Feminism (Religion) Flashcards
View on the role of religion
Feminists diagree about the extent to which religion supports or can challenge the patriarcy but there is consensus that in the past dominant religious instiutions have reinforced the patriarchy.
View on religion and social change
Religion can be postive or conservative social for depending on its religion with patriarchy.
Through religious scripture/ teachings
- Women are represented as a temptresses who distract men from the serious business of worship. In the the first women who disobeys god and then goes onto to tempt adam and bring about downfall.
Holm (1994) mensutration
Women are not alowed to take part in religious services while menstruating which suggests that various restrictions on the participation of women contribute to the devaluation of women in many contemporary religions
Amstrong (1993) - priesthood
argued that the exclusion of women from positions of power such as priesthood serves as an example for the marginalisation of women in both religion and society.
Beauvoir - religion weakens women
Religon and patriarchy always go together
Religion encourages women to be meek and to put up with inequality and exploitation from the patriarchy and doing so will bring rewards in the afterlife.
Daley - violence against women
Argues that the patriarchal nature of religion causes violence against women; sexual violence, genocide and war. She also argues it CANNOT be changed.
What role are women given in many religious teachings
What happens if women chose not to conform to these gender sterotypes?
Women are given a role of nurturing,caring and giving birth. While these roles are positive an essitential they reinforce the gender norms in society and the patriachal power structures.
If they do not conform to these gender sterotypes they are not only deviating from gender norms and family expectations but deviating to gods will.
Holm (1994) contemporary examples
In islam women who are menstruating are not allowed to pray and touch the quran as it is scene as impure or unclean.
Orthodoc jewish women have to undergo lengthy purfication rituals each month before they are allowed to touch others again.
Radical neo-marxist Nawal El Saadawi (1980) - Religon and patriarchy don’t always have to go together
Does not believe that female opression is caused by islam.
Argues:
- that religions are not the direct cause of women;s explotation and opression (though they are often a tool employed to this end) the cause is a patriarchal society.
- That the powerful men reinterpreted religious beliefs and ideas in order to benefit themselves.
- Points out male and female opression of women is caused by ‘the patriarchal system which came into being when society had reacjer a certain stage of development.’
Linda Woodhead (2002) religion is not necessarily sexist or patriarchal.
Writes of a “religious feminism” e,g argues that the veil, n islamic societies, has been misinterpreted by some western feminists. She argues that many muslim women choose to cover up and see it as positive and liberatating choice.
In middle easterm societies women have used face veils to allow them to enter society, obtain employment and empower themseleves.
In western countries, some women have chosen to wear veils in order to escape the male gaze. (Ahmed (1992) argues that it allows women t main their modesty and be fully involves in soceity
What feminists would argue that reform of religion is possible
El Sadaawi, Amstrong and Woodhead
