The Experience of Women

Kalie Roundtree, Beth Snyder, Elizabeth Worthen and Sherry Zhu

 

During the Cult of True Womanhood, in the 19th century, people believed that there were four basic virtues that women should always display: piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity. It was believed that women needed to have these virtues to prove their loyalty to men. At that time, men culturally and socially controlled women, and anything women were allowed to do always satisfied the needs of the men. The first magazine cover is a recreation of "Godey's Ladies Book," a popular magazine in the 1800' that told women the proper way to dress and behave. The second magazine cover is a recreation of the cover of a women’s magazine in 2015, which shows the expectations people have of women now. Although women are obviously much more independent now, it’s still not enough. In 2015's magazine cover, women with wind blown hair show off their skinny, sexy bodies. The text is actually all about how to make women “skinny” and “sexy” instead of “healthy,” and women are still being sexualized. Although the title of the magazine is “Women’s Health,” the content is not based around true health.

The third magazine cover is the cover that we envisioned for the modern woman. Women seek real health and happiness, and they focus on promoting activities and sentiments that are about self -care and creating community, rather than a hyper-concern for their physical appearance to others.

Over the years, women have gained more equality and have become more independent, however, people are still not reaching their full potential in breaking away from oversexualizing women.