Abstract
Increasingly, sociological scholarship is investigating how social constructions of gender are embedded in the historical, cultural and theological narratives of religious congregations. With a presence in over 164 countries, the New Religious Movement, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or, as it is more commonly known the Mormon Church, claims gender, like biological difference, is a fixed, divinely designed identity. But Mormon doctrine is just one aspect of religiosity, and when translated into lived practices, individuals may vary in their understanding of official Church teachings when negotiating gender.Drawing upon 30 interviews of British Mormon women living in the Midlands, this study will discuss the role regional practices play in constructing gender by exploring lived religion. By expanding the frames of analysis to focus on the everyday social interactions, this study captures how some devout Mormon women negotiate gender through embodied practices. As such, this thesis becomes part of a larger body of feminist scholarship on Mormonism and gender that recognises the complex and diverse lived experiences of some British Mormon women in an international Church.
| Date of Award | Sept 2020 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Kristin Aune (Supervisor) |