Background
The prediction that secularism would sweep the world has
been confounded in recent years as religion has left the place assigned to it
(by theories of modernity) in the private sphere and thrust itself into the
public arena. What are the social and political implications of religion
assuming such prominent and contested public and political roles? Some
observers, including many feminists, see incompatibilities between democracy,
human rights and gender equality, on the one hand, and a world in which
religious issues and organizations have an active presence in public affairs, on
the other. Others, however, argue that religion (at its best) can act as a
significant counterweight to the otherwise hegemonic institutions of the state
and the market, revitalizing public debate on their moral underpinnings and
their social outcomes. The task of research, therefore, is to develop analytical
and normative criteria to differentiate between the various forms of public
religion and their social and political consequences, including the implications
for gender equality.
Key research questions of the UNRISD
project
It has been argued that religion can “go public” at three
different levels: the state level (e.g. theocratic states; or state religions or
state-established churches); at the level of political society (e.g. European
Christian Democrats, Islamist political parties); and at the more amorphous
level of civil society. This tripartite model, however, presupposes what is
broadly recognized as a modern society. But in many contexts it is equally
important to conceptualize the interface between what can be labelled “the
customary sphere” and formal religion. As far as women’s rights are concerned,
it is in that nexus that many of the dangers and challenges lie, with religious
precepts being selectively applied or totally disregarded. Similarly, there is a
need for a broader conception of civil society, which can include the nature of
“society” itself. This is very important because it can explain resistance, or
absence of pressures, from below to pluralize and democratize religion.
This project raises two key questions: first, how can religion and
politics become intertwined? Are there distinct modes of insertion in different
settings? And second, what are the social and political effects, especially from
a gender perspective, of this blending of religion and politics? When is it
likely to pose a danger to modern normative structures associated with gender
equality and democracy?
Based on comparative historical analysis (of
mainly European and American experiences), it has been hypothesized that only
public religions at the level of civil society are consistent with modern
universalistic principles and modern differentiated structures. How well can
this hypothesis hold for other contexts? Can this hypothesis be substantiated
far as gender equality is concerned?
Depending on funding, research
would be carried out in 11 countries—Chile, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel,
Nigeria, Poland, Serbia, Turkey, Uganda and the United States—that present
maximum variation with respect to (i) religious denominations and (ii) the level
at which the blending of politics and religion takes place (e.g., state or civil
society). Furthermore, a regional balance has been sought, including at least
some developed countries, since a certain degree of economic development is a
prerequisite for the existence of civil societies (and a pluralist party
system). In terms of religion, the world’s three largest denominations
(Christianity, Islam and Hinduism) have been included, as has Judaism.
Progress
The UNRISD Project Proposal has been completed and funding is being secured.
An UNRISD/UNIFEM joint proposal has been prepared for three of the countries
(Poland, Serbia and Turkey); an Expert Group Meeting to discuss the research
questions and the proposed studies took place in Bratislava on 28 February 2007.
Suitable researchers for these three country studies are now being identified
and a call for papers has been posted on the website of the UNIFEM
Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe.
Related
reading:
Amrita Basu 2005 Women,
Political Parties and Social Movements in South Asia
UNRISD:Geneva
Deniz Kandiyoti 2005 The
Politics of Gender and Reconstruction in Afghanistan
UNRISD: Geneva
Gita Sen 2005 Neolibs,
Neocons and Gender Justice: Lessons from Global
Negotiations
UNRISD: Geneva
Shahra Razavi 2006 Islamic
Politics, Human Rights and Women’s Claims for
Equality
in Iran in Third World Quarterly Vol. 27, No. 7, pp. 1223-1237