Feminism Flashcards
What are the four views that religion, oppresses women
Religion legitimises the gender hierarchy
Religion, maintains patriarchy
Religion segregates the sexes
Religion is an instrument of male domination
What are the four views that religion does not oppress women?
Culture is oppressive, not religion
Religion organisations do not maintain patriarchy
Religious forms of feminism
Religion empowers women
Religion legitimises the gender hierarchy
Beauvoir states that religion is an instrument of domination
She argued that men usually control religious organisations and claim their authority comes from God for example kings
Some religions may portray women as being closer to God, but only if they are passive and do not question male authority
Religion then gives women false belief that their suffering will be rewarded in heaven
Sacred texts feature the doings of male gods, prophets etc, and these are usually written and interpreted by men
Religion, maintains patriarchy
These are mainly male dominated, despite the fact that women often participate more than men in these organisations
For example, orthodox Judaism and Catholicism forbid women to become priests
Armstrong sees women’s exclusion from priesthood of most religions as evidence for their marginalisation
Religion segregates the sexes
Places of worship often segregate the sexes and marginalise women for example, seating them behind screens, while men occupy the central and more sacred spaces
Women’s participation may be restricted, for example, not being allowed to preach or read sacred texts
And there are many taboo that regard menstruation , pregnancy and childbirth as polluting for example, in Islam, women that are menstruating and not allowed to touch the quran
Religion is an instrument of male domination
Religious laws and customs may give women fewer rights than men for example and access of divorce? How many spouses they can have and dress codes etc
Religious influences on cultural norms may also lead to unequal treatment, such as genital mutilation, or punishments for sexual transgressions
Many religions legitimate, and regulate women’s traditional domestic and reproductive roles for example, the Catholic Church bans abortion
Culture is oppressive, not religion
While religion may be used to oppress women saadawi Augies, that is not the direct cause of their subordination
Patriarchy began to influence and re- shape religion for example, men, reinterpreted religious beliefs in ways that favoured patriarchy
Religious organisations do not maintain patriarchy
many liberal feminists argue that religion today does not help to maintain patriarchy. Instead, many believe there is a march of progress.
Since 1985 the Church of England has allowed women to become priests and there is an increase of people as female Bishops
Religious forms of feminism
Woodhead criticises feminist explanations that bring religion with patriarchy
She accepts that many traditional religion is patriarchal but that is not true of all religions and there are many ways that women use religion to gain freedom and respect
She uses the example of the hijab worn by Muslim women, while many western feminist see it as a symbol of oppression to the wearer it may symbolise resistance to the oppression
And she argues that some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab to escape the confines of the home, and it frees women from the male gaze
Religion empowers women
New age movements, often empower women, then oppress them
Women can reach top positions within these movements, empowering more females to take on the dominant role
Butler uses the example of British Muslims, who are presented with more choice, due to the hybridity of cultures and religion
Women wear a headscarf as part of their identity, so they are embracing their religion
