Gender

• Miller and Hoffman 


  Identify two reasons for gender differences:

  • Differential socialisation - women more likely to conform to religion than men
  • Differential roles - women more likely to be in part time work, more time for wordhip
• Greeley (1992)


  Child rearing coincides with attending church because they are concerned with their family's wellbeing. Nurturing characteristics tend to be associated with religion
• Grace Davie


  Very few women who give birth without the reflection about the mysteries of creation.
• Bruce


  Twice as many women than men are involved in poverty
• Glock and stark


  Identifies number of different types of sects:

  • Social deprivation - sects attract poorer groups and women are more likely to be poor
  • Organismic deprivation - stems from physical and mental health problems. Women are more likely to seek healing that sects offer
  • Economic deprivation - women tend to be more morally conservative. sees the world as in decline and turn to sects which often share this view
• Heelas and woodhead


  80% of participants in the holistic milieu in Kendal were female.