DISCUSSION BOARD

Discussion-

COLLAPSE

Evaluating the Progress of Social Change

Imagine you work for an organization that is applying for a grant to develop an educational workshop series for youth interested in women's social issues and literature. You are approached, due to your participation in this course, to take a leadership role in preparing the grant. In order to be eligible for the grant, you need to speak to progress that has been made in regard to an issue of importance to women.

In this week's Discussion, you assess the progress of a social change topic concerning women to determine future priorities.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review Shange's work as it relates to topics covered in this course.

• Choose one social change issue that relates to one of the following themes from this course: work, family and community, health and well-being, or education.

• Consider women's historical and contemporary experiences of the particular issue you have chosen.

• Consider the progress that has been made related to the issue you chose.

• Consider your own vision of social change and how it might have changed or been enhanced during this course.

• What actions could be taken by ordinary citizens to address current concerns for women in the topic area chosen?

• Consider the role that women's literature has played in impacting social change issues.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a 2- to 3-paragraph assessment of the progress of the social change issue you have chosen. Justify your claim using Shange's work and other resources from throughout the course to provide evidence. With this in mind, briefly respond to this question: "Why is it valuable to study women's literature as a distinct genre?"

ASSIGNMENT

Write a literary piece in a form used in this course (essay, personal narrative, short story, poem, song lyrics) that summarizes your learning from the readings, research, Assignments, and Discussion activities in this course. Address the following items in your work:

• In light of the resources you have been exposed to throughout this course, in what ways is women's literature important to efforts for social change?

• Consider why the medium of literature will continue to be important for women to express social issues and concerns. What future trends do you foresee in women's literature?

• Include three new insights you gained from this course.

The Reflection must be a substantive piece of literature 1-2 pages in length.

RESOURCES

Readings

• Shange, N. (1997). For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. New York, NY: Scribner.

Reprinted by the permission of Russell & Volkening as agents for the author. Copyright 1993 by Ntozake Shange.

o "somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff" (pp. 63-65)
o "a layin' on of hands" (pp. 84-88)

Note: All of the poems listed above are also available as audio recordings, located under Media in this week's Learning Resources.

• Dickinson, E. (ca. 1862). The soul selects her own society (303). Retrieved fromhttp://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20283

This poem speaks to a set of complex themes and exhibits various elements of poetic style. This poem informs this week's Final Reflection Assignment.

• Moraga, C. (1983). The welder. Retrieved from https://theusesofanger.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/the-welder-ch/

This poem uses metaphor to address various facets of women's experience in life. This work informs this week's Final Reflection Assignment.

• 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 content on future trends in women's literature in mind, review the timeline information on Emily Dickinson and Cherrie Moraga.

The following audiocasts are readings of excerpts from Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Hearing poetry read aloud deepens the experience of the reader/listener and may increase comprehension and connection to the meaning behind the words. To enhance your interaction with the work, consider listening to these recordings as you read the assigned poems.

• Laureate Education (Producer). (2010h). Somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff [Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

• Laureate Education (Producer). (2010g). Positive [Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

Note: Although you are required to listen to the audiocast of this reading, there is no PDF available for you to read.

• Laureate Education (Producer). (2010a). A layin' on of hands [Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.

Optional Resources

Web resources

The following resources provide a varied look at women's voices today:

• The International Women's Writing Guild. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.iwwg.org/

• Kay, S. (2011, March). If I should have a daughter [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter

A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.

• Neary, L. (2013). What's in a category? ‘Women novelists' sparks wiki-controversy. NPR Books. Retrieved fromhttp://www.npr.org/2013/04/29/179850435/what-s-in-a-category-women-novelists-spark-wiki-controversy

• Poetry Foundation. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org

• Simon, E. W. (2014). 3 girls got on national television and told the not-so-pretty truth about America. Fearless. Retrieved from

http://www.upworthy.com/3-girls-got-on-national-television-and-told-the-not-so-pretty-truth-about-america-fearless

In this presentation, three young women present a perspective on America today.

• Walden University. (2015a). About. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/about
• Walden University. (2015c). Student experience. Retrieved from http://www.waldenu.edu/experience
• Words Without Borders. (2015). Retrieved from http://wordswithoutborders.org/

For this week's Assignment, you may consider the following songs

• Carey, M., & Margulies, B. (1990). Love takes time. On Mariah Carey [CD]. New York, NY: Columbia Records.
• Crow, S., Trott, J., & MacLeod, B. (1997). A change would do you good. On Sheryl Crow [CD]. Los Angeles, CA: A&M Records.
• Estefan, G., Estefan, E., Jr., & Secada, J. (1991). Coming out of the dark. On Into the light [CD]. New York, NY: Epic. (Recorded: 1990).
• Lennox, A., & Stewart, D. (1985). Sisters are doin' it for themselves [Recorded by Eurythmics & A. Franklin]. On Sisters are doin' if for themselves [CD]. New York, NY: RCA Records.
• Sainte-Marie, B. (1964). Universal soldier. On It's my way! [Record]. New York, NY: Vanguard.

Song Lyric Search Resources

• The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.ascap.com/
• Broadcast Music. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.bmi.com/
• SongLyrics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://www.songlyrics.com/