Question 3

Gender patterns and dynamics pervade all aspects of religion, both publicly and implicitly, whether
fully acknowledged or not. Gender issues are a hotly discussed and sometimes misunderstood topic in
contemporary society, as they are part of most nations' worldwide political and social agendas. Since
1996, the Gender Development Index has kept track of current gender inequalities across the world,
and it shows how much more work has to be done until a genuinely equitable gender balance is
achieved. Most academic subjects, including the study of religion, have benefited greatly from critical
gender views. Yet, in many scholarly publications on religion, the profound ontology and
epistemology, constructivist, and substantive changes that contemporaneous gender studies,
particularly women's scholarship and feminist theories, but also the rapidly increasing field of men's
studies in faith, have created over the last thirty years seem to be overlooked. The emergence of
religions and their study presents a significant challenge to current academia, which is sometimes
viewed as fundamentally frightening or scornfully ignored misunderstanding, ignorance, or other
elements of personal and institutional opposition.
It's important to note right away that "gender" is not synonymous with "women," despite the
fact that it's frequently confused as such for two reasons: first, gender studies arose from women's
studies and rely heavily on feminist scholarship across disciplines; and second, gender studies in
practise are inevitably more concerned with women than men due to the need to overcome deeply
ingrained, traditional invisibility and marginalisation. It's important to remember, nevertheless, that
gender studies are always about men and women, their distinct identities, interpretations, and
individual perspectives, as well as their constantly interconnected social worlds and unequal power
relations.
Despite the growing movement of "men's studies," which is influenced by the practical and
theoretical progressions of women's and feminist studies, it still lacks the momentum and urgency to
seek profound change and transformation, given male dominance and almost universal privileging in
most societies around the world. As a result, there is frequently a significant cognitive conflict
between men and women's perceptions of "gender studies."
Spirituality and religion have been demonstrated to be favourable determinants of social well-
being, but with mixed findings among research. To explain this, it has been proposed that those who
have a stronger sense of connection with and guidance from a higher power, for example, people who
are deeply religious and spiritually involved, have a more optimistic outlook on life. The idea of being
connected to a greater power, others, and life is a powerful tool for maintaining a good outlook on
life, despite any terrible situations that may arise. Furthermore, religious and spiritual participation
may improve people's lives by boosting both internal (sense of self-worth) and social (sense of
belonging to a community) resources.
The involvement of religious beliefs and practises, which are typically favourably associated
to life happiness, adds to this argument. Holding firm convictions, whether about the presence or
nonexistence of God, can have a positive influence on one's well-being through minimising cognitive
dissonance. People may experience a condition of psychological strain in the absence of subjective
assurance, which they are eager to alleviate. This might be one of the reasons why, when religious and
non-religious people are compared fairly on the strength of their beliefs, they report equal levels of
happiness.
To summarise, mental health practitioners must acknowledge and include gender and
religiosity into their work because of its significance and effect on individuals' subjective well-being.
Furthermore, while no one can dispute the significance of an inherent religious faith orientation for
well-being, the findings of this study encourage us to not undervalue the good influence that
adherence to religion and religious practises has on social well-being. As a result, psychologists in
both clinical and non-clinical contexts must have open talks with their clients to be aware of the
impact that spirituality and religion can play as a stressor or a resource, and to establish a mutually
satisfying relationship.