The previous summary of Chapter Five is here.
In this chapter the author uses an organizational dynamics business-like model/approach to ask and answer several questions that peeked my curiosity and held it tight: What are some of the consequences of women not having the priesthood, or in other words, how does the lack of opportunity affect behavior? If priesthood powers were expanded to include women in some form would the nature of priesthood change?
First, I liked the business approach to the first question. It fits the definition of church like a snug little glove. What is it if not a business?
What people learn about themselves and their value to the organization is not what the organization says to them or about them but what they experience while members of that organization. For instance, people can hear over and over that everyone gets an equal shot at contributing, or that God created men and women as equals, but if only certain contributions are recognized and rewarded they will not believe it. This is true in any business, be it the business of bringing people to God or otherwise.
Certainly it exists in many areas with the church when discrepancies emerge between our theology and church organization experiences. I have seldom seen women having more titles and less real power than in contemporary LDS women’s auxiliaries. The higher a woman rises in the church the less real power she obtains.. Having held a variety of church positions, I don’t necessarily agree with that statement, to a certain degree. As a primary president I often felt drunk with power. Braw. waw. ha. ha. ha. Probably because I did what I wanted…the truth being the Bishop gave me a lot of leeway to make my own decisions. So maybe it is true, as he gave me permission sort of, to do so. This is not always the case however. Some Bishop’s love their power.
Wheatley addresses that issue, that all women may not feel this sense of powerlessness, all of the time anyway. We are all given plenty of jobs to do, and personally I feel like I contribute through my ears! A lot more than my husband does as far as church goes. But busyness is not the issue. Again we need to ask what messages are being communicated to women because of such differences in the opportunities available to them in the church. She lists five major categories on how opportunity affects behavior. Read them and weep ladies..self-esteem, aspiration, commitment, diversion, and indifference. No big surprises here. If not much is expected, not much is given by way of effort. Why aren’t there more women scriptarians, theologians, seminary teachers, and Sunday School teachers? Because we have few role models, because we receive little encouragement on those fronts. We are encouraged to learn the scriptures so we can teach our children not so much ourselves, or our peers. Do you believe that?
Second, Wheatley looks to the future. She addresses an important question, what would happen if the priesthood were expanded to include women? Adhering to a business approach again she discusses something called the tilt phenomenon where studies show that the more women move into any particular job or profession, there often proves to be a discernable decrease in the status of that job with her examples being: bank telling, teaching, the law and medicine. Her analysis leads to something of a paradox then. In the present church structure, where both ecclesiastical and administrative roles are contingent upon priesthood, women suffer from a lack of opportunity. This can result in negative or diverted energy, in a loss of commitment to the church, and in a loss of personal and even spiritual growth for large numbers of women. However, if priesthood were expanded to include women, priesthood itself might be diminished in status..
Great.
But all is not lost! She suggests a series of incremental steps (I will not list them all here) for creating opporunities for inclusion and decision-making for women and girls:
– increase women’s options for meaning participation;
– give official recognition for what is already being accomplished;
– increase women’s control over with own activities.
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“Upcoming activities: the Young Men will be going bungee jumping, getting ready for their river rafting trip as well as horseback riding and working on their cliff diving and archery merit badges. The Young Women will be tying a quilt.” (July 2004 Sunstone)
This is excellent cartoon from the previous summary. I thought it was appropriate to include again, first because it falls under a point that Wheatley suggests – develop greater visibility and respect for women’s (and girl’s) participation and activities, and second, this is something that as a young woman I felt acutely, but now as an adult I’m able to look at more squarely. Meaning, I can see all the sides of it now, and it was not nearly as bad as it seemed. In my own experience, the young women program far exceeds the young men’s. Quantity (money) doesn’t necessarily mean quality. Again, in my experience. Perhaps that will be true of these issues of women and our role in the church as we get older. Perhaps when we look back decades from now the harder edges will have smoothed out a little. Or not.
Some discussion points:
– What do you think of Wheatley’s tilt phenomenon theory. Can you think of an example that proves otherwise?
– What about the five major categories that influence behavior. Did you identify or have a personal experience with any particular one?
– Wheatley lists four key areas that would create increased opportunity for women and girls. Too far reaching or right on the money?
– I keep hearing statistics that the young men are leaving the church in droves. Now it’s the young women. Which is it? How cow, is everyone aged 18-30 leaving the church?? (Can we blame the baby boomers for that too, for being too good at the overbearing parent thing?) After reading this essay, what do you think? If the lack of opportunity is affecting the number of women, why are the young men leaving also? As a woman, do you feel you have enough opportunities in the church already?