The Relationship Between Gender and Religion

EVIDENCE SHOWING FEMALES ARE MORE RELIGIOUS:

• Females are more likely to believe in sin, a soul, heaven, life after death, the devil and hell.

• Surveys show women are more likely to believe in aspects of the supernatural like premonition, fate, ghosts and angels.

• Over a third of women, compared with 11% of men, have sought advice from fortune tellers, palmists and Tarot card readers.

• Women believe in a god of love, comfort and forgiveness.

EVIDENCE FOR MEN’S RELIGIOSITY:

• Men believe in a god of power, planning and control.

• There could be another reason for the gender imbalance in religion due to many seeing practices linked to health and wellbeing.

EXPLANATIONS FOR HIGHER RELIGIOSITY IN FEMALES:

• Postmodernism:

  • Evidence suggests women are leaving conventional churches at a faster rate than men, moving away from traditional religion.

  • Brierly:

    • Found between 1989 and 1998, more than 65,000 women left churches each year (57% leaving religion entirely).

    • From 1998 to 2005, the figure was slightly lower (51,000) per year but throughout this time women were leaving at twice the rate of men.

  • Aune et al cite a number of reasons for the decline:

    • Fertility levels – women are having fewer children. consequently, the older female generation lost from conventional religions is not being replaced by equal numbers of female children or younger women.

    • Feminist values – these began to influence women in the 1960s and 70s and have challenged the patriarchal views underlying traditional Christian views on the role of women. This has led to disillusion with the churches stance on contraception, abortion and sexuality. E.g The Churches attitude to sexuality may cause women to leave as they feel they’re required to deny or be silent about sexual activity and desire.

    • Paid employment – at the beginning of the 20th century a third of women were in paid work; now two thirds are in the labour market. Juggling employment with childcare and housework may leave no time for religion and churchgoing.

• Feminism:

  • Aune et al:

    • Modern career women are less likely to subscribe to religions that discriminate against females and that may be partly responsible for the unequal position women in modern and traditional societies occupy.

  • Some feminists argue that women are less likely to be involved in world rejecting movements like sects as they require full-time commitment, this would mean giving up or deferring plans for a career, marriage and motherhood.

  • Young women are interested in taking the educational and career opportunities available to them.

  • They’re also more aware that these religions often have an exploitative attitude towards women.

  • Feminists explain some women’s attractions to sects and fundamentalist religions as being the product of childhood abuse, broken homes and domestic violence.

  • Jacobs:

    • These women are prepared to sacrifice freedom for stability.

  • However, some women may think the leader will emotionally rescue them – though this may lead to sexual exploitation and abuse.