gender and religion

Question 1

Miller and Hoffman

Answer 1

women are more religious than men because of two ways:
1. differential socialisation
2. differential roles

Question 2

how does differential socialisation relate to religion

Answer 2

females are thought to be passive and nurturing- they have highly compatiable characteristics with religiosity. it is a source of identity

Question 3

how does differential roles relate to religion

Answer 3

low rates of paid work so more time for church activities, higher child rearing as coincides with concern for family. risk averse- religion has lot to gain, little to lose

Question 4

Halman and Drivan

Answer 4

Guardians of family
- women feel necessary to take charge of child’s moral devel + intro to religious beliefs

Question 5

Knoft

Answer 5

Biological reasons
- women more religious following childbirth as seen as spiritual experience

Question 6

what are the differences in life expectancy and how do they relate to religion?

Answer 6

• women more likely to live longer than men so leads to increased religiosity because women more lonely so can cope and it comforts when partner has passed

Question 7

Bruce

Answer 7

women more likely to engage in NAMs like
- spiritualism
- meditation
- Wicca

Question 8

Aldridge

Answer 8

image of goddess in some NAMs gives women central role, offering more positive image of feminity than traditional religions

Question 9

Glock and Stark

Answer 9

women more likely join sects/cults
- women more driven to act upon ethical deprivation- differnetial roles, more liekly to be carers
- men w physical/mental illness less attracted to alt therapies as seen as talking therapy (feminine)

Question 10

Cohen and Kennedy

Answer 10

• desire to restore fundamentalist religions associated with fear that any increase in womens freedom will undermine male control

Question 11

evaluation

Answer 11

Aune:
fertility levels (less children), feminist values (raised aspirations), paid employment(hard to juggle), family diversity (discouraged by church) all led to reasons why decrease in female church attendence