scholarly journals Re-Feminizing Death: Gender, Spirituality and Death Care in the Anthropocene

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Mariske Westendorp ◽  
Hannah Gould
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Alternative Model ◽  
Good Death ◽  
Environmental Externalities ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Funeral Directors ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Death Care ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Natural Cycles

Critiques of ecologically harmful human activity in the Anthropocene extend beyond life and livelihoods to practices of dying, death, and the disposal of bodies. For members of the diffuse ‘New Death Movement’ operating in the post-secular West today, such environmental externalities are symptomatic of a broader failure of modern death care, what we refer to here as the ‘Death Industrial Complex’. According to New Death advocates, in its profit-driven, medicalised, de-ritualized and patriarchal form, modern death care fundamentally distorts humans’ relationship to mortality, and through it, nature. In response, the Movement promotes a (re)new(ed) way of ‘doing death’, one coded as spiritual and feminine, and based on the acceptance of natural cycles of decay and rebirth. In this article, we examine two examples from this Movement that demonstrate how the relationship between death, religion, and gender is re-configured in the Anthropocene: the rise of death doulas as alternates to funeral directors and the invention of new necro-technologies designed to transform the dead into trees. We ask how gender is positioned within the attempt to remake death care, and show how, for adherents of the New Death Movement, gender is fundamental both to a critique of the Death Industrial Complex and to mending our distorted relationship to death. By weaving together women, nature, and spirituality, the caring labours of death doulas and the fertility symbolism of new arboreal necro-technologies build an alternative model of a good death in the Anthropocene, one premised on its (re)feminization.

The Relationship of Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Gender-Role Orientation in Four National Samples

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan J. Troche ◽  
Nina Weber ◽  
Karina Hennigs ◽  
Carl-René Andresen ◽  
Thomas H. Rammsayer
Keyword(s):  
Gender Role ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Role Orientation ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Gender Role Orientation ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Fourth Finger ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. The ratio of second to fourth finger length (2D:4D ratio) is sexually dimorphic with women having higher 2D:4D ratio than men. Recent studies on the relationship between 2D:4D ratio and gender-role orientation yielded rather inconsistent results. The present study examines the moderating influence of nationality on the relationship between 2D:4D ratio and gender-role orientation, as assessed with the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, as a possible explanation for these inconsistencies. Participants were 176 female and 171 male university students from Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden ranging in age from 19 to 32 years. Left-hand 2D:4D ratio was significantly lower in men than in women across all nationalities. Right-hand 2D:4D ratio differed only between Swedish males and females indicating that nationality might effectively moderate the sexual dimorphism of 2D:4D ratio. In none of the examined nationalities was a reliable relationship between 2D:4D ratio and gender-role orientation obtained. Thus, the assumption of nationality-related between-population differences does not seem to account for the inconsistent results on the relationship between 2D:4D ratio and gender-role orientation.

The Relationship between Body Image and Exercise Adherence in Fitness Centre Exercising Sample

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (80) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasa Jankauskienė ◽  
Brigita Miežienė
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Exercise Adherence ◽  
Physical Activity Promotion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Physique Anxiety ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Body Self ◽  
The Relationship

Research background and hypothesis. The analysis of factors which might infl uence exercise adherence is important issue for physical activity promotion. Studies show that exercisers’ body image is important factor associated with well being, exercise motivation and specifi c exercise–related behaviour.Research aim was is to examine the relationship between exercise adherence, body image and social physique anxiety in a sample of fi tness centre participants. Research methods. Members of fi tness centres (n = 217, 66 of them were women) provided their answers on exercise experience, in three subscales (appearance evaluation, appearance orientation and overweight preoccupation) of The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ-AS; Brown et al., 1990) and Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS; Hart et al., 1989). Mean age of the sample was 29.02 (9.85) years (range = 18–68 years).Research results. Women demonstrated higher appearance orientation, overweight preoccupation and social physique anxiety compared to men. However, we observed no signifi cant differences in appearance evaluation, appearance orientation and overweight preoccupation in the groups of different exercise experience of men and women. When overweight respondents (≥ 25 kg / m²) were excluded from the analysis, there were no statistically signifi cant differences observed in body image and social physique anxiety in exercise experience groups of men and women. Exercising longer than 6 years signifi cantly predicted overweight preoccupation [95% CI: 1.25–16.94] controlled by age and gender. Discussion and conclusions. Exercising men demonstrated more positive body image and lower social physique anxiety compared to women, except for appearance evaluation. There were observed no body image and social physique relationships with exercise adherence observed in the sample of fi tness centre participants, however, exercise experience longer than 6 years predicted overweight preoccupation.Keywords: body image concerns, exercise experience, self-presentation.

“Our Dead are the Ultimate Teachers of Life”. The Corpse as an Inter-mediator of Transcendence

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-240
Author(s):  
Antje Kahl
Keyword(s):  
Death And Dying ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Spiritual Experiences ◽  
Dead Body ◽  
Funeral Directors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Funeral Director ◽  
The Dead ◽  
The Relationship

Today in Germany, religion and the churches forfeit their sovereignty of interpretation and ritual concerning death and dying. The funeral director is the first point of contact when death occurs. Therefore he or she is able to influence the relationship between the living and the dead. In the course of this development, the dead body, often referred to as dirty and dangerous, is being sanitized by funeral directors. Funeral directors credit the dead body with a certain quality; they claim that facing the dead may lead to religious or spiritual experiences, and therefore they encourage the public viewing of the dead – a practice which was, and still is not very common in Germany. The new connotation of the dead body is an example for the dislimitation of religion in modern society. The religious framing of death-related practises no longer exclusively belongs to traditional religious institutions and actors, but can take place in commercial business companies as well.

Gender Ideology and Fertility: Evidence for a Curvilinear Hypothesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Stefani ◽  
Gabriele Prati
Keyword(s):  
Gender Ideology ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
World Population ◽  
Fertility Rates ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Using Data ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
The Relationship

Research on the relationship between fertility and gender ideology revealed inconsistent results. In the present study, we argue that inconsistencies may be due to the fact that such relationship may be nonlinear. We hypothesize a U- shaped relationship between two dimensions of gender ideology (i.e. primacy of breadwinner role and acceptance of male privilege) and fertility rates. We conducted a cross-national analysis of 60 countries using data from the World Values Survey as well as the World Population Prospects 2019. Controlling for gross domestic product, we found support for a U-shaped relationship between gender ideology and fertility. Higher levels of fertility rates were found at lower and especially higher levels of traditional gender ideology, while a medium level of gender ideology was associated with the lowest fertility rate. This curvilinear relationship is in agreement with the phase of the gender revolution in which the country is located. Traditional beliefs are linked to a complementary division of private versus public sphere between sexes, while egalitarian attitudes are associated with a more equitable division. Both conditions strengthen fertility. Instead, as in the transition phase, intermediate levels of gender ideology’s support are associated with an overload and a difficult reconciliation of the roles that women have to embody (i.e. working and nurturing) so reducing fertility. The present study has contributed to the literature by addressing the inconsistencies of prior research by demonstrating that the relationship between gender ideology and fertility rates is curvilinear rather than linear.

Leadership and Employee Motivation: Moderating Role of Gender

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beena Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Demand Pull ◽  
Logistics Services ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Core Issues ◽  
Moderating Role

With the present business environment which is creating a strong demand pull for quality and efficient logistics services, core issues are being gradually removed with time but HR issues are still neglected. Motivation can be the key process of boosting the morale of employees to encourage them to willingly give their best in accomplishing assigned tasks. During growth of any sector, dimensions of leadership can have great impact on employee motivation. This research paper analyzes impact of transformational leadership on employee motivation and moderating role of gender. The result shows significant positive correlation between transformational leadership and employee motivation and gender does moderate the relationship.

THE GENDER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE “POWER” FRAME IN SHAKESPEARE’S TRAGEDY “MACBETH”

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-36
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. LOBANOVA
Keyword(s):  
Main Idea ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Discursive Analysis ◽  
Historical Text ◽  
Gender Characteristics ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Linguistic Methods ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

This article studies the cognitive features of the “power” frame and its gender implementation in the historical tragedy by W. Shakespeare “Macbeth”. Here, the author examines the concepts of “frame” and “gender” in linguistics, studying different approaches to their definition. The relevance of this work is determined by the close attention of the contemporary linguistics to these concepts, as well as their place in the contemporary academic paradigm. The academic affirmation of the “frame” and “gender” concepts designates a new step in understanding the ways and peculiarities of the language interaction, consciousness, and culture, and, consequently, it shows new aspects of the relationship of linguistics with other sciences. Nevertheless, the problems of both frame and gender are not yet fully understood. This study allows describing in detail the essence of the frame “power” and showing its meaning, use, and ways of its gender implementation in fiction, which explains the novelty of this article. The study’s methodology is based on the cognitive-discursive analysis of the text, as well as on an integrative approach to the discourse study, which combines methods of both cognitive and gender linguistics, as well as the discourse analysis. Common research methods were used along with private linguistic methods. The application of cognitive-discursive analysis has significantly increased the depth of understanding of the “power” frame that dominates Shakespeare’s historical tragedy. This historical text presents the central theme of political tragedy: the overthrow of the rightful ruler and the usurpation of power. The motive for the seizure of power forms a thematic core and is presented from the usurpers’ point of view. In this article, the author observes the gender shift and duality of the female and male beginnings: Shakespeare puts the female protagonist, hungry for power, among men, thus the images of Lady Macbeth and her husband come into conflict with the gender characteristics attributed to them. The play clearly traces the main idea of Machiavellianism: the goal justifies the means. The results conclude that the “power” frame is the leading one in Lady Macbeth’s monologue, thus setting one of the main themes of this tragedy.

Adolescent smoking behavior and communication with parents: Depression as a mediator and gender as a moderator

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xieping Chen ◽  
Qian Xie ◽  
Yuting Yang
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Adolescent Smoking ◽  
Junior High Schools ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Communication Scale

Parent–adolescent communication is assumed to be an important factor affecting adolescent smoking behavior. However, the inner mechanism accounting for this association has still not been clarified in research. Our purpose in this study was to examine the relationships between parent–adolescent communication, adolescent smoking behavior, and depression, as well as gender differences in the relationship between depression and adolescent smoking behavior. Participants were 1,134 students at 6 junior high schools in China who completed the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Smoking Behavior Test. Results showed that parent-adolescent communication had a significant negative effect on adolescent smoking behavior and depression partially mediated the relationship between parent–adolescent communication and adolescent smoking behavior. In addition, gender moderated the relationship between depression and adolescent smoking behavior. Overall, these findings may help to promote better understanding of the relationship between parent–adolescent communication and adolescent smoking behavior.

Grading Teachers: Race and Gender Differences in Low Evaluation Ratings and Teacher Employment Outcomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1800-1833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Drake ◽  
Amy Auletto ◽  
Joshua M. Cowen
Keyword(s):  
Charter Schools ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Teachers Of Color ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Teacher Labor Market ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Relationship

In July 2011, the State of Michigan adopted a broad set of teacher labor market reforms, including a high-stakes evaluation system designed in part to remove low-performing teachers. We examine the characteristics of teachers rated as “minimally effective” and “ineffective,” as well as their schools, and the relationship between low effectiveness ratings and later employment outcomes. Results suggest teachers of color across traditional and charter schools are more likely to receive low effectiveness ratings than their within-school peers. These low rating risks are higher for teachers of color working in comparatively White-faculty contexts. Male and novice teachers are also rated low more frequently, and important differences appear to exist in the usage of low ratings by traditional public and charter schools.

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