Is feminist Christology fit for purpose?
Samuel Pickering Is feminist Christology fit for purpose? To begin answering the title question, there first must be an examination of Feminist Christology, its origins and variations from "mainstream" Christology. While discussion of the Incarnation or the human/divine nature of Christ is not gender relevant, feminist theologians believe that no true picture of Jesus has been produced. The reasons for this stem from the work of Albert Schweitzer, that each portrayal of Jesus is more representative of the portrayer than Jesus.1 Feminist Christology differs from traditional Christology (referred to as "patriarchal Christology" by feminists) in that it's starting point is not necessarily the life of Jesus.2 While Christ is dealt with in feminist Christology, the experiences of men and women are considered first and then biblical material is added and contemplated in light of these experiences. The underlying assumption being that simply reading scripture is insufficient. Even if it were possible attempting to follow the teachings without context would amount to living as a "first century Rabbi/itinerant preacher"3 in the modern world. This is obviously unsuitable. Added to this is the fact that feminist Christology is not restricted by its white, middle class background and thus now embraces a diversity rarely found in patriarchal Christology and the differences become more
The life and works of Sigmund Freud.
Freud Sigmund Freud was the first of six children to be born into his middle class, Jewish family. His father was a wool merchant, and was the provider for the family. From the time Freud was a child, he pondered theories in math, science, and philosophy, but in his teens, he took a deep interest in what he later called psychoanalysis. He wanted to discover how a person's mind works, so he began to explore the conscious and unconscious parts of one's psyche. Freud's parents and siblings were directly involved in allowing him to pursue this unexplored area of psychology. He was given his own room so that he could study his books in silence, and was only disturbed when it was time to eat. Freud eventually married Martha Bernays. She was cooperative and completely subservient to her husband. She was simply filling a role that the society during that time insisted was proper for all women. Freud himself derived his attitudes toward women and his beliefs about the roles of individual sexes from personal experiences in the strict culture of the time. In the middle to late eighteen hundreds, Central European society distinguished clearly between the roles of men and women. Cultural norms dictated that men be responsible for work outside of the home, and the financial well being of the family, while the women's responsibilities were in the home and with the children. With these
Should we be concerned about increasing girls' violence and their participation in gangs? The question suggests that violence among girls or involving girls is infact increasing
Should we be concerned about increasing girls' violence and their participation in gangs? The question suggests that violence among girls or involving girls is infact increasing. This is a topic that will be explored in the essay. Are we troubled by a minority of cases, given headline inches because of the gender of the perpetrator? The idea that more girls are joining gangs, and that their violence is increasing, will be examined and the implications of this, if true will be considered. The word violence needs to be explored and perhaps explained more clearly. There is some confusion about what this word encompasses and in what it means to different people. This will be cleared up. Newspaper headlines about girl gangs with members as young as fourteen roaming the streets and randomly attacking victims can be seen everywhere. These newspapers give a very bleak view of the problem with headlines like "When they are bad, they are very, very bad" with lines such as "Look at these girls- or their boyfriends- the wrong way and they're liable to beat or knife you" (E. Mills 1996). These articles make it sound commonplace with anyone leaving their home at risk of being jumped by rampaging girls but is this really the case? Violent behaviour by girls is something that has not really been looked at thoroughly until the last five or six years. The reason for this lack of research
Gender Stereotypes
Rochelle Angley DCP Paper #4 Gender Stereotypes Where do I begin? There are so many differences between men and women. Many of these differences causing negative arguments. I really don't have the answer as to why men and women have so many differences, but what I do know is that I have many examples of these differences between them. Women are much more sensitive to life in general than men. We are more likely to talk about our feelings and what we can do about them. We tend to look for comfort by expressing our feelings and thoughts. Men on the other hand are exactly the opposite. They keep more to themselves. Men tend to play "macho man." In other words, nothing can faze a man. I'm sure we'd all agree that men and women are different, but why is it that we all accept these gender stereotypes. I believe most of this comes from what was taught to us at birth. Men were taught to play rough and tough and in the dirt. They were given toy figurines to fight with, guns, and footballs. They were told not to cry, that crying was for sissies. Women were taught how to be feminine. They did not get to play with rough toys, they were given dolls to play house with. They were taught at a very young age how to be lady like and to clean a house or take care of a baby. It was considered "unladylike" to go outside those norms. I strongly believe that because of these
Language and Sexism
'Language and Sexism' Term 1 2007 Foundation Degree Course Module 206 Tutor - Tim Davies Student - Des Coop This essay will examine language use and sexism. I will discuss what the terms signify and demonstrate how the dominant ideology of our society affects language choice. The issue is not just about language but also about power. I will outline examples of how language can be sexist. To begin 'sexism' is generally described as discrimination against females by men but can also refer to sexism against men or to those not conforming to the perceived norm of sexual gender. In its most extreme form it can be called misogyny or 'hatred of women'. Spender (1980) claims that one of the basic principles of feminism is that society has been constructed with a bias, which favours males; and that this bias can be found in the language we use. There is therefore a basic concept of sexism in our society. According to Mills (1995), most feminists hold a belief that woman as a group are treated oppressively and differently from men and they are subject to personal and institutional discrimination. They also believe that society is organised in such a way that it works, in general, to the benefit of men rather than women; that is, that it is patriarchal. It follows that any such bias in language has direct implications for equal opportunities and treatment. This is not to say
To what extent does the Early Learning Centre catalogue encourage Gender identity and stereotyping?
To what extent does the Early Learning Centre catalogue encourage Gender identity and stereotyping? By Rebecca Baldesare Background The ELC is one of the most trusted children's toy brands in the United Kingdom (85% is their own brand). They are part of the 'pre-school learning alliance' which supports the Government's 'Early Learning Goals'. Their toys are aimed at young children from 0 - 6 years of age. The company's catalogue is designed though to appeal to the parents. The Key motto at the ELC is 'ALWAYS PLAYTIME' but their key point is the quality and safety of their products is paramount. Their shops are carefully deigned to get a child's view of the shop (e.g. pretending to be their height and looking onto the shop). Research I am basing my research on my view of the ELC's catalogue. I am trying to identify whether or not there is a certain degree of stereotyping towards gender and how these stereotypes are expressed. I looked at four sections: - Sports, Imagine, Discover and Early Years. I was instantly aware of the gender based stereotype of colours for boys and girls. That is girls in pink and boys in blue. From the age of 5 children begin to interact together, the magazine encourages this. The children are told to pick their toys carefully, as if they play with the wrong toy the labelling and stereotyping begins, as the ELC's toys are aimed at 6 and under I
Textual Analysis
Deconstruct and compare two texts representing aspects of masculinities. The starting point for understanding masculinity lies, not in its contrast with feminity, but in the asymmetric dominance and prestige which accrues to males in this society" (Sattel1983:119 cited in Whitehead and Barrett 2001:112). The portrayal of men in social institutions such as the workplace and the media, to an extent fortifies the conventional notion of men and women in society. Women are usually represented in the form of male sexual desires and conquests, therefore regarding them as inferior to the male sex, even when portrayed in an dominant and physical nature, the are still depicted to be substandard to their male counterparts. For example the main character Xena in the television series, Xena: Warrior Princess. The television series places a greater emphasis on her females attributes such as her body rather than her fighting and warrior skills, in comparison cultural depiction of men are consistently constructed highlighting their self-reliance and self-control nature. This idea of hegemonic masculinity may not been the most prevalent form of masculinity for all men, but rather the most socially sanctioned. Edley and Wetherell (1995) argue that in most cultures in modern society there are characteristics that exemplify a set of themes which relate to men and masculinities. These images of
A gender critique of The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
A gender critique of The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) was published in October 2001, after the September 11 attacks on the United States. September 11 2001 marked a shift in the foreign policy of the United States, and it was at this time that NEPAD was being finalized and being printed. Therefore, the ideas contained with NEPAD were conceived in a period of time when changing policies were being pursued by the United States and the United Nations. Randriamaro asserts that African states are being categorized into those that have "failed" or are "failing". These states are those that could accommodate or harbor terrorists. Randriamaro continues that potentially those elements of NEPAD that refer to security, conflict resolution and governance will take priority at the expense of the sections of NEPAD that target women. Also the current trend towards global militarisation is of concern, because women and vulnerable groups will suffer more from the horrors of war (http://www.web.net/~iccaf/debtsap/nepadgender.htm). There have been various critiques of the document and the implications of it from various sectors of society. This critique, incorporating a gender perspective, aims to discuss various points of contention concerning NEPAD. Predominantly NEPAD is a gender blind document. One of the
Is gender about what children are or about what they do?
Cheryl Rackstraw A338386X TMA02 Option 1 Is gender about what children 'are' or about what they 'do'? Upon looking into the argument as to how gender is 'given' to children or whether it is about what they pick up from society, it is firstly important to understand the difference between sex and gender. I will firstly begin by addressing this question and then will be looking into it in more detail, looking into how a scientific approach interprets this question and how a social constructionist would approach it. It is important to understand gender as being different from sex. Gender comprises the differences between men and women. Sex refers solely to the physical and biological differences that distinguish male from female. In biological terms the male gender is defined by the presence of XY- chromosomes, the female gender is made up of XX chromosomes. The World Health Organisation interprets 'Gender' as "...the socially constructed roles, behaviour, activities and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women. The distinct roles and behaviour may give rise to gender inequalities, i.e. differences between men and women that systematically favour one group. In turn, such inequalities can lead to inequities between men and women in both health status and access to health care". (http://www.who.int/topics/gender/en/) Over recent
As we can notice, in the novel the cement garden, within the subject of gender, a struggle in the boys, (Jack and Tom)
Gender Analysis in the Cement Garden As we can notice, in the novel the cement garden, within the subject of gender, a struggle in the boys, (Jack and Tom) to define their sexuality arises. Although both cases differ in many aspects; they share one same motive: the lack of male role models. The reason for this is that the only possible prospect that Tom and Jack had as a person to look up to died; this being their father. Plus the fact that this gamily is characterized by being completely alienated from society: "none of us ever brought friends home"; meaning they had no other option as to whom to imitate or take as a role model. Nevertheless they take different paths as alternatives to this. While Tom took as an example their older sisters, Jack based his manhood on a character of a novel he was reading called Commander Hunt. As we have read in chapter four, (pg. 47), "Tom want(s) to be a girl"; this is, at first glance, mainly because he was beaten up at his school by an older boy and he claims that "you don't get hit when you are a girl", however, if this statement that he wishes to be a girl is analyzed more deeply, we can see that there are many factors affecting this decision; such as that; like already mentioned, the only people to whom he can look up to are his two older sisters. And although we can ask ourselves why he does not intend to become like Jack, this