1. Articulate tthe difference between objective and subjective approaches to the physical body.

2. Understand how objectification of the body relates to suffering.

3. Identify ways in which patients and health professionals can help the patient reclaim the body's wholeness.

4. Gain insight into the perspective of an organ transplant recipient.

5. Recognize how cultural differences shape attitudes towards organ donation.

6. Recognize the role of cultural attitudes in defining attractiveness.

7. ame social and cultural barriers to achieving and maintaining weight loss.

8. Learn how to initiate a discussion about obesity.

9. Confront negative and pathological reactions to obesity.

10. Recognize the psychological and clinical profile of persons with eating disorders.

11. Reflect on the difference between subjective and objective approaches to sexuality.

12. Identify barriers to discussing sexuality.

13. Learn how to approach the subject of sexuality in a medical setting.

14. Understand the impact and components of female sexual dysfunction.

15. Develop a general definition of sexual identity.

16. Reflect on the effect of AIDS on sexual mores.

 

 


Section 1: The body in pieces

Exercise 1: Anatomy Lessons
-Photography: Meryl Levin "Anatomy of anatomy"
-Anatomical art: Gunther von Hagen "Body Worlds"
-Poem: Alice Jones' "The Foot"

Exercise 2: Organ Transplantation
-Essay: Richard McCann's "To whom it may concern"
-Story: Susan Ito's "The Liver Nephew"

Exercise 3: Choose an Organ
-Poem: Cortney Davis, "Ear Examined"
-Poem: Lucille Clifton "Poem to my uterus"
-Poem: John Davis' "Dear Left Knee"

 

 

Section 2: Body images

Exercise 4: Obesity
-Video: Alec Anders
-Essay: Irvin Yalom, "Fat lady" (Excerpt)

Exercise 5: Anorexia/bulimia
-Poem: Denise Duhamel, "Bulimia"

Exercise 6: The science and art of sexuality
-Poem: Anne Sexton, "Us"
-Essay: Aaron Kheriaty, "Sterilizing the erotic"
-Poem: Haydn Carruth, "The woman's genitals"

Exercise 7: Professional boundaries
-Video: Alec Anders
-Novel: Nadine Gordimer, "The Pick-up" (excerpt)

Exercise 8: Sexual dysfunction
-Essay: Judith Dancoff, "Merging of Head and Heart"

Exercise 9: Sexual identity
-Poem: Sharon Olds, "Poem for the breasts"
-Painting: Bruno Perillo, "Secretly hoping for Plan C"

 

 

Section 3: The culturally mediated body

Exercise 10: Sexual attitudes and AIDS
Elizabeth Alexander, "Body of Life"