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Year Two RS > Gender and Society > Flashcards

Gender and Society Flashcards

1
Q

gender biology

A

the physical characteristics that enable someone to be identified as male or female like sex organs and chromosomes

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2
Q

gender identification

A

the way people perceive themselves in terms of masculine, feminine, both or neither

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3
Q

gender expression

A

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

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4
Q

socialisation

A

the process by which people learn cultural norms

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5
Q

what has Christianity traditionally taught about men and women

A
  • men and women were created by God to have different but complementary characteristics
  • marriage is ordained by God so men and women can live together as couples and raise children together
  • the Bible teaches that within a marriage a man should be in charge and his wife should submit to his authority
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6
Q

what do feminists object to in a general sense

A
  • that women shouldn’t have the same rights and freedoms as men
  • that men have a natural authority over women
  • they often blame Christianity for perpetuating injustice by giving support to the idea that women need not be treated as well as men
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7
Q

what are some ways in which secular society challenges traditional Christian teaching

A
  • rising divorce rates
  • a growing acceptance of same-sex relationships
  • a growing number of children being born to parents who are not married
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8
Q

why have some thinkers rejected Christianity all together

A

they see its teaching on gender as incompatible both with contemporary society and with the rights of women

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9
Q

gender

A
  • sophisticated relationship between gender biology, identification and expression
  • can be related to but does not determine sexuality
  • a male who identifies and expresses himself in masculine ways is not necessarily heterosexual
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10
Q

what are gender identification and expression influenced by

A
  • gender identification and expression are often heavily influenced by the ways society expects its members to behave and feel
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11
Q

what is gender for many people but not all

A
  • something that is acquired
  • from a young age people learn about the expectations associated with being a boy or girl and develop their gender identification and expression through socialisation - learning the norms of our society
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12
Q

in Western Society what does socialisation traditionally put a lot of emphasis on

A
  • learning to make a distinction between the male and female
  • as soon as a baby is born it is announced a boy or girl and this is understood to be much more important than any of the baby’s other characteristics
  • shops offer different clothing for boys and girls - like blue and pink - even when they are newborn
  • have decorations etc which hint at the gender roles expected of the baby - like flowers for a girl or a train for a boy
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13
Q

what do many schools now do to try and avoid gender serotyping and how has this failed

A
  • in an effort to avoid restricting children’s aspirations through stereotyping, schools make an effort to use textbooks and stories which show girls can enjoy science and boys can be nurses etc…
  • but in spite of these conscious efforts its still common to hear teachers telling children to ask your MUM to sew your name into your PE kit without acknowledging that an adult of any gender might be able to sew
  • it is still the case that when it comes to choosing school subjects more boys pick sciences and girls pick more arts and languages
  • the gender gap widens in further education and is even more distinct in the world of employment
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14
Q

how do patriarchal societies tend to be organised

A
  • in ways that are primarily for men’s benefit and in ways that enable men to hold onto power
  • tend to offer ways of looking at the world that are largely from a male perspective expressed through male voices
  • e.g. in patriarchal societies, the historical events considered worth remembering are generally men’s achievements/stories as opposed to women’s
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15
Q

what is an ‘accepted truth’ in patriarchal societies

A
  • that men are stronger than women
  • that men and women have different aptitudes which make them better suited to different roles in public and private life
  • men seen as more rational - women seen as more emotional
  • this has been used as an argument to allow men to make the important decisions involved in governing
  • women seen as more better suited to caring roles like looking after children - make use of their more compassionate nature
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16
Q

feminism

A

the name given to a wide range of beliefs that seek freedom for women and emphasise the need to remove restrictions that a patriarchal society places on women allowing them the same freedoms that men enjoy

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17
Q

first wave feminism

A
  • movement that worked primarily for women’s right to vote

- began in the late 19th century

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18
Q

second wave feminism

A
  • began in the 1960s
  • took on wider issues including those surrounding women’s sexual health, reproduction, contraception, abortion, domestic violence, rape and equality in the work place
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19
Q

third wave feminism

A
  • began in the 1990s to the present day
  • calls into question the whole notion of gender roles as well as aiming to be inclusive of women of all ethnicities, sexualities and backgrounds
  • a reaction to challenge that earlier versions of feminism concentrated too much on the voices of affluent heterosexual white women in western society
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20
Q

discuss some of significant changes to UK law that happened in the 20th century allowing women to have more freedom

A
  • women were not allowed to vote on an equal footing with men until 1928
  • 1918 some women over 30 allowed but not all
  • reliable birth control not readily available till the early 1960s
  • before the pill, most women marries in early 20s and expected to stay home and raise a family
  • when the pill introduced it was originally prescribed for older married women who had all the children they could manage
  • not until 1974 that family planning clinics could prescribe it as a contraceptive for single women
  • abortion illegal until 1967
  • 1970 women legally entitled to be paid the same of men for the same work
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21
Q

why was making the pill available to single women so controversial at the time

A
  • it was thought it would encourage sex outside marriage because single women would have control over their own fertility and could have casual sexual relationships without the fear of pregnancy
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22
Q

liberal feminism

A

seeks equality for women by campaigning for changes in the law e.g. staging protests against rape of for equal pay

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23
Q

radical feminism

A

the view that women cannot be liberated within a capitalist patriarchal society

advocates a total uprooting and rebuilding of society

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24
Q

Marxist feminism

A

see women’s struggle for freedom through Marxist lens
women’s oppression is understood as a symptom of the oppression that occurs when there is private ownership if the means of production

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25
Q

Black feminism
Post colonial feminism
Indigenous feminism

A

aim to give voices to and further the interests of non white women in their own cultural contexts

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26
Q

ecofeminsim

A

emphasises a connection between women and the natural world seeing a relationship between care for the planet and freedom of women and placing blame on the damage to the planet on patriarchal capitalism

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27
Q

separatist feminism

A

seeks freedom for women in isolation from men seeing heterosexual relationships as inherently disempowering for women
there is something about heterosexual relationships that always puts women at a disadvantage
closely linked to lesbian feminism which promotes same sex relationships for women.

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28
Q

what do some feminists that want to remain within Christianity argue

A
  • changes need to be made within the structure of Christian, practice, worship and leadership to give women equality with men
  • religious worship should focus on God as feminine using the language of motherhood rather than fatherhood
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29
Q

why do some feminists not want to remain within Christianity

A
  • argue Christianity and other religions are incompatible with feminism because religion is a social construct heavily intertwined with patriarchy
  • feminists should abandon religion altogether
30
Q

what did Plato believe about the equality of men and women

A
  • women are inferior to men in the context of rebirth and life after death
  • been born a woman is something that unfortunately happens to men who did not get it right the first time
  • but he did support the idea that women should be treated more fairly and not as the possessions of men (in his book Republic)
31
Q

give the Plato quote about women being inferior to men

A
  • its only males who are created directly by the God and given souls
  • those who live rightly return to the stars, but those who are cowards or lead unrighteous lives may with reason by supposed to have changed into the nature of women in the second generation
32
Q

what did Aristotle believe about the equality of men and women

A
  • women naturally inferior to men and thus its right that men should rule women and women should submit
  • he drew his conclusions from observation looking at the way women in his society behave to decide what was natural
33
Q

what thoughts did Aristotle have on Biology with regards to men, women and reproduction

A
  • reproduction happens because of the male ability to produce semen
  • thought women just on the end of a life giving force produced by men didn’t know about women’s eggs
  • women unable to produce semen so concluded women were equivalent to unfertile man seen by Aristotle as ‘defective’
  • women naturally inferior so its best they’re governed by men as animals are governed by humans
34
Q

give Aristotle’s quote about women being inferior to men and naturally needing to be ruled by men

A
  • its best for all tame animals to be ruled by human beings for this is how they are kept alive
  • in the same way the relationship between male and female by nature is such that the male is higher, the female lower, that the males rule and the female is ruled
35
Q

what does Aquinas think about the equality of men and women

A
  • women inferior to men in physical strength and intelligence
  • Aquinas used word ‘defective’ like Aristotle when comparing women to men
  • thought women created by God to be inferior to men as part of natural variety/order of the world - they had always been that way - not just result of Eve’s sin
  • God made women subordinate to men and it was natural and right that men should have authority over women in everything.
36
Q

what is essentialism

A

the view that men and women are equal in worth but have different skills, qualities and aptitudes
people are equally valuable in the eyes of God but have different complementary characteristics which equip each gender for different roles
men better suited for firefighting e.g.

some feminists do not claim there is no difference between men and women beyond biological difference but claim that women’s special skills should be celebrated as equal with men’s rather than second rate

37
Q

discuss how some Christians take the view of essentialism to argue that women should not have positions of authority in the Church

A
  • women should take roles where they are representing Christ such as the blessing of the Eucharist
  • Catholic and Orthodox Church don’t ordain women to the priesthood arguing Jesus chose only men to be his disciples
  • God chose to come into the world as a man not a women and so only a man can represent him in the sacraments
  • not all Christians feel this way though CofE and United Reformed Church have ordained women arguing God calls people to the ministry without gender discrimination
38
Q

discuss the view that women are superior to men

A
  • some people think women should aim higher than equality and be more ambitious
  • Daly argued women’s ability and knowledge are superior to men’s
  • women ought to govern men as this would result in a more peaceful society and be better for the environment
39
Q

how do some people challenge the idea that there are masculine qualities and feminine qualities

A
  • argue designating some qualities/behaviours as masculine and some as feminine is artificial, determined by the cultural norms of society rather than nature
  • women can be aggressive just as men can be emotional
  • people are individuals with their own personalities
  • it only appears that some qualities are more prevalent in men and others in women because society reinforces rigid rules of gender expression
40
Q

give examples of some cultural norms that are impressed on people from a young age through socialisation

A
  • boys taught not to cry when they’re hurt and encouraged to be physically strong
  • girls are taught to take an interest in their appearance and society often dictates what should be considered attractive and unattractive
41
Q

discuss how some people challenge the whole idea of gender as well as masculine and feminine qualities

A
  • don’t believe there is only two options male or female
  • prefer to think of gender as a spectrum/matter of choice where all individuals have the right to decide how they identify and express themselves
  • have a right to change their mind about gender
42
Q

discuss how views about gender are extended to include the idea that it makes no sense to talk about women’s experience as if there is something singular about it that can be defined

A
  • like gender women’s experience can’t be rigidly defined
  • there is too much diversity between women in terms of culture, ethnicity, age and social class for there to be a single phenomenon of women’s experiences
  • menstruation and childbirth e.g. are experience in different ways over time and across the world
  • its unhelpful to classify them together as ‘women’s experience’
43
Q

what does the Bible and Christianity traditionally teach about the roles of men and women in family and society

A
  • God created men and women to have different complementary roles - essentialism
44
Q

Genesis 1:27

A

so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female

  • first book of Genesis
  • men and women are equal despite their different roles
  • no hint here that one sex is superior to the other - both reflect the nature of God in some sense
45
Q

how does the second book of Genesis differ from the first in terms of its outlook towards men and women

A
  • in second creation story male is created first and woman second in order to be the man’s companion and helper
  • the only reason women exist is to serve men
  • woman was also made from man which also echoes Ephesian where the man should care for women as themselves because Eve made from Adam
  • the women is also the first to succumb to temptation leading to belief women are weaker willed than men and that men should lead decision making not allowing themselves to be swayed by women
46
Q

what was the purpose of the NT letters to newly formed Christian churches

A
  • advice for the household on the roles of men and women as if people ran orderly households it was thought society would be more stable
  • to demonstrate that Christianity was peaceful and not a dangerous and subservient movement
  • important that Christians should be seen to be respectable members of society
47
Q

what does Ephesians, a key NT letter, say about the roles of men and women in a household (without quotes)

A
  • conservative tone
  • keeping closely with the cultural norms of its time that were considered to be good ethics in both Christian and non-Christian households
  • society was patriarchal with father as head of household and complete rule over the rest of the household
  • traditional gender roles of a patriarchal society are emphasised
48
Q

give some quotes from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

A
  • “wives submit to your husbands”…. “in everything”
  • “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church”
  • “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies”
  • “the two will become one flesh”
  • “the wife must respect her husband”
49
Q

discuss how Ephesians links the relationship of a couple to the Christ and the Church

A
  • the wife should accept the authority of her husband in the same way the Church accepts the authority of Christ
  • but its not a one way relationship
  • the husband should also love his wife in the way that Christ loves the Church
  • Christ sacrificed himself for the Church to be holy as the husband should be self-sacrificing for his wife
50
Q

how does Ephesians use the imager of the Church as the body of Christ to describe how a husband should love his wife

A
  • love his wife to the same extent that he loves his own body
  • quoted Genesis - “one flesh” - the respect a man has for himself is dependent on his showing love for his wife
  • recognising the women is in a disadvantaged position in patriarchal society
  • the instructions to show self-sacrificing love are for the husband the wife is simply advised to show her husband respect
  • passage places Christian marriage and household in the context of living under the authority of Christ
  • couple reminded their personal relationships and lives are to be conducted in ways appropriate for people who are part of the body of Christ (the Church)
51
Q

how do some people believe in what the Bible has to say about gender roles

A
  • Bible has authority as the Word of God and should be accepted at face value
  • if contemporary society disagrees with some of the Bible’s teachings its society that needs to change
  • the Bible teaches quite consistently that a man should be head of household/chief decision maker
  • wife should be obedient and support him
  • known as ‘biblical patriarchy’
52
Q

what is Biblical patriarchy

A
  • where the Bible is cited as justification for the man having complete authority in the home
53
Q

why does some people argue we shouldn’t agree with with biblical directions about how to run a household

A
  • they were written for a historical context very different from our own
  • religious ethics and practices do not develop in a vacuum but within a social context and when people no longer live according to the customs of the first century, rules about gender roles need to be reconsidered along with outdated rules about slaves and witches
  • support Christian egalitarianism
54
Q

what is Christian egalitarianism

A

the view that in a Christian marriage the husband and wife should be mutually respectful and supportive without either dominating the other

55
Q

who wrote Mulieris Dignitatem and what was the subject matter

A
  • Pope John Paul II
  • 1988
  • on the subject of the dignity and rights of women
  • drew attention to skills of women and examples of Christian devotions set forth by female European saints
  • essentialism
  • women’s role of motherhood should be respected
56
Q

what was the aim of Mulieris Dignitatem

A
  • intended to clarity Catholic position on issues raised by feminism in response to accusations that the Church was sexist and that it promoted injustice by denying women the same rights as men like the right to be a priest
57
Q

what did the pope write about Mary in Mulieris Dignitatem

A
  • the turning point of human history happened when God came to earth as Christ and that was made possible because of a woman
  • Mary freely chose to take on the role of the mother of the son of God
  • when angel Gabriel appeared to Mary she recognised the call to service and responded
  • on the character of Mary “two particular dimensions of the fulfilment of the female personality are exemplified” - virginity and motherhood
58
Q

give the quote that sums up point 18 of Mulieris Dignitatem

A

Motherhood is the fruit of the marriage union of a man and woman of that biblical knowledge which corresponds to the union of the two in one flesh
this brings about on the women’s part a special gift of self as an expression of that spousal love whereby the two are united to each other so closely that they become one flesh

59
Q

what does the Pope write about women in Mulieris Dignitatem

A
  • motherhood enables a woman to be self-giving as she has a special openness to her child
  • naturally disposed to motherhood physically and physiologically as a gift from God
  • though parenthood is shared, man has a special debt to the woman
  • personality of been more capable to attending to the needs of others than men
  • no one else would be here without motherhood it must be respected
60
Q

why is the idea that women’s personalities are more capable of tending to the needs of others problematic

A
  • undermines fathers
  • says women should look after others not themselves
  • reinforces employment stereotypes like women in caring roles of nurses
  • women give up a lot
61
Q

in point 19 of Mulieris Dignitatem how does the Pope use the word passive

A
  • repeats the word passive used by Aristotle and Aquinas to say pregnancy is something that takes place in a woman rather than been something she actively does
  • but motherhood involves creativity
62
Q

what does the Pope say about Mary in point 19 of Mulieris Dignitatem

A
  • through her obedience to God’s will, God began a new covenant with humanity
  • in this way women safeguard and pass on the word of God because every human being comes into the world through the threshold of motherhood
63
Q

what does the Pope say about the pain of childbirth in Mulieris Dignitatem

A
  • result of original sin but allows women an insight into the mystery of the suffering of Christ
  • women better able to cope with suffering then men but are also more sensitive
  • women suffer in seeing their child ill etc… or women who are lonely
  • suffering of childbirth immediately forgotten with the joy of receiving their new born child
64
Q

what does Christianity present as a traditional normal family - their concept of family

A
  • two parents one male one female
  • been exploited by advertisers who present man as breadwinner while women busy themselves with domestic chores and childcare
65
Q

why is the concept of family difficult to define

A
  • different meanings in different contexts

- varied ideas and dynamics

66
Q

how have sociologists and anthropologists understood the function of family

A
  • a social unit that provides protection and socialisation for its members
  • family members share tasks such as earning money and raising children
67
Q

what threatens the traditional Christian idea of family

A
  • increase in divorce
  • reducing popularity of marriage
  • increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+
68
Q

what does Christianity teach about marriage

A
  • heterosexual marriage is best context for raising a family
  • ordained by God
  • no just a social convention but something God designed and intended when humanity was created
  • some denominations like Catholicism its seen as a sacrament - an outwards visible sign of the grace of God
  • special relationship given to humanity as a gift from God
  • lifelong commitment - joint together by God
69
Q

discuss Christian opinions on divorce

A
  • Catholics believe its a sacrament that can’t be undone - it will not allow people who have been divorce to marry new partners in a church
  • other denominations emphasise the importance in Christianity of forgiveness and opportunities to make a fresh start
  • often allow Parish priest/minster to make a decision about whether divorcees can remarry
70
Q

what do a lot of Christians teach about artificial methods of contraception

A
  • Catholics e.g. disagree with abortion seeing it as destruction of sacred human life
  • Christian teaching emphasises that sexual relationships should take place within marriage and that children are a gift from God
  • non religious people may consider this old fashioned and restricting the rights of adults to enjoy sexual freedom
71
Q

how do many Christians respond to homosexual relationships

A
  • say they’re unnatural
  • some are happy to support their friends’ relationships but feel marriage is the wrong term to use for a legally binding commitment between a same sex couple
  • marriage ordained by God to be between a man and a woman
  • others argue all love comes from God and couples should be encouraged and supported by the Christian community if they want to make public commitments of faithfulness to each other in marriage

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