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A-Level · Sociology

GSOC.AL19 Feminist Perspectives on Religion and Patriarchy

AQA 7192 · Calculators not allowed · about 80 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Where a question asks for a short answer write in full sentences for clarity. Use sociological terms and name studies where asked.

Which one of the following best describes the feminist claim that religious texts and practices can be patriarchal in many societies?

A) Religious belief automatically makes women more equal
B) Religious texts and rituals sometimes reflect and reinforce male authority
C) All religions have female-only leadership structures
D) Religion always promotes economic equality

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Define briefly what sociologists mean by 'patriarchy' when discussing religion in contemporary societies.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Define what feminist sociologists mean by 'religious feminism' in the context of women's roles and status within faith communities.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Identify and explain one example of exclusion of women from formal religious leadership roles, giving a religious context in your answer.

(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)

Identify and explain two ways that symbolic religious practices can subordinate women, giving examples of symbolism or practice.

(Total for Question 5 is 4 marks)

State one finding from El Saadawi's work on religion and patriarchy that is often cited by feminist sociologists.

(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)

State one way Holm's analysis links religious rituals and gender inequality.

(Total for Question 7 is 2 marks)

Item A: A small survey of 200 worshippers in a mixed urban congregation found 62% of women said they rarely held formal leadership positions, while 45% of men said the same. 38% of women reported engaging in organised religious feminism groups at the local level, compared with 8% of men. Context: a hypothetical mixed-faith urban sample created for this exercise.

(a)Identify one finding from Item A and explain what it might suggest about women's institutional leadership in religion today.(2)

(b)Identify a second finding from Item A and explain what it might suggest about women using religion as a source of activism or community.(2)

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

Identify and explain two criticisms that sociologists make of blanket feminist accounts that present all religions as equally patriarchal.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

Item B: Short extract summarising Woodhead's threefold distinction. Woodhead suggests some religions are 'patriarchal spaces' where institutions and doctrines maintain male dominance; others function as 'personal empowerment' spaces where individual women use belief to gain confidence and resources; a third type are 'gender-critical' spaces where religious ideas are contested and contested interpretations compete. This extract is an invented summary for classroom use only.

(a)Analyse one reason using Item B and your knowledge.(5)

(b)Analyse a second reason using Item B and your knowledge.(5)

(Total for Question 10 is 10 marks)

Identify one example of a menstruation or purity taboo in a religious tradition and explain one practical effect it can have on a woman's participation in religious life.

(Total for Question 11 is 4 marks)

State one piece of evidence that would support the claim that religion offers women social status and community, not just subordination.

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

Explain two ways sociologists might research the claim that religious leadership is male-dominated in a particular denomination.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Compare briefly Woodhead's idea of 'gender-critical' religious spaces with the idea that religion is uniformly patriarchal, naming one implication of Woodhead's view for sociological study.

(Total for Question 14 is 4 marks)

Explain two short reasons why some women may support traditional gender roles within their religion, despite feminist critiques.

(Total for Question 15 is 4 marks)

Item B: Use the short Woodhead extract given in Q10. Applying Item B and your wider sociological knowledge of feminist analyses such as El Saadawi and Holm, evaluate feminist views of the relationship between religion and patriarchy in contemporary societies.

Apply Item B and your knowledge to evaluate the extent to which feminist views successfully explain the relationship between religion and patriarchy.

(Total for Question 16 is 12 marks)

Mark scheme · GSOC.AL19 Feminist Perspectives on Religion and Patriarchy

Question 1

B1 B (religious texts and rituals sometimes reflect and reinforce male authority)
Answer: B

Question 2

B1 identifies patriarchy as a social system where men hold primary power in public and private institutions (oe)
B1 development, e.g. in religion this can mean male control of leadership, interpretation and ritual roles
Answer: Patriarchy is a social system where men hold primary power in public and private institutions; in religion this can mean male control of leadership, interpretation and ritual roles.

Question 3

B1 identifies religious feminism as movements or beliefs in which women use faith to challenge gender inequality (oe)
B1 development, e.g. this can include seeking female leadership, reinterpreting texts or creating women-centred religious spaces
Answer: Religious feminism refers to movements or beliefs where women use faith to challenge gender inequality, for example by seeking female leadership, reinterpreting texts or creating women-centred religious spaces.

Question 4

B1 identifies an example of exclusion, e.g. the male-only priesthood in Roman Catholicism or the relative absence of female imams in many Muslim communities
B1 development explaining how this exclusion limits women's institutional power in that religion
B1 further development linking exclusion to wider patriarchy, e.g. control over doctrine, rituals and public representation
B1 clear contextual example named within the explanation
Answer: Example: Roman Catholicism restricts priesthood to men; this limits women from institutional authority over doctrine and ritual, reinforcing male control and wider patriarchy within that religious institution.

Question 5

B1 identifies one way, e.g. religious dress codes or veiling that mark women as modest or separate from men
B1 explains how this can subordinate women by policing female behaviour and visibility
B1 identifies a second way, e.g. purity and menstruation taboos that restrict women's participation in rituals
B1 explains how such taboos can symbolically mark women as impure and limit their ritual status
Answer: One way is dress codes or veiling that mark women as modest or separate, policing behaviour and visibility. Another is purity and menstruation taboos which can restrict women from ritual participation and symbolically mark them as impure, reducing ritual status.

Question 6

B1 identifies a genuine Saadawi point, e.g. that religious texts and interpretations in some contexts have been used to justify male dominance over women
B1 brief development or example
Answer: El Saadawi argued that in some contexts religious texts and their interpretations have been used to justify male dominance over women, for example by endorsing male control of family and social roles.

Question 7

B1 identifies a Holm point, e.g. rituals often encode gendered roles that legitimise male authority
B1 brief development, e.g. ritual positions and symbols can reproduce unequal status
Answer: Holm argues rituals often encode gendered roles that legitimise male authority, with ritual positions and symbols reproducing unequal status between men and women.

Question 8

(a) B1 identifies the finding, e.g. 62% of women said they rarely held formal leadership positions
(a) B1 explains the implication, e.g. this suggests women remain underrepresented in formal leadership roles despite involvement in congregations
(a) Answer: Finding: 62% of women rarely hold formal leadership. This suggests women remain underrepresented in formal religious leadership roles even when they are active in congregations.
(b) B1 identifies the finding, e.g. 38% of women engage in organised religious feminism groups compared with 8% of men
(b) B1 explains the implication, e.g. this suggests women may use religion to organise, gain status and build community even where formal leadership is limited
(b) Answer: Finding: 38% of women engage in religious feminism groups compared with 8% of men. This suggests women may use religion as a space for activism, status and community even when formal leadership roles are limited.

Question 9

B1 identifies one criticism, e.g. they overgeneralise across very different faiths and cultural contexts
B1 explains how this weakens the argument, e.g. it ignores diversity between denominations and local practices
B1 identifies a second criticism, e.g. they underplay evidence that women use religion for empowerment, status and community
B1 explains how this limits the account, e.g. it misses the role of religious feminism and women-led movements
Answer: One criticism is overgeneralisation across different faiths and contexts, which ignores variation between denominations and local practices. A second is underplaying evidence that women use religion for empowerment and community, which misses religious feminism and women-led roles.

Question 10

(a) B1 identifies a reason, e.g. institutional structures and doctrines can embed male authority and restrict women
(a) B1 develops using Item B, e.g. Woodhead's 'patriarchal spaces' show how institutions maintain male dominance
(a) B1 further development with evidence, e.g. examples such as male-only priesthoods or ritual exclusions
(a) B1 links analysis to the idea that institutional power shapes women's roles rather than individual choice alone
(a) B1 AO1 credit for naming a relevant study or author, e.g. El Saadawi or Holm used to support the point
(a) Answer: Reason example: institutional structures and doctrines can embed male authority, as Woodhead's 'patriarchal spaces' suggest; this is supported by El Saadawi and Holm who describe male-only leadership and ritual exclusions which limit women's institutional roles.
(b) B1 identifies a reason, e.g. religion can provide personal resources, identity and networks that empower women
(b) B1 develops using Item B, e.g. Woodhead's 'personal empowerment' spaces where women gain confidence and social capital
(b) B1 further development with evidence, e.g. women-led religious groups, community leadership, or social services run by women
(b) B1 links to how this counters simplistic views of religion purely as oppression
(b) B1 AO1 credit for naming a supporting example or study, e.g. research showing women as active organisers in local faith groups
(b) Answer: Reason example: religion can grant women personal resources, identity and networks that empower them, as Woodhead's 'personal empowerment' spaces suggest; evidence includes women-led groups and community roles where women gain status and social capital.

Question 11

B1 identifies a real example, e.g. restrictions on temple entry for menstruating women in some Hindu traditions, or similar rules in other faiths
B1 explains a practical effect, e.g. temporary exclusion from rituals or community roles
B1 further development, e.g. can reduce women's visible religious status or leadership opportunities over time
B1 clear linkage between example and the practical effect
Answer: Example: some Hindu traditions restrict temple entry for menstruating women; the practical effect can be temporary exclusion from rituals and community roles, which over time reduces women's visible religious status and leadership opportunities.

Question 12

B1 gives a plausible piece of evidence, e.g. statistics or studies showing high female participation in religious volunteering, leadership of women's groups or community organisations
B1 brief development, e.g. linking such participation to social status or networks women gain
Answer: Evidence: studies showing high female participation in religious volunteering and leadership of women's groups, which can give women status, social networks and community resources.

Question 13

B1 identifies one method, e.g. analysis of membership and leadership statistics or official records
B1 develops how this would show representation levels and trends
B1 identifies a second method, e.g. qualitative interviews with clergy and congregants
B1 develops how interviews would give insight into barriers, experiences and meanings behind statistics
Answer: One method is analysing leadership statistics and records to show representation levels and trends. A second is qualitative interviews with clergy and congregants to explore barriers, experiences and the meanings behind the numbers.

Question 14

B1 identifies how 'gender-critical' spaces differ, e.g. they are areas where religious gender norms are actively contested
B1 identifies how the uniform patriarchy view differs, e.g. it treats religion as consistently male-dominated across contexts
B1 gives one implication of Woodhead's view, e.g. researchers must investigate variations and contestation within faiths
B1 brief development of the implication, e.g. use of mixed methods to capture conflict and change
Answer: Woodhead's 'gender-critical' spaces are where gender norms are contested, unlike a uniform patriarchy view that treats religion as always male-dominated; this implies researchers should investigate variation and contestation within faiths, for example using mixed methods to capture conflict and change.

Question 15

B1 identifies one reason, e.g. some women find identity and meaning in traditional roles
B1 development, e.g. religion can provide moral certainty, social status within the community or stability
B1 identifies a second reason, e.g. social pressure and community expectation can encourage conformity
B1 development, e.g. fear of social sanction or loss of support can make change costly
Answer: One reason is that some women find identity, status and moral meaning in traditional roles and so support them. Another is social pressure and community expectations, where fear of sanction or loss of support makes change costly.

Question 16

Level 1 (1-3): Limited evaluation with brief or undeveloped use of Item B and few relevant sociological ideas, mainly assertion with little evidence.
Level 2 (4-6): Some evaluation using Item B and one or two sociological ideas. Arguments are partially developed, with limited evidence or examples, and an emerging judgement.
Level 3 (7-9): Clear evaluation using Item B and several sociological ideas. Arguments include relevant examples and studies, with balanced discussion of strengths and weaknesses and a reasoned conclusion.
Level 4 (10-12): Sustained, well-evidenced evaluation applying Item B and wider knowledge. Arguments show detailed use of studies such as El Saadawi and Holm, Woodhead's distinctions, counter-evidence of women's agency and religious feminism, and reach a supported, balanced judgement.
Indicative content:
- AO1 material: Feminist claims that religion can be patriarchal, with El Saadawi and Holm arguing that texts, rituals and institutional roles often subordinate women; examples include male-only priesthoods, exclusion from ritual or purity taboos.
- Use Item B: Woodhead's distinctions provide analytic nuance, showing religions may operate as patriarchal spaces, personal-empowerment spaces, or gender-critical spaces. Apply this to avoid overgeneralisation.
- Strengths of feminist views: explain how doctrine and institutional structures can reproduce male dominance, supported by historical and ethnographic evidence; show how symbolic practices and leadership exclusions maintain gendered power.
- Limitations and counter-evidence: feminist accounts can overgeneralise across different faiths and contexts, ignoring variation; evidence that women use religion for empowerment, leadership at local levels, and form women-centred movements undermines a simple oppressive model.
- Evaluation should balance structure and agency, noting that patriarchy may be embedded institutionally while women still negotiate, resist and use religious resources for status and community.
- Methodological points: differences between macro institutional analysis and micro studies of lived religion; value of mixed methods. Consider cross-cultural variation and the danger of imposing a single feminist template on diverse practices.
- Conclusion: reach a balanced judgement on the extent feminist views explain the relationship, for example that feminist perspectives are powerful for revealing structural inequalities but must be combined with nuanced, contextual analysis such as Woodhead's to fully explain contemporary patterns.

Feminist Perspectives on Religion and Patriarchy - Worksheets, Questions and Revision