Lecture 7: Feminism Flashcards
What did Miller and Hoffman find regarding gender and religious commitment?
They found that women are more likely to express interest in and have a stronger commitment to religion, resulting in the attending church more
What is Daly’s argument regarding women and religion?
Daly argues that religion acts as an ideological force that oppresses women in various ways:
- through religious teachings
- through religious images
- through the church hierarchy
How are women oppressed through religious teachings?
Religious teachings are biased towards men, for example in the teachings of St. Paul, who argues that men should be the master over women
How are women oppressed through religious images?
Religious images are male-dominated e.g. The apostles, Jesus and many important biblical figures are men, God is referred to as a man. Religious images that involve women enforce the instrumental housewife role e.g. The Virgin Mary
How are women oppressed through the church hierarchies?
Women seem to be excluded from the top position of authority and influence in the Church. E.g. It was only until 1992 that the Church of England allowed women to be priests and January 2015 that a woman become an archbishop
What does Walby say about social institutions?
Walby argues that the social institutions, including religion, are structurally patriarchal, perpetuating gender inequalities
What is some of the criticism of traditional feminism?
Some sociologists criticise traditional feminism for suggesting that women are passive victims of religious oppression, when in reality this is not the case e.g. Women under the Taliban who were banned from accessing education taught girls in secret
What is Watson’s criticism of traditional feminism?
Watson argues that some elements of religion help women tackle male oppression. For example, the veiling of women in Islam is often seen as a form of social control over women, but it allows women to cope with male oppression as it reduces the possibility of sexual harassment and prevents women being judged on the basis of their looks
When did non-orthodox Judaism allow female rabbis?
Since 1972 Judaism has allowed female rabbis
What do feminists think the functions of religion are in general?
Religion acts as an ideological force that helps maintain patriarchy by perpetuating the obedience and subservience of women
