Male Headship Research Articles

Strategic Ambivalence

Abstract Contributing to scholarship on gender in Evangelical Christianity, this article focuses on the notion of male headship. With existing literature concerned with male headship within the marital sphere, this study also investigates beliefs about male headship in church settings, and the interconnections between these two topics. Interviews with ten British, Evangelical women were conducted on male headship, gender roles, and gender discrimination in church. This study found that participants generally affirmed male headship within the marital and familial sphere, showing ambivalence towards male headship in the church. This ambivalence helps participants stay in churches which bar women from church governing roles, despite participants expressing support for women in church leadership.

“There Is a Silent War Going On”—African Religious Leaders’ Perspectives on Domestic Violence before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The increase in domestic violence—particularly against women—is one of the most alarming indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting countries worldwide. Following a mixed-methods approach, this paper examines religious leaders’ perspectives on and their engagement with this topic. It scrutinises the findings of the online survey Religious Leaders’ Perspectives on Corona, conducted from 2020 to 2021 by the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Most answers came from the African continent and showed that more female than male leaders perceived an increase in domestic violence during the pandemic or see the need to respond to this topic. However, both male and female participants warned that domestic violence is underreported, inter alia, because of religio-cultural norms. To illustrate how the relationship between women and men in marriage is understood and (re)interpreted and how domestic violence is addressed in individual communities, this paper additionally draws on semi-structured interviews with church leaders conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda from 2017 to 2019 and in 2022. In addition to forms of support and advocacy against domestic violence, the examples also show that church leaders might call for women’s empowerment while upholding the idea of male headship.

Buried alive in the dungeon

Abstract The church is still an unsafe terrain that breeds patriarchal ideologies. These ideologies are entrenched through religion and culture, sanctioned within the institution of marriage. In conversation with Denise Ackermann and Mercy Oduyoye’s West African Women Theology as a theoretical lens, this article amplifies the voices of African women in the context of the Anglican Church of South Africa (ACSA) on their lived experiences of GBV. This essay seeks to establish the life-denying theologies or acts of faith within ACSA that encourage married women to stay in abusive marriages. Data used in this paper emerged from the semi-structured interviews collected between January 2021 and July 2021 from the Diocese of Natal. Data revealed that teachings on male headship, silence and forgiveness and marriage and divorce play a role in the abuse. Unmasking toxic theologies is fundamental for interventions to be relevant.

The ontology of men and women’s relationships in contemporary African ecclesiology: Towards a theology of authority-submission in the church

With the active involvement of women in the church and home, there is a need to study God’s design for the relationship between men and women. In reaffirming the divine order of this relationship, discussing the biblical gendered roles has been one of the major contending issues. So emerging ecclesiologies in Africa are beginning to challenge the traditional understanding of male headship in the church. Therefore, the article argues that the ontology of men and women’s relationship provides a better framework for understanding the nature of authority and submission in the church. This article states fairly the biblical foundation for the ontology of male and female relationship in the church from both the complementarian and egalitarian views. Also, this article presents the male and female relationship in contemporary African ecclesiology. Furthermore, the article contends that the application of the biblical foundation for the relationship between men and women provides a strong framework for authority and submission in the church, which reaffirms the male headship. The goal of the article is to use the biblical framework for the ontology of the relationships between men and women to propose a theology of authority and submission in the church without undermining the nature and worth of men and women, who are both created in the image and likeness of God. A qualitative methodology was used for this article, which integrates both primary and secondary sources to delineate the thesis of the study.Contribution: This article contributes to the area of ecclesiology in Africa, which shows that the theology of the church is relevant for engaging cutting-edge issues, such as gender studies, human relations and personhood. It explains the influence and implications of the ontology of gender relationship on authority and submission in the church to affirm human dignity and equality in the church.

Vulnerability of Poverty between Male and Female Headed Household in Tanzania

The study analyzes how the male and female headship of households affects poverty vulnerability in Tanzania. The study uses a sample for the 2017–18 HBS covered the population residing in private households in Tanzania Mainland. A representative probability sample of 9,552 households was selected. Probit regression with instrument variables for the endogenous variable (education) is used for estimation. The results imply that, in general, female-headed households are less likely to face extreme poverty than their male counterparts. The study also reveals that extreme poverty is less likely with the female head when divorced or widowed. Finally, the results imply that extreme poverty varies across different regional zones in the country. Therefore, female in Tanzania can shield their households from extreme poverty.

Exploring the Dynamics of Inter-Household Consumption Inequality in Ghana

ABSTRACT The lack of distinctive constructs for poverty and inequality often makes it difficult, if not impossible, to assess both of these economic welfare outcomes clearly and independently. In this article, we propose the use of household expenditure deviations as a proxy for inter-household consumption inequality. By means of this novel construct, we are able to model the correlates of poverty and inequality separately, using a panel dataset for Ghana. We find four different cases of correlations for household poverty and inequality. While some factors are associated with both increasing poverty and inequality, such as male headship and belonging to traditionalist religions, other factors are associated with decreasing poverty and inequality, such as higher education, employment, and the provision of social safety nets. Perhaps more interestingly, some factors are associated with increasing (decreasing) poverty but decreasing (increasing) inequality. These findings allow greater policy concentration on not just poverty, as has been the case in many developing countries, but also on inequality. We conclude that it would be important to design more nuanced interventions, therefore, to ensure that both welfare outcomes—poverty and inequality—are satisfactorily and simultaneously achieved.

Everyday peacebuilding among Ghanaian men: ambiguities, resistances and possibilities

Dominant peacebuilding scholarship and praxis tends to focus on African men�s adherence to violent fragile masculinities in conflict prone-societies, and African masculinities are often approached, analysed, measured and theorised through externally derived standards and concepts. This article, by contrast, investigates the extent to which men can contribute to everyday peacekeeping. It does so by drawing on ethnographic interviews with men in northwestern Ghana. It illuminates how discourses and practices of male headship and breadwinner, as everyday masculine subjectivities, may contribute to creating fruitful possibilities for everyday peacebuilding subjectivities of men at the micro-levels. The article argues that approaching African masculinities through externally designed frameworks risks impoverishing critical understanding of the tensions, ambiguities, resistances and contestations of multiple configurations of masculinities beyond liberal, western-centric conceptualisations of masculinities. It further highlights that critical intervention seeking to address the systems and structures that may legitimise, and re/produce violence and social disorder must invest in carefully rethinking the everyday struggles of men within their locatedness. Peacebuilding scholars should invest in broadening discourses and representations of masculinities by offering nuanced understandings of how men can and are embracing peaceful and nonviolent masculinities in their everyday meaning-making.

Couple Religiosity, Male Headship, Intimate Partner Violence, and Infidelity

Background The research literature finds a positive relationship between couple religiosity and relationship quality, but because public discourse highlights religious victims of domestic violence, we questioned whether couple religiosity prevents negative relationship outcomes as well as it promotes positive ones. Purpose This article compares rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and infidelity among couples with different levels of religious commitment. We further interrogated whether the belief that the man is the head of the household increased couples’ risk of IPV or infidelity. Methods We used Global Family and Gender Survey data from eleven countries. This was an online survey of adults ages 18 to 50 that used a representative panel for the United States, but used opt-in panels in Australia, France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. We limited our analytic sample to the 9920 men and women in heterosexual relationships (6791 married and 3128 cohabiting). We also analyzed the United States probability sample separately from our pooled sample. Results Couples with nominal or unequal religiosity ( less/mixed religious couples) had higher rates of infidelity than either highly religious couples or couples in which neither partner exhibited much religiosity ( shared secular couples). Infidelity was generally similar between highly religious couples and shared secular couples, but in the US women in highly religious couples did cheat less. We found no differences in IPV—measured by both women's reports of victimization and men's reports of perpetration—according to couple religiosity. Further, the belief that the man is the head of the household did not influence couples’ risk of either IPV or infidelity across the entire sample. In Latin America, however, patriarchal men in shared secular couples perpetrated IPV significantly more often than their egalitarian or more religious counterparts. Conclusions and Implications Our Latin American evidence hints that patriarchy may be a more dangerous ideology for secular couples than for religious couples. Our more general conclusion is that even though negative relationship outcomes are not more common among religious couples, the resources religious traditions have at their disposal to discourage violence within intimate partnerships seem tragically underutilized.

Mechanisation of small-scale farms in South Asia: Empirical evidence derived from farm households survey

In the agricultural sector, labour shortage, and increase in wages resulting from out-migration, and the necessity to employ sustainable intensification practices to minimise the use of inputs such as water, fertilizer, and energy, calls for investment in the mechanisation of small-scale farms in South Asia (SA). Therefore, this study investigates the mechanisation process undertaken in SA with a special reference to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, where agriculture, an important source of rural livelihoods, is adversely affected by out-migration and the depletion of natural resources. This study finds that tractors (74%), pumps (72%), threshers (65%), harvesters (23%), and power tillers (16%) are the predominantly used farm machinery in SA. Farm mechanisation is most widespread in India, followed by Nepal and Bangladesh, though the types of machinery used vary across them. Multivariate probit model shows that male headship, access to credit and extension services, economic status, and training positively influence farm mechanisation. Hence, along with enhanced provision for credit and training, an agricultural policy that aims to improve access to farm machinery should target marginalised and poor farmers to sustain agricultural production and ensure food security.

Women’s economic status, male authority patterns and intimate partner violence: a qualitative study in rural North West Province, South Africa

There are conflicting views on the impact of microfinance-only interventions on women’s economic empowerment and intimate partner violence in low and middle-income countries. Evidence suggests however that when microfinance is combined with complementary programmes (microfinance plus) it may be effective for empowering women and addressing intimate partner violence. We conducted in-depth interviews with adult women in rural South Africa who had received microfinance loans for more than a year and had recently completed gender training. We explored women’s perceptions on income generation; the effects on their relationships, including intimate partner violence; their notions of power; and perspectives on men’s reactions to their empowerment. Findings reveal that the notion of ‘power within the self’ is supported by women’s income generation, alongside a sense of financial independence and improved social support. Women reported increased happiness and reduced financial stress, although social norms and gender expectations about women subservience and male headship remain salient, particularly among older women. Furthermore, younger women appeared to tolerate abuse due to financial and caring responsibilities. These findings underpin the importance of complementary gender training programmes and of including men as participants for enhancing the effectiveness of economic strengthening interventions.

Hogares con jefatura femenina y estrategias de recuperación posdesastre en México

La desigualdad de género incrementa la vulnerabilidad social en los hogares y puede impactar negativamente las estrategias de recuperación de aquellos con jefatura femenina en la etapa posdesastre. En este trabajo se compararon hogares con jefatura femenina y masculina a través de análisis de proporciones y modelos logísticos. Los hogares ampliados y unipersonales con jefatura femenina y los dirigidos por mujeres más jóvenes, tendieron a recurrir al apoyo de familiares y amigos para contribuir a la recuperación de su hogar, en comparación con los hogares de jefatura masculina, lo cuales mostraron un mayor y más efectivo número de estrategias.

Mercado de trabajo fueguino y desigualdad de género. Análisis de los perfiles sociales y ocupacionales de las jefas y jefes de hogar en Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. 2003-2015

La presente investigación consiste en una primera aproximación a la caracterización de los perfiles familiares y laborales de las jefaturas de los hogares de Tierra del Fuego durante el período 2003-2015. Aborda diferenciada y comparativamente los perfiles de jefatura femenina y jefatura masculina según su incidencia en el mercado de trabajo y sus condiciones socio-laborales de forma contrapuesta a sus roles dentro del ámbito privado-familiar. De esta manera, se logra dar cuenta de la desigualdad de género a partir de la división sexual del trabajo y sus implicancias expresas en los distintos perfilamientos.

Justifying Gender Inequality in the Church of England

Despite being a national institution, the Church of England is legally permitted to discriminate against its ordained female clergy in a number of ways, a phenomenon that is at odds with wider societal values in England. It is argued that this makes the gender values of this institution’s representatives worthy of examination. This article explores the gender attitudes of theologically conservative male clergy and the psychological processes that shape these attitudes. In order to do so, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen evangelical priests in one diocese within the Church of England. A thematic narrative analysis was employed to interpret the data using descriptive, focused, and pattern coding. Three themes in particular emerged from the data, namely: “Theological parallel between the Church and the family”, “Created order of male headship and female submission”, and “Separation between Church and society”. The content of these themes reveals significant overlap with the contents of system justification theory, and so this was used to interpret the themes further. In light of this it is concluded that a perceived loss of social privilege and control shape participants’ traditionalist gender values.

Complementarianism and Egalitarianism—Whose Side Are You Leaning On?

Abstract With the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage among Christian communities and the increasing concern of the influence of the LGBTQIA communities upon politics, there has been a resurgent concern to reaffirm “male headship” for church, state and marriage. Emphasizing so-called biblical gendered roles has become a way to argue against feminism and same-sex marriage. Along with the resurgence of the traditional understanding of divine order as patriarchy comes an undermining of women in leadership roles, especially in ministry. Pentecostals generally have been more liberal (challenging the tradition of patriarchy as related to ministry) than conservative (maintaining that females should be silent in church and subject to male authority) regarding females in ministry. In this article we will state fairly and accurately the two contemporary positions—complementarian and egalitarian—by drawing primarily from their official websites and key theologians, and then present a pentecostal reading/hearing of Ephesians 5:21–33. We will exegetically engage the passage and then raise important questions concerning these understandings in light of a pentecostal hermeneutical perspective that privileges Luke-Acts, especially Acts 2. The goal will be to understand the passage and then move toward a pentecostal egalitarian understanding of humanity and society, thus affirming the beauty and dignity of female and male without affirming the hierarchical position of patriarchy or matriarchy.

Headship Influence on Population Structure in Khasi Matriarchal Society

This study highlights the influence of male and female headship is Khasi matrilineal society of Meghalaya, India. Age-specific population distribution and pyramid are measured to understand the age and sex-structure existing at both population, regional and national level. Population structure can have considerable impact on the population's current and future social and economic situation. A total of 528 households were studied through purposive sampling using pre-tested modified demographic schedule. The total sex-ratio of the Khasi was found to be 1170 and that of children population is 1020, both of which are much higher that of northeast India and national average. Female headed households are found to be more prevalent in the population. About two-third of the total population are found to be headed by females. Sex-wise comparison was also made in education, occupation and decision making. It was found that female dominates in higher education and professional pursuits. More than half of the males were found as unemployed in female headed households. The household headship type is found to be having statistically significant influence on education, occupation and decision making such as custody of children, education of children, marriage and domestic purchases. It is also observed that the gender based headship largely defines the demographic characteristic in this matrilineal population.

Determinants of intensity of bread wheat packages adoption in Tigary, Northern Ethiopia

The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing the intensity of use of improved bread wheat package adoption in the study area. Two kebeles was selected randomly among the potentially wheat producing kebeles in each selected districts and a total of 120 randomly selected households were interviewed for this study. Tobit model was used to elucidate factors affecting adoption of technology packages. Result of the econometric model indicated, male headship (sex), TLU and multiple production objective orientation were important variables which had positively and significantly influenced adoption and intensity of adoption of improved bread wheat production package. Whereas, age of the household, increased annual off-non farm income, increased areas of own farm land, being far apart from the farmer training center and residences had shown negative relationship with adoption and intensity of adoption. The overall finding of the study underlined the high importance of institutional support such as extension; credit and market to enhance adoption of improved wheat production package. Therefore, policy and development interventions should give emphasis to improvement of such institutional support system so as to achieve wider adoption, increased productivity and income to small scale farmers.

Calvinism, Gender Ideology, and Relational Spirituality: An Empirical Investigation of Worldview Differences

Participants were grouped on the basis of theological beliefs about divine-human and female-male dynamics using cluster analysis. We then explored whether these subgroups might differ on (a) hierarchical social expectations, (b) commitments to social justice and intercultural competence, (c) religious exploration, (d) existential defensiveness, (e) views of psychology – theology integration, and (f) perspectives on women's leadership. The sample consisted of graduate students (N = 227) at an Evangelical seminary in the Midwestern United States. Results yielded a four-cluster solution. Individuals scoring high on both Calvinist theological beliefs and complementarian gender role beliefs scored significantly higher on hierarchical relationship expectations and existential defensiveness, and preferred a Christian psychology view of integration and a male headship perspective of leadership, compared to those scoring low on Calvinism and complementarianism. In contrast, individuals scoring low on both theological dimensions scored higher on Arminianism, gender egalitarianism, social justice commitment, intercultural competence commitment, religious exploration, and they preferred an integration view of psychology and theology and a “no restrictions” perspective on women's roles. Findings highlight implications for theological training and spiritual formation.

Forms of Patriarchy in Amoris Laetitia and in the Papacy of Francis

Almost all of the considerable attention, both negative and favorable, thus far given to Pope Francis’s lengthy Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia has centered on a single footnote discussing access to the sacraments for the divorced and remarried, and, more broadly, on Francis’s treatment of those living in what Catholic orthodoxy deems irregular unions. In this chapter, taking a critical feminist approach to Amoris Laetitia and to other key elements of Francis’s papacy to date, I will be putting the emphasis elsewhere, on what I see, not as promising new innovations, but as disturbing reaffirmations of a patriarchal vision of both the family and the Church, in each of which women are at risk of being seen as under male headship, even as the Church proclaims their conceptual equality with men. It is possible to chart a more optimistic course for feminism through the text of Amoris Laetitia and more generally through the papacy of Francis, as I shall also briefly discuss, but there is a certain ambivalence to be found in even the most affirmative of signals sent to date.

Mutuality and Male Headship: Liturgical Evidence from Marriage Rituals throughout History

Mutuality and Male Headship: Liturgical Evidence from Marriage Rituals throughout History

Headship Rate for Population Projection in Johor Bahru

Headship rate method is used to forecast population for housing demand. This paper presents the application of the method for forecasting population in Johor Bahru metropolitan city in Malaysia. Data used in the projection was based on census data of Johor Bahru provided by Department of Statistic Malaysia for the period of three years. Headship rate can be determined based on the ratio of head of household in age group by its age group total population. Hence, the purpose for this study is to compare a headship rate in Johor Bahru in year 1980, 2000 and 2010. The finding for the study shows that the male headship rate is higher than female headship rate in the 3 years’ time. For the male, the highest headship rate identified in age group 50-54 years old while for the female, the highest headship rate identified in age group 65-69 years old.