Attend a religious service
[can be a regular weekly service, or a special holiday [e.g., Yom Kippur,
etc.] or a special occasion [wedding, baptism, funeral, etc.] Write a report
of 500-700 words that discusses any aspects of the service that are relevant
to women's involvement in religion and the question whether women and men
might react differently to the religious event.
If you want to try something
different you might look into one of the local Wiccan or Pagan events in
the Philadelphia area. Here are a couple of websites to help
you locate something of this sort:
http://www.broomcloset.org/index.html#calendar
http://www.broomcloset.org/ongoing.html
http://www.witchvox.com/wotw/groups_a/new_jersey_ga.html
Consider the following factors and whether any of them might matter to women:
a. Setting: are there any specific male or female elements present [paintings, statues, etc.?
b. Clergy: who's in charge? are women religiously empowered? Are there any gender messages in their attire or actions?
c. God: how is God portrayed?
d. Liturgy: Are the prayers/stories gender inclusive?
e. Participation: Are there
any differences in male and female participation? How does a typical woman
feel about the service [find one and ask]
If you would prefer to create a ritual that is related to some issue from the course, please check with me.