Browsing by Author "Nzojibwami, Verlyne"

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    Creating space: how mormon women reconcile their feminist attitudes within a patriarchal religion
    (2009) Nzojibwami, Verlyne; Arthur, Nancy
    The purpose of this study is to investigate how Mormon women reconcile their feminist attitudes within a patriarchal religion. Thirteen women from six different cities across Canada and the United States were interviewed. The qualitative approach of heuristic selfsearch inquiry was used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that the experience of being a Mormon feminist is a complex one due to its paradoxical nature. The overarching method of reconciliation includes the ability to create a personal space in the midst of those paradoxes. The main methods of reconciliation include: ( 1) treating the patriarchal system as peripheral to one's faith, spiritual development and personal relationship with God, (2) reconstructing an idiosyncratic understanding of Mormon theology that better fits with one's feminist beliefs, and (3) taking some form of action to move beyond the patriarchal structure and foster personal empowerment. Implications for counselling are considered.