Feminist views Flashcards
Karen Armstrong
Women have not always been oppressed and considered inferior
>For example, women are seen as “goddesses” in Ancient Greek mythology, for example Athena is a powerful female figure.
> even today, there are female Gods in Hinduism.
> the increase in monotheism, however resulted in people seeing God and man as one, for example Jesus.
> the idea of god being a single, all powerful male started womens inferior status in society, this formed the basis of religion as a patriarchal ideology - there is evidence for this like:
- prophets are men
- catholic church excludes women from priesthood
- male pronouns are used “he is in the glory of god”
EVALUATION - Armstrong overlooks positive changes in modern society, in 1992 the Church of England allowed women to be priests and in 2014 the first bishop Libby Lane occurred.
Simon de Beavoiur
religion is a instrument of control and an instrument of deception, men typically use religion to oppress women.
> “men enjoy the great advantage of having a God that endorses the code that he writes” - this means men benefit from using religion to justify the control they use over women.
EXAMPLE - 2016, BBC news interview with leader of Pakistan’s council of Islamic ideology - he claim the Koran claims they can “lightly beat” their wife.
> in acting as an instrument of deception, he claims women are susceptible to the false promises of “equality in a sexless heaven”. There is suffering here on Earth which will be rewarded in afterlife.
> women follow religion the most, but they are treated badly by it.
EVALUATION - women’s growing interest in new ageism does not oppress them, decline religion etc.
Sadaawi
religion is not patriarchal, it is the way it is used by men.
> religion is used to justify men’s actions against women, even with little evidence to justify it.
> the example of forced female circumcision, a practice often linked to Islam, in reality there is no such link to Islam more than any other religion. There is no evidence of this in the Qur’an - this doesnt prevent men from using religion to justify these practices.
EXAMPLE - BBC NEWS, 2007 - highlight the NHS in England had recorded 5000 new cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) and that it is a 14 year prison sentence for such procedures
> men use the Qur’an to oppress women as well, a suitable for men and women committing adultery is stoning as stated in Qur’an, however it is used against women more than men.
EVALUATION - they ignore the progress taking place that give women a better deal.
> religion can actually be a tool used to combat oppression.
piety movements - add name
women play an important part in piety movements, they choose to reject western nations of “freedom” and choices that are given to women
> women prefer to embrace traditional gender roles.
> strict codes of dress and home centred roles as wives and mothers are valued
EVALUATION - women don’t consciously choose piety, but are victims of ideology - radical feminists say women don’t have a genuine choice for patriarchal ideology.
Jean Hold - Signs of hope!
Muslim women tend to keep their own name when they marry and have the freedom to choose which interpretation of Islam is evidence religion doesn’t oppress them.
> Sikh Gurus in India work hard to improve women’s lives
> women get a way better deal out of religion now than they once did
> radical feminists are misguided when looking at women and religion
