Feminist consciousness among American nuns: Patterns of ideological diffusion

Abstract

Recent research in Women's Studies has begun to focus on groups of women who are not connected with the mainstream women's movement. One group of women which has been neglected in this new focus are members of Roman Catholic religious orders in the United States. The present article examines the feminist beliefs and values of several groups of American nuns. While the opinions of these women conform to those of mainstream feminism with regard to the Equal Rights Amendment and the ordination of women, they differ on other issues. Some beliefs appear to depend upon the individual nun's personal experience of discrimination in church-related jobs. The concluding section considers some implications of the research, both for women in Roman Catholic religious communities and for Women's Studies researchers who may study them in the future.