Women in Patriarchal Religions…Where do WE fit? An Essay about the oppressions perpetuated by patriarchy and religion. In discussing women’s issues and history with oppression and religion, it is important to analyze and discuss the influence and impact of patriarchy. In many nations, patriarchal religion is the primary type of religion, with males leading and often benefiting from practices. Cultural and social beliefs saturate faiths and work to oppress female followers, and certain religious practices keep many women from fulfilling their potential or from living with privileges that other women may have.
Evaluate the Marxist perspective of religion Marxists are a group of sociologists that believe “religion is the opium of the people”, therefore it acts as a drug to dull the pain of oppression for the working class and makes life seem more bearable. However, sociologists have long been divided on the function of religion, so Marxists can be criticised in a number of ways. Marxists argue that religion benefits the ruling class in a number of ways. Firstly, it promises life after death which makes our suffering in this life more acceptable. Secondly, it makes social inequality seem fair and just, justifying social hierarchy.
Such myths, Beauvoir explains, are derived trough literature and Social beliefs. The construct of the “essence of women” have been grossly misconstrued by a male dominated world. In her essay, she strongly argues about the two-sided opposition of the “self” and “other” through an existentialist perspective, which is through the experience of the human condition. She boldly announces that the male has appointed himself as “self” and the female as “other” in order to gain dominion and authority to call the female inferior, passive, or weak. I will take an in depth look at the contradictions and myths that men have created of women as outlined by Beauvoir.
For example, cultural feminists look to the different values associated with womanhood and femininity as a reason why men and women experience the social world differently. Other feminist theorists believe that the different roles assigned to women and men within institutions better explain gender difference, including the sexual division of labor in the household. Existential and phenomenological feminists focus on how women have been marginalized and defined as the “other” in patriarchal societies. Women are thus seen as objects and are denied the opportunity for self-realization. Gender Inequality: Gender-inequality theories recognize that women's location in, and experience of, social situations are not only different but also unequal to men's.
Using a female character makes it more powerful to challenge the authorities and the norms. The wife likens to the priests who use the literature badly and wrongly to vindicate their acts. The wife’s misusing of literature shows that she is unschooled. The wife shows us herself to be in opposition with the patriarchal society she lives in. When she talks against society’s norms, she talks in a dialogical
Assess the view that the role of religion is to promote patriarchal ideology and maintain the oppression of women (18 marks) In this essay I will be assessing the view that the role of religion is to promote patriarchal ideology and maintain the oppression of women. This will include ritual, sacred texts, the set up and history of religion, religious participation and the use of the relationship of religion to wider society. In terms of ritual it can be argued that the custom of female genital mutilation maintains the oppression of women, however, an argument against this is that not all customs are designed to be patriarchal. For example, males in Judaism have their foreskin removed. Another argument that religion maintains the oppression of women in terms of rituals is that in some instances women are not allowed in a sacred place when going through the menstrual period.
) Feminists have a macro, modernist and a conflict based theory (as suggested in item 2B) which focuses on the relationship between men and women, as they claim that men are the enemy, and a source of oppression and exploitation (Radical feminist Firestone 79). Feminists see family roles as unequal, and that women are exploited in the home as they provide free labour as suggested in item 2B. This was studied by the feminist Ann Oakley (74) who done studies about family roles to contribute to our understanding of the difference between women and men. She found that the views of ‘march of progress’ thinkers were exaggerated and their claims about symmetry in the roles within the home are not correct. Her findings showed that men could help at home, but this could mean making breakfast on one occasion or taking children on Sundays, but this only gave the woman more time for her role of housekeeping.
The fact that “everything except the wings around [her] face is red” represents the government’s own view of them, that there only purpose in the regime is to be the carriers of the next generation. The colour of red can also represent the sinfulness of their duty because, despite the government using biblical reasons, they are still committing adultery by having sex with the commanders as they are married men. The colour blue is used to help distinguish the wives whilst white is used for the daughters. The blue used could be linked to the term blue blood, meaning that in this society they are seen as nobles. However, this is contradictory, as despite having a higher social class than that of the Handmaids or the Martha’s, they are also restricted in terms of the amount of power given to them, which are the events that occur in the household.
She believed that women should be equal to men in relationships. Although Wollstonecraft had an idealistic view of marriage, Tweedy reinforces how marriage is far different from the ideas that we have. She describes elements of love which prevent true reality of what is being seen. Wollstonecraft gives the advice to women readers that they should consider their choices; is having a husband the right choice? Or is a lover better?
This reflects the patriarchal society at the time. Therefore, Browning uses literary techniques to reflect and challenge the accepted gender roles in society during the Victorian Era. Similarly, this concept is also explored in “The Professor”. The narrator, William Crimsworth’s condescending tone when describing women, “their dresses were pleasing enough to the eye but their conversation was meaningless”, portrays how he believed they were only physically attractive. He considered them inferior in terms of their intellectual capacities.