Women & ReligionIn the UK women outnumber men in

church attendance in the ratio 2:1

Women & ReligionArmstrong (1993)

argues that patriarchal monotheism replaced polytheism as a result of male aggression throughout history.

Many polytheistic beliefs promoted the role of the female particularly via the fertility Goddess.

Women & ReligionDavie (1994)

Women and men see God differently

 

Women see him as a god of love, comfort and forgiveness

Men see him as a god of power and control

Blessed art thou O Lord that I was not born a woman

Orthodox Jewish prayer

Blessed art thou O Lord that I was not born a woman

Orthodox Jewish prayer

Wives submit to your husbands..

Ephesions 5:22

Wives submit to your husbands..

Ephesions 5:22

Women & ReligionWhy are women more religious? Women and men see

God differently Miller & Hoffman 1995Women are more interested in religionWomen have stronger commitmentWomen attend church moreThis pattern is true from traditional religions to magic,

astrology etc Greeley 1992Women become more religious after marriage and child-bearingHe sees a link between caring for others and having a religious

outlook

Women & ReligionMiller & Hoffman 1995

Identify 2 main explanations

 1.      Differential Association

 Females are taught to be submissive, passive and obedient

Therefore they are more likely to be a willing follower of a particular religion

Women & Religion2. Differential Roles

Females work less than men (paid work)Women have more time for ‘church

activities’Women have a greater need for personal

identity – men get this more from workCaring role of mother makes them more

sympathetic to religious views

Women & ReligionWomen and New Religious Movements - -

Sects Women participate more in sects in the

same 2:1 ratio as established religion Thompson 1996 – Economic Deprivation

 Women are more likely than men to experience poverty

Sects often give hope and practical help to such

Women & ReligionGlock & Stark 1969 –

Other Types Of Deprivation

 Apart from economic deprivation other forms are:-

 

Women & Religion Social deprivation

 Lack of status and power in a person’s life leads them to search for this in sects.

Women often feel a low sense of worth as society doesn’t value their roles of spouse/mother.

Women & Religion Organismic Deprivation

Those who suffer physical and mental problems (more women than men)

Many sects offer healing

Women & Religion Ethical Deprivation

People see moral decline everywhere and often are attracted by groups who want to live in a different way

Women tend to be more morally conservative than men

Women & ReligionNew Age Movements   Many NAM’s are highly

individualised/privatised types of religious activities

This ‘private sphere’ relates well to women and the arena of the home

Women are more likely to want to improve themselves and see cults as a way forward

Women & Religion New Age Movements

Many NAM’s promote the qualities of nature

Women are often given higher status than men in such beliefs e.g. mother earth philosophies

Women & Religion Women and Fundamentalism

Some researchers argue that a resurgence of religious fundamentalism in recent years is reversing the trend of women’s autonomy.

Women & Religion• USA – Anti-abortionist pro-life groups have

opposed ‘womens right to choose’ beliefs. Some extremists have blown up abortion clinics and murdered doctors involved in abortions

• India – Hindu fundamentalist groups are so strong in some areas that governments find it difficult to encourage greater freedom for women

• Afghanistan and Iran – Fundamentalist Islamic groups have reinstated women’s traditional roles

Women & Religion Cohen & Kennedy 2000

 Fundamentalist reforms such as the above are borne out of fear of..

women’s liberation undermining religion and the foundations of society

Men are re-empowered

Women & Religion Not all women see fundamentalist

beliefs as oppressive. Many Jewish and Christian women

have welcomed the emphasis on the woman’s role as spouse and mother and the sphere of their place in the home.

Women & Religion Watson 1994 speaks of the

liberation many Muslim women feel when wearing a veil.

In her study one women commented that she was ‘free from lecherous stares’ from men

Women & Religion

  Until recently women have not been able top serve as priests in many of the worlds religions, this is still the case for some e.g. Roman Catholics, Orthodox Jews and many Islamic groups, but in some area women have made inroads.

• The Anglican Church across the world has been using women priests since the 1970’s, but only accepted them into the Church Of England in 1992.

Female Religious Ministers

Women & Religion Simon and Nadell 1995

 carried out research on female Rabbis (Jews) and vicars (Church Of England). They found:

• That the women conducted themselves differently than men in their position and thought differently too.

• Women were less formal in their approach to their roles than men, were more people orientated and more concerned with pastoral care.

• Women hugged and touched much more – though this is probably more to do with how men need to take more care in such areas.

Women & Religion Daly 1978

•  Mary Daly regards Christianity itself as a ‘patriarchal myth’.

• It steam rollered over many polytheistic beliefs that celebrated women and has imposed a woman hating controlling belief system.

Feminism

Women & ReligionDe Beauvoir 1953• Early iconic feminist Simone De Beauvoir

agreed with Marx in seeing religion as oppressive to women.

• Men control women via the rules and moral codes determined in the major religions and also offer them compensation for their lower status.

• This ‘false consciousness’ is reminiscent of the con of the working classes and echoes the ‘opium of the people’ quote of Marx himself.

• In other words, women are ‘persuaded’ to accept their secondary position as they will be rewarded in the next life.

Feminism

Women & Religion El Sadaawi 1980 • El Sadaawi is a Muslim feminist who argues that it is

not religion itself which dominates women but the patriarchal control that developed with the rise of monotheism.

• As these religions developed they reflected the patriarchal societies at the time

• Most scriptures were written by men and men took the lead roles in the religious practices

• Women who tried to get involved were often ostracised e.g. burnt as witches.

Women & ReligionHolm and Bowker 1994• Holm and Bowker add some balance to this

debate in arguing that not all religions are oppressive to women. In many religions women have successfully challenged the male dominance just as they have in other areas of life.

• Wives often do opt not to promise to obey their husbands in Christian wedding ceremonies and women can become priests and Rabbis in the Church of England and Jewish faiths respectively.

Ethnicity and belief•  Statistics show a downward trend in

membership of white Christian groups in the UK but ethnic minority Christian and non Christian groups have remained strong.

Ethnicity and belief•  Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths• Identity

• Since the 1950’s there has been an influx of immigrants from the West Indies and South Asia

• Many brought their faiths and clung to them for identity and comfort – typical of a functionalist ‘social solidarity’ view

• Many South Asians (Pakistani, Indians and Bangladeshi’s) had to build their own mosques and temples (Musilim, Sikh and Hindu)

• West Indians were mainly from Christian backgrounds but also set about building their own churches as they often felt unwelcome in those already here.

Ethnicity and belief•  Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths

• Racism• This was often seen as threatening to the host

population and fuelled racism.• Siks being allowed to not wear motorcycle

helmets, schools providing halal meat, Muslim women wearing veils etc have all been flash points of conflict.

Ethnicity and belief•  Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths

• 2nd and 3rd Generation• Modhood (1994) • Says that many 2nd and 3rd generation Muslims

are not as religious as their parents.• Many do drink alcohol• Knott 1994 found many girls clashed with

parents over western v traditional dress

Ethnicity and belief•  Reasons for growth in ethnic minority faiths

• But Watson (1994) found that many Muslim women liked to dress in a modest Muslim way and Ramji (2007) found that many young Muslim men were patriarchal in outlook wanting to fulfil a breadwinner role and not have their wives working.

Age and belief• Statistics show that those• over 65 are more likely to attend church and• there is also a high figure for the under 15’s. • However attendance in all age categories has

declined over the last 30 years.

Age and belief• Age and belief• Davie (1994)• Says that people aged 15-34 are less likely than

those over 54 to believe in God and heaven• This is possibly a result of being brought up in a

scientific/rational era where questionning of beliefs has become more common

• Also multiculturalism and a variety of belief systems has led to many versions of ‘the truth’ and so has caused confusion for many

Age and belief• Sects and Cults• Young adults are more likely to join sects -1. They are free from ties of family etc2. As traditional religion has declined a search for meaning

and disgruntlement leads many to look for ‘something’ and are attracted by NRM’s offering strong messages.

• Middle aged (and middle class) people tend to join Cults.1. They are attracted by messages offering purpose, routes

to success etc2. They can still remain ‘mainstream’ people e.g. remain in

their jobs etc and live ‘normal’ lives3. Involvement can be more sporadic – often via internet

sites and courses etc.