Transcript Religion - Virgin Media

Women & Religion
In the UK women outnumber men in
church attendance in the ratio 2:1
Women & Religion
Armstrong (1993)
argues that patriarchal monotheism
replaced polytheism as a result of
male aggression throughout history.
Many polytheistic beliefs promoted the
role of the female particularly via the
fertility Goddess.
Women & Religion
DavieBlessed
(1994)art thou
O Lord
Women
andthat
menIsee God differently
was not born a
woman
Wives submit
Women
see him as a god of love,
Orthodox Jewish prayer
to your
comfort and forgiveness
husbands..
Men see him as a god of power and
Ephesions 5:22
control
Women & Religion
Why are women more religious? Women and
men see God differently
Miller & Hoffman 1995
Women are more interested in religion
Women have stronger commitment
Women attend church more
This pattern is true from traditional religions to magic,
astrology etc
Greeley 1992
Women become more religious after marriage and childbearing
He sees a link between caring for others and having a
religious outlook
Women & Religion
Miller & Hoffman 1995
Identify 2 main explanations
1.
Differential Association
Females are taught to be submissive,
passive and obedient
Therefore they are more likely to be a
willing follower of a particular religion
Women & Religion
2. Differential Roles
Females work less than men (paid work)
Women have more time for ‘church
activities’
Women have a greater need for
personal identity – men get this more
from work
Caring role of mother makes them more
sympathetic to religious views
Women & Religion
Women and New Religious Movements - Sects
Women participate more in sects in the
same 2:1 ratio as established religion
Thompson 1996 – Economic Deprivation
Women are more likely than men to
experience poverty
Sects often give hope and practical help
to such
Women & Religion
Glock & Stark 1969 –
Other Types Of Deprivation
Apart from economic deprivation other
forms are:-
Women & Religion
Social deprivation
Lack of status and power in a
person’s life leads them to search
for this in sects.
Women often feel a low sense of
worth as society doesn’t value
their roles of spouse/mother.
Women & Religion
Organismic Deprivation
Those who suffer physical and
mental problems (more women
than men)
Many sects offer healing
Women & Religion
Ethical Deprivation
People see moral decline
everywhere and often are
attracted by groups who want to
live in a different way
Women tend to be more morally
conservative than men
Women & Religion
New Age Movements
Many NAM’s are highly
individualised/privatised types of religious
activities
This ‘private sphere’ relates well to women
and the arena of the home
Women are more likely to want to improve
themselves and see cults as a way forward
Women & Religion
New Age Movements
Many NAM’s promote the qualities of
nature
Women are often given higher status
than men in such beliefs e.g. mother
earth philosophies
Women & Religion
Women and Fundamentalism
Some researchers argue that a
resurgence of religious
fundamentalism in recent years is
reversing the trend of women’s
autonomy.
Women & Religion
• USA – Anti-abortionist pro-life groups have
opposed ‘womens right to choose’ beliefs.
Some extremists have blown up abortion
clinics and murdered doctors involved in
abortions
• India – Hindu fundamentalist groups are so
strong in some areas that governments find it
difficult to encourage greater freedom for
women
• Afghanistan and Iran – Fundamentalist Islamic
groups have reinstated women’s traditional
roles
Women & Religion
Cohen & Kennedy 2000
Fundamentalist reforms such as the
above are borne out of fear of..
women’s liberation undermining religion
and the foundations of society
Men are re-empowered
Women & Religion
Not all women see fundamentalist
beliefs as oppressive.
Many Jewish and Christian women have
welcomed the emphasis on the woman’s
role as spouse and mother and the
sphere of their place in the home.
Women & Religion
Watson 1994 speaks of the liberation
many Muslim women feel when
wearing a veil.
In her study one women commented
that she was ‘free from lecherous
stares’ from men
Women & Religion
Female Religious Ministers
Until recently women have not been able top
serve as priests in many of the worlds religions,
this is still the case for some e.g. Roman
Catholics, Orthodox Jews and many Islamic
groups, but in some area women have made
inroads.
• The Anglican Church across the world has been
using women priests since the 1970’s, but only
accepted them into the Church Of England in
1992.
Women & Religion
Simon and Nadell 1995
carried out research on female Rabbis (Jews) and vicars (Church Of
England). They found:
• That the women conducted themselves differently
than men in their position and thought differently
too.
• Women were less formal in their approach to their
roles than men, were more people orientated and
more concerned with pastoral care.
• Women hugged and touched much more – though
this is probably more to do with how men need to
take more care in such areas.
Women & Religion
Feminism
Daly 1978
•
Mary Daly regards Christianity itself as a
‘patriarchal myth’.
• It steam rollered over many polytheistic
beliefs that celebrated women and has
imposed a woman hating controlling belief
system.
Women & Religion
Feminism
De Beauvoir 1953
• Early iconic feminist Simone De Beauvoir agreed
with Marx in seeing religion as oppressive to
women.
• Men control women via the rules and moral codes
determined in the major religions and also offer
them compensation for their lower status.
• This ‘false consciousness’ is reminiscent of the
con of the working classes and echoes the ‘opium
of the people’ quote of Marx himself.
• In other words, women are ‘persuaded’ to accept
their secondary position as they will be rewarded
in the next life.
Women & Religion
El Sadaawi 1980
• El Sadaawi is a Muslim feminist who argues that it is not
religion itself which dominates women but the patriarchal
control that developed with the rise of monotheism.
• As these religions developed they reflected the
patriarchal societies at the time
• Most scriptures were written by men and men
took the lead roles in the religious practices
• Women who tried to get involved were often
ostracised e.g. burnt as witches.
Women & Religion
Holm and Bowker 1994
• Holm and Bowker add some balance to this
debate in arguing that not all religions are
oppressive to women. In many religions
women have successfully challenged the
male dominance just as they have in other
areas of life.
• Wives often do opt not to promise to obey
their husbands in Christian wedding
ceremonies and women can become priests
and Rabbis in the Church of England and
Jewish faiths respectively.
Ethnicity and belief
•
Statistics show a downward trend in
membership of white Christian groups in
the UK but ethnic minority Christian and
non Christian groups have remained
strong.
Ethnicity and belief
•
•
Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths
Identity
• Since the 1950’s there has been an influx of
immigrants from the West Indies and South Asia
• Many brought their faiths and clung to them for
identity and comfort – typical of a functionalist
‘social solidarity’ view
• Many South Asians (Pakistani, Indians and
Bangladeshi’s) had to build their own mosques and
temples (Musilim, Sikh and Hindu)
• West Indians were mainly from Christian
backgrounds but also set about building their own
churches as they often felt unwelcome in those
already here.
Ethnicity and belief
•
Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths
• Racism
• This was often seen as threatening to the host
population and fuelled racism.
• Siks being allowed to not wear motorcycle
helmets, schools providing halal meat, Muslim
women wearing veils etc have all been flash
points of conflict.
Ethnicity and belief
•
Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths
• 2nd and 3rd Generation
• Modhood (1994)
• Says that many 2nd and 3rd generation Muslims
are not as religious as their parents.
• Many do drink alcohol
• Knott 1994 found many girls clashed with
parents over western v traditional dress
Ethnicity and belief
•
Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths
• But Watson (1994) found that many Muslim
women liked to dress in a modest Muslim way
and Ramji (2007) found that many young
Muslim men were patriarchal in outlook wanting
to fulfil a breadwinner role and not have their
wives working.
Age and belief
•
•
•
•
Statistics show that those
over 65 are more likely to attend church and
there is also a high figure for the under 15’s.
However attendance in all age categories has
declined over the last 30 years.
Age and belief
• Age and belief
• Davie (1994)
• Says that people aged 15-34 are less likely than
those over 54 to believe in God and heaven
• This is possibly a result of being brought up in a
scientific/rational era where questionning of
beliefs has become more common
• Also multiculturalism and a variety of belief
systems has led to many versions of ‘the truth’
and so has caused confusion for many
Age and belief
•
•
1.
2.
Sects and Cults
Young adults are more likely to join sects They are free from ties of family etc
As traditional religion has declined a search for meaning
and disgruntlement leads many to look for ‘something’
and are attracted by NRM’s offering strong messages.
• Middle aged (and middle class) people tend to join Cults.
1. They are attracted by messages offering purpose, routes
to success etc
2. They can still remain ‘mainstream’ people e.g. remain in
their jobs etc and live ‘normal’ lives
3. Involvement can be more sporadic – often via internet
sites and courses etc.