Religion 3129: Powerful and Powerless: Women and Religion
Spring, 2005
Monday & Wednesday,
Instructor: Ann K. Wetherilt
Office: Admin. 300
Phone:
735-9882
E-mail: wetheri@emmanuel.edu
Office
Hours: Mon. & Wed.,
Course Description:
In this course, we are interested in the historical and contemporary experiences and roles of women, with particular attention to the ways in which religious beliefs and ideology have affected women’s lives in relation to religious and other social institutions. We begin from the assumption that, regardless of how “religious” women claim to be, their lives are affected by religious ideologies past and present. In our historical investigations we will encounter ways in which women’s opportunities for development have been both hampered and enhanced by these institutions. We will acknowledge the heritage of women’s strength, resistance and celebration which dates back beyond biblical times, look at some of the ways in which women today are seeking full and authentic participation in the life of their religious traditions and their communities, and consider some of the promises and the problems of the “globalization” of the women’s movement.
Course Objectives:
You have registered for an upper level
seminar-style
course that requires considerable personal responsibility for your
learning. You
are encouraged to think carefully about your own objectives in
registering for
this class. Even if you are here to fulfill your religion requirement
at a
convenient time, it is our mutual responsibility that you get more out
of this
course than simply a passing grade! My objectives are:
1.
To
encourage reflection on and articulation of our own gender-related
experiences
of both struggle and empowerment, and the ways in which these
experiences are
influenced by religious traditions, whether our own or others’.
2.
To
facilitate understanding of some of the social and institutional
pressures and
interests that maintain gender inequity.
3.
To
appropriate and appreciate the heritage of women’s strength and
resistance
found in the faith stories of our foresisters.
4.
To
expand our worldview by considering the lives of women in diverse
religious
communities, in their similarities and their differences.
5.
To
think constructively of strategies and visions for more humane and
mutual
relationships within
the religious and other social institutions in which we live our lives.
Required Texts:
Eaton,
Heather and Lois Ann Lorentzen. Ecofeminism and
Globalization: Exploring Culture, Context and Religion.
Ferguson, Marianne.
Women and Religion.
Rothenberg, Celia
E. Spirits of
In addition,
readings will
occasionally be placed on the course conference, where you can access
them by
e-mail. I will let you know when this
occurs.
Course
Requirements:
1.
Attendance:
This is an upper-level seminar in which
discussion is a major component of the course content. Therefore
absences for
any reason compromise the extent to which you can be said to have
completed the
course and will affect your final grade. More than four absences may
result in
my determining that you have not successfully completed the course.
2.
Class
participation (20%): Each one of us is both
teacher and learner in a seminar; thus your participation is an
integral part
not only of your own learning experience, but also of that of your
classmates. Prepared participation means
that you will have read and thought about the assigned materials prior
to
coming to class, and that you have prepared, in writing, a contribution
to our
discussion. As we read the
3.
Short
Papers (two): (30%--15 points each): These are
due as indicated in the course outline. Details on each assignment
follow at
the end of the syllabus. Late papers will not be accepted.
4.
Research
Project: (50%--15 points presentation, 35
points paper): This project provides an opportunity for you to develop
and
research a topic of your choice that is related to women and religion.
You must
hand in a written proposal, outlining the topic you have selected and
the
particular aspect of the topic that you will analyze and explore, no
later than
Wednesday, March 2. Your
class presentation is an opportunity for you to share with us and
receive
feedback on your work in progress, and to incorporate into your final
paper relevant
suggestions made by your classmates or by me. Your paper will be due
one week
after your presentation. There are further instructions and guidelines
for this
assignment at the end of this syllabus.
Class Format:
This course is an
upper level seminar; thus,
my expectation is that your responses to the readings, and your work on
your
own project, will form the basis for most of our class time together. There will be times when I give a more formal
presentation of material to supplement the text books, and here too I
welcome
questions and insights from you, and discussion about the implications
of the
topics we are considering. It is
particularly important for you to have read assigned material ahead of
time, and
to come to class prepared to engage the issues and insights that have
emerged
for you in your reading and reflection. During the final 4 class
sessions, we
will discuss with you your “work in progress” that will become your
final
paper.
Course Outline |
Wednesday,
January 19 Introduction
to course, syllabus. Why “women
and religion”? For Monday, read |
|
Monday,
January 24 Our personal
relationships with organized religion. For
Wednesday, Ferguson Ch. 1 |
Wednesday,
January 26 Rediscovering
the Goddess: early images of female deities. For Monday, |
|
Monday,
January 31 The creation
of patriarchy: from female goddess to warrior god For
Wednesday, |
Wednesday,
February 2 Depictions of
women in creation myths. For Monday, |
|
Monday,
February 7 Women as
cause of “man’s” destruction. For
Wednesday, |
Wednesday,
February 9 Women of
power in the world’s religions. For Monday, |
|
Monday,
February 14 Language and
metaphor For
Wednesday, |
Wednesday,
February 16 Some
contemporary feminist movements in religion For
Wednesday, |
|
Monday,
February 21 President’s
Day |
Wednesday,
February 23 Short paper 1
due. Why do women
stay? Women’s ambiguous relationships with the world religions. For Monday, Eaton & Lorentzen,
Introduction, |
|
Monday,
February 28 Women and
nature: a natural affinity? For
Wednesday, E&L, |
Wednesday,
March 2 Globalization,
the earth and women. For
Monday, March 14 E&L, |
|
March
7-11: Spring Break |
|
|
Monday,
March 14 Kenyan women:
challenging stereotypes For
Wednesday, E&L, |
Wednesday,
March 16 For Monday, E&L, |
|
Monday,
March 21 For
Wednesday, E&L, |
Wednesday,
March 23 For Monday, E&L, |
|
Monday,
March 28 For
Wednesday, E&L, |
Wednesday,
March 30 For Monday, Rothenberg, Chs.
1 & 2. |
|
Monday,
April 4 Short paper 2
due. The
phenomenon of spirit possession For
Wednesday, Roth. Chs. 3 & 4. |
Wednesday,
April 6 Women’s
experiences of “spirit.” For Monday, Roth. Chs. 5
& 6. |
|
Monday,
April 11 Women’s
creativity and resistance. |
Wednesday,
April 13 Presentations |
|
Monday,
April 18 Patriots’
Day |
Wednesday,
April 20 Presentations |
|
Monday,
April 25 Presentations |
Wednesday,
April 27 Presentations |
|
Monday,
May 2 Presentations Evaluations |
|
Short Papers
Each of
your short papers will be a 3-4 page (750-1000 word) essay, responding
to the
topics described below. Your paper must be typed, double spaced, and
carefully
proofread for grammatical and other errors. All papers must be handed
in at the
beginning of the class period at which they are due. You may be
as
original and creative as you like in your papers, as long as you
address the
topic described below.
Paper One: Write an essay analyzing some of
the
factors that affect the sacred texts and images of religious groups.
Pay
particular attention to the specific images and texts that have emerged
in
patriarchal society. Consider the following questions in your analysis.
How
might images and texts be different if goddess cultures had prevailed?
How do
the images and texts affect different people within a community? Make
reference
to appropriate sections in the
Paper Two: Choose two of the essays in the
Eaton
& Lorentzen text and relate them to
the concepts
raised by
Class Presentation and Final Paper
Your class presentation and your final paper comprise the two parts of your major research project for this course. In determining your topic for this project, you should consider your own interests first and foremost. Is there a particular dimension of the broad subject of women and religion that is of specific interest to you? The way in which you might approach this assignment is limited only by your own imagination and interest, so if you have an idea, come and talk with me about it. Below are some possibilities to get you thinking; we will discuss other ideas in class.
1. Explore further the historical and/or contemporary situation of women in a particular religious tradition or lifestyle. In this case, you will need to develop a specific focus to allow you to narrow down your field of investigation. For example, women in Christianity, Islam, Judaism or Hinduism is too broad. Instead, you might decide to compare the lives of women in a more liberal and a more conservative Christian denomination; explore some of the specific effects of an event like the holocaust on the lives of Jewish women; examine the ways in which women are responding to fundamentalist expressions of Islam in one or two Middle Eastern countries; discuss the importance of some particular Hindu gods and goddesses in the lives of Indian women.
2. You might select an issue in the broader culture where you think religion has played (and/or continues to play) a significant role in the way the issue affects women’s lives. Some examples might be the extent to which traditional religious concepts of women have influenced images of women in secular culture, including the contemporary media; the relationship between women’s lack of access to high profile roles in secular society and their traditional exclusion from leadership roles in their religious traditions; ways in which religious traditions have operated both to sustain and to intervene in situations of domestic violence; ways in which religions affect women’s reproductive lives and choices.
In any of these (and other) topics, you might combine traditional academic library research with such activities as talking with persons who have a particularly interesting perspective on and experience with the topic you are working with, attending events related to the topic, and so forth. We will discuss possible topics in class. If you have an idea for something you would love to do and are not sure whether it meets the criteria, come and discuss it with me.
By Wednesday, March 2 you must hand in a proposal for your project which I will review and hand back to you. Your proposal should include the following:
1. A brief description of your general topic, including your own particular interest in it and the specific focus you intend to explore.
2. An annotated bibliography of materials you have located that will be helpful to you in completing your project. This list should include any relevant activities you will engage in that are not traditional “resources,” such as visiting places of worship, art museums, etc.
Note: An annotated bibliography is one in which you give a brief description of the resource instead of simply giving details of authorship and publication. In particular, your description should make clear why any given resource is relevant to your project.
Presentation: Your presentation should be designed to present some of your ideas to your classmates for general discussion and development. You will actually be providing some of the course content, as you will be discussing your chosen topic at a depth that others have not had a chance to explore. You should have defined your general area of interest clearly, including your own particular interest in the topic, and have developed a preliminary overview of some of the points you are investigating. As well as helping you with the development of your paper, your presentation will give you experience in making oral presentations. Thus you should think about the most effective way to present your material, including hand-outs and audio-visual aids that will enhance your presentation. Have ready a list of questions that you would like to have the class discuss. This can include organizational questions you have as to how to narrow your topic, where to proceed next, etc., as well as content questions.
Paper: Your final paper will be 12-15 pages, typed, double-spaced, and formatted according to general academic style guidelines. See attached criteria for papers—up to 30% of your paper grade will be for general organization, style, spelling and grammatical correctness.
See the academic integrity policy in your student handbook for information regarding failure to adequately give credit for any information that you find in any source. Failure to appropriately indicate quotations and to provide adequate citations for information that you paraphrase suggests that you are claiming authorship of material that you found elsewhere; this is plagiarism.
Paper Evaluation Form
|
Criteria |
Unacceptable |
Minimally Satisfactory |
Good |
Excellent |
|
Clarity and focus of topic |
Focus unclear |
Focus stated
but not always central |
Focus
generally clear throughout paper |
Whole paper
developed around clear focus on topic |
|
Resources used |
Relies solely
on text book and/or popular resources* |
Some academic
resources used along with popular materials |
Significant
use of academic resources |
In-depth
research into the topic using academic resources |
|
Integration
of women and religion as central focus |
Pays little or
no attention to religious dimensions of issue, and/or to significance
for women |
Shows some
attentiveness to religious dimensions and to significance for women |
Clearly
articulates the significance of religion in addressing the issue in
women’s lives |
Shows clear
integration of importance of religion and feminist thought in
addressing the issue |
|
Exposition of different
perspectives |
Focuses on one
view only |
Shows some
awareness of diverse views |
Clear
understanding of differences among women in addressing the issue |
Demonstrates
deep understanding of the complexity of the issue in diverse women’s
lives |
|
Evaluation of sources |
Fails to
evaluate sources, or gives no reasons for judgments |
Offers some
evaluation and conclusions in light of research |
Well reasoned
conclusions in light of research and personal reflection |
In-depth
assessment of positions researched and clear articulation of own
reasons for conclusions |
|
General organization of paper |
Little overall
organization |
Paper
generally organized in logical progression |
Introduction,
body, and conclusion; logical progression and development of ideas |
Ideas are
systematically presented and developed in a clear, easy-to-follow
progression |
|
Mechanics (grammar, spelling
etc.) |
So many errors
that paper is difficult to follow |
Significant
number of mostly minor errors |
Very few errors |
Essentially
error-free |
|
In-text citation of sources |
Sources not
cited |
Most but not
all sources cited; some not in correct format |
Sources cited;
minor errors in formatting |
All sources
cited and correctly formatted |
|
Reference list |
Absent |
Attached, but
incomplete or incorrectly formatted |
Complete
reference list attached; some inconsistencies in formatting |
Comprehensive
reference list, correctly formatted |
|
Length |
Fewer
that 12 pages |
12- pages (not
including cover page and reference list) |
12-15 pages,
no padding |
12-15 pages of
superbly researched information |
|
Timeliness |
One or more
days late |
On time |
On time |
Early |
*NOTE: “Popular sources” includes dictionaries, encyclopedias (including those on-line and on CD Rom) and most Internet sites. These are often useful for general background information but do not, on their own, constitute adequate sources for an academic research paper.