Gender and society

Question 1

Keyword

Feminism

start with flaschared 14

Answer 1

The name given to a wide range of views arguing for, and working for, equality for women

Question 2

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Gender biology

Answer 2

The physical characteristics that enable someone to be identified as male or female

Question 3

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Gender identification

Answer 3

The way poeple percieve themselves in terms of masucline, feminine, both or neither

Question 4

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Gender expression

Answer 4

the ways in which people behave as a result of their gender identifications

Question 5

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socialisation

Answer 5

The process by which people learn cultural norms

Question 6

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Patriachal society

Answer 6

A society that is dominated by men and women’s intrests

Question 7

Modernity

Answer 7

It is genereally argued that ‘modernity’ refers to a powerful set of cultural, political, economic, and spatial relationships that have fundamentally influenced the nature of social life.

Question 8

JP2’s Mueliers dignitatum argument 1

Answer 8

• wrote “On the dignity of women” in response to the accusations that the church is sexist
• he discusses the different qualities of women and focused on examples of christian devotion set by female saints
• Motherhood is a woman’s telos – needed for their psychological development (of compassion and self-giving). has a ‘special openess’ to a new person “Motherhood is the fruit of the marriage union”
• Motherhood gives a ‘special-openness’ to the new person that will be her child.
• Men and women are different but equal = complement each other – suited for different roles due to God’s design.
• Genesis: after the fall, women have ‘pain’ in childbirth and adam has to work the land for food – this emphasises the different gender roles that JP2 is arguing are innate.

Question 9

Evaluation on JP2 argument 1

Simone De Beauviour

feminism and changing views on gender

Answer 9

• (existentialist) Simone De Beauviour argues that motherhood forces women to suspend their own intrests in order to take care of children.
• Men like JP II have just unconsciously made this idea about telos up because they want to justify and perpetuate patriarchy.
• They want to push on women the idea that they have a certain role – the best way to persuade someone to adopt a certain role is to claim that God designed them to have that role.
• they conform to the ‘false-consciousness’
• ‘existence precedes essence’

Futher evaluation:
* Beauvoir also made further arguments that the universal elements of gender roles could actually be the result of universal sociological factors rather than biological.
* Men have more physical strength biologically while women are chained to the reproductive cycle and feeding of infants.
* Men turned that biological power into social power. They were simply able to physically force women into the social role of being submissive and subservient to them.

Question 10

in support of beauvoir

ann oakley

Answer 10

she also agree about the negative side of motherhood
- she found that during birth women felt powerless as men (doctors took over)
- materal instinct is due to socialisation not biology

Question 11

JP2’s Muelieris dignitatum argument 2:

Answer 11

• P2 says the Church can’t be sexist because there are many women that it likes, respects and even canonises – like Jesus’ mother Mary (and Joan of Arc).
• They are important and valued in christain history/theology

Question 12

Evaluation on JP2 argument 2

Mary Daly’s critique

Answer 12

• Jesus mother mary was a rape victim – God forced her to be pregnant. Daly is saying that putting Mary on a pedestal is pushing the idea that what makes a woman good is their submissive acceptance of being the sexual property of men.
• Daly accepts that Mary wasn’t raped in a physical sense – but nonetheless thinks it still pushes the idea that woman are saintly if they accept being the sexual property of men.
• Daly is saying the church ‘likes’ Mary – in the same way slave owners ‘like’ their obedient slaves. Imagine if a slave owner said they really liked slaves – because they like a particular (very obedient) slave. Daly is saying JP2 only likes Mary because she submitted and accepted being the sexual property of a male God.

Question 13

HISTOIRCIAL VIEWS OF MALE AND FEMALE GENDER ROLES

Answer 13

• Plato believed that women were inferior to men ‘it is only males who are created directly from the Gods and are given souls’ - timaeus
• Aquinas believed women are naturally inferior to men in physical strength/intelligence. Aquinas also used the word ‘defective’ when comparing women to men.

“Women are more mischievous, less simple and more impulsive” = since they are naturally inferior is it therefore best that men govern women

Question 14

christianity in gender crisis

Answer 14

• christianity traditionally taught that men and women were created by god to have diffeerent, complementary qualities
• the bible teaches that within marriage, a man should be in charge of his wife and his wife should submit to his authority. = this is said in the wedding vows
• feminists argues that women should have thee same rights/freedom as men
• christianity is therefore sometimes blamed for perpetuating injustice by giving support to the idea that women need to be treated as well as men = maintains traditional values

Question 15

traditional christian views

Answer 15

• geneisis 1:27
• the second creation story causes problems: male is created first and woman second (from his rib) as his companion and ‘helper’
• a woman is also first to temptation, this passage is used tot support the beleif that women are weaker willed than men. results in the view that men should take the lead in decision making and should not be swayed by a woman
• supports ephesians 5:22 ‘wives,submit to your husbands as you do the lord..’
• goes againsts christian egalitarianism: within marriage, husbands and wifes should be mutuallly respectful/supportive without dominating other = Emphasises husband’s control and wife’s submission, reflecting societal norms and ethical advice of the era + Analogy drawn between husband-wife relationship and Christ-Church relationship. = Wife urged to accept husband’s authority, mirroring Church’s submission to Christ.

Question 16

Introduction

Answer 16

• Gender roles refer to the psychological traits, place in society, that a culture associates with male and female. Being a man or a woman comes with expectations attached to it about how a person ought to behave.
• The traditional view of gender roles are that men should be active in the world while women should be submissive to male authority and dedicated to homemaking and bringing up children.
• because God designed human nature to flourish when following them
• Feminists argue that gender roles are to some degree socially constructed
• Traditionalists see feminists as irrationally attempting to deny the reality of their own nature
• Feminists see traditionalism as a man-made ideology which manipulates women into accepting the social role that it serves the interests of men for them to have.

Question 17

Patriarchy and feminism

Answer 17

• The feminist movement aims to improve women’s rights and opportunities, challenging patriarchal norms and advocating for gender equality.
• Third-wave feminism broadens its scope to include diverse voices and challenge traditional gender roles.
• Significant legal changes in the 20th century, such as voting rights and reproductive freedom, have empowered women and challenged societal norms.

Question 18

Different views of male/females gender roles - The view that gender is a matter of choice

Answer 18

• Gender as Social Construct:
  
  • Critics argue that labeling qualities as masculine or feminine is socially constructed rather than inherent.
  • Individuals can possess traits traditionally associated with both genders, challenging societal norms.
• Individual Variation:
  
  • People have diverse personalities, and gendered behaviors are influenced by societal expectations.
  • Society reinforces gender stereotypes from a young age, shaping behaviors and interests.
• Challenge to Binary Gender:
  
  • Some reject the idea of binary gender and view gender as a spectrum.
  • They advocate for individual autonomy in determining gender identity and expression.

Question 19

Christian views about different family types

Answer 19

• Traditional Christian family model, with a male breadwinner and female homemaker, challenged by modern society’s diversity in family structures.
• Family concept varies across contexts, encompassing immediate and extended family, including non-related members living together.
• Christianity upholds heterosexual marriage as ideal, but recognizes diverse family forms, including single-parent, blended, and same-sex families.
• Marriage viewed as divine institution ordained by God, often considered a sacrament in Catholicism.
• Secular challenges include differing views on divorce, contraception, and abortion, with varying stances among Christian denominations.
• Acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage varies among Christians, reflecting differing interpretations of biblical teachings and understanding of God’s love.

Question 20

Should official Christian teaching resist current secular views of gender

Answer 20

• Some Christians advocate defending traditional biblical gender roles and family dynamics, citing the consistent teaching on distinct sexes and their purposes.
• They argue that stable families with both male and female role models benefit children, contrasting secular views on gender as potentially destabilising.
• others believe Christianity should acknowledge challenges to traditional gender roles, viewing them as perpetuating injustice and advocating for women’s rights using Christian ethical principles like agape.
• The debate extends to same-sex marriage, with some Christians resisting it to uphold marriage’s sanctity as ordained by God, while others advocate for inclusivity and equal treatment.
• There’s division within Christianity regarding adaptation to contemporary society: some see it as necessary for relevance, while others prioritize maintaining high moral standards even if they conflict with secular norms.

Question 21

To what extent is motherhood liberating or restricting?

Answer 21

• Some argue that motherhood represents the ultimate fulfillment of female potential, enabling women to nurture, care, and develop their best characteristics, as explored in the Papal letter Mulieris Dignitatem (1988).
• However, feminist perspectives, exemplified by Simone de Beauvoir and sociologist Ann Oakley, challenge this view. De Beauvoir critiqued motherhood as a force that suppresses women’s individuality and purpose, particularly in the absence of contraception, while Oakley highlighted the socialization aspect and described women’s frustrations with childbirth and domestic responsibilities.
• Motherhood’s impact varies greatly among women and over time, influenced by factors such as relationships, health, finances, and family support. Many women experience a mix of liberation and restriction, finding motherhood to be both better and worse than expected, suggesting that simplistic labels fail to capture its complexity and uniqueness.

Question 22

Is the idea of family entirely culturally determined?

Answer 22

• In sociology and anthropology, the family is viewed as a social institution that performs valued functions within a society, such as childcare and domestic tasks.
• Family structures vary across cultures, with industrialised societies often having smaller nuclear families, while traditional societies may have larger extended families with distinct gender roles.
• Sociologists emphasise that human behaviour is shaped by societal norms through socialisation, where individuals internalise cultural expectations.
• Christianity contrasts this view, teaching that the family is created and shaped by God, with specific roles outlined in religious texts like the Bible.
• The belief in God’s creation of the family implies a divine ideal that transcends societal changes, leading some Christians to defend traditional family structures and roles against contemporary challenges.