ART-223534-02) Images of Women in Western Civilization discussions

*I need as follows:

Discussion one:

In this discussion activity, I will model the kind of Leading Discussion exercise that you will be taking on, starting Week 3.Typically, there will be three or more discussion leaders each week, and each leader is to initiate one leading post. For this week, you will see three leading posts and only need to participate in/follow up on discussion under these leading posts.First, as the leader, I focus on a few topics and questions from the assigned readings that I think will help us begin analyzing images of women in ancient times. For example, let's consider some "perspectives" that women's history scholar Sarah Pomeroy (1995) has taken to understand how women were perceived in ancient times. Below are the three Instructor-led discussion prompts:1. Mythology and Stereotypes: While reading Chapter 1, Goddesses and Gods, what sort of images do you think mythology creates for women? Do you think that some of the assumptions or stereotypes toward women might have evolved from mythology? What are the assumptions or stereotypes that you find interesting or problematic?2. Documenting Women's Lives in Ancient Times: As I continue reading Pomeroy's Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, (from Introduction to Chapter 3), I notice that she points out several reasons why women's creative work and lives are not well recorded throughout history. What are the reasons? How does the lack of sufficient information affect our understanding of women's lives in ancient times? Whose lives get recorded?3. Codes of a Patriarchal Society: To delve deeper into what women's and men's lives were alike in the early Western civilization, please share some particular gender "codes" or "rules" you find in Chapters 2 or 3. Are there any codes or rules you find particularly unexpected or curious? Do you see any codes that have continued to live on and be practiced (directly or indirectly) even today? How does a code reflect the societal needs and context in different times?Throughout the week, join your classmates in discussion of the topics, issues, and questions raised by the discussion leaders; however, please don't be too anxious to respond to all the posts. Choose the ones that you are prepared to answer first and then continue to explore others throughout the week. You may point out additional issues or topics presented in the text, raise more questions, offer additional resources, or provide further insights into women's lives in ancient civilization.Reminder:Be sure to read Instructions for Student-led and Class Discussions to prepare for this discussion-intensive course. And review discussion evaluation criteria in Learning Contract page to learn about how your discussion will be evaluated.
*Discussion two: (student lead discussion topic as follows)Being a woman in Athens during the classical society certainly did not sound inviting. It appeared as though the women had no influence and were considered a minority to the democracy. Athenian Women were dominated by the male society and their role in this setting was to procreate and produce heirs for the Polis.
As girls reached puberty they were usually married off to men much older than themselves (30 years old). Martial considerations were negotiated based on wealth political standings. Marriages made within families such as a first cousin were seen as desired. This way financial resources were kept within the family lineage and there were no trust issues.A dowry was a primary consideration when marrying off a daughter. Interestingly enough the young women of Athens had little say in their societal goingons however when it came to the dowry the women appeared quite attractive to male suitors.Daughters received a share of their family wealth. However the father could ask for the return of his daughter at any time, especially if a divorce took place. The new wife was entitled to the wealth of the family she married into. Without a dowry a marriage was not considered “legal”. Lastly a young Athenian woman that was married would preferably be a virgin, making them more desirable. And the birth of a child, especially a male was considered a goal of the marriage.
* discussion three: (student lead discussion topic as follows)As we read, The Roman Matron to The Elusive Women of Classical Antiquity is it uncertain whether any true idea of equality for women emerged? Please share your examples. According to Pomeroy (1995) : Cornelia Africana married Tiberius Gracchus and bore him twelve children, not common at that time in Rome. “Cornelia exercised a profound influence on Roman politics. She was herself educated, and her letters were published” (p150). She is also recognized as she remained faith full to her deceased husband and refused the marriage proposal of King Ptolemy. She is referred to as univira“one man” woman. Why was she idealized?What was the median age for wives in Rome at this time? Why was the age of men greater? The Women of The Roman Lower Classes, did the household duties of female slaves differ from those reviewed in Greece? Could the Lower Class woman of Rome receive education? Who represented the the large part of the working class? Is prostitution in existence at this time?What role of women in the religion of the Rome caught your attention? Were you surprised to read about the crude gestures when the woman passed the Temple of Chastity?The cult of Isis although centered on Egyptian gods & goddess can be entwined, in my opinion, that of Christianity? When Isis was able to resurrect Osiris it reminded me Jesus resurrecting Lazarus a miracle mentioned in the bible John 11. Did anyone else think the same?ReferencePomeroy, S. (1995). Goddesses, whores, wives, and slaves: Women in classical antiquity. New York: Schocken Books.
* The discussions are based on the following criteria:

Instructions for Student-led and Class Discussions

Gauguin, Paul. Conversation (Les Parau Parau; Tahitian Women Seated in a Circle). 1891, Hermitage Museum. ARTstor: SCALA_ARCHIVES_10313879755

Role of discussion leaders

As a discussion leader,informed by the required weekly readings, you are expected to prepare and initiate a discussion topic along with a few questions before the first day of the week (Monday) that you are self-scheduled to lead the class discussion. This will allow your classmates time to read your initial post and prepare their responses.In your initial post, provide an introduction to the topic that you would like to explore and that is derived from the weekly readings. You are welcome to use direct quotes sparingly, and properly cited, as they give your classmates a concrete direction to find your source. Include a few questions in your initial post to encourage your classmates to further examine your topic as well as the ideas in the readings. Avoid yes or no type of questions and questions that simply ask for a personal opinion.Each week, there may be more than one discussion leader. Before submitting your leading post, please check to see if other discussion leaders have posted similar topic and questions. If so, please revise your post to provide a new topic.As a discussion leader, your role is not to provide answers or lecture. Nor are you expected to respond to everyone's posts. As your classmates begin responding to your initial post, however, you should continue to follow up with your own discussion thread by pointing out and analyzing additional information in the readings and in other reliable sources (if needed), providing the class with more questions to keep exploring the topic you raised, and using artworks or specific examples to support or challenge the ideas in the readings or your classmates' posts.If no one responds to your initial post in 2-3 days, consider revising your initial post or initiating a new topic.Note: Discussion leaders are also expected to participate in other leaders' discussion threads.

Role of all class members

For all class members as discussion participants, you are expected to read the weekly readings beforehand in order to respond to the leaders' questions as well as your classmates' posts. You are to participate in discussion throughout the week by providing thoughtful and resourceful responses, referencing the weekly readings, using concrete ideas or examples found in the readings to support your points, considering your classmates' points and offering new insights, asking questions for clarification, and/or raising other relevant questions. You should strive to participate in at least three leading posts.The instructor will continue to monitor the discussion and provide feedback. The discussion leaders are welcome to contact the instructor, if there are any questions.Evaluation of discussion will be based on content, expression, and frequency. That is, both quality and quantity along with ongoing interaction are the keys to successful class discussion. Concrete engagement with the course readings as well as depth and thoughtfulness in each post will help to show quality of learning as it can indicate how well you understand the learning material. You are also expected to exercise academic (advanced) writing skills including a proper citation. If an image is mentioned in your post, you must accurately indicate the essential information: the artist name, title of the work, year, and the origin of the source or URL. For frequency, at least 3 discussion posts a week are expected, and this is a minimal expectation which may result in a below average or average grade. Please also see Assignment Evaluation Criteria in the Learning Contract for more information.

Additional tips for quality discussion

As this is an upper level college study,strive to communicate clearly, thoughtfully, intellectually, and resourcefully. Personal opinions should be presented in relationship to the larger context in a critical manner or in relationship to the ideas or examples found in the weekly readings. Please note, the purpose of class discussion is for you to demonstrate your understanding of the course materials and your reasoning, analytical, and communication skills. Support your thoughtful discussion using concrete arguments and examples from the readings, additional references, and your classmates' posts.

Additional tips for self-assessing quality of your discussion

1. Consider the quality of your initial discussion question.

• A good question requires others to use their critical analysis skills.
• A good question will require others to demonstrate both factual knowledge of the content and a comprehension of how the knowledge applies to the topics discussed. It is important to understand and use appropriate language in your questions and responses.
• A good question should not be a simple "yes or no", "I dis/agree", and/or "look-up in textbook" question(s).

2. Consider the quality of the responses.Some students will respond thoughtfully and informatively to your discussion, and some will give minimal responses. If a student posts a high quality response, let him or her know. Also, if a student posts a low quality response, follow it up and ask him or her for a clarification or further explanation.What is a high quality response?

• • • A response that applies a concept or process in a meaningful way
    • A response that facilitates understanding of the issues/topics/concept
    • A response that contains information from the textbook and ancillary materials

What is a low quality response?

• • • Responses such as "I agree," "Good question," or "Good answer"
    • Any response that is merely opinion without substantiation
    • Any response that is carelessly typed, poorly thought out, grammatically sloppy or confusing
    • Any response that is disrespectful of another student or any other person, etc.
    • The use of "Internet slang" is also inappropriate in a college course.