Gender and Society - Gender

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

Distinction between sex and gender

• Sex refers to biological anatomy
• Gender – a form of expression, shaped by own experience

Essentialist view – distinctive feminine/masculine traits, intrinsic in biology
Existentialist: gender = product of nurture/society

Question 2

secular views on gendeer
foucault
de Beauvoir
Gilligan

Answer 2

• Foucault: sexuality = wide spectrum. Definitions are for people to control others
• Simone de Beauvoir, one is not born, but rather becomes a woman
• Carol Gilligan: men and women are different but we need to change society’s attitude to favour things being done from a female perspective

Question 3

secular, Oakley

Answer 3

• Ann Oakley, 4 ways in which gender socialisation occurs:
  o Manipulation: encouragement of gender-specific behaviour, discouragement of behaviour seen as abnormal/normal for the other sex
  o Different activities: promotion of different activities between boys and girls
  o Verbal appellations: different words/phrases for the different sexes e.g. good girl
  o Canalisation: challenging children towards toys/activities seen as normal for their sex

Question 4

Xian, conservatives

Answer 4

• Conservative Protestants
  o The right in the US are critical of liberal ideologies inc. feminism
  o They say that they are responsible for the breakdown and destabilising of society
  o Feminism has confused gender roles, set up unrealistic expectations for women
• Conservative Xian theology
  o Men are equal but different
  o Both created imago dei, have different roles e.g. Eph 5:21
  o Hence, they reject the existentialist view of gender, essentialist view is right as God has created men and women to have specific gender roles

Question 5

Xian lib prots

Answer 5

o Covenant between God and his people which defines gender roles = human construct, reflects contemporary culture
o Share Foucault’s view that gender needs to be liberated from society, should uphold Gal 3
o H, they question Foucault’s reduction of sex to pleasure. Sex = not just eros, but agape as well

Question 6

Xian RCC

Answer 6

o Mulieris Dignitatum, JP II
♣ Men and women are equal in eyes of God, have different roles
♣ Women are made to be mothers
♣ Reject existentialist view of gender, support the essentialist view
♣ Although man is the head of the woman, it does not mean that he should dominate her
♣ Women must not masculinise themselves as a result of the feminist movement, but they recognise how feminism has worked to protect the dignity of women

Question 7

xian, Fiorenza

Answer 7

o Schussler Fiorenza
♣ Significant amount of female leaders in early Church
• Acts 18:26 – Priscilla is mentioned before her husband
• Romans 16:1-2 = Phoebe serves the Church at Cenchreae
• Philemon 1:2 - Apphia seen as important enough for Paul to greet her personally
♣ She challenges male power in the RCC today
♣ Texts must be interrogated not only as to what they say about women but also how they construct what they say or do not say.

Question 8

Xian, halkes

Answer 8

o Catharina Halkes
♣ JC’s teaching on KofG needs social and spiritual transformation
♣ Women must develop their skills in public sphere
♣ Men must stop thinking they are made to rule
♣ Rejects headship teaching in Mulieris, it reiterates the view that men have entitlement in the public sphere

Question 9

Xian, harrison

Answer 9

o Beverly Wildung Harrison
♣ Men have most of the power in society
♣ Society has developed understanding of the world yet continue to fail to pay attention to women’s experiences
♣ Patriarchy is patterned or institutionalised legitimations of male superiority

Question 10

Xian parson

Answer 10

o Susan Parson Feminism and Christian ethics
♣ Proposed 3 paradigms for ethics within Xian feminism
• Liberal paradigm
o Emphasises similarity between men and women
o Gal 3, JC’s relationship with women and women in early church
o Some women argue this is a male way of understanding the world, women need to gain equality by becoming more like man
• Social constructionist paradigm
o Quotes De Beauvoir: gender = socially conditioned, wrong to think women are more domestic than men
o Women must challenge this idea
o Bible = male, but there are subversive elements e.g. book of Esther, where women are leaders
• Naturalist paradigm
o Differences between men and women
o Carol Gilligan: differences in moral compasses of men and women, boy are more rule-based, girls more concerned with relationship
o Society is set up to favour male ways of doing things, social attitudes/structures etc. must change