24th Annual Student Research Conference
Iraqi Women: PTSD, Depression, and Subjective Well Being
Elizabeth A. Necka
Dr. Diane Johnson, Faculty Mentor
"God created desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one part to men." From this statement unfolds the play 9 Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo, a narrative sketch Iraqi culture and women. Iraqi women live in a post-Operation Iraqi Freedom world, where 75% of female school attendance is decreasing because families fear their daughters walks to school and Iraqi penal code permits reduced sentences to rapists if they marry their victims (Bjorken, 2003). But contrary to these harsh circumstances, the women of Iraq are resilient, passionate, and vivid, as are the characters in Raffos play, based on real women. They are doctors; they are artists; they are mothers. This presentation aims to explore the interaction between Iraqi culture and Iraqi womens psyches by examining rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression as well as levels of subjective well-being.
Keywords: Iraq, Women, Culture, Gender, Depression, Subjective Well-Being, Post-traumatic stress disorder
Topic(s):Psychology
Women's and Gender Studies
Theatre
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 20-5
Location: MG 2001
Time: 10:30