Diani DESIGN DIRECTOR From the Dean: UCLA researchers are Notables, honors Meeting the future challenge. redefining the science of and achievements: Brad Donenfeld & Associates actual value of care provided for complex conditions. However, it BY DR. A. EUGENE WASHINGTON concussion. Up for a challenge. Why do academic health centers (AHCs) exist? This CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BY GREG CRITSER question is addressed in an article I wrote, along with David is also related to limited integration of care and unnecessary care. Greg Critser 02 In Box 36 Alumni 22 Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Health System What can AHCs do? We must adopt more of a patient Kim Kowsky A Family Affair What’s happening Readers respond. focus, developing approaches that follow the patient, deploying Karalee Miller Two UCLA medical from the MAA: colleagues, that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • High Mileage Moms - the Report
    High Mileage Moms - The Report Mothers are spending more time behind the wheel than ever before, and this is leaving less time for the rest of their lives, for everything from playing with children to simply getting a good nights rest. On a typical day, the average mother spends more than an hour driving, traveling 29 miles and taking more than five trips. Many of the stops along the way are to run errands, or to pick up or drop off someone else. Research shows women are making more and more of these trips and are driving further to accomplish them.Part of the reason mothers drive so many places is that they are often the sole transportation provider for children and elderly parents, who cannot drive and have few other options. Women are called upon to make about two-thirds of the trips to pick up and drop off other people. They have become the bus drivers of the 1990s, providing transportation in places that are missing sidewalks, bikeways, nearby playgrounds or a convenient bus to the doctors office. Mothers are also finding themselves driving farther and farther to shop and run errands, because the stores have moved to the edge of town, far from home or work. The growth in these types of trips is a reflection of the way our communities have grown. As sprawling subdivisions and so-called "big box" stores sprout up along brand new roads, the families living in the new homes find that driving is the only way to reach parks, shops, schools, and just about everything else.
    [Show full text]