A young girl, aged 5, whose basic needs are met, experiences an uninhibited sense of self. Confidence and curiosity permeate her orientation to the world and her place in it. Her body is not a burden and her mind and spirit are united. Unfortunately, that confidence, positive body image, and positive sense of self can diminish as she grows up.

What are the factors that cause this perception of self to change over time? What images, words, laws, social norms, and experiences present barriers to maintaining a healthy sense of self? In this week’s Discussion, you explore connections between self-concept and health and well-being and how these connections reflect an awareness of and/or a need for social change.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Consider all that you have read of Ensler and Dove for social change themes related to women’s health and well-being.
• Review the V-Day website in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider its mission, the four core beliefs, and its long-term mission, particularly with regard to women’s health and well-being.
• What connections are possible between Ensler’s V-day (women’s empowerment day) and the idea of the next generation depicted in Dove’s poem?
• How do body awareness and self-concept relate to social change?
• What progress has been made across generations with regard to women’s health and well-being?

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 a 2- to 3-paragraph analysis of how Ensler’s and Dove’s ideas provide insights into social change themes related to women’s health and well-being experience.

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Due Sunday………………………………………..

Application: Women’s Health and Well-Being Experienced Through Literature

For this Assignment, you take on the role of a literary critic. The job of the critic is to read, question, and dissect the technical and substantive elements of a work of literature to gauge quality, effectiveness, and ability to convey information. Imagine, for the sake of this activity, that you are writing an article for a literary magazine on the short stories of two notable female authors. Your article provides an evaluation of each story’s ability to convey perspective on women’s health and well-being.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review characteristics of a short story in the “Glossary of Terms and Techniques for Literature and Creative Writing” document located in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Define health and well-being. Do these terms have different meanings to different people?
• Compare and contrast depictions of physical and psychological health and well-being in the stories of Gilman and Chopin.
• Consider how the authors convey their perspectives on health and well-being.

The Assignment:

• Write a 2-page analysis of Gilman’s and Chopin’s works on women’s experiences of physical and psychological health and well-being. Explain how your own definition of health and well-being can be applied to each piece.

  Note: Do not write a biography of Gilman’s or Chopin’s personal experiences. Instead, write an analysis of their writing using the techniques you have practiced in previous weeks.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the use of literary techniques in each author’s story. Using literary terms, provide explanations for why it is or is not well written.

Submit your Assignment by Day 7.

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Resources………………………………………………………………………

Readings

• Ensler, E. (2013). In the body of the world [PDF]. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company. Retrieved fromhttp://inthebodyoftheworld.com/pdf/EveEnsler-InTheBodyOfTheWorld-Excerpt.pdf

  This excerpt from Eve Ensler’s In the Body of the World, introduced in Week 12, is a powerful personal statement about issues related to women’s health and well-being.

• Chopin, K. (1984). The story of an hour. In The awakening and selected stories (pp. 213–215). East Rutherford, NJ: Viking Penguin.

  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This short story depicts the experience of a woman and her complex emotional reaction to her husband. This story is examined for this week’s Application Assignment.

• St. Jean, S. (Ed.). (2006). The yellow wallpaper: A dual text critical edition (pp. 23–52). [Review of The yellow wallpaper, by Gilman, C. P]. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This short story is regarded as an important piece of early American feminist literature providing insights into how a woman’s physical and mental health was regarded. This short story is examined for this week’s Application Assignment.

• Dove, R. (1989). After reading ‘Mickey in the knight kitchen’ for the third time before bed. In Grace notes: Poetry. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/read/101079599/grace-notes-poems

  Note: Click on the page number of the poem’s title in the Table of Contents.

  This poem speaks to women’s sense of the physical self, self-awareness, and cross-generational communication. This poem is examined for this week’s Discussion.

• V-Day. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://www.vday.org/

  V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Review the V-Day mission and consider its relevance to social activism, social change, and to women’s health and well-being.

• Walden University. (2015b). APA style: Overview. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa
• Walden University. (2015e). Writing center. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/home
• Document: Glossary of Terms and Techniques for Literature and Creative Writing (PDF)

  This resource provides support in analyzing various forms of literature. Use this resource to identify elements of style and apply literary terms to assignments.

Media

• Laureate Education (Producer). (2015). Women’s voices and social change [Interactive media]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

  With this week’s content on women’s health and well-being in mind, review the timeline information on Rita Dove, Kate Chopin, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Optional Resources

Recommended Readings

• Parker, D. (1995). Big blonde and other stories. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
• Plath, S., & MiIDlebrook, D. W. (1998). Plath: Poems. New York, NY: Knopf.

Web resources in support of this week’s topic

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Women’s health. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/women/
• The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2003). Welfare, women, and health: The role of temporary assistance for needy families. Retrieved from http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/0128.pdf
• Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Interview: Gloria Steinem. Retrieved September 27, 2015, fromhttp://www.pbs.org/kued/nosafeplace/interv/steinem.html
• Sanger, M. (2004). The woman rebel. In The autobiography of Margaret Sanger (pp. 106–120). Retrieved fromhttps://books.google.com/books?id=IQKAfF_ycEoC&dq=editions%3AISBN0486434923&source=gbs_book_other_versions

  Note: To access this chapter, click on “Preview this book,” refer to the Table of Contents, and then scroll to page 106.

• Schnall, M. (2011). Conversation with Jane Fonda. Retrieved fromhttp://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/interviews/janefonda.html
• Womenshealth.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/