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SANTIFICATION, GENDER, AND EVANGELICALS: THE SYMBOLIC NATURE OF COVENANT MARRIAGES

Baker, Elizabeth Helene
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1154027538

Abstract Details

2006, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Sociology/Applied Demography.
In recent decades, societal expectations about marital roles became generally more egalitarian. Despite this general shift some segments of society, such as evangelicals, have resisted this contemporary trend by retaining hierarchical gender roles. However, recent research suggests that some evangelicals soften their gendered marital model by incorporating more egalitarian elements. I use a symbolic interactionist perspective to explore how the perceived sanctity of marriage makes perceptions of gender and gendered obligations more salient to spouses in covenant marriages than to spouses in standard marriages. I use quantitative and qualitative data from a panel survey of newlywed covenant and standard couples in Louisiana (Marriage Matters, 1997-2004). In the quantitative analyses, I routinely find across all gender, religious, and marital attitude indices that covenants are more traditional than standards and this traditionalism is not an artifact of their greater evangelism. The qualitative findings illuminate the core meanings covenants attribute to their traditionalism and a key finding shows that they have a rigid hierarchy, but soften this hierarchy by constructing a warm, respectful interpretation of gender differences. Covenants believe that their marital status aides them to focus on each other more completely. They also view their marriage as being more Godly than do standards. Covenants use their beliefs in God and religion to justify their traditional attitudes. Conversely, standards do not seem to be as adept in discussing gender. They are less likely to share a guiding story about how gender should be manifested in marriage even though gender roles and displays are evident in their marriages. The core of the qualitative findings show a major distinction between standards and covenants.
Laura Sanchez (Advisor)
51 p.
covenant marriage evangelical gender religion

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Baker, E. H. (2006). SANTIFICATION, GENDER, AND EVANGELICALS: THE SYMBOLIC NATURE OF COVENANT MARRIAGES [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1154027538

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Baker, Elizabeth. SANTIFICATION, GENDER, AND EVANGELICALS: THE SYMBOLIC NATURE OF COVENANT MARRIAGES. 2006. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1154027538.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Baker, Elizabeth. "SANTIFICATION, GENDER, AND EVANGELICALS: THE SYMBOLIC NATURE OF COVENANT MARRIAGES." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1154027538

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1154027538
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.