Page 501 - Sociology and You

World View
Chapter 14 Religion 471 Gender Inequality in Religion
Women have been fighting for equal rights in all as- pects of society—religion as well as government and business. In some religions women have equal status within their orders. Other religions see feminism as a “Western” issue and irrelevant to their faiths. This map shows how major denominations in each coun- try view the status of women.
World View
North America
Europe
South America
Asia
Australia
Equal at all levels
Working for equality
Subordinate by long-standing tradition Increasingly restricted and oppressed
Interpreting the Map
1. Do you see any patterns of inequality in women’s rights in religion? Explain.
2. Where in the world would a woman be most likely to head an entire religious organization?
Support your answer. Do some research to see if this has occurred. If it has not, explain why.
3. How does the United States compare with the Scandinavian countries in terms of gender equal-
ity? Why do you think this difference exists?
4. How would you explain the mixed status of women in India?
Adapted from The State of Religion Atlas. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
How did Weber link Protestantism and capitalism? Whereas Marx believed that religion works against social change, Max Weber suggested that religion sometimes encourages social change. He pointed to the relationship between Protestantism and the rise of capitalism. Weber wondered why cap- italism emerged in northwestern Europe and America and not in other parts of the world. A possible answer lay in what he termed the spirit of capitalism
Africa
Status of Women within the Denomination of the Majority