Role and status of women in religious communities in Slovenia

in položaja žensk v verskih skupnostih. Opisujeva, kako se družba in religija skozi zgodovino spreminjata ter kakšen je položaj in vloga žensk v družbi in verskih skupnostih. Razpravljava o hierarhični ureditvi verskih skupnosti, posebej pa se osredotočava na patriarhalnost odnosov, ki so vzpostavljeni, ter problematizirava spolno binarnost, ki jo različne religije poudarjajo kot naravno in edino sprejemljivo. V empiričnem delu raziskujeva položaj in vlogo žensk v izbranih verskih skupnosti v Sloveniji. Najin raziskovalni problem je raziskati položaj žensk v verskih skupnostih. Raziskujeva, kaj s pripadnostjo skupnosti pridobijo, kakšne vloge imajo v njih, kakšen je njihov pogled na hierarhijo v skupnosti, kakšen je njihov odnos do enakosti med spoli, do feminizmov in kako gledajo na vloge, ki jih nosijo moški. Pri raziskovanju uporabiva kvalitativni pristop z dvema metodama, prva metoda je polstrukturirani intervju z dvanajstimi ženskami, ki se identificirajo kot pripadnice štirih različnih verskih skupnosti (katolicizem, islam, Jehovove priče, Cerkev Jezusa Kristusa svetih iz poslednjih dni), druga pa je opazovanje z udeležbo, saj sva prisostvovali obrednim srečanjem bogoslužja vsake verske skupnosti. Podatke, pridobljene iz obeh metod, najprej kodirava in nato analizirava. Rezultati najine raziskave pokažejo, da je položaj žensk v vseh štirih verskih skupnostih slabši kot položaj moških. Na podlagi analize ugotavljava, da ženske zasedajo nižje položaje kot moški v hierarhični organizaciji vsake skupnosti, v islamski skupnosti pa ženske ne zavzemajo skoraj nobene pomembnejše vloge, kot so vodenje bogoslužja, vodenje verske organizacije, koordinacija in organizacija dela znotraj skupnosti (duhovščina, predsedstvo). Glede vloge žensk med posameznimi skupnostmi se pojavljajo tudi razlike. Ugotavljava, da imajo ženske v Katoliški cerkvi v primerjavi z ženskami ostalih treh skupnosti še najvišje mesto. Pomagajo pri organizaciji verskih srečanj in dogodkov. Prav tako ugotavljava, da ženske ob neposrednih vprašanjih o položaju le-tega dojemajo kot enakovrednega moškim, čeprav se pri kasnejših odgovorih na posredna vprašanja o položaju, pokaže, da ni tako. Največ uvida v lasten položaj pokažejo katoličanke, ki izpostavijo nadvlado duhovnikov, medtem ko mormonke in Jehovove priče trdijo, da so enakovredne moškim v vseh pogledih. Ugotavljava tudi, da jim je enakost manj pomembna kot pozitivni vidiki pripadnosti skupnosti (notranji mir, uteha in podpora v veri itd.). Katoličanke, muslimanke in mormonke vzpostavljajo odnose tako z ljudmi znotraj kot tudi zunaj skupnosti, medtem ko so Jehovove priče omejene večinoma na socialne stike znotraj skupnosti. Prispevek magistrskega dela vidiva v tem, da sva raziskali področje, ki je bilo pred tem manj raziskano. Prav tako sva dali glas ženskam, da same spregovorijo o svojem pogledu na lasten položaj.In the thesis, we address the role and status of women in religious communities in Slovenia. In the theoretical part, we present key concepts about religion, society, patriarchy, and the status of women. We discuss, how society and religion changed historically and what was the status and role of women in society and religious communities. We address the hierarchical organization of religious communities, specifically the established patriarchal relationships, and critically evaluate the gender binarism, which various religions present as natural and the only acceptable position. In the empirical part, we research the role and the position of women in selected religious communities in Slovenia. Our research problem is the status of women in religious communities. We research their benefits of community membership, their roles in the community, their views on the community’s hierarchy, their views on gender equality, on feminism, and on the roles carried out by men. We use qualitative research approach consisting of two methodsthe first method is a semi-structured interview with 12 women who identify themselves as belonging to four specific religious communities respectively (Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah’s witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The second method we use is the participant observation during which we attended religious gatherings of each religious community. The data gathered by both methods are first coded and then analysed. The research results demonstrate that the status of women is inferior to the status of men in all four religious communities. We demonstrate that women perform lower roles than men in the hierarchical organisation of each community. In the Islamic community almost no significant role is performed by women, such as conducting worship, leadership roles in the community, organisation and coordination of work in the community (e.g. clergy, presidency). Furthermore, we identify differences in women’s roles between particular religious communities: women in Catholic Church perform the highest roles with respect to other three religious communities such as, for example, assisting in organisation of religious gatherings and events. Furthermore, we identify that women, when directly asked about their status, perceived themselves as equal to men – although the answers to indirect questions about their status demonstrate otherwise. Catholic women have the greatest insight into their own status as they stressed the dominance of male priests, while Mormon women and women of Jehovah’s witnesses believed that they are equal to men in all respects. For these women, we argue, equality is less important than positive aspects of the identity with the community (such as inner peace, comfort, support of the community, etc.). Catholic, Muslim, and Mormon women establish relationships with people both inside and outside the community, while the relationships of Jehovah’s witnesses are primarily limited to social relations within the community. With this research, we hope to contribute to the research of the status of women in religious communities, which is a less researched topic in Slovenia. At the same time, we hope to have given a voice to women to express their own views on their role and status