Gender Flashcards
How are women more religious than men?
- Miller and Hoffman
1) Are more likely to express a greater interest in religion
2) Have a stronger personal religious commitment
3) Attend church more often
What does Greely argue?
Before women acquire a partner/children, their religiosity is not dissimilar to men
- ‘taking care’ = assume greater responsibility
- W are more involved in caring than practical responsibilities
- caring associated with a religious outlook
What 2 concepts do Miller and Hoffman discuss?
1) Differential socialisation
2) Differential roles
What is differential socialisation?
F- taught to be submissive, passive, obedient, nurturing
- these traits are compatible with religiosity
- M who internalise these roles ten to be more religious than men who do not
What are differential roles?
F- lower rates of participation in paid work, more time for curch related activities
- need for source of personal identity commitment
- higher p in childrearing
- increases religiosity coincides with concern for family well being
Why are women more likely to be religious because of risk aversion?
Women are more risk averse
- religion has a lot to gain and little to lose, this attracts more women
HALMAN AND DRAULANS
Women as the guardians of family life
W expected to be the defenders of tradition
- major responsibilities of looking after home, family, children
- take charge of child’s moral development
- introduce them to approved social values, including religious belief
KNOTT
Biological differences
Spiritual themes in childbearing
- powerful coping mechanisms
- childbirth as a spiritually transforming experience
Women are more religious following childbirth
Why is life expectancy a factor to explaining greater religiosity among women?
W live longer than men
- more likely to be widowed
- turn to religion as a source of support and comfort
- mean of building support networks in their communities
- live on their own as they grow older
Examples of New Age Movements
- spiritualism
- meditation
- wicca
- new age herbalism
- crystal therapy
- astrology
BRUCE
NAMs
Women are more likely to joins NAMs due to their more feminine features
ALDRIDGE
NAMs
Image of the goddess in some NAMs give women a central role
- offers more positive image of femininity than traditional religions do
What is wicca?
Combination of religion and feminism
‘women’s spirituality’
Women are more attracted to sects and cults, how do Glock and Stark explain this?
Use the concept of relative deprivation saying some women feel relatively deprived compared with men
What are the 4 types of relative deprivation that Glock and Stark identified?
1) Social deprivation
2) Organismic deprivation
3) Ethical deprivation
4) Psychic deprivation
What is social deprivation?
Stem from a lack of power, prestige or status
Why are women more likely to experience social deprivation and how can NAMs help?
NRMs can give them liberation from control
- Jehova’s witnesses, alternative source of satisfaction
What is Organismic deprivation?
Experienced by those who suffer physical and mental problems
- may turn to sects in the hope of being healed or as an alternative to drugs and alcohol
Why might men with physical or mental illnesses be less attracted to alternative treatments offered my NRMs?
They may be ridiculed as it does not fit the stereotypical role of a man
What is ethical deprivation?
Result of people perceiving the world to be in moral decline and therefore retreating into an introversionist sect which separates itself from mainstream society
Why might women be more driven to ac upon their ethical deprivation?
Women have more moral responsibilities attached to them
e.g. childcare, family, a child’s moral development
What is psychic depriavtion?
Refers to those searching for more than the dominanat value system offers
- wish for inner spiritual fulfilment rather than consumerist goals on offer in capitalist societies
e.g moonies
Why would feminists argue that women experience psychic deprivation?
The dominant value system does not benefit them as it is in favour of men
- malestream and patriarchal
What are fundamentalist religions according to Cohen and Kennedy?
‘The desire to restore fundamentalist religions is associated with the fear that any real increase in women’s freedom will undermine male control
Why do Cohen and Kennedy suggest men are more attracted to Fundamentalist movements?
They fear that the increase in women’s freedom will undermine male control because men want to maintain control
How can Cohen and Kennedy be criticised?
Many women join these movements in order to reduce the ambiguities associated with women’s role today
- they must be involved to make a difference
What is an example of a fundamentalist religion?
RASTAFARIANISM
- women are regarded as subordinate to men
- built around male control
What are the 5 changing trends identified by Aune?
1) Fertility levels
2) Feminist values
3) Paid employment
4) Family diversity
5) Sexuality
1) Fertility levels
Women have fewer children now
- leading to general decrease in church attendance amongst both genders
2) Feminist values
Feminism began influencing women in the 1960s and the 1970s
- challenged Christian views about women’s’ roles
- raised women’s aspirations
3) Paid employment
Less women were in paid work by the beginning of the 20th century
Nowadays many women work
Hard to juggle a job + childcare + housework + church
4) Family diversity
single people, single-parent families, cohabitation
- all under-provided for/discouraged by the church
How does Woodhead agree with Aune?
The decline of women’s participation and attendance in religious organisations is tied in with the increasing numbers of women entering the workforce
