Beliefs - feminism

Question 1

Feminism - Simone de Beauvior: women’s oppression

Answer 1

Women expected to pass down religious ideolgies to the next generation of worshippers as they’re the primary caregivers and promised by religions rewards for passing on these messages and would earn God’s favour

Question 2

Feminism - Daly & passive functions

Answer 2

Organised traditional religion is patriarchal and only gave women passive functions. There’s a potential for goddess religions that give women practical functions and empower them to make changes

Question 3

Feminism - Nawal El Saadawi

Answer 3

Focused on Islam - religion is not the problem it’s male dominated religion and religion is used to justify control over women by men e.g their bodies through religious text being interpreted and applied by men.

Question 4

Feminism - Woodhead

Answer 4

There are forms of religious feminism where women use it to gain freedom and respect e.g hijab or veil can be a symbol against oppression and within islam, allows women to enter public spaces without losing their cultural identity.
-There is potential for ‘divine feminity’ of religions that empower and unite women against traditonal patriarchal religions.

Question 5

Feminism - Holm & structures of religious organisations

Answer 5

Examined structures of religious organisations and found many exclude women from places of authority but preach equality.
However changes to some churches has seen religious rights improve - ireland being a catholic country yet legalising abortion

Question 6

Evidence of patriarchy in religious organisation

Answer 6

-Orthodox Judaism and catchlocism forbidding women from becoming priests
-Armstrong, this exclusion is evidence of womens marginalisation.
-even though women participate in religion more than men, its highly male dominated

Question 7

Evidence of patriarchy in places of worship

Answer 7

-In Islam, menstruating women arent allowed to touch the qur’an
- Segregation between the sexes when worshipping in Islam and Amish
-Women arent allowed to read sacred texts

Question 8

Evidence of patriarchy in sacred texts

Answer 8

-Mainly features the work of male gods and are interpretated and written by men
-Feature anti-female stereotypes e.g Eve disobeying god and tempted adam to eat from the garden of eden, causing fall of humanity

Question 9

Evidence of patriarchy in religious laws and customs

Answer 9

-Women may have less rights than men e.g access to divorce, number of spouses, dress codes
-Catholic church bans abortion and contraception, maintaining women’s traditional domestic and reproductive role.
-Religious influence on cultural norms that are harmful to women e.g FGM

Question 10

Criticisms of feminism

Answer 10

-Sikhism has always respected women and gurus preach for women’s liberation.
-Securalisation of western society could suggest that religion no longer has dominant influence over it and so it’s not longer a patriarchal tool

Question 11

Strengths of feminism

Answer 11

-Explains the control over womens bodies and activites religion may have