The RC Women's Health Awareness Collaboration

Instructors:

Janet Hegman Shier 112 Greene/E.Quad jshie@umich.edu 647-4378 Office Hours: tba

Jennifer Myers 100 Tyler/E. Quad jeniferm@umich.edu 647-4367 Office Hours: tba

In this course, students will examine issues and attitudes about women's health through assignments, discussions with visiting guest speakers, and outreach interviews with women who have acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses. They will also explore the impact of illness from a developmental perspective; i.e., how does the presence of an illness affect family life (marital relationships, children) and the attainment/fulfillment of educational and career goals? Through theater improvisation exercises (what works on stage) and creative writing assignments, students will gain insight into issues raised in class or in outreach interviews (what works in the outside world). In exploring their own and others' attitudes towards illness as physical reality and as metaphor, students will use their finding as a basis to create and develop material for a multi-media workshop performance, to be presented in December 2000. This course is open to any U-M students who desire to expand their academic experience and who wish to learn more about human health through readings, discussion, outreach, and theater improvisation and performance. Previous experience with theater is NOT a pre-requisite for participation. Students interested in careers in health care are encouraged to enroll. Students should expect to spend some additional time outside of class (i.e., rehearsal time) as necessary, the two weeks leading up to the workshop performance. home