Sovereign of Herself: Women's Narratives of Lived Atheism'
In most western societies the number of female non-believers is growing and atheism has become one manifestation of nonreligion among many (Pew Forum, 2015). However, little is known about female atheists. This article fills the gap by providing the voices of a small percentage of women who consider...
| Published in: | Secularism and Nonreligion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
[2018]
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| In: |
Secularism and Nonreligion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Atheism
/ Woman
/ Everyday life
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| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism AG Religious life; material religion |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In most western societies the number of female non-believers is growing and atheism has become one manifestation of nonreligion among many (Pew Forum, 2015). However, little is known about female atheists. This article fills the gap by providing the voices of a small percentage of women who consider themselves practising' but not active' atheists. Through a sociological analysis of qualitative interviews with twenty self-identified atheist women I argue for the importance of researching the mundane aspects of female atheism which often fall under the radar when scholars focus predominantly on the vocal and politically active atheists. Lived atheism' comprises small and seemingly insignificant actions and utterances which structure atheist women's lives and contribute to the creation of new worldviews, symbols, and reflexive strategies. Micro-actions triggered by religious content, symbols and utterances, found in the nominally secular fabric of everyday life, add up to novel forms of gendered agency which is markedly different to outspoken activist atheism, and yet not the same as agnosticism, pure indifference, or none-ism'. By examining atheist flashpoints' - moments when dormant atheist convictions come to the surface - I demonstrate how women practice everyday atheism' as they navigate personal and public spaces. |
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| ISSN: | 2053-6712 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Secularism and Nonreligion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5334/snr.88 |