Introduction

I was introduced to the Women's Studies course by my roommate and my need for an upper division humanities. However, the more and more I read the material and the in class texts the more I realize how much the class is right up my ally of things I am interested in. I believe the most pressing issues occurring in our generation/21st century is the issue of identity loss.

Looking around at the younger generation of adolescents and young children I interact with I sense that they have a need to identify with societal objects or symbols. I remember as a child I only identified with my family, friends, and maybe DJ off of Full House. Now a days I see kids needing to identify with more media models versus the likes of their mothers and literature figures. I remember in junior high I read the poem "Phenomenal Women" by Maya Angelou that spoke volumes to my development as young girl. The poem made me realize as women we will always be facing differences among us; however, confidence develops within one's self when one is very content with the choices, mistakes, and accomplishments in this short life we've been blessed to have.

My expectation in this course is to continue to enjoy and thoroughly partake in the material of the course. I would like to see why are women more confident after the ending of a relationship, what would cause someone to switch religions based on gender issues, how does religious restriction affect gender development, does solicitation of beauty cause lack of development in other areas, and how does body changes in age affect productivity especially when comparred to aged pop culture figures?

Paola