Religion and Gender Flashcards
Gender differences
Women are more likely to be religious and go to church, women outnumber males by almost half a million (Brierley, 2005). More women say religion is important to them (55% to 44%, from British Social Attitudes survey 2008)
Miller and Hoffman (gender)
Men are less risk averse than women, therefore less scared of the risk of going to hell and are less religious. Women and men are socialized differently, meaning women are more passive, obedient and caring (qualities valued by religion). Women and men have different roles, such as within jobs and families.
Greeley (gender)
Once women have children they are more likely to become religious because of their role within take care of other family members, contributing to the idea of ‘ultimate welfare’.
Davie (gender)
Women see God in terms of love and forgiveness, whereas men see God in terms of power and control.
Bruce ‘Paid Work’
Women are more likely to be religious because they are less likely to do paid work and more likely to be at home, secularization processes have driven religion out of male-dominating public sphere of work, confining it to family, where women are more concerned with this private sphere.
Religion is still strong despite secularization because..
Religion is associated with caring and women have the primary role as carer in the home. Churches have become increasingly feminised.
New Age Movements
Holistic mileu in Kendal Project, found 80% were female.
Why are women more likely to be involved in New Age Movements?
Movements like such are ‘natural’ and mostly involve cults of healing, giving women the higher status and lack of fulfillment they feel in other aspects of life. They are about individualization and having self-worth.
Individual sphere
Women in paid work experience role conflict: the masculined, instrumental role in public sphere and the traditional, expressive feminine role: attracted to new age movements because of individual autonomy and personal growth.
Women, compensators and sects
Women are more likely yo join sects because they suffer organismic, ethical and social deprivation. (mental health, morally conservative and poorer groups).
Pentecostal gender paradox
The Pentecostal church is seen as patriarchal because men are seen as both the heads of the households and church, however religion helps women in Pentecostalism by leading an ascetic lifestyle, women can promote widespread culture of machismo to prevent men from using alcohol, tobacco, gambling.
Decline in female participation
Because of fertility levels, feminist values, paid employment and family diversity.
