The Power of Feminist Rituals by Grace Kao
Originally posted on the Feminism and Religion project
March 31, 2012
by Grace Yia-Hei Kao
Jeanette Stokes’ 25 Years in the Garden is on my bedside... more
March 31, 2012
by Grace Yia-Hei Kao
Jeanette Stokes’ 25 Years in the Garden is on my bedside table. It’s a book I read several years ago with a small group of feminist Christians when I was living in Blacksburg, Virginia. The following passage from one of her essays got me to thinking back to the 2012 PANAAWTM conference (Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry) I had attended just two weeks ago:
“Rituals are part of everyday lives: reading the newspaper, checking the weather, waiting for the mail to come, or talking with a family member at the end of the day. Rituals can also mark the extraordinary events in our lives: the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a birthday, marriage, anniversary, or divorce” (Stokes, 2002, p. 37).
We PANAAWTM attendees participated in two rituals that, while neither “everyday” nor “extraordinary,” were nevertheless symbolically very rich, meaningful, and unifying.
Grievances Against the GOP from a (former?) Republican Woman by Katie German
Originally posted on the Feminism and Religion Project
This article is cross-posted at Confessions of a Thinking Woman.
I was raised in a conservative, Republican, military family. I support personal freedom and personal responsibility. I... more
I was raised in a conservative, Republican, military family. I support personal freedom and personal responsibility. I support the military. I support a balanced budget. I support individual rights and the constitution. I support small government. But I find myself increasingly separated from the Republican Party, and this is why:
I cannot align myself with a party that repeatedly acts to restrict the rights of women, to deny women protection from abuse and violence, and to trample the rights of women to make their own medical decisions. I cannot support a party where individual rights and freedoms are only protected for people with a penis (so long as they are not gay).
Is Baptism a Male Birthing Ritual? By Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project
Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the... more Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the question “Why do I need a man to purify my baby with the waters of baptism? Is there something wrong or impure about the blood and water from a mother’s womb – my womb?” Before you jump and shout the words Sacrament or removal of original sin, this question bears merit in exploring, especially in today’s world where women are taking a serious beating religiously, politically, and socially. In today’s world, violations and rants are causing women to stand up and say STOP! This is MY Body. This outcry was provoked by chants of ethical slurs against women– Slut! Prostitute! Whore! The cry got even louder when the issue of religion and government was raised in the fight of healthcare coverage of contraception. The cry got even louder with the enactment of the laws in Virginia and Texas (and many other states to follow suit) that forces women to undergo transvaginal ultrasounds in early stage abortions. The mandatory insertion of a wand into a woman’s vagina (mandated by the government, mind you), is a violation and has women crying RAPE!
Get Your Laws off my Body! by Elise Edwards
Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project.
After considering Virginia’s Transvaginal Utrasound Bill in light of the womanist critique, I wonder if... more
After considering Virginia’s Transvaginal Utrasound Bill in light of the womanist critique, I wonder if religiously-motivated lawmakers considered that they alone do not have access to God’s intentions, but that the divine spirit is operative in a pregnant woman as well, would they be so willing to negate her moral agency?
On Tuesday, the senate in Virginia approved a law that would require women to get an external ultrasound before an abortion. This is a scaled-back version of an original bill that mandated transvaginal ultrasounds prior to abortions. According to this Washington Post article, opponents like Sen. Janet D. Howell describe the measure as “state rape,” since it is the state, not the woman and her doctor who decides that she must undergo this procedure requiring the insertion of a probe into the vagina. Although proponents of the bill say that it is designed to give women more information about a fetus’ gestational age and development, most would agree that it is ultimately intended to discourage the women from having an abortion.
Feminist Theologies: Past, Present, and Future
Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project
On February 7, 2012, a panel discussion focused on the past, present, and future of feminist theologies took place at... more On February 7, 2012, a panel discussion focused on the past, present, and future of feminist theologies took place at Claremont Graduate University to celebrate the release of TheOxford Handbook on Feminist Theology. The panel was organized by John Erickson, moderated by Grace Kao, and featured Karen Torjesen, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Gina Messina-Dysert, Zayne Kassam, and Sheila Briggs as presenters. What resulted was a terrific discussion about women, religion, and feminist theologies. Many were in attendance and participated in the panel; for those who were unable to attend, here is a video of the presentations from that evening. We look forward to you sharing your thoughts and comments about the past, present, and future of feminist theologies.
A Feminist “Nutt” Point of View by Shannon Nutt
Originally published on Feminism and Religion project
This is the first blog post I have written, so the concept of being a blogger is a little foreign to me. But I... more
This is the first blog post I have written, so the concept of being a blogger is a little foreign to me. But I will just jump in!
I grew up in a religious house that became far more religious after my mother passed away from brain cancer when I was thirteen. My single father became heavily involved in the Lutheran Church, thinking this was the best way to raise his two daughters. I was happy to go to church and get the structure that the church provided. I was also grateful that I went to a church that had a female pastor. Lacking a mother, it was nice to have a strong female role model who was breaking into the “boys’ club” that was the church. Having found a postitive, female role model, I was really upset when I heard very conservative members of other churches and my own family say that women have no business speaking or leading people in church.
Bareed Mista3jil: Negotiating Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in Lebanon by Amy Levin
Originally published on Feminism and Religion project
It’s not often (enough) that I (have the time to) come across non-academic books that articulate and reflect some of... more It’s not often (enough) that I (have the time to) come across non-academic books that articulate and reflect some of the most complex intersections between religion, gender, and sexuality. Those that do are commonly produced in the Western hemisphere, often representing the voices of Euro-American cultures and religious traditions. That is why I want to give voice to Bareed Mista3jil, a book, or collection of “41 true (and personal) stories from lesbians, bisexuals, queer and questioning women, and transgender persons from all over Lebanon.” Bareed Mista3jil was published in 2009 by the organization Meem, a community of lesbian, bisexual, queer women and transgender persons (including male-to-female and female-to-male) in addition to women questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity in Lebanon. The purpose of the book is to give voice to those in Lebanon with non-conforming sexualities and identities in order to give hope to this under-represented, often silenced population. Here is a description from Meem on the origin of the book:
On Being a Gay Male Theologian During the War on Women by Dirk von der Horst
originally published on the Feminism and Religion project.
or some time, a prominent strand of gay and feminist theory and theology has taken it almost as axiomatic that gay... more
or some time, a prominent strand of gay and feminist theory and theology has taken it almost as axiomatic that gay men, lesbians, and straight women have a common stake in dismantling patriarchy. While I have always understood my own work as a gay theologian in terms of that common struggle, recent developments point to a significant challenge to keeping that bond intact in the larger sphere of political activism.
At the end of last year, National Public Radio deemed 2011 an extraordinary year for gay rights. Buzzfeed listed 40 reasons why it was the best year for gays ever, beginning with a Gallup poll showing that for the first time a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage. The list also included the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and several firsts for openly gay elected officials. Even the world of professional sports is becoming more accepting: in a recent tweet, Ravens’ linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo equated support for same-sex marriage with playing in a Super Bowl when asked about his life’s greatest accomplishments.
Simultaneously, we saw a steady legislative assault on women’s reproductive freedom.
Working for the Cure: Challenging Pink Ribbon Activism
Published in Configuring Health Consumers: Health Work and the Imperative of Personal Responsibility. Eds. R. Harris, N. Wathen, S. Wyatt. Amsterdam: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010: 140-159.
Captured and branded in the highly recognizable image of the pink ribbon, the politics of breast cancer at the start... more
Captured and branded in the highly recognizable image of the pink ribbon, the politics of breast cancer at the start of the 21st century is markedly hopeful (given the grim statistics) and surprisingly compliant with the medical establishment’s defined health goals and approaches to addressing the breast cancer epidemic. In keeping with this volume’s theme of “Working to be Healthy”, this chapter examines and evaluates how the pink ribbon message has shaped and organized social response to breast cancer. The work in question is “healthwork”, a term found in the critical health literature denoting the active and purposeful work that people do to look after their health (Mykhalovskiy and McCoy, 2002). Healthwork analysis tends to focus on personal care practices—taking medicines, dealing with healthcare practitioners, informal care-giving, health information seeking, etc.—that are then subject to examination of how those individual actions invite extended relations of governance and ruling (Mykhalovskiy, McCoy and Bresalier, 2004). In this examination of breast cancer campaigns, the same analytic concern with governance is taken, but the health-related work is extended beyond personal care and self-surveillance to also include the volunteer work done by many concerned citizens in their contributions of time, energy, and money to support campaigns for the cure.
In this chapter, I argue that while the appropriation of the language and themes of the early women’s health movement frames pink ribbon activism as a highly personal, emancipatory, and socially-responsible individual effort, this brand of breast cancer activism instead serves to fund a limited biomedical research agenda that is largely shielded from public scrutiny. This agenda has been universalized through endearing “hero” narratives of personal struggle that inspire civic engagement by complicit consumers rather than critical activists. Pink ribbon activism problematically diverges from the women’s health movement’s demand for participation in setting the research agenda and determining treatment strategies. This neglect is troubling, given that breast cancer discourse is so fraught with contested knowledge claims regarding disease aetiology, prevention, and treatment. While the pink ribbon message offers hope and optimism, it does so by suppressing many counterclaims, disputes, and ambiguities surrounding the problem of breast cancer. Instead of soft “pink”, a more critical social response to breast cancer is needed in order to ensure women’s informed participation in addressing this serious challenge to women’s health.
Download (.pdf) Linking personal and social histories with collective identity narratives
Curtin, N., & Stewart, A. J. (2011). Linking personal and social histories with collective identity narratives. In S.Wiley, G. Philogène, & T. A. Revenson (Eds.), Social categories in everyday experience (pp. 83-102). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Feminists Be Silent! Making a Stand in Solidarity with our LGBT Friends Against Bullying and Harassment By Michele Stopera Freyhauf
Originally published on the Feminism and Religion Project
“A Day of Silence” occurs tomorrow, April 20th. Created in 1996, University of Virginia students wanted to raise... more
“A Day of Silence” occurs tomorrow, April 20th. Created in 1996, University of Virginia students wanted to raise awareness of the bullying and harassment of issues that LGBT students faced on campus. Since then, A Day of Silence makes a statement against those who have tried to silence LGBT teens and young adults in school through harassment, bias, abuse, and bullying. Participating students, led by GLSEN, will hand out cards that read the following:
“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?”
Un mouvement social paradigmatique ? Ce que le mouvement des femmes fait à la sociologie des mouvements sociaux
by Laure Bereni
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Co-authored with A. Revillard
In French
Published in Sociétés contemporaines, 85, 2012.
Résumé: Si l'intérêt d'une approche en termes de genre commence à être reconnu par la sociologie des mobilisations... more
Résumé: Si l'intérêt d'une approche en termes de genre commence à être reconnu par la sociologie des mobilisations collectives en France, les travaux sur les mouvements des femmes restent largement ignorés. Or ces recherches, au-delà de leur intérêt empirique, invitent à repenser les catégories fondamentales d'analyse des mouvements sociaux. Fondé sur une revue non exhaustive de la littérature, au croisement de l'histoire, de la sociologie et de la science politique, cet article montre que l'étude des mouvements des femmes interroge trois frontières souvent excessivement rigidifiées par la sociologie des mobilisations collectives et du militantisme : entre privé et public, entre militantisme et non-militantisme, et entre mouvements et institutions.
Abstract: While gender perspectives have been granted a growing legitimacy in the French field of social movement studies, works on women’s movements haven’t received full consideration. Yet, in addition to their empirical value, these studies have challenged the fundamental categories of social movement analysis. Drawing on a non-exhaustive literature review, at the crossroads between history, sociology, and political science, this article argues that the study of women’s movement prompts us to rethink three frontiers that have been excessively rigidified by social movement theory: between private and public, between activism and non-activism, and between movement and institution.
PLAN DE L'ARTICLE
DU PRIVÉ AU POLITIQUE, DU FÉMININ AU FÉMINISME : LES DYNAMIQUES HISTORIQUES DE POLITISATION DE L'IDENTITÉ DE SEXE
Du privé au politique
Du féminin au féminisme
DE L'ORGANISATION À LA COMMUNAUTÉ DE MOUVEMENT SOCIAL
Au-delà de l'organisation
Contestation politique, vie quotidienne et identité collective
Penser la continuité des mouvements sociaux
LE MOUVEMENT DANS LES INSTITUTIONS : UNE SUBVERSION FEUTRÉE
Des mobilisations intra-institutionnelles
Une intersection entre mouvement et institutions
Debating polyamory as research: An auto-ethnopgraphic account of a round-table on polyamory and lesbianism
Co-authored with Daniel Cardoso and Salomé Coelho; Presented by Daniel Cardoso in Onscenity Conference at Brunel University, UK, April 2012. With link to the audio of this presentation.
Stemming from the auto-ethnographic telling of a round-table organized by a lesbian-focused activist group in Lisbon,... more
Stemming from the auto-ethnographic telling of a round-table organized by a lesbian-focused activist group in Lisbon, Portugal, the authors reflect on the intersections between doing research, spreading that research, doing activism and working with / listening to sexual minorities as a way of critically involving the LGBT community and their concerns in the scientific process. As we’ll see, conflicting political and identity agendas might create tension between different minorities, and even the reinstatement of (homo-)normativity. We claim that only through debate, exposure and recognition (which mixes research, scientific dissemination and activism) can enable us to think «about an issue in a way that takes account of the perspectives of others» (Young, 2000), but that the modes of performing debate also need to be critically reflected upon, keeping in sight the ethical concern for the intimate citizenship (Plummer, 1994) of those represented (and of those absent).
Keywords: Polyamory, auto-ethnography, intimate citizenship, lesbianism, public debate
Transnational Migration and the Gender Politics of Scale: Indonesian domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
Published in Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 25 (2), 2004.
Recent research has begun to explore the dynamics of transnational migration from a feminist perspective, and studies... more
Recent research has begun to explore the dynamics of transnational migration from a feminist perspective, and studies of migrant domestic workers have played a prominent role in pushing forward this work. Emerging simultaneously, but largely separately, are explicit debates within geography about the politics of scale, the social construction of scale, and the gender dimensions of scale. This article develops an analysis of the gender politics of the production of scale, specifically, the “transnationalisation” of Indonesian activist approaches to overseas migrant domestic workers’ issues. Based on fieldwork in an Indonesian community in West Java that has recently become a sending area for migrants to Saudi Arabia, and interviews with activists representing Indonesian migrant women, the article examines the various gender-specific ways in which migrant women’s rights activists construct and deploy the scales of the body, the nation and the transnational. It argues that activist approaches to migrant domestic workers’ rights, and
the ways in which activists mobilise migrant women’s narratives, represent sophisticated feminist theoretical approaches to scale. By identifying and exploring the scale theory embedded in activist strategies, the analysis highlights the imbrication of feminist theory with practice, and underscores activists’ agency in producing the meanings of specific scales. In so doing, the
article is aimed more broadly at elaborating the ambivalent relationship between feminist activism/theory and transnationalism.
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Loving Criticism: A Spiritual Philosophy of Social Change
Forthcoming in Feminist Studies
Many activists and intellectuals have been doing the work of integrating spirit into social change, paying attention... more Many activists and intellectuals have been doing the work of integrating spirit into social change, paying attention to not just when and where but how we enter into discourse and social interaction, so that our work reflects our best values rather than the negative emotions often generated in response to conflict. In examples of how antiracist feminist intellectuals and activists attend to spirit, I find lessons that can guide us toward what I call “loving criticism.” This essay revisits the roots of differential consciousness in intuition, feeling, and spiritual knowledge and describes the principles – spiritual as well as ethical – that guide its praxis. I meditate here on five aspects of loving criticism found in intersectional feminist writing and activism: loving criticism honors our roots, accepts our shared humanity, accepts our power to change our lives and the world, faces conflict with kindness, and nourishes us through positive action. Loving criticism seeks understanding of others on their own terms, along with an understanding of larger structures that work on and through individual lives. As we trust in our own resources and nourish ourselves by focusing on love and possibilities, we find ways to survive and energy to change the world.
Playing with the fragments of history Chicana Art and Feminist Narratives of Art History
In this essay I consider a seldom discussed installation piece, Venas de la Mujer (1976), created by Judithe... more In this essay I consider a seldom discussed installation piece, Venas de la Mujer (1976), created by Judithe Hernandez, Olga Muniz, Isabel Castro, Josephina Quezada, and Judy Baca working as the collective Las Chicanas, as an example of the ways that Chicana feminist artists enacted different ideas about history than were expressed in the linear narrative of The Dinner Party. Following the example of Clare Hemmings in Why Stories Matter: The Political Grammar of Feminist Theory, which analyzes feminist discourse from the 1970s to the 1990s to reveal that various narratives of history elide certain groups while foregrounding others, I argue that feminist art works from the 1970s that address women’s history, like Venas de la Mujer, are dwarfed by The Dinner Party, which stands tropically in feminist discourse for all the others.
Ecofeminism in Appalachia: One Woman’s Perspective and Call to Action
Women of Appalachia Conference 2003
This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance,... more This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance, character, and applications of ecofeminism in Appalachia. I will explore both the theoretical and practical elements of ecofeminism, drawing upon my Appalachian background and my personal attempt to live and model a sustainable lifestyle. By illustrating the interconnection between the precepts of ecofeminism and the natural and cultural gifts of the Appalachian region, I hope to inspire others to think of creative solutions to the sexism and ecological devastation which impede the self-empowerment of Appalachian women and men, and which contribute to the economical, ecological, and cultural impoverishment of our communities.
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Ecofeminism in Appalachia: One Woman’s Perspective and Call to Action
Women of Appalachia Conference 2003
This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance,... more This paper is a call to action for Appalachian women and men and feminist scholars to discuss the relevance, character, and applications of ecofeminism in Appalachia. I will explore both the theoretical and practical elements of ecofeminism, drawing upon my Appalachian background and my personal attempt to live and model a sustainable lifestyle. By illustrating the interconnection between the precepts of ecofeminism and the natural and cultural gifts of the Appalachian region, I hope to inspire others to think of creative solutions to the sexism and ecological devastation which impede the self-empowerment of Appalachian women and men, and which contribute to the economical, ecological, and cultural impoverishment of our communities.
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