Assessing the gender climate of an evangelical student subculture in the United States

Abstract

This study explored the gendered experiences of students belonging to an evangelical Christian religious community on a university campus in the United States. As some religious traditions harbour distinctive views on gender differences and roles, the study focused on community characteristics that pertained to beliefs about gender and the behaviours that emanated from those beliefs. The findings revealed that the community was defined by masculine norms, the endorsement of essential gender differences and separate roles for men and women with respect to leadership, modesty and dating/marriage. Suggestions for improving the conditions for women in religious groups and the broader college campus are discussed.

Notes

1. To protect the anonymity of the organization, ‘Sharing the Faith Fellowship’ is a pseudonym.

2. To protect individuals’ anonymity, all names used are pseudonyms.