gender and society

Question 1

Pltatos early views of women and the role of them

Answer 1

• women = inferior to men because men are more physically capable
• Plato thought to be born a woman was an unfavourable reincarnation that demonstrates immorality in a past life
• women = sex objects
• women = good house wifes

Question 2

aristotles views of women

Answer 2

• women are naturally inferior to men
• men should rule over women
• view women as a defective male since he gives life and she is just the oven in which it grows

Question 3

aristotles essentialist views of women

Answer 3

more mischievous, less simple, more impulsive, more jealous, lack of self respect, cry easier

Question 4

aquinas views on women

Answer 4

• women = inferior
• ‘the female is the misbegotten male’
• thought God made women to be subordinate
• thought women still played a special role in the Christian narrative and Virgin Mary had a special place in heaven

Question 5

quote from Ephesians that shows women should be subordinate

Answer 5

‘wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the lord’

Question 6

in what letter of Paul does he tell christian men to treat their wives

Answer 6

Ephesians 5:22-33

Question 7

quote from Ephesians that suggests men should love their wives

Answer 7

‘husbands should love their wives as their own bodies’

Question 8

what is the equal but different argument?

Answer 8

• men and women are equal but have different roles
• womens skills should be celebrated
• due to to these differences some roles should stay for men

Question 9

why is priesthood only available for men?

Answer 9

in catholocism only men can be priests because he is representing jesus at the last supper and jesus was male. The role is thus resvered for males. Or only open to men because jesus disciples were male.

Question 10

what is the feminine mystique

Answer 10

betty friedan -> challenged the notion that women are content to their roles as subordinate housewifes and roused women to admit this, this is accepting the feminine mystique

Question 11

simone de beauvoirs views

Answer 11

• women have a false consciousness and their existences continues to be defined by men without even really realising it.
• one becomes a woman
• we need to be liberated from this false consciousness and live true, free lives

Question 12

beauvoir quote on ‘the other’

Answer 12

‘the other is posited as the other by the one who posits themselves as the one’

Question 13

views of conservative protestants

Answer 13

1) women = wife = domestic haven for family
2) celebrated role
3) traced back to eve
4) motherhood = bringing life to grow into love of God
5) to go against this is to remove mans job as provider

Question 14

views of liberal protestants

Answer 14

1) motherhood has little ontological significance
2) motherhood shouldnt be something we aspire to

Question 15

what is the Muleris Dignitatem

Answer 15

papal encylical

Question 16

what does Muleris Dignitatem mean?

Answer 16

On the dignity and vocation of women

Question 17

what does the Muleris Dignitatem teach?

Answer 17

Jesus was possible because of the virgin Mary (highlihting womans role) .
Women have a special dignity because of their capacity for motherhood.
This is a role that should be celebrated.
Women are more naturally disposed to helping others.
They get to experience suffering as Christ did through child birth.

Question 18

what does Mary as theotokos mean?

Answer 18

she was the God-bearer illustrating the special value placed on motherhood for women

Question 19

what is active motherhood?

Answer 19

motherhood challanges man to learn from her how to be a good father because his nature doesnt make him predisposed to parenthood.

Question 20

how is motherhood mutual?

Answer 20

motherhood is an example to the man of what is also required of him

Question 21

issues with Muleris Dignitatem

Answer 21

• motherhood should be a choice not a burden
• defines women in terms of motherhood
• patriarchal bias suggesting motherhood is primary role for women
• essentialist views on gender, gender is not binary vs ‘one is not born a woman’

Question 22

Daphne Hampson

Answer 22

motherhood forces women to ‘crush their personalities and attend to others’

Question 23

ann oakley

Answer 23

She concluded that a woman’s feeling that she needs to become a mother is not biological but is entirely the result of socialisation: there is no such thing as a ‘maternal instinct’.

Social pressure to conform repressed women’s career ambitions.

She described the frustrations that women feel when they have to stay at home while their children are young.

Oakley wrote about the ways in which women feel powerless during childbirth, when medical experts (usually men) take over and start treating them as ‘cases’.

Question 24

traditional views on family

Answer 24

man and woman
eve and adam

Question 25

influence on Christianity of the virgin Mary on views of women

Answer 25

Mary as theotoks- child/God bearer, highlights the importance of motherhood for women since she allowed God to be his incarnate form. Women should celebrate their role as mother.
Also - virginity and purity. Jesus was born without sex, this is unrealistic and places weird expectations of virginity.

Question 26

Reasons why Christians SHOULD resist secular views of gender and family

Answer 26

• the bible is not that sexist - Jesus protecting the Adulterous woman - and therefore its values should be followed
• ## Mary as theotokos - a vocation to be celebrated for women

Question 27

Reasons why Christians SHOULD resist secular views of gender and family