Faith & Fashion in Jordan & Boston

Newsworthy #2

Does My Religion Make Me Look Fat? The Connection Between Piety and Body Image by Paul O'Donnell was posted in Huffington Post's religion section on October 26, 2010. O'Donnell is a freelance religion journalist and has worked at a few different publications. He was one of the original editors at the web magazine Beliefnet and worked there from 2000 to 2004. The article is in the column section on HuffPost, so readers may give it more credibility than if it were a blog. The writer's background and experience make him seem like a knowledgeable and trustworthy journalist. O’Donnell’s point of view seems pretty objective, but definitely with a little of his own opinion thrown in, such as “Reading a little Scripture instead of a woman's magazine can make you feel better about how you look. No brainer?” This line implies that it is true for everyone that Scripture will make one feel better than a magazine would, which just isn’t true. It also hints at the fact that magazines are the root of all body image problems. This is where I feel the writer’s opinion about media and magazines comes through; he obviously blames the media for women’s poor self-esteem. This is a potential problem with the article, but it doesn’t affect it too much since the facts are still there. I was able to read the article and skim over his opinion and absorb the conclusions from the study objectively.

The article highlights a study done comparing body image of girls from different religious backgrounds. The study was done on students in Jordan and Boston, and the questions asked were about their feelings about their bodies. Both groups were also asked about their religious beliefs. The girls from Jordan ranked much higher in how religious they are, and how happy they are with their appearance. The study was done in 2009 and is the reason that the article is newsworthy. The correlation between faith and body image is an fascinating one for researchers to delve deeper into. But even more interesting is the fact that women in Jordan often cover their hair and body when going out in public. The differences in dress between the women in Boston and those in Jordan definitely has an affect on body image. Women in America often bear a lot of skin, and in some situations there is even pressure to show more than one wants to. In Jordan it is the opposite, it is encouraged to cover one’s self up. I think that covering up one’s body every day would make a woman think less about her body, which would eliminate many of the worries that American women have on a daily basis. In turn, this may lead to happier feelings on the subject of one’s body. In America, we put so much emphasis on appearance that it becomes a huge issue in everyone’s life. My opinion aside, I do respect the study and think that religious beliefs can have an affect on one’s body image. Correlations between religion and anything in popular culture will always be newsworthy, including fitness, environmentalism, depression, alcoholism, patriotism, morality, sexual orientation and so on. People love to make connections!

Another interesting thing about the study was that the girls in Jordan said they were looking to TV and magazines even more than the American girls for images about bodies and fashion. This fact is the most striking to me, because you would not think they would consume more media and yet still be happier with their bodies. This fact is important because it highlights that there must be forces at work that keep these girls happy, while the media so adversely affects girls in the US. The author goes on to write about discussions between women about wearing a hijab. In conclusion, the author paraphrases members at a roundtable discussion about religion and dress, “…all women's dress has to be understood in the context of the surrounding culture,” and “Modesty, said Malushi, should even be understood in the context of the person.” I like these two statements because too often we put our own ideas of what is “right” or “normal” onto other people, and do not take into account their culture or their own preferences. In the end O’Donnell states that in the US women have the choice of how to dress. Oh how I love choice! This part really speaks to me and my own view on feminism, and women and religion. I think the basic principle behind feminism is the freedom of choice. To define a woman’s role or norm is to take away her choice, and this is what feminism aims to fight. Feminists shouldn’t fight to change gender roles completely, but just to open up the possibilities of what “norm” is.

This article makes me think of the readings we have done about womanist theology. Although the womanist perspective stems from black women, it can be applied to any women. I see this movement as one about choice. A womanist is someone who believes that a woman can still be a woman but be powerful too, and the only way that women of today will know that is if they are shown the images and stories of brave, powerful women of the past. In the US, I think this can relate to body image a lot because the only way for girls to be happy with their bodies is to see women of all shapes and sizes being accepted in the media. If all different bodies types were celebrated and put into magazines, TV and billboards- girls would see those images and stop worrying about attaining the skinny body- which is really the only celebrated body in our culture right now. To me, it is all about role models. Self-confidence fluctuates, so on the days where one is feeling down- looking to a role model can restore faith in oneself and confidence, acceptance and pride in one’s body. Whether it be brave women from the past or self-confident women of today, they both serve as reminders to contemporary women that they can do it, too.

Witchcraft and Women's Culture

This reading by Starhawk resonated with me. The way the author describes her religion is how religion should be, in my opinion. She describes that this sect of religion is extremely open--and that is missing in many organized religions. Witchcraft is nature and earth entered, and practicers worship the Goddess- the giver of life. Although Christianity is very prevalent in the US, and most people would say they do not practice witchcraft, I think more people than you think do things similar to "witches".

The author writes that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, "When Christianity first began to spread, the country people held to the old ways, and for hundreds of years the two faiths coexisted quite peacefully," (261.) This line made me think of my home life a lot. Although I'd never categorize my parents as Pagan, Wiccan, or practicers of witchcraft, I would say that they worship nature and the earth. I live on a farm and a big part of the values my parents instilled in me has to do with appreciating nature and respecting it. Because we make a living off of the crops from the earth, a respect and celebration of nature starts to come naturally. I like the idea that Christianity and a faith based in nature can coexist instead of directly competing.

Starhawk also writes about how women are starting to look deeper into ideas about the Goddess. "The feminist movement, which began as a political, economic and social struggle, is opening to a spiritual dimension," (262.) I have learned about the feminist movement many years of my life, but I never thought about how it would affect religion. I do believe that women reconnecting with the Goddess is in large part due to the women's movement. The movement is all about freeing up women and their minds, and instilling in them the same freedom that men have-- we can do anything.

Artemis and Images

Christine Downing stresses the importance of images and the stories linked to them. In her chapter in Weaving the Visions, she writes "As our dreams make evident, the psyche's own language is that of image, and not idea. The psyche needs images to nurture its own growth; for images provide a knowledge that we can interiorize rather than "apply," can take to that place in ourselves where there is water and where reeds and grasses grow."

Once again, although this course is about religion, it is easier to understand the text in relation to my life- which is religion-free. This paragraph really made me think about images in our society and how they unknowingly affect our minds. In taking many courses on media, and being an active consumer of fashion magazines-- I have seen a lot of images of women. While I'd like to think I have control over how these images affect me-- Downing is sort of saying that I don't. I cannot fully control how my mind uses these images to create my own self-image. The psyche does have a language all its own how it works out stories and images while I dream is a mystery to me. This whole idea of the sub-conscious ruling my thoughts without me even knowing is a little scary, but I know it is partially true. The human brain is a very complex thing, and scientists do not have it all figured out. All I know is that images do greatly affect one's psyche, but how, I do not know.

Published October 7, 2010, Body Image: Questions, Issues and Answers was written by Critley Lynn King, a second year student at Somerset Community College. She writes "The New Harvard Guild to Women's Health says, "Body image is the inner perception of her (his) own physical appearance. This image may or may not correspond with reality." But where does this image of the idea body come from? It's sad to say, but most of the time television, magazines, peers and family problems are typically to blame." King goes on to talk about airbrushing and how this causes images of perect bodies to be unattainable. She also goes one step further in her analyzation to say that images in the media of perfect women cause competition within the female gender. In conclusion, the article describes how images in the media have unanticipated and unintentional effects on girls. "People in the media often do not think of the repercussions of their actions. They do not think of the millions of little girls and boys who feel less than just because of their movies or photographs."

This concept of how images affect our minds is not new to me, but applying it to religion is. Because I get a lot of stories, myths and cultural constructs from magazines- I understand the power of those images. Religion is foreign to me, so I am only now understanding how images can work within a particular religion.

Myth of Demeter & Persephone, Artemis, and how religion is killing homosexuals

Weaving the Visions; pages 72-76

This story is a myth about how the seasons change. For me, there is no connection to religion. Persephone, daughter of Demeter, decides to live in the underworld in order to recieve the dead--so their spirits would not roam confused. Demeter is depressed while her daughter is away, and since she is a spirit with the ability to grow wheat-- the fields become barren when she is sad. When Persephone returns-- Demeter is pulled out of her depression and Spring fills the land. Just like any other myth or fable or story used to explain something about the world, it isn't supposed to be taken literally ( in my opinion at least.)

This myth shows women figures as the powerful creatures, and that is the only difference I see between this and other stories. In the beginning of Christine Downing's passage, Artemis; The Goddess Who Comes from Afar, Downing writes "We need images and myths through which we can see who we are and what we might become." (page 119) This line really struck a chord with me, because it makes me understand why stories about women are important. I have learned a lot about self-esteem and the importance about good role models, and this is just another example of where females can look to get that confidence. By reading myths and stories about powerful women, it gives one faith in oneself that they too can achieve big things. Without a role model to look up to, it is harder to imagine accomplishing big things. This reminds me a lot of Dolores Williams' chapter on "womanist" theory. Womanists are all about connecting strong women in history to contemporary women, to show them that there have been brave, courageous successful women before us-- and we can be like them. These concepts make sense to me, but I have a hard time connecting them to religion because religion is not part of my life at all. But I see how religious myths that show powerful women would be important to a religious woman that is used to only hearing stories in her place of worship about brave males.

A very recent blog post on HuffingtonPost.com in the religion section reminds me of this whole concept. Although I may not be religious, I live in a community and a country where people around me are sometimes very affected by religion. How Religion Is Killing Our Most Vulnerable Youth was published October 15, 2010, and was written by The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson. He is the Ninth Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire and a visiting Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. In this course, we learn how religious traditions and readings can influence women to think they are not as good as men, just by seeing a lack of a powerful female role model. But for gays- in some religions, they are outright told they are less than heterosexuals, and some even go as far to say they are abominations before God. Our course explores how the lack of role-models affects women, but what about the opinion on homosexuals and how it affects them? Robinson goes on to write

"You don't have to grow up in a religious household, though, to absorb these religious messages. Not long ago I had a conversation with six gay teens, not one of whom had ever had any formal religious training or influence. Every one of them knew the word "abomination," and every one of them thought that was what God thought of them. They couldn't have located the Book of Leviticus in the Bible if their lives depended on it yet they had absorbed this message from the antigay air they breathe every day."

This paragraph brings everything together for me. I cannot connect to much of the religious aspects of this course because that is not part of my life, but I can understand things better when I realize that they can still affect me. The stories and the opinions that religions in my country have, can affect everyone around them. The article about homosexuals cites a lot of the recent suicides linked back to anti-gay bullying. This is an easy-to-understand example of how religion can affect people, and it makes it easier to see why it's so important to have religious myths about powerful women.

Starting from the beginning...

So I haven't been keeping up with the blogging, so I thought I'd go back and touch on some of the reading from the beginning of the semester. Sorry to go out of order!

September 1 reading: Franzmann chapters 1 & 2

On page 5, Franzmann quotes Ursula King, "Female bodily existence is a primary source of women's self-image and destiny, but not an exclusive one." This line resonates with me and I carry it throughout whatever else we read in this class. To me, it means that yes, females are different than males in many ways-- and this affects their experience in life. The differences in biological makeup between men and women causes the two genders to function and feel differently. But, to say that everything a woman experiences is affected by her bodily existence just isn't true. To paraphrase the author, I think it means that women and men have differences and similarities, and we can't pin down exactly what they are or what they mean. And to study women and how they interact in the world, one must remember that women's self-image comes from many different things than just their "female bodily existence."

Franzmann also quotes Judith Grant on page 6 in her ideas about rationality and objectivity. In class we often talk about how many systems in place in our society are "patriarchal," and I think Grant highlights how this is somewhat problematic. Just because a way of doing something has been in place for years, and maybe been used to oppress or control, does not mean it is inherently wrong, or inherently "male." Franzmann writes, "To suggest that rational ways of knowing are male and not female makes "the implicit assertion that the sex of one's body is at least as significant as the condition of one's mind in assessing one's reason." This line means that yes, men and women are different, but to say that rationality is a "male trait." Isn't the whole point of feminism to appreciate the differences but also highlight that women are just as capable as men?

In closing, I like how Franzmann basically wants to find patterns in womens' different experiences in order to understand individual experiences. These speaks to me, because even if we read about experiences that black women had, we can use them to understand ALL womens' experiences. It's a way of studying all kinds of experiences and using them to explore individuals.

Post on "Womanist Theology: Black Women's Voices"

Having just finished reading this assignment, I find myself pleasantly surprised. Although I am not religious myself, I found this chapter very interesting and relevant to my life. Much of the reason that I do not like organized religion is because of how it can be used to oppress people. Women, minorities and homosexuals are often regarded as unimportant characters in religious stories, or not present at all. This article explains that by being a "womanist," one can find ways to connect women and religion in positive ways, and show women in present day that they have roots to powerful women in the past.

The author's explanation of the expression "You acting womanish," made me laugh. She wrote that according to Alice Walker, that means "wanting to know more and in greater depth than is good for one...outrageous, audacious, courageous and willful behavior." She goes on to say that "A womanist is also "responsible, in charge, serious." This description made me think of how girls are sometimes known for being a little bit nosy and into others' business, hunting for gossip. But it also makes me think about journalists, and about how this is an important quality for a reporter to have. The description is kind of good and kind of bad, but when you see the word courageous in there, it takes on more of a good meaning.

One part of the reading reminded me of a reading we did that highlighted the importance of 'old wives tales,' stating that these tales originated as good advice from older women to be passed down to younger generations. The author, Dolores S. Williams writes "Walker's codes are female-centered and they point beyond themselves to conditions, events, meanings and values that have crystallized in the Afro-American community around women's activity and formed traditions." This struck a chord with me. Although 'old wives' tales' are usually scoffed at as nonsense, both these authors are trying to say that the stories came from somewhere. The tales may not be exactly how they started out, but there is wise advice buried deep within them. I think this is how I read all religious texts and stories; as myths that have some good ideas in them, but not always to be taken literally.

Williams has a lot of good points, and one more is how she highlights the importance of strong female figures. Men have unlimited figures to look up to and to use as role models, and this helps them shape themselves and have confidence in themselves. Women have less role models to look up to, and this can cause women to lose faith in themselves and their own goals or dreams. The author references ladies such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks throughout the chapter to draw upon their strengths and accomplishments. By seeing that women have existed in our history with powerful personalities makes it possible for contemporary women to relate. On page 181, Williams writes "Retrieving this often hidden or diminished female tradition of catalytic action is an important task for womanist theologians and ethicists," and goes on to say that women have helped in various situations during history. Bringing these women to light will encourage women of today to look up to these figures. It reminded me of the article we read on "re-membering," because what womanists are really doing is taking a look at history and highlighting the roles that women played.

Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed the end of this chapter. The author wraps everything up by saying that womanists need to bring their thoughts and theories into church and into day-to-day practices. What good is all this knowledge if it is not implemented? Williams writes that the church needs to be challenged and questioned on their portrayals of women-- and this is an essential job of womanists.

Newsworthy #1

Sister Wives

The TLC network has a new show that debuted Sunday, September 26, called Sister Wives. It follows a polygamist family of one husband, three wives and 12 children, that all live together. The first episode was an introduction to their lives, and at the end there was a highlight reel of the season to come. During this season the family will take on another wife and her three children from a previous marriage. The show has sparked a lot of debate and news articles, and also a Utah police investigation to see if the family’s actions are to be deemed illegal. Although Kody Brown, the husband, is only legally married to one wife, the authorities are looking into things because bigamy is a third-degree felony in the state, and cohabitation is one of the determining factors. One article on Slate.com details how the show has made polygamy seem quite attractive.

The article, How The TLC Show "Sister Wives" Makes Polygamy Seem Appealing, was posted on Slate September 30. Slate is a daily online magazine, and the article came out on one of the site’s many blogs, DoubleX. On Slate’s About Us page, they write about themselves that they offer “…analysis and commentary about politics, news, business, technology, and culture.” It goes on to say that Slate has a “strong editorial voice and witty take on current events.” The blog’s tagline reads “XX factor, What women really think.” The blog is updated daily by different writers, and the pieces focus on issues going on in the media that affect women. The fact that this item of news is from a blog makes one question it a little more than if it was a straight news article from a newspaper. When reading a blog, the reader knows that more opinion is thrown into the mix than in a newspaper article, but the honesty can be refreshing. I checked other news sources to make sure this author had basic facts about the television show correct.

This particular article was written by the managing editor of the blog, Jessica Grose, who has also co-authored a book titled Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home. Her bio on the site says that she has written for Jezebel, New York Times, the Village Voice, Salon, and Radar. One of her posts on Jezebel about Sarah Palin actually caused a Fox News anchor to denounce her on air. The bio also says she and another writer run a website called www.PostcardsFromYoMomma.com, a humorous site about correspondences between mother and child. Upon further research, Grose’s personal site popped up, www.JessicaGrose.com. Many of her articles are about what it’s like being a woman in the 2000’s and about relationships that mothers have with their children. On her Slate blog, she writes candidly about issues that affect women. One of her recent posts on the blog, Why Compelling Democratic Women Candidates Matter, explains that the left side of politics needs a female candidate with the charisma of Sarah Palin, but with better ideas and a platform they can agree with. Grose lets it be known that she detests Palin, but respects how Palin has marketed herself to women. On other websites, Grose writes about the trials and tribulations of her college days including losing her virginity, dating losers and lying to friends. Grose is a very open and honest writer, and her biases definitely come through.

The fact that there is a reality show about a polygamist family in the first place says something about our culture. This isn’t the first time a TV show has delved into this kind of family, but it may be the most “real,” in-depth coverage. Before this series, HBO had a scripted television show called Big Love that focused a lot on the sexual relationships of a polygamist family, and many talk-shows and news hours have covered polygamist communities. Warren Jeffs, church leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been in the news for arranging marriages with girls under 18, and encouraging their new husbands to have sex with them, which is statutory rape. A lot of the coverage of polygamist families is focused on child abuse, but the show doesn’t touch on that at all. This series is newsworthy because it shows the women and this religion in a way they are not usually portrayed; normal.

This is what Grose is trying to get at in her article. She highlights how the entire show is filmed and edited in a way to make this family look normal, and almost better then the average family. While Grose briefly gives in to this idea, she quickly comes back to say that there is a question as to whether the women really had a choice in the matter. It is great to see this religion portrayed in a good way for once, if it is real, and it definitely adds to the study of women and religion. This religion is often cited as one that uses and abuses women from an early age, and puts them in an extremely secondary position to the man. This show does work to dispel those old feelings about polygamists. Though the show demonstrates that the women came freely into the marriage and are happy to have the other wives and children in the family, the man is still definitely in control. Polygamy is such an interesting topic to talk about in terms of women and religion because on one hand, women are treasured and coveted— but on the other hand, the man is still the decision-maker and the one that gets to enjoy multiple partners. Grose brings up an interesting point, “However, one has to wonder how much of a "choice" it was for the women raised in polyg families, who have never known any other sort of relationship.”

This article suggests that the media thrives on reporting about polygamist families. This show is worth talking about because it gets people hot and bothered; it stirs up emotions and differing viewpoints, and it gets people to discuss. Now that the era of legalized gay marriage is here, the next question just may be about legalized polygamist marriages. The fact that women willingly enter into a union where they have to share a man is just something that people will enjoy debating about for years to come. The way that this family does things could be empowering to women; it allows time and energy to focus on things other than the kids and household. But this system also does damage against a female’s confidence; it may instill jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. The two sides of polygamy regarding women will always be talked about and analyzed because two-person relationships are the “norm” in this country.