Genders Studies

Draw from at least five class readings in the unit to make your analysis, and each of you should bring at least one journal article or book chapter referenced by one of the scholars you cite. That is, there should be at least 7 entries in your bibliography section. Each essay is to be 2,000-2,400 words in length (around 8 double-spaced pages), not counting the bibliography section at the end. The topic for Unit One, Mother Goddess(es) and Gender Relations, is on the relation between the gendered ideation of the divine on the one hand, and gender relations among humans on the other. Do the gender and number of the divine affect human gender relations? In other words, does the ideation of Mother Goddess affect human gender relations differently than the ideation of God the Father, and does the ideation of Mother Goddess affect human gender relations differently than the ideation of mother goddesses? If the subordinate status of women in monotheistic religions can be attributed to the ideation of the divine as a singular father figure, what accounts for the subordination of women in cultures where Mother Goddess or mother goddesses are worshipped? What other factors contribute to the power dynamic that leads to the subordination and oppression of women and gender/sexual minorities?