Topic 4- Religion and Gender Flashcards
Feminist outlooks on religion:
Radical - Patriarchal tool to undermine women, must be overthrown.
Marxist- Opium of the people, overthrow
Liberal- Efforts must be made to make the current system more equal. Moving in the right direction.
How is religion patriarchal? - Doctrine
WALBY + BEAVOIR- Depiction of women in scripture reinforces traditional gender roles, ie worship Mary’s subservience especially in the Catholic Church.
BARRET + PRYCE- Rastafarianism, women adopt traditional roles to protect them from sexism and racism, but this prevents their active engagement with society.
HOLM + BOWKER- Religious fundamentalist groups wis to overturn female independence and create a strict adherence to gender roles.
How is religion patriarchal? - Unequal opportunites
Stained glass ceiling - 2014 Female Bishops, Buddhist monks of more status than Nuns.
How is religion patriarchal? - Scripture
Aldridge- Legally inferior to men in the Quaran
Beauvoir- Religion supports man as having a divine right to rule women
How is religion patriarchal? - Inequality
Polygamy okay in Islam but not polyandry
WOODHEAD- rejection of divorce, contraception, abortion and higher female roles shows rejection of equality and desire to restrain women to their traditional gender roles.
How is religion patriarchal? - Treatment of women
Aldridge- Female sexual pleasure corruptive, women seen as sexual predators that men fall victim to.
Holm- Hindu and Muslim women are not allowed in places of worship or sacred places if menstruating as it is corruptive.
How is religion patriarchal? - veiling
ALDRIDGE- a strong symbol of patriarchal control
WATSON ET AL - Ethnocentric, enables to maintain culture, enter the workplace and avoid male gaze BUT none of these would be an issue if not a patriarchal society.
Is all religion patriarchal?
SAADAWI - early polytheistic religions show women as goddesses, misinterpreted and rise of monotheistic all powerful male Gods has created a religion that both perpetrates and reinforces patriarchy.
GLENDINNING AND BRUCE- Women dominate New Age faiths.
ALDRIDGE- Gender equality found in contemporary groups ie Quakers
Declining female religiousity
AUNE ET AL (2008)
In 1980s Female religious belief was declining at a quicker rate than men.
1) Feminism
2) Work - Less opportunity for religion and less isolation/deprivation
3) Increased family diversity and the Church’s opposition to this has alienated women.
Why are women more religious than men?- Experience
Walter and Davie- See the highs and lows of life (birth and death) more aware of the issues religion gives support and guidance on.
Greely - caring role associated with religion
Why are women more religious than men? - Gender Roles
MILLER AND HOFFMAN - Gender socialised into passive, caring, emotional role that makes a religious connection more viable.
HAUMAN AND DRAULANS- Moral guardian of the family, more likely to be religious as responsible for ensuring the moral development of children.
BRUCE- Women socialised into a caring role, child bearing and rearing makes them less confrontational, ambitious and more alike to the caring role and passivity required by religion.
Why are women more religious than men? - Associations
DAVIE- Women see God as loving and forgiving (feminine traits) and thus associate more closely whereas men are more likely to associate with violence and revenge and thus be less keen.
Why are women moe religious then men? - Practical
Longer life expectancy-outlive partner so seek religion as a means of support and company
Why are women more religious then men - Position
Status frustration as trapped in home/low paid work.
Weber Theory of disprivellge
Marx- Opium of the people.
Who is the most religious, men or women?
Women are more likely to attend church and hold religious beliefs
BEUVOIR- crucial to religion
Bruce- More likely a part of NAMS and NRMS
At the current rate men will disappear from the Christian church by 2028.
