(2) Science.....

    I am quite a fan of all things science, heck I am a biology major! But one thing that has always fascinated me has been social science studies. As you might have previously read, I am taking a class on family relations and this blog here is part of the grade; however, you know I never miss an opportunity to share my opinions ;) and I plan to continue this blog well after the class is over.

    In class, we discussed various studies which have been conducted on people and families especially (see a trend yet lol) In most studies It is fairly easy to fudge up your test, anywhere from already having a biased opinion to having a cat hair end up in a petri dish which it should not be in. However, in human studies, it gets very tricky considering the fact that we have ya know ethics. I often throw a wrench in studies like knowing whether it really is nature versus nurture or if a baby raised with wolves would act like a wolf or evenly act like humans. 

    SO that being said that's where we as informed readers have to be decisive as to which information we believe and that comes with practicing good science. We don't just believe everything we see or read outright but are discerning. For example, when reading an article it is a good practice to see who funded the research. next, find other studies collaborating on the findings, and make sure there is a large study group with a good age range, ethnic background, and social economical status. Each of these greatly impacts the results as well as the validity of the study. One of my favorite videos speaking about this very topic is this ted talk which I will link here --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4MhbkWJzKk&t=111s--

    I love the insights he gives and wow is that an outlandish number to think about all the ways it can go wrong. We have the power in our hands though to be informed. Now with social sciences, it will never be perfect since sticking a family in a clear box to watch 24/7 is not practical and seems a little messy. We often study with observational/self-reported studies which much to our vexation is not accurate either. So we do the best with what we have and allow room for improvement. 

    Now all that being said let's talk about kids. Yes, I know our relationship is new but it is important. How many kids do you want? If money wasn't an obstacle would you have more or less? Does how many siblings you have to affect how many you want? If so why? I know often as a member of the female species I have been asked this question since the moment I could talk. It is a constant topic of conversation in my religion as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Yet I have never stopped and considered why I have the thoughts and opinions I have. 

    One thought brought up in class is why the world trend of the number of children has decreased in the last twenty years, and why. How the book the population bomb affected world opinions on how resources are being used and have changed views on the number of children from generations previous. I came from a very large family, I am a child of 9 out of 11 kids and have loved such a big family, but it certainly isn't for everyone. When I was younger I wanted only 6 children of my own and nothing more nothing less but as I have gotten older I hope to have as many children as possible, not only of my blood but to be able to foster and adopt children and adults alike, giving and showing love and being a safe place for everyone. The only hold-up I have with the number of children is being able to provide well for them, but as my parents always told me, if you plan on children by how much you make you will never have any, God always helps provide for those who he sends. Which I have seen all my growing years. 

    So what I want you to leave with is asking yourself what you believe and why? Where did your opinions come from and what experiences lead you to those conclusions? And if you are really brave, step out of your comfort zone, find other options, and don't be scared to challenge your beliefs, who knows what you will discover! 

Till the next time

Your Mom, 

Trionna